5. John Damascene.

+ circ. A.D. 780.

S. John Damascene has the double honour of being the last but one of the Fathers of the Eastern Church, and the greatest of her poets. It is surprising, however, how little is known of his life. That he was born of a good family at Damascus,—that he made great progress in philosophy, that he administered some charge under the Caliph,—that he retired to the monastery of S. Sabas, in Palestine,—that he was the most learned and eloquent writer with whom the Iconoclasts had to contend,-that at a comparatively late period of life he was ordained Priest of the Church of Jerusalem, and that he died after

754, and before 787, seems to comprise all that has reached us of his biography. His enemies, from an unknown reason, called him Mansur :* whether he were the same with John Arklas, also an ecclesiastical poet, is not so certain.

As a poet, he had a principal share in the Octoechus, of which I have already spoken. His three great canons are those on Easter, the Ascension, and S. Thomas's Sunday, the first and third of which I shall give either wholly or in part. Probably, however, many of the Idiomela and Stichera which are scattered about the officebooks under the title of John and John the Hermit, are his. His eloquent defence of Icons has deservedly procured him the title of The Doctor of Christian Art.

* He was called Ibn-Mansur, from the name of his father. -Assemani, Bib. Orient. ii. 97. R. F. L.

CANON FOR EASTER DAY,

CALLED THE "GOLDEN CANON," OR, THE QUEEN OF CANONS."

66

The circumstances under which the Canon is sung are thus eloquently described by a modern writer. The scene is at Athens.

"As midnight approached, the Archbishop, with his priests, accompanied by the King and Queen, left the Church, and stationed themselves on the platform, which was raised considerably from the ground, so that they were distinctly seen by the people. Every one now remained in breathless expectation, holding their unlighted tapers in readiness when the glad moment should arrive, while the priests still continued murmuring their melancholy chant in a low half-whisper. Suddenly a single report

of a cannon announced that twelve o'clock had struck, and that Easter day had begun; then the old Archbishop elevating the cross, exclaimed in a loud exulting tone, Christos anesti!' CHRIST is risen!' and instantly every single individual of all that host took up the cry, and the vast multitude broke through and dispelled for ever the intense and mournful silence which they had maintained so long, with one spontaneous shout of indescribable joy and triumph, CHRIST is risen!' CHRIST is risen!' At the same moment, the oppressive darkness was succeeded by a blaze of light from thousands of tapers, which, communicating one from another, seemed to send streams of fire in all directions, rendering the minutest objects distinctly visible, and casting the most vivid glow on the expressive faces full of exultation, of the rejoicing crowd; bands of music struck up their gayest strains; the roll of

the drum through the town, and further on the pealing of the cannon announced far and near these 'glad tidings of great joy;' while from hill and plain, from the sea-shore and the far olivegrove, rocket after rocket ascending to the clear sky, answered back with their mute eloquence, that CHRIST is risen indeed, and told of other tongues that were repeating those blessed words, and other hearts that leap for joy; everywhere men clasped each other's hands, and congratulated one another, and embraced with countenances beaming with delight, as though to each one separately some wonderful happiness had been proclaimed ; and so in truth it was;—and all the while, rising above the mingling of many sounds, each one of which was a sound of gladness, the aged priests were distinctly heard chanting forth a glorious old hymn of victory in tones so loud and clear, that they seemed to have re