The musicians of the Church were in much better circumstances. As far back as the time of William the Conqueror we find that Hereford Cathedral had endowments which included support for seven choristers. We find similar endowments granted to St. Gregory's in 1363; to Wells in 1347; to the collegiate churches of Southwell, in Nottinghamshire; to Beverley, in Yorkshire, and Westminster. At Oxford, New College had an endowment for sixteen choristers, and Magdalen, All Souls', and St. John's had similar funds. Nearer to Okeghem's day the famous Dick Whittington, Lord Mayor of London, in 1424 founded an endowment for choristers in the Church of St. Michael Royal, which he built. Nevertheless, the first recorded case of a salaried organist is that of Leonard Fitz Simon, organist of Trinity College, Oxford, about 1580, at 20s. per year. Here are two examples of the popular music of the early times,--the first a song by King Thibaut of Navarre, and the second the first part of the old meistersong used by Wagner in "Die Meistersinger":-- [Music: Thibaut Meistersong.] By THIBAUT OF NAVARRE. L'au trier per la ma-ti-née ent'r un bos et un ver-gier Une pas-to-re ai tro-vé-e chant-ant pour son en-voi-sier et di-sait un son pre-mier chi mi tient-li mais d'a-mour Tan-tost cel-le par-en-tor Ka je loi de frai-nier si li dis sans de-lai-er Belle, diex vous doint bon jour. [Music: Die Meistersinger.] Ge-ne-sis am neun und zwan-zig-sten uns be-richt wie Ja-cob floh vor sein bru-der E-sau ent-wicht. The reader will note that in the first of these there is a clearly marked rhythmic movement of the simplest kind. The tune is distinctly in the modern key of G major, and it is not polyphonic. The second tune is in F major and while its rhythm is not clearly indicated, it is plainly not a polyphonic composition. The directness of this kind of music and its suitability to the expression of simple feelings were bound to make themselves felt sooner or later in music. We are now to examine into the causes which led to the simplification of church music and forced composers to turn their attention more and more to the music of the people. Chapter VI The Simplification of Music Causes which led composers toward a less complex style--The Renaissance and the Reformation--The Council of Trent--Palestrina and his music--Last days of the Roman and Venetian schools--The English cathedral composers--Characteristics of the period.