CANTICLE
302
CANTICLE
1—13). These canticles take the place of a fourth
psalm at Lauds. From the New Testament the
Breviary takes the following: (8) At Lauds, the
"Canticle of Zaehary" (Luke, i, 68-79), commonly
referred to as the "Benedictus" (from its first word).
(9) At Vespers, the "Canticle of the Bl. Mary Virgin"
(Luke, i, 46-55), commonly known as the "Magnifi-
cat" (from its first word). (10) At Complin, the
"Canticle of Simeon" (Luke, ii, 29-32), commonly
referred to as the " Nunc dimittis" (from the opening
words).
These three canticles are sometimes referred to as the "evangelical canticles", as they are taken from the Gospel of St. Luke. They are sung every day (unlike those from the Old Testament, which, as is shown above, are only of weekly occurrence). They are placed not amongst the psalms (as are the seven from the Old Testament), but separated from them by the Chapter, the Hymn, the Versicle and Re- sponse, and thus come immediately before the Prayer (or before the preces, if these are to be said). They are thus given an importance and distinction elevating them into great prominence, which is fur- ther heightened by the rubric which requires the singers and congregations to stand while they are being sung (in honour of the mystery of the Incarna- tion, to which they refer). Further, while the "Mag- nificat" is being sung at Solemn Vespers, the altar is incensed as at Solemn Mass. [For variety of cere- monial and of usage, and explanations of the symbo- lism of its assignment to Vespers, see Migne, Encyclo- pedic theologique, VIII (Liturgie) 745-7.] All three canticles are in use in the Greek and Anglican churches. In the Breviary the above-named ten canticles are provided with antiphons and are sung in the same eight psalm-tones and in the same alternating manner as the psalms. To make the seven taken from the Old Testament suitable for this manner of singing, nos. 2-7 sometimes divide a verse of the Bible into two verses, thus increasing the number of Breviary verses. No. 1 . however, goes much farther than this. It uses only a portion of the long canticle in Daniel, and condenses, expands, omits, and inter- verts verses and portions of verses. In the Breviary the canticle begins with verse 57, and ends with verse 56 (Dan., iii); and the penultimate verse is clearly an interpolation, " Benedicamus Patrem, et Filium . . ." In addition to their Breviary use some of the canti- cles are used in other connexions in the liturgy; e. g. the " Nunc dimittis " as a tract at the Mass of the Feast of the Purification (when 2 February comes after Septuagesima) ; the "Benedictus" in the burial of the dead and in various processions. The use of the "Benedictus" and the "Benedicite" at the old Gallican Mass is interestingly described by Duchesne (Christian Worship: Its Origin and Evolution, Lon- don, 1903, 191-196). In the Office of the Greek Church the canticles numbered 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 are used at Lauds, but are not assigned to the same days as in t he Roman Breviary. Two others (Is., xxvi, 9-20, and Jonas, ii, 2-9) are added for Friday and Saturday respectively.
The ten canticles so far mentioned do not exhaust the portions of Sacred Scripture which are styled "canticles". There arc. for example, those of Deb- bora and Barac, Judith, the "Canticle of Canticles". and many psalms (e. g. xvii, 1, "this canticle"; xxxviii, 1, "a canticle of David"; xliv, 1, "a canticle for the beloved"; and the first verse of Pss. lxiv. Lev, Iwi, lxvii. etc.). In the first verse of some psalms the phrase psalmus cantici (the psalm of a canticle- is found, and in others the phrase canticum psalmt ■iiicle of a psalm). Cardinal Bona thinks thai psaltmu cantici indicated thai the voice was to pre- cede the instrumental accompaniment . while cat psalmi indicated an instrumental prelude to the voice. This distinction follows from his view of a canticle as
an unaccompanied vocal song, and of a psalm as an
accompanied vocal song. It is not easy to distinguish
satisfactorily the meanings of psalm, hymn, canticle, as
referred to by St. Paul in two places (see Congre-
gational Singing). Canticum appears to be generic
— a song, whether sacred or secular; and there is rea-
son to think that his admonition did not contemplate
religious assemblies of the Christians, but their social
gatherings. In these the Christians were to sing
"spiritual songs", and not the profane or lascivious
songs common amongst the pagans. These spiritual
songs were not exactly psalms or hymns. The hymn
may then be defined as a metrical or rhythmical
praise of God; and the psalm, an accompanied sacred
song or canticle, either taken from the Psalms or
from some less authoritative source (St. Augustine
declaring that a canticle may be without a psalm, but
not a psalm without a canticle).
In addition to the ten canticles enumerated above the Roman Breviary places in its index, under the heading "Cantica", the "Te Deum" (at the end of Matins for Sundays and Festivals, but there styled "Hymnus SS. Ambrosii et Augustini") and the "Quicumque vult salvus esse" (Sundays at Prime, but there styled "Symbolum S. Athanasii", the "Creed of St. Athanasius"). To these are sometimes added by writers the "Gloria in excelsis", the "Tri- sagion", and the "Gloria Patri" (the Lesser Doxol- ogy). In the "Psalter and Canticles Pointed for Chanting" (Philadelphia, 1901), for the use of the Evangelical Lutheran Congregations, occurs (p. 445) a "Table of the Canticles" embracing Nos. 1, 3, 8, 9, 10, besides certain psalms, and the "Te Deum" and "Venite" (Ps. xciv. used at the beginning of Matins in the Roman Breviary). The word Canticles is thus seen to be somewhat elastic in its comprehension. On the other hand, while it is used in common parlance in the Church of England to cover several of the enu- merated canticles, the Prayer Book applies it only to the "Benedicite", while in its Calendar the word Canticles is applied to what is commonly known as the "Song of Solomon" (the Catholic "Canticle of Canticles", Vulgate, "Canticum canticorum").
For references to the several canticles from the Old Testa- ment and New Testament in liturgical use, see Thomasius, Opera Omnia (Rome, 1754), VII, index, s v. Canlicom. also, for Jicna B cite. Magnificat. Nunc dimittis, Grove.
Dictionary of Music and Musicians, s. vv. See Benedictus, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis.
H. T. Henry.
Canticle of Canticles (Heb. D'TBTI VI", Gt? Aurua q.<!fi.aTtiiv, Canticum canticorum), one of the three books of Solomon, contained in the Hebrew, the Greek, and the Christian Canon of the Scriptures. _ According to the general interpretation the name signifies "most excellent, best song". (Cf. the similar forms of ex- pression in Ex., xxvi. 33; Ezech., xvi. 7; Dan., viii. 25, used throughout the Bible to denote the highest and best of its kind.) Some commentators, because they have failed to grasp the homogeneousness of the book, regard it as a series or chain of songs.
Contents \\i> Kxposition. — The book describes the love for each other of Solomon and the Sulari (JVD^l"*) in lyrico-dramatic scenes and reciprocal songs. One part of the composition (iii. 6 — v. 1» is clearly a description of the wedding-day. Here the two chief personages approach each other in stately procession, and the day is expressly called the wed- ding-day. Moreover the bridal wreath and the bridal bed are referred to, and six times in this sect ion of the song, although never before or after, the word spouse is used. All that has preceded is now seen to be pre- paratory i,i the marriage, while in what follows the Sulamit'css is the queen and her garden is the garden of the king iv, 1 vi, 7 sq.), although such expressions as "friend", "beloved", and "dove", are common. Along with the assurances of love for each other, there
