As this celebrated patroness of music has given rise to some of the
most beautiful poetic productions in our language, the Legend of the
said lady, not being generally known, the following particulars of her
life and martyrdom, it is presumed, will prove highly acceptable to our
readers.
“St. Cecilia, among Christians, is esteemed the patroness of music:
for the reasons whereof, we must refer to her history, as delivered by
the notaries of the Roman church, and from them transcribed into the
Golden Legend, and other books of the like kind. The story says, that
she was a Roman lady, born of noble parents, about the year 225; that,
notwithstanding she had been converted to Christianity, her parents
married her to a young Roman nobleman, named Valerianus, a Pagan,
who, going to bed to her on the wedding night, (_as the custom is,
says the book_) was given to understand by his spouse, that she was
nightly visited by an angel, and that he must forbear to approach her,
otherwise the angel would destroy him. Valerianus, somewhat troubled
at these words, desired that he might see his rival, the angel; but his
spouse told him that was impossible, unless he would be baptised, and
become a Christian, which he consented to. After which, returning to
his wife, he found her in her closet, at prayer; and by her side, in
the shape of a beautiful young man, the angel clothed with brightness.
After some conversation with the angel, Valerianus told him, that
he had a brother, named Tiburtius, whom he greatly wished to see a
partaker of the grace, which he himself had received: the angel told
him, that his desire was granted, and that shortly they should be both
crowned with martyrdom. Upon this the angel vanished, but soon after
showed himself as good as his word. Tiburtius was converted, and both
he and his brother Valerianus were beheaded. Cecilia was offered her
life, upon condition, that she would sacrifice to the deities of the
Romans, but she refused; upon which, she was thrown into a cauldron of
boiling water, and scalded to death: though others say, she was stifled
in a dry bath, i. e. an inclosure from whence the air was excluded,
having a slow fire underneath it; which kind of death was sometimes
inflicted, among the Romans, upon women of quality who were criminals.
“Upon the spot where her house stood, is a church, said to have been
built by Pope Urban I. who administered baptism to her husband and his
brother; it is the church of St. Cecilia, in Trastevere. Within is a
most curious painting of the saint, as also a most stately monument,
with a cumbent statue of her, with her face downwards.
“St. Cecilia is usually painted playing either on the organ, or on the
harp, singing as Chaucer relates, thus,
“And whiles that the organs made melodie,
To God alone thus in her heart sung she,
O Lorde my soul, and eke my bodie gie
Unwemmed, lest I confounded be[2].”
[2] See the second Nonne’s Tale, in Chaucer; the Golden Legend, printed
by Caxton; and the Lives of Saints, by Peter Ribadeneyra, a priest of
the Society of Jesus, printed at St. Omers, in 1699.
“Besides this account, there is a tradition of St. Cecilia, that she
excelled in music, and that the angel, who was thus enamoured of her,
was drawn down from the celestial mansions, by the charms of her
melody: this has been deemed authority sufficient for making her the
patroness of music and musicians.
“The lovers of music, residing in this metropolis, had a solemn annual
meeting, at Stationers’ Hall, on the 22d day of November, being the
anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Cecilia, from the rebuilding of
that edifice after the fire of London. These performances, being
intended to celebrate the memory of the tutelar saint and patroness
of music, had every possible advantage that the times afforded, to
recommend them. Not only the most eminent masters in the science
contributed their performance, but the gentlemen of the King’s
Chapel, and of the choirs of St. Paul’s and Westminster, lent their
assistance, and the festival was announced in the London Gazette.
“For the celebration of this solemnity, Purcell composed his _Te Deum_
and _Jubilate_; and Dr. Blow also composed a musical entertainment for
the same anniversary, the following year.
“The Legend of St. Cecilia has given frequent occasion to painters and
sculptors to exercise their genius in representations of her playing on
the organ, and sometimes on the harp. Raphael has painted her singing,
with a regal in her hands; and Dominichino and Mignard singing and
playing on the harp. And, in the vault under the choir of St. Paul’s
Cathedral, against one of the middle columns, on the south side, is
a fine white marble monument, for Miss Wren, the daughter of Sir
Christopher Wren, wherein the young lady is represented, on a _bass
relief_, the work of Bird, in the character of St. Cecilia, playing
on the organ, a boy angel sustaining her book, under which is the
following inscription:
“Here lies the body of Mrs. Jane Wren, only daughter of Sir Christopher
Wren, Knight, by Dame Jane, his wife, daughter of William Lord
Fitz-William, Baron of Lifford, in the Kingdom of Ireland. Ob. 29th
Dec. 1702, ætat. 26.”
_From Sir John Hawkins._