Ordo ad faciendum Sponsalia.

N primis statuantur vir et mulier ante ostium ecclesiæ coram Deo, sacerdote,1 et populo, vir a dextris mulieris, et mulier a sinistris viri.

Et sciendum est quod licet omni tempore possint contrahi sponsalia, et etiam matrimonium quod fit privatim solo consensu: tamen traditio uxorum, et nuptiarum solemnitas certis temporibus fieri prohibentur: videlicet ab adventu Domini usque ad oct: Epiph: et a septuagesima usque ad oct: Pascha: et a dominica ante ascensionem Domini usque ad oct: Pentecostes. In octava die tamen Epiph: licite possunt nuptiæ celebrari: quia noninvenitur prohibitum, quamvis in octavis Pasche hoc facere non liceat. Similiter in dominica proxima post festum Pen

:

1" Coram presbytero amictu, alba, fanone, et stola revestito." Rubr. Miss. Herf. This order, which I have not found in any other English Use, is of no little importance in its bearing upon the much disputed question whether the Maniple or fano was allowed to be worn at any other office or service, than that of the Mass. Clearly it was especially ordered, during the rite of Marriage, according to the Use of the Church of Hereford. It would be no answer to say, that the Mass formed a part of, or, more properly, was always added to,

that Office: because there is here no mention of the Vestment, strictly proper to the celebration of the Liturgy, viz. the Chasuble: but on the contrary, the omission of the Chasuble is equivalent to an order that it should not be worn. The Priest would of course put it on at the proper time, after the Marriage was completed.

2 The rubrics prefixed to this Office in the York Manual are generally the same in effect as those in the text; but variations of arrangement occur. For example, this rubric is placed in the middle, and not at the beginning.

tecostes licite celebrantur nuptiæ: quia dies Pentecostes octavam diem non habet.

¶ Tunc interroget sacerdos banna3 dicens in lingua materna sub hac forma.

Ecce convenimus huc fratres coram Deo, et Angelis, et omnibus Sanctis ejus, in facie Ecclesiæ, ad conjungendum duo corpora, scilicet hujus viri et hujus mulieris, Hic respiciat sacerdos personas suas.* ut amodo sint una caro et duæ animæ in fide et in lege Dei, ad promerendam simul vitam æternam quidquid ante hoc fecerint. Admoneo igitur vos omnes, ut si quis ex vobis qui aliquid dicere sciat quare isti adolescentes legitime contrahere non possint, modo confiteatur.5

Eadem admonitio fiat ad virum et ad mulierem, ut

3 The Sarum Pontifical does not enter into any particulars of the banns: but directs after a rubric to the same effect as the first above: "Tunc episcopus interroget banna, et postea dicat: Admoneo vos omnes, ut si quis ex vobis est qui aliquid sciat, quare isti adolescentes legitime contrahere non possint: modo confiteatur."

the fayth and lawe of God and holy Chyrche: For to deserue euerlastyng Lyfe, what somener (sic) that they haue done here before." Again. "I charge you on Goddes behalfe and holy chirche, that if there be any of you that can say any thynge why these two may not be lawfully wedded togyder at this tyme, say it nowe, outher pryuely or

4 "Personas conjungendas." appertly, in helpynge of your Manuale Ebor.

5 The York Manual gives the English Form also. "Lo bretheren we are comen here before God and his angels, and all his halowes, In the face and presence of our moder holy Chyrche, for to couple and to knyt these two bodyes togyder: that is to saye, of this man and of this woman. That they be from this tyme forthe, but one body and two soules in

soules and theirs bothe." And again, to the man and woman: "Also I charge you both, and eyther be your selfe, as ye wyll answer before God at the day of dome, that yf there be any thynge done pryuely or openly, betwene your selfe or that ye knowe any lawfull lettyng why that ye may nat be wedded togyther at thys tyme: Say it nowe, or we do any more to this mater."

si quid ab illis occulte actum fuerit, vel si quid devoverint, vel alio modo de se noverint quare legitime contrahere non possint: tunc confiteantur. Si vero aliquis impedimentum aliquod proponere voluerit: et ad hoc probandum cautionem præstiterit: differantur sponsalia quousque rei veritas cognoscatur. Si vero nullus impedimentum proponere voluerit: interroget sacerdos dotem mulieris, videlicet arrhas sponsales, et dicuntur arrhæ annuli vel pecunia vel aliæ res dandæ sponsæ per sponsum: quæ datio subarrhatio dicitur, præcipue tum quando fit per annuli dationem: et tunc vulgariter desponsatio vocatur.

