while the Deacon sings the Gospel, at the Et incarnatus est, when being incensed, and from the beginning of the Sanctus until the first ablution, or Communion of the Clergy. On all these points, the Sacred Congregation has decreed, Nov. 5, 1600; also at the time of receiving the Pax, or the Celebrant's benediction at the end of Mass.

7. During Mass, the clergy should incline the head at the Gloria Patri until the Sicut erat exclusively, while the choir is singing the Holy Name of JESUS, as also those of Mary, the Saint of whom commemoration is being made, and the Sovereign Pontiff. During the Gloria in excelsis, at the words Adoramus Te, Gratias agimus Tibi, Jesu Christe, and Suscipe deprecationem nostram; during the Credo, at the words Jesum Christum, and Simul adoratur; during the Preface, at the Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro. They should make a profound inclination when receiving the benediction of the Celebrant, at the end of Mass.1

8. At the time of singing, all should join in with their voices, in such manner as to produce an equal harmony, no one individual raising his voice higher or louder than another; and if there be any who cannot accommodate their voices to the general tone of the choir, silence, in such a case, is preferable to discord. Each individual should attend to the voice of his companions, in order to produce a simultaneous and harmonious enunciation of every syllable.

9. When the Subdeacon gives the Pax to the first in rank of the choir, the latter salutes him with an inclination of the head; then, placing his hands under the elbows of the Subdeacon at the time those of the Subdeacon rest upon his shoulders, he approaches his head to the left cheek of the Subdeacon, who then imparts to him the Pax, saying, Pax tecum, to which he answers, Et cum spiritu tuo. He then repeats his inclination to the Subdeacon, and turning himself to his neighbour, imparts the Pax to him in the same manner as it was communicated to himself.

10. The clergy should comport themselves in choir with silence, modesty, and self-possession; abstaining from everything that would indicate frivolity or irreverence, such as reading letters, talking, giving snuff to each other, gazing

' It will be observed that, with the exception of the last, all these inclinations are simple, i. e. of the head only.

2 It should be observed, that before giving the Pax, he who gives it does not bow to him who receives it, but only vice versa; after it, however, they mutually bow.

about, sitting cross-legged, lolling in their seats, and other acts of this nature. According to the Holy Council of Trent, every ecclesiastic should exhibit a grave and religious deportment even in the public streets and squares :Nil, nisi grave, moderatum, ac religione plenum, præ se ferant." How edifying then should be his demeanour at choir, whilst engaged in the actual service of the Most High.

ARTICLE III.—The internal Dispositions necessary to assist with propriety in Choir.

11. A pure intention of worshipping God solely for His glory, and not through self-interest or vanity. Such despicable ends are evinced by those who willingly assist at choir, whenever their presence redounds to their emolument, but absent themselves when interest is away; as also by those who perform their ceremonial part with propriety before the eyes of a congregation, but who act with a miserable remissness when removed from public notice.

12. A foresight of what is about to be done, the better to avoid those inadvertencies which entail a multiplicity of defects. This should be taken before proceeding to choir, by reading the instructions for the ceremony, and bringing them before the mind with a little serious reflection; and even in choir, by filling up each unoccupied moment in something like the following deliberation :-After this, I must perform such an action, which must be done in such and such a manner. By acting on this principle, nothing will happen without provision, and all will proceed with regularity.

13. Attention, seriously observing what is going forward, and not yielding to thoughts even of a virtuous nature, which in such cases have not their source in God, but in an evil power, as they divert us from the good work which is before us. Most powerful inducements to enliven our attention, are to place ourselves in the presence of God, and to accompany in spirit each word and action, attending to their signification, and yielding to those affections of the heart which the language of each prayer should excite, according to the beautiful recommendation which St. Augustine has given us in his glossary of the Tenth Psalm :-" Si orat Psalmus, orate; et si gemit, gemite; et si timet, timete. Omnia enim, quæ hic conscripta sunt, speculum nostrum sunt.” That which St. Augustine teaches us to do while singing the Psalms, we should observe also in whatever is recited or sung in Mass, or in any other holy function.

14. Devotion, which serves to inspire us with an internal relish for the sacred exercises of religion, and which certainly is not experienced by those who perform them with reluctance and tedium; and against whom the Lord delivers that fearful anathema : "Maledictus homo qui facit opus Dei fraudulenter."

ARTICLE IV.-The Order to be observed for Holy Communion.

15. When the Pax has been given to all in choir, the clergy who communicate (without berretta or zucchetto) will proceed to the middle, two and two, with hands joined; kneeling, they will incline during the Confiteor, and strike their breasts, &c. The sacred Ministers, parati, who assist the Celebrant, will present themselves first for Communion, as well as the other Priests, if there be any.1 These latter should wear stoles of the colour of the day; and, if Prelates, the mozetta, or mantelletta. Afterwards the Acolytes should present themselves. While those who have communicated are descending laterally, on either side, from the Altar, the two who are about to communicate, go up between them, having made their genuflection in plano; and when they descend, they should turn with all possible gravity, and make a genuflection in a straight line with the two who follow them, and who will be between them; and so on with the rest. All should communicate upon the edge of the predella. Afterwards, each one returning with a grave and devout deportment to his place in the choir, will maintain the same posture as the rest of the clergy. If there be any laics to communicate, they will do so at the balustrade of the choir, or kneeling on the pavement at the foot of the Altar: in the latter case, the Celebrant and his Ministers descend to the lowest step to communicate them, always commencing by the Epistle side.

