MEDIEVAL SERVICE Breviary towards the end of the eleventh century, when the antient offices were arranged and shortened by the authority of Pope BOOKS. Gregory VII. (1073–1086.) In its full and settled state, it contained the whole offices of the Canonical Hours throughout the year, arranged in order under their respective days, with rubrics directing to certain prayers and hymns and anthems which occurred frequently, and to the Psalter, which formed a portion of the volume. The usual contents of the Sarum Breviary are given by Mr Maskell, in his Dissertation on the Prymer1. Its title is Portiforium seu Breviarium; and it appears that, as soon as the name 'Breviary' was used abroad, the book was called 'Portiforium' in England, with the common English names, Portfory, Porteau, Portuary, Portuis, Portuasse, Porthoos. called Portiforium' in England. Hora. vum, 13. Not only were the greater services of the Breviary appointed for the Canonical Hours, but smaller offices were prepared, to be used at the same times for greater devotion. Such were the Hours of the Holy Spirit, of the Blessed Trinity, of the Cross, and the most complete of all, the Hours of the Blessed Officium Par Virgin. This was commonly called the Little Office, and before the middle of the sixth century was ordered by the Popes Gregory III. and Zachary to be said by certain orders of monks in addition to the Divine Office. The observance having gradually fallen away, it was restored, and the office itself revised, by Peter Damian much used by (1056). This office was very much used by the laity; and as the laity. prepared for them, the books did not commonly contain the rules for the variations of the service on different days. It appears to have been held sufficient and praiseworthy, if they recited the same office unvaried throughout the year. Being not so much a service-book of the Church, as a compilation for the devotion of the people, the Hora varied much in its contents: Sometimes it contained only the Hours of the Virgin, sometimes the Litany and occasional prayers were added; sometimes it was a considerable volume, and contained also the Dirge, the seven Penitential Psalms, and various offices and prayers: sometimes English prayers were mingled with the Latin. Many copies of this book exist in MS. and in printed editions: some are most beautifully illuminated, with miniatures and armorial bearings of the owners, 1 Monumenta Ritualia, Vol. II. p. xxii. 2 See Maskell, Mon. Rit. Vol. II. 'Dissert, on the Prymer,' p. liii. DEVOTIONAL pictures of the life and sufferings of our blessed Lord, of the saints and martyrs, or descriptive of the offices, such as of the BOOKS FOR Vigils, or Burial1. THE LAITY. The Prymer. 14. English versions of the Hora and occasional devotions, the Litany, the Dirge, &c., may be traced to the 14th century, under the name of The Prymer. This word is peculiarly English; and it is highly probable that it was derived from some small manuals, which were spread among the people, of the first lessons of religious belief and practice: and in its first state the Prymer may have been known among the Anglo-Saxons, as containing the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments. There are still remaining in manuscript many short expositions in the vulgar tongue, of these elements of Christian knowledge, to which are often added the seven Works of Mercy, the seven Sacraments of Grace, the two precepts of the Gospel, and such like. Springing from some such early manuals, the Prymer received its gradual additions in successive ages, until we find it commonly mentioned in the 15th century, as a well-known book of private devotion, containing certain set prayers and offices. It was in English, or in English and Latin, and sometimes in Latin, with occasional portions or collects in English. The title was 'This Prymer of Salisbury use,' or 'The Prymer both in English and Latin,' or 'The Prymer set forth by the King's Majesty.' The earliest known copy, belonging most probably to the latter part of the 14th century, has been printed by Mr Maskell2; and com- The Prymer paring it with the famous Prymer of King Henry VIII. (1545), 150 years we may say that, for 150 years preceding the Reformation, and before the probably for a much longer period, the Prymer was the book authorized by the English Church for the private devotion of the people. in English, Reformation. DEVO TIONAL BOOKS FOR THE LAITY. Marshall's 15. Use was made of this well-known name in the time of Henry VIII. to attempt the circulation of a similar book, but with alterations showing a great advance in reformed doctrines. Thus Marshall published a Prymer before 15301, in which he omitted the Litany, because of the invocations of saints which it contained, and a second edition in 15352, in which he inserts the Litany with its invocations, but with a warning against their very possible abuse. This book contains the offices for the hours of prayer: but a considerable portion of the volume is occupied with an exposition of Psalm li., and a harmony of the Gospel-narrative of our Saviour's Passion. It has also a doctrinal instruction in the form of a dialogue between a father and his child. It contains the Dirige and Commendations; but with an admonition and warning prefixed against prayer for the dead, and showing the true meaning of the Psalms and Lessons, read in that service3. This book was strictly suppressed*. 