The old ritual words, "legere," "dicere," "cantare," continue in the reformed, just as of old in the unreformed rubrics. They had a definite meaning in the Latin Service Books. There is not a vestige of a hint that they are to have any other than their old meaning in the vernacular and remodelled Offices. They are often loosely used as almost convertible expressions. "Dicere" rather expresses the simpler; "cantare," the more _ornate_ mode of musical reading. The word "legere" simply denoted "recitation from a book," without any reference to the particular _mode_ of the recitation. Applied to the Gospel in the old rubrics, it would simply express that the Gospel was to be here "recited," according to the accustomed "Cantus Evangelii." The same with other parts of the service. As "legere" did not signify _non_-musical recitation in the old rubrics, so neither does it in the revised. In fact, in two or three instances, it is used avowedly as synonymous with "say or sing,"--_e. g._ in the cases both of the "Venite" and the Athanasian Creed. These of course are definitely ordered to be "said" or "sung,"--_i. e._ "said" on the monotone, or "sung" to the regular chant. But yet in two rubrics which merely deal with the _position where_, on certain particular occasions, they are to be recited (the rubrics _not_ adverting to the _mode_ of their recitation), the general term "read" is applied to them--"The Venite shall be _read_ here." Now, as the _rubrical directions_ respecting the performance of the Services are virtually the same in the old and the new Office, so is the _music itself_ as given in Merbecke. His book is nothing more than an adaptation, in a _very_ simplified form, of the old Latin Ritual Song to our English Service. Cranmer's Rule is rigidly followed--"as near as may be, for every syllable a note." The Priest's part throughout is very little inflected. Even the 'Sursum Corda' and 'Proper Preface' in the Communion Offices are plain monotone; as well (of course) as all the Prayers. But the Introit, Offertory Sentences, Post Communion, Pater-noster, Sanctus, Agnus-Dei, Credo, 'Gloria in Excelsis,' in most of which the people would be expected to join, are all inflected, though the music is plain and simple. That there was not even the _remotest_ intention of doing away with the immemorial practice of the Church of God (alike in Jewish as in Christian times), of employing some mode of solemn Musical Recitation for the saying of the Divine Offices, is further evident by the rubric relating to the Lessons. Of course, _if_, in _any_ part of the Services, the ordinary colloquial tone of voice should be employed, it plainly ought to be in the Lessons. But not even here was such an innovation contemplated.