16. The same order is to be observed in going to receive blessed candles, ashes, or palm, from the Celebrant; or to kiss sacred relics, each individual being careful to hold the berretta and zucchetto in his hands, and to kiss first the object that is blessed, and afterwards the hand of the Priest who presents it.

1 The author supposes that the sacred Ministers are Priests, since he adds: as well as other Priests;" but whether they be or not, they should communi. cate before others.

2 That is, the plane upon which the Altar stands.

ARTICLE V.-The Mode of Retiring from Choir.

17. No one should leave the choir without necessity; but when one cannot avoid it, he should advance to the centre, genuflect, salute the choir, first on the Gospel side, and afterwards on that of the Epistle, provided the Celebrant is not sitting on that side, for in such case he should commence with this, and terminate with the contrary. Those who enter the choir after the service has commenced, should adhere to the same rules, remembering, however, to continue for some time in a kneeling posture, to make a short prayer, to genuflect, and salute the choir as above.

Note.-None should enter or leave the choir while the Celebrant is saying the Confiteor, or during the singing of the prayers, the Gospel, the Gloria Patri, Et incarnatus est, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Adjuva nos, &c. In case any person is proceeding to choir on these occasions, he should continue kneeling or standing, according to the posture of those in choir; when, however, the Priest is saying the Confiteor, he should kneel until it is finished.

18. The sacred office being concluded, and the Acolytes having retired from the choir, the last on the Gospel side and the last on that of the Epistle proceed to meet each other in the centre; and having there genuflected and turned round, they follow the Acolytes; all the others successively do the same; and thus retire to the sacristy precisely in the same order as they entered the choir. Having arrived in the sacristy, they part asunder on either side, in such a manner as to form an extended aisle. The Celebrant, having arrived, salutes them all with an inclination of the head, which they return by a similar reverence: they then unvest themselves with all possible modesty, gravity, and silence.

CHAPTER II.

THURIFER.2

1. A QUARTER of an hour before Mass, the Thurifer should present himself in the sacristy, put on his cotta, and in default of the Acolytes, assist the sacred Ministers to vest.

2. At the beginning of Mass he prepares fire in the

During the Office or Mass for the dead, the choir is not saluted.

2 For the Asperges the Thurifer will consult chap. ii. in the Appendix.

thurible.1 At the end of the Confiteor he approaches the Altar, ascends upon the predella at the corner of the Epistle, presents the navicula (or incense-boat) to the Master of Ceremonies, and receives incense in the thurible; after it has been put in and blessed, he lowers the cover of the thurible, and presents it to the Deacon; then retaking the boat in his left hand, and having his right extended on his breast, he descends to the pavement.3

4

3. During the incensing of the Celebrant, he stands near the Deacon, and makes with him an inclination before and after. He receives the thurible with his right hand, and carries it to the proper place; observing to genuflect in passing before the Altar where the blessed Sacrament reposes. He then returns to his place in choir.

4. All the Collects being sung, he proceeds to prepare his thurible, and as soon as the Celebrant has finished reading the Gospel (at least if there be not a long Tract to be sung), he approaches the Altar to receive incense.5 The incense being blessed, he takes the thurible in the right hand and the boat in the left, and having descended to the pavement, precedes the Acolytes to the centre of the choir before the Altar, at some distance from the steps, where he will station himself at the left of the Master of Ceremonies. When the signal is given, he genuflects before the Altar, and having saluted the choir with the sacred Ministers, allows the first Acolyte to pass, and afterwards proceeds to the left of the Deacon, placing himself a little behind him so as to face the first Acolyte.

Should the clergy proceed to the Altar in solemn procession, preceded by the Cross, the Thurifer will get incense blessed by the Celebrant (or Bishop, if present) before leaving the sacristy; and then, with thurible smoking, he will walk immediately before the Cross-bearer. (Cærem. Epis. lib. ii. cap. viii. n. 24.)

2 The Thurifer, having made the proper reverences on arriving in front of the Altar, if holding the thurible, will place himself opposite the corner of the Epistle, on the pavement at some little distance from the steps. If, however, he enter without the thurible, he should proceed to the assigned place, which is generally at the left of the second Acolyte, near the credence-table.

3 When the Blessed Sacrament is in the Tabernacle, the Thurifer will be careful to make a genuflection before ascending, and again another after having descended.

It is as well, also, here to remark, that when the Bishop is present in the sanctuary, he generally blesses the incense; the Thurifer will therefore present the thurible to him in a kneeling posture, with the usual reverences, on arriving at the throne, and on leaving it.

A little behind, on his right hand.

5 See note (3) above.