Lead, Kindly Light

[mcb]

I was intrigued by the version of Lead, Kindly Light that appeared in the Magnificat missal for the papal visit. The version printed had four verses, including a fourth verse I'd never seen before. It looked a bit suspicious: the added verse -

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path,
Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith,
home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life.

looks pretty clunky, especially the line thyself hast trod, and the clumsy rhythm of in the calm light.

It turns out the fourth verse was added without Newman's knowledge by the compiler of Hymnal Companion, and was removed at his request as soon as he got wind of it. Here's an account -

At this point in my short review, I must leap over many years, and I think justifiably, to record an episode which has been given no place, as far as I am aware, in any of the many books on Newman, certainly not in Wilfrid Ward’s; an episode upon which I lighted by chance. If it should seem of little importance it has the merit of being new, and will interest all lovers of "Lead, kindly Light."

After Newman had become a Roman Catholic, the Rev. Edward Henry Bickersteth, some time vicar of Christchurch, Hampstead, and Bishop of Exeter, who composed "Peace, perfect peace," ventured, as Editor of the "Hymnal Companion," to improve on Newman’s hymn by adding a fourth verse. [...] This verse, to be found in early copies of the "Hymnal Companion," was ultimately expunged, no doubt as a result of the publishers receiving the following letter by Newman, the original of which I found some years ago in an album of literary treasure trove.

GENTLEMEN,—

I doubt not I gave leave for my lines "Lead, kindly Light" to be inserted into your collection of hymns—and did so readily—but a stranger has been kind enough to inform me that your compiler has added a verse to it not mine. It is not that the verse is not both in sentiment and language graceful and good, but I think you will at once see how unwilling an author must be to subject himself to the inconvenience of that being ascribed to him which is not his own.

I have not seen it myself in the "Hymnal Companion," but the stanza has been quoted to me. It begins "Meanwhile, along the narrow, etc."

I beg you to pardon me, if this letter is grounded in any mistake.

I am, Gentlemen,
Your faithful servant,
JOHN H. NEWMAN.

If the pirate verse is beautiful, so is the remonstrance.

(source: Lead, Kindly Light: Studies of Saints and Heroes of the Oxford Movement by Desmond Morse-Boycott (MacMillan, 1933))

The puzzle is how the extra verse came to be included in the missal for the papal visit, given that it doesn't seem to appear in any reputable hymnal I know of. The answer would seem to be that they got the words from Wikipedia. I wonder which incompetent was responsible?

[presbyter]

I wonder which incompetent was responsible?

The same one responsible for all the other bloopers in the Magnificat Missal?

No no - let's not go there.

[musicus]

Including appending "the Babe of Bethlehem" to verse 2 of "Church of God, elect and glorious" - as already noted on here. Fortunately, the multitude did as they always do when faced with the baffling or unfamiliar: they remained silent.

[Lakelark]

mcb described the extra verse of "Lead, Kindly Light" as suspicious. How right he is! This would not be the only instance of an alteration made to a catholic text by people outside the Catholic Church. In this case, I think the additional verse was added to prevent a particular interpretation of the other three. The original three must surely refer to Newman's difficult path into catholicism, and, lest anyone interpret them in that way, the additional verse makes it clear that what is referred to is the difficult path to heaven.

Other verses of Newman's were treated similarly. In "Firmly I believe and truly", Songs of Praise altered "Holy Church as his creation, And her teachings as his own" to "And his teachings as her own".

Further comment might be made, but it would be OT, I dare say.

[mcb]

The original three must surely refer to Newman's difficult path into catholicism

Nice try, Lakelark! But Lead, Kindly Light was written in 1833, twelve years before his conversion, and at a time when he described the RC church as "polytheistic, degrading and idolatrous" (it says on, er, Wikipedia).

(Or is that what you mean by difficult? )

[Lakelark]

Thank you, mcb. Nothing to do with Newman is entirely straightforward: it is arguable that he was considering becoming a (Roman) Catholic from the time of his association with Keble and Pusey. But the dating of LKL doesn't affect my point about the extra verse. By the time the Hymnal Companion was published, Newman had become a Catholic. (I've done a swift search for the publication date, but can only find that of the American version.) All of his writings therefore became suspect, from the Protestant point of view, and needed to be modified if they were to be used at all.

[organist]

How very interesting! I have 2 excellent CTS pamphlets about Newman including prayers for each day.