Note 461 — Chapter II · The Lutheran Hymn-Book—The Book of Arithmetic—The Geometrical Instruments—The Mosaic Pavement—The Lute—The Seven Liberal Arts—The Silver Crucifix—Occult Science—Conclusion

The first strophe of the “Veni Creator” was, in fact, used as an antiphon in the Roman Catholic Church. (Antiphon: “A short piece of plain song introduced before a psalm or canticle, to the tone of which it corresponds, while the words are selected so as specially to illustrate and enforce the evangelical or prophetic meaning of the text.”—Grove’s “Dictionary of Music and Musicians.”) The suggestion that an antiphon was intended in the picture gains some force from the fact that while a faint “D...” is seen beneath the second hymn (“Mensch wiltu”), pointing to the commencement of the second verse (“Dein Gott allein und Herr bin ich,” representing the First Commandment), no second verse is indicated in the case of “Kom Heiliger Geyst,” which is limited to one strophe. The opening of the “Veni Creator” was actually printed as an antiphon in the “Baseler Plenarium” of the year 1514, beneath a woodcut, by Hans Scheuffelin, representing the Descent of the Holy Ghost. (Winterfeld, “Dr. Martin Luther’s deutsche Geistliche Lieder,” Leipzig, 1840.)