They were practising the song of the Holy Innocents, which, by command of the marshal himself, Precentor Renouf had set to excellent and accordant music of his own invention.
"_A voice was heard in Ramah, In Ramah, Lamentations and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refused to be comforted: For her children, Because they were not._" Obviously there was some mistake or lack of attention on the part of the choir, for the last line had to be repeated three times.
"_Because they were not._".