those by Clari,
Astorga, Winter, Racimondi, Vito, Lanza, Inzenga, and Neukomm; Rossini's,
which is the best known of all; and Dvorak's, written in 1881, which is
one of the Bohemian composer's finest efforts. Few hymns have been so
variously treated, and, it may be added, few in the Roman service are
more popular.

The "Te Deum Laudamus" is another familiar hymn. Its origin is doubtful,
though it is usually credited to Saint Ambrose. L'Estrange, in his
"Alliance of Divine Offices," says: "The Te Deum was made by a bishop of
Triers, named Nicetius, or Nicettus, about the year 500, which was almost
a century after the death both of Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine."
Bingham, in his "Antiquities of the Church," says: "The Benedictines, who
published the works of Saint Ambrose, judge him not to have been the
author of it; and Dr. Cave, though at one time he was of a different
judgment, and Bishop Stillingfleet, concur in the opinion that the Te
Deum was not the composition of Saint Ambrose, or of him and Saint
Augustine jointly." Hawkins also says: "The zeal of Saint Ambrose to
promote psalm-singing is in nothing more conspicuous than in his
endeavors to reduce it into form and method; as a proof whereof, it is
said that he, jointly with Saint Augustine, upon occasion of the
conversion and baptism of the latter, composed the hymn Te Deum Laudamus,
which even now makes a part of the liturgy of our Church, and caused it
to be sung in his church at Milan. But this has been discovered to be a
mistake. This, however, is certain,--that he instituted that method of
singing known by the name of the Cantus Ambrosianus, or Ambrosian Chant,
a name, for aught that now appears, not applicable to any determined
series of notes, but invented to express in general a method of singing
agreeable to some rule given or taught by him." In spite of controversy,
however, the Te Deum is still and will always be known as the "Ambrosian
Hymn." The original melody is very ancient, but not so old as the hymn
itself. It is thoroughly familiar in the Roman Church, though the number
of settings for Church use is almost endless. The early composers
harmonized it in various forms. It has also borne a conspicuous part on
festival occasions. The most celebrated Te Deums of this character,
arranged for solos, chorus, organ, and orchestra, are those of Sarti, to
commemorate Prince Potemkin's victory at Otchakous; of Graun, to
celebrate the battle of Prague; o