, always noble, always alive, always full of thought and
sincere feeling, rising and ascending to the climax; not to understand
the words would be impossible; the melodies combine to stimulate
devotion; the harmonies touch the heart; it delights without
distracting; satisfies desire without tickling the senses; it is
beautiful in all the beauties of the sanctuary.' So writes Palestrina's
enthusiastic biographer; so apparently thought the Cardinals of the
congregation; and when this Mass (called the _Mass of Pope Marcellus_,
out of grateful tribute to the Pontiff, whose untimely death had
extinguished many sanguine expectations) was given to the world, the
whole of Italy welcomed it with a burst of passionate applause. Church
music had been saved. Modern music had been created. A new and
lovely-form of art had arisen like a star.

It was not enough that the _Mass of Pope Marcellus_ should have
satisfied the congregation. It had next to receive the approval of the
Pope, who heard it on June 19. On this occasion, if the Court Chronicle
be correct, Pius made a pretty speech, declaring that 'of such nature
must have been the harmonies of the new song heard by John the Apostle
in the heavenly Jerusalem, and that another John had given us a taste of
them in the Jerusalem of the Church Militant.' He seems, indeed, to have
been convinced that the main problem of preserving clearness of
enunciation in the uttered words had been solved, and that there was now
no reason to deprive the faithful of the artistic and devotional value
of melodious music. He consequently appointed Palestrina to the post of
composer for the Papal Chapel, and created a monopoly for the
performance of his works. This measure, which roused considerable
jealousy among musicians at the moment, had the salutary effect of
rendering the new style permanent in usage.

Of Palestrina's voluminous compositions this is not the place to speak.
It is enough to have indicated the decisive part which he took in the
reformation of Church music at a moment when its very existence was
imperiled, and to have described the principles upon which he laid down
new laws for the art. I must not, however, omit to dwell upon his
subsequent connection with S. Filippo Neri, since the music he composed
for the Oratory of that saint contributed much toward the creation of a
semi-lyrical and semi-dramatic style to which we may refer the origins
of the modern Oratorio. Filippo Neri was th