This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1889 edition. Excerpt: ...hymn by its existence as an inscription on a marble tablet in the church of St. Francis at Mantua, where it was seen by David Chytraeus, a German Lutheran, who visited Italy in 1565. That the author was an Italian is indicated by the peculiar three-line stanza, which approximates to the terza-rima structure of their poetry, but is not found in pgetry of the Northern nations, except in later imitations. Sequentiam ilium olim celebrem, quae nunc excidit: "Sanctitatis nova signa," cecinit frater Thomas de Celano, cujus et ilia solemnis mortuorum: "Dies irae, dies ilia " opus est, licet alii eam tribuere vclint fratri Matthaeo Aquaspartano, cardinali ex minoritis deswnpto.--Annales Minorum, Tom. II., p. 204 (Lyons, 1625.) Thomas de Celano, provinciae Pennensis, S. Francisci discipulas et socius. edidit... librum de vita et miraculis S. Franeisci... communiter vocatum a fratribus legenda antiqua. Alttram legendam minorem prius ediderat, quae legebatur in choro...; sequcntias ires, seu Prosas Khythmicas, quorum prima in laudem S. Francisci incipit: "Fregit victor virtualis." Secunda incipit: "Sanctitatis nova signa." Tertia de Defunctis ab Ecclesid recepta: "Dies irae, dies ilia." Quam in versus GalKcos transtulil Benidictus Cononus Coelestinus et saneto Bonaventurae attribuit. Alii adsctibunt Fr. Matthaeo cardinali Aquaspartano, et demum alii aliis auctoribus.--Syllabus Scriptornm et Martyrum Franciscanorum. p. 323 (Rome, 1650.) The statement of Bartholomew of Pisa, that already in 1285 the Dies Irae was employed in the service for the dead, shows how early it made its way into church use. In earlier times there was no sequence in that service, for the reason that the " Hallelujah,"...