Non fidabit sacerdos nec consentiet ad fidationem inter virum et mulierem ante tertium dictum bannorum. Debet enim sacerdos banna in facie ecclesiæ infra missarum solemnia cum major populi adfuerit multitudo, per tres dies solemnes et disjunctas, interrogare: ita ut inter unumquemque diem solemnem cadat ad minus una dies ferialis.

Debet etiam sacerdos terminum præfigere competentem, infra quem qui voluerit et valuerit legitimum opponat impedimentum et si contrahentes diversarum sint parochiarum, tunc in utraque ecclesia parochiarum illarum sunt banna interroganda.

¶ Si autem unius et ejusdem sint parochiæ, tunc tantum in ecclesia illius parochia banna interrogentur. Sacerdos vero qui contractibus matrimonialibus ante trinam solemnem interrogationem bannorum, ut prædictum est, præsumpserit interesse: pœnam suspensionis ab officio per triennium incurrit.

¶ Similiter sacerdos parochialis qui matrimonia clandestina in parochia sua prohibere contempserit, ab officio per triennium debet suspendi: et gravius est puniendus si culpæ qualitas id requirat. Prohibentur autem clandestina matrimonia duplici ratione: videlicet, ne sub spe

matrimonii committatur fornicatio: et ne matrimonialiter conjuncti injuste separentur. Sæpe enim in matrimonio occulto alter conjugum mutat propositum, et dimittit reliquum probationibus destitutum et sine remedio restitutionis: et ideo prohibeant sacerdotes frequenter parochianos suos ne dent sibi fidem mutuo, sed coram publicis et honestis personis ad hoc constitutis. Quisquis etiam sacerdos, seu sæcularis seu regularis extiterit, qui solemnizationem matrimonii extra ecclesiam parochialem, vel capellam habentem jura parochia sibi ab antiquo competentia, absque diocesani loci licentia speciali celebrare præsumpserit aut celebrationi interesse: ipso facto per annum integrum ab officio est suspensus.

Postea dicat sacerdos ad virum cunctis audientibus in lingua materna sic.6

N. Vis habere hanc mulierem in sponsam, et eam diligere honorare: tenere: et custodire sanam et infirmam, sicut sponsus debet sponsam: et omnes alias propter eam dimittere, et illi soli adhærere quamdiu vita utriusque vestrum duraverit? Respondeat vir.

Volo.

Item dicat sacerdos ad mulierem hoc modo."

6 “N. wylt thou haue this woman to thy wyfe: and loue her and kepe her, in syknes and in helthe, and in all other degrese be to her as a husbande sholde be to his wyfe, and all other forsake for her and holde thee only to her, to thy lyues ende? Respondeat vir hoc modo: I wyll." York Manual.

7 "N. Wylt thou haue this

man to thy husbande, and to be buxum to him, serue him and kepe hym, in sykenes and in helthe: And in all other degrese be vnto hym as a wyfe should be to hir husbande, and all other to forsake for hym: and holde thee only to hym to thy lyues ende? Respondeat mulier hoc modo: I wyll." York Manual.

N. Vis habere hunc virum in sponsum et ei obedire et servire et eum diligere, honorare, ac custodire sanum et infirmum sicut sponsa debet sponsum et omnes alios propter eum dimittere, et illi soli adhærere quamdiu vita utriusque vestrum duraverit?

Respondeat mulier.

Volo.8

Deinde detur femina a patre suo, vel ab amicis ejus: quod si puella sit discoopertam habeat manum: si vidua tectam: quam vir recipiat in Dei fide et sua servandam, sicut vovit coram sacerdote, et teneat eam per manum dextram in manu sua dextra, et sic det fidem mulieri verba de præsenti, ita dicens docente sacerdote.

per

I N. take the N. to my wedded wyf to haue and to holde fro this day forwarde for better: for wors: for richere for poorer: in sykenesse and in hele: tyl dethe vs departe if holy chyrche it woll ordeyne, and therto I plight the my trouthe.

manum retrahendo.

Deinde dicat mulier docente sacerdote.

I N. take the N. to my wedded housbonder to haue and to holde fro this day forwarde for better: for wors for richer: for poorer: in sykenesse and in hele : to be bonere and buxum in bedde and at the borde tyll dethe vs departhe if holy chyrche it wol ordeyne and therto I plight the my trouthe.

manum retrahendo.

Deinde ponat vir aurum: argentum: et annulum super scutum vel librum : et quærat sacerdos si annulus

8" Deinde sacerdos : Who gyues me this wyfe? Deinde detur femina a patre suo, &c." York Manual.

9 See the different forms of the

espousals, according to the Hereford, York, and Bangor Uses, in my Preface to the Ancient Liturgies of the Church of England.