HYMNS ANCIENT AND EARLY VICTORIAN
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Snt,—We have read Mr. Lionel James' letter under the above heading with some surprise. One might have expected that before writing this letter he would have made some attempt to verify the accuracy of some of his statements.
The fact is published, and is available to everyone, that Hymns Ancient and Modern is not, and never has been, private property. It is in the hands of a body, of Trustees to control, to revise when necessary, and to hand on to the Church of the future. We should be interested to learn on what authority Mr. James understands that to us, its pub- lishers, it has proved almost a gold-mine.
Against the statement that Hymns Ancient and Modern provides only three hymns for the New Year, a reference to the Classified Table of Hymns in the standard edition, which is the one now on sale, shows that there are ten such hynims provided. Mr. James suggests that two other hooks are better equipped to meet the needs of the present day. In the Contents of The English Hymnal two hymns are given for the New Year, one of them being " For Thy mercy and Thy grace," a hymn which Mr. James severely' Criticises. -In Songs of Praise in the Contents one hymn is given for the New Year, and this is also " For Thy mercy and Thy grace."
In both books, however, alternative hymns are given for the New Year at the foot of the page, or pages, of the hymns given in the Contents.
In addition these two collections give " improved "versions of the hymn " For Thy mercy and Thy grace," but they fail to fully meet Mr. James' objections save in regard to the word " Potentate." Here, however, they are not pioneers, as the Committee of Ancient and Modern anticipated Mr. James' " not unintelligent " little maiden over Thirty years ago, and omitted this last verse in their revision of 1904.
Mr. James seems stiangely contradictOry in his references to " The Compilers " and his acknowledgement of " the magnificent service which Hymns Ancient and Modern did in the early days of the Anglican Revival." Further; in speaking of " the last version " he would appear to be as " hopelessly out of touch " with the work which has been done from time to time, as he claims that Ancient and Modern is " with the spirit and ideals of the young people of today."—Yours faithfully, For William Clowes and Sons, Ltd., G. C. K. CLOwES, Managing Director. (Publishers of Hymns Ancient and Modern.) 94 Jermyn Street, London.
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