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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE

After the Restoration, there were three organists appointed for the Chapel Royal, viz.-Edward Lowe, Dr. William Child, and Dr. Christopher Gibbons; Captain Henry Cooke being master of the children, and Henry Lawes clerk of the cheque : but, from an account of the establishment of William and Mary, 1689, preserved in the British Museum, they appear to have been reduced to two. The following is the item:-" To Stephen Crispin and 22 gentlemen of the Chapell, whereof 2 to be organists, in all 23 persons, at 4s. per diem. Wages, £262 6s. 101d. Board wages, £1416 13s. lid. per annum."

As an author, Tallis is principally in repute for his Service, Anthems, and other compositions for the church, to English and Latin words; but, of all his productions, his Song of Forty Parts is the most extraordinary. This is still extant, and is written for eight trebles; eight mezzi-soprani, or mean parts ; eight counter-tenors; eight tenors; and eight basses. There are also two compositions of his in the Virginal Book of Queen Elizabeth, on the plain chant "Felix namque," dated 1562 and 1564, which it is probable were originally written for the organ.

Tallis died on the 23rd of November, 1585, at about the age of 65, and was buried in the old parish church of Greenwich, in Kent; where Strype, in his Continuation of Stow's Survey, published in 1720, says that he found, in the chancel, upon a stone before the rails, a brass plate with the annexed inscription engraven thereon. But, as the church was pulled down soon after the year 1720, in order to be rebuilt, no memorial now remains either of Tallis or of any other person interred there previous to that date.

OF THOMAS TALLIS.

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Inscription on Tallis's tomb-stone.

Enterred here doth ly a worthy wyght,

Who for long tyme in musick bore the bell:
His name to shew, was Thomas Tallys hyght,
En honest uertuous lyff he dyd excell.

He seru'd long tyme in chappel with grete prayse,
Fower souercygnes repgnes (a thing not often seene),
E mean kpng Henry and prynce Edward's dayes,
Quene Mary, and Elizabeth our quene.

He maryed was, though children he had none,
And lyu'd in loue ful thre and thirty yeres
Wyth loyal spowse, whos name yclypt was Jone,
Who here entomb'd, him company now bears.

As he Tyd lyue, so also did he dy,

En mylo and quyet sort, happy man! To God ful oft for mercy did he cry,

Wherefore he lpues, let deth do what he can.

The Order for

Morning

Prayer

Daily throughout the Rear.

"At the beginning of Morning Prayer, the Minister shall read with a loud voice some one or more of the Sentences of the Scriptures" as prescribed. And then he shall say that which is written after the said Sentences."

Minister.

When the wick = ed man, &c.

Minister. D

Dearly be = lov = ed bre=thren, &c.

Congregation after the Minister.

Al=migh=ty_and_most_mer-ci=ful Fa=ther, &c. A-men.