1 Burton, Three Primers put forth in the Reign of Henry VIII. (Oxf. 1834), Pref. p. vii. 2 Reprinted by Dr Burton, pp. I-300. It is entitled, 'A goodly Primer in English, newly corrected and printed, with certain godly Meditations and Prayers added to the same, very necessary and profitable for all them that right assuredly understand not the Latin and Greek Tongues. Cum privilegio regali.' 3 There is nothing in the Dirige TIONAL THE 16. In 1539, Hilsey, bishop of Rochester, published a book DEVOmore nearly resembling the Primer, and with some authority1. BOOKS FOR This was intended to introduce as much doctrinal improvement LAITY. as the King's Vicegerent in ecclesiastical matters could venture Hilsey's upon. It has 'the form of bidding of the beads, by the King's Primer. commandment,' and 'the Abrogation of the Holydays.' Many of the psalms, anthems, lessons and hymns, are changed for others of more plain sentence: also a great number of the saints invoked in the Litany are omitted, according to the Injunctions of 1536. Prayer for the dead is retained in the bidding of the beads and in the 'Dirige,' but the Lessons of this service are changed for others, declaring the miserable state of man's life, the condition of the dead, and the general resurrection. It contains an instruction of the manner of hearing of the mass,' opposing the doctrine of the sacramentaries. The book follows three main divisions, faith, prayer (the Hours, with the xv. O'es, the vii. and the xv. psalms, and the Litany, &c.) and works, concluding after passages of Scripture upon the relative duties, with an extract from 2 Pet. ii., headed, 'The bishop of Rome with his adherences, destroyers of all estates.' This with all preceding Primers was superseded in 1545 by 'The Primer set forth by the King's Ma- K. Henry's jesty, and his Clergy, to be taught, learned, and read; and none other to be used throughout all his dominions".' taken out of Scripture, that maketh any more mention of the souls departed than doth the tale of Robin Hood,' p. 234. 4 Maskell, Dissert. on the Prymer, p. xxxviii. 1 This was entitled, "The Manual of Prayers, or the Primer in English, set out at length, whose contents the Reader by the Prologue next after the Kalendar shall soon perceive, and therein shall see briefly the order of the whole Book. Set forth by John, late bishop of Rochester, at the commandment of 2 This was carefully ordered by 3 Burton, Three Primers, pp. 437-526. Primer. CHANGES UNDER VIII. CHAPTER II. The Prayer-Book in the Reign of Edward VI. [A.D. 1547-1553-] And where heretofore there hath been great diversity in saying and singing in churches within this realm: some following Salisbury use, some Hereford use, some the use of Bangor, some of York, and some of Lincoln: Now from henceforth all the whole realm shall have but one use.'-The Preface to the Book of Common Prayer, 1549. In the latter years of Henry VIII. reformed opinions SERVICE were steadily progressing. A truly great event was the HENRY order (1540) to set up the English Bible in the churches1, where it might be read by the people, although it was not as yet read in the public service. In 1542 it was proposed in Convocation that certain church-books should be examined and corrected2; but it is not certain whether this correction went beyond the erasure of the names of the pope and of Becket. The Upper House of Convocation also ordered that every Sunday and holiday throughout the year, the curate of every parish-church, after the 6 1 Strype, Cranmer, I. 21. See also Lathbury, Hist. of Convoc. p. 129. 2 These books, which the archbishop signified it was the King's pleasure they should be examined, were all mass-books, antiphoners and portuises: that they should be corrected, reformed and castigated from all manner of mention of the bishop of Rome's name; and from all apocryphas, feigned legends, superstitious oraisons, collects, versicles, and responses: and that the names and memories of all saints, which be not mentioned in the scriptures, or other authentic doctors, be put away... It was ordered that the examination and correction of the said books of serIvice should be committed to the bishops of Sarum and Ely, taking to each of them three of the lower house, such as should be appointed for that purpose. But that the lower house released. (A gentle refusal to have anything to do therein).' Strype, Mem. Eccles. Hen. VIII. bk. i. ch. 50. |