Deinde legatur Epistola: super sequitur Epistola,39 lectrinum 41 a subdiacono ad gradum chori,42 the place for saying the Epistle and Gospel at the Communion, and the Lessons of the other Offices. For example; at Durham. "At the north end of the High Altar there was a goodly fine Letteron of brasse, where they sung the epistle and the gospell, with a gilt pellican on the height of it, finely gilded, pullinge hir bloud out hir breast to hir young ones, and winges spread abroade, whereon did lye the book that they did sing the Epistle and the Gosple.Also ther was lowe downe in the Quere another Lettorn of brasse, not so curiously wroughte, standing in the midst against the Stalls, a marveilous faire one, with an Eagle on the height of it, and hir winges spread a broad, whereon the Monkes did lay theire bookes when they sung theire legends at mattins or at other times of service." Rites of the Church of Durham. p. 11. In some Churches there were two flights of steps, the one used by the reader of the Epistle, the other by the reader of the Gospel. The 33rd Canon of the Council of Trullo, cited by Bona, and by Gerbert, tom. i. 321, &c. condemns a custom which at one time was again prevailing of laymen taking upon them the office of reader and ascending the pulpit. The Ethiopic Missal, directs the Epistle to be read with a loud voice. 'Postea magna voce dicit epistolam." Edit. 1550. Sign. G. 3. 66 41 (Lectrinum. Herf.) “Epistola inscribitur Lectio, quia initio quidem tantummodo elata voce sine cantu legebatur, locusque in quo legebatur, lectrinum, lectricium, lectorium, legeolum, dictum fuit a verbo legere." Le Brun. tom. i. p. 99. This is the same as that of which Ingulphus speaks when relating his dream: "Erat enim sancti Andreæ Apostoli vigilia; et in suo cursu medium iter tunc fere peregerat, cum post multa precum dictamina tandem dicti sancti Apostoli lecta passione victoriosa, somno subito obrepente, super lectrinum, quod ante stabat, in latus alterum reclinabar.” -Hist. Croylandensis. p. 75. 42 Et evangelium a diacono super superiorem gradum converso ad partem borealem. Et. Gr. et Alleluya cum suis versibus super lectrinum in medio chori. Quod in omnibus dominicis et festis ix lec. et iij. lec., commemorationibus, et feriis observetur per totum annum. Exceptis festis principalibus dupl. et semidup. Et exceptis dominica in ramis palmarum, vigilia paschæ et pentecostes: quia in illis diebus omnia ista in pulpito legantur." Rubr. Miss. Herf. The "lectrinum in medio chori" was probably used also for the lections at the Canonical Hours. acolyto ad os tium presbyte- parato, calice EBOR. 43 (Et corporalibus. Bangor.) "Corporale, super quo sacra oblatio immolatur, ex mundissimo et purissimo linteo sit; nec in eo alterius generis materia pretiosior aut vilior misceatur : quia dominicum corpus in sepulcro, non in holosericis, sed tantum in sindone munda fuit involutum. Corporale nunquam super altare remaneat: sed, aut in Sacramentorum libro ponatur, aut cum calice et patena in mundissimo loco recondatur. Et quando abluitur a Sacerdote, Diacono, vel Subdiacono, primo in loco et vase ad hoc præparato abluatur, eo quod ex dominico corpore et sanguine infectum sit. Post hæc a lavandario in nitido loco paretur." Regino Prumiensis. lib. i. p. 51. Ex Concilio Remensi. With this agrees Lyndwood. Corporalia non debent fieri ex Serico, sed solum ex panno lineo puro terreno ab Episcopo consecrato. Nec debet confici neque benedici Corporale de Panno misso in confectione Farinæ, vel alterius rei ad hoc, quod stet rigidum super Calicem.Et erit candidum atque mundum, quia significat sindonem in 66 qua Corpus Christi fuit involutum." Lib. iii. tit. 23. Linteamina. Immediately after the Corporals, follow Palle, which Lyndwood explains to be, "Vestimenta Altaris, sc. Sindones et Corporalia, quæ quia quadrangulæ sunt, ideo dicuntur Palle: a quodam muliebri Pallio quadrangulo." See also Du Cange, verb. Corporale: and the authorities which he cites. Among the Churchwardens' Accounts of the Parish of S. Michael, York, in the year 1521, is an item, "På for a pair of mosfits for to wase the Corporase." Nichols. p. 309. The Editor of these in a note supposes these mosfits to be mosticks, which are said in the dictionaries to be the steadying rods used by painters: and that such sticks or rods were used in the old fashion of washing by what was called bucking, and in the bucking tub, As the charge occurs amongst parish accounts we may conclude that whatever the mosfits mean, at that time special attention was paid to the washing of the Corporals. 44 "Episcopus tribus horis Missæ sedet, scilicet dum Epistola legitur, dum Graduale, et Alleluya canitur: quia Christus tribus diebus inter doctores sedisse legitur in tempto." Gemma Animæ. cap. xij. 45 (Gradale. Sar. &c.) This was a verse or response which varied with the day, and was so called, not as some have supposed, from the steps of the Altar, but of the Pulpit or Ambo upon which it was sung. Cassander, from an old exposition of an Ordo Romanus, has put this beyond a doubt; “Responsorium, quod ad Missam dicitur, pro distinctione aliorum Graduale vocatur, quia hoc psallitur in Gradibus, cætera vero ubicunque voluerit Clerus.” Opera. p. 44. Durand says: “Dicitur graduale, vel gradale, a gradibus scilicet humilitatis. Significans ascensus nostros a virtute in virtutem.— pertinet ad opera activæ vitæ, ut notetur nos operibus respondere eis quæ in lectione audivimus: scilicet prædicationem." Lib. iv. cap. 19. Some authors suppose (see Cavalierus, tom. v. cap. x. 13., and Bellarmine, Controv. lib. vj. 70.) that the Gradual, whose first author is said to have been Pope Celestine, was appointed, ne illud tempus, quo Diaconus ab altari 66 recedens, et in suggestum ascendens in silentio elaberetur." This seems a very likely origin, and serves also to account for its name. 46 (Alleluya. Sar. &c.) I need scarcely say, that this as well as the Tract, Sequence, &c. not only varied, but was sometimes omitted. There is an order in the Penitential of Archbishop Theodore, which is important, as regards this. "Laicus in ecclesia juxta altare non debet lectionem recitare ad missam, nec in pulpito Alleluia cantare, sed psalmos tantum aut responsoria, sine Alleluia." Thorpe. Ancient Laws and Institutes. vol. ii. p. 58. In the 8th Century, the second Council of Cloveshro in its 27th Canon, gave some allowance to the same effect. Vide Wilkins. Concilia. tom. i. Gerbert de Musica, should be especially consulted: tom. i. p. 56. 47 (Sequentia. Sar.) Du Cange. says, "Canticum exultationis, quæ et Prosa dicitur:" and there seems to be no doubt, that, at least anciently, these terms were applied to the same thing. Compare Bona. tom. iii. p. 141, and Georgius. Lit. Rom. Pontif. tom. 2. ccvij. They, as the Tropes, were introduced about the 10th Century, and in many Churches vast numbers p. 99. |