the Epistle side, when the Bishop arrives. (Cærem. Epis. lib. ii. cap. xviii. n. 3.)

2. The Bishop being vested, the Subdeacon of the Mass, or one of the Beneficati of the church, vested in purple folded chasuble, goes with the proper reverences to the Altar, from whence he takes the vase of ashes, and proceeding with it to the throne, holds it with both hands before the Bishop, until the end of the distribution: he remains kneeling at the right of the Bishop. The Ministers of the book and bugia having approached, the Bishop commences the Benediction as in the Missal. (Ibid. n. 5, 6.) Towards the end of the Prayers, the Acolyte of the Holy water, and the Thurifer, come to the throne. The ashes are aspersed and incensed more solito. (Ibid. n. 7.)

3. The Benediction over, the Bishop sits without mitre or berretta, and the Celebrant of the Mass places ashes on his head, saying, Memento homo, &c. (Ibid. n. 8.) This over, the Bishop receives the mitre, and the white gremial veil, which is held by two Acolytes. The Celebrant, standing inclined, receives ashes, and without kissing the hand of the Bishop, retires to his place. The Canons and clergy receive ashes, each in his own proper order. In the mean time the choir sing Immutemur habitu, &c. (Ibid. n. 8—18.)

4. The distribution over, the Bishop sitting, washes his hands more solito; then, rising without mitre, he sings the Dominus vobiscum, Oremus, and Prayer; the Acolytes, with lighted candles, being at a convenient distance. (Ibid. n. 14.) 5. Should the Bishop not wish to celebrate, the Canons will take off their sacred vestments, but the Bishop may retain his, or assume the cappa, as he may deem proper. He will descend to commence the Mass more solito. The Bishop will kneel at his faldstool during the Prayers, at the Adjuva nos, Deus, from after he has said the Sanctus until the Per omnia sæcula, &c., before the Pax Domini, and during the Prayers of the Post-Communion. (Ibid. n. 15-20.)

6. Should the Bishop celebrate a solemn Mass, he commences None after the Prayer at the end of the distribution, and in the mean time receives the buskins and sandals. None over, the Bishop washes his hands, as at the end of Terce at other Masses: he is vested by the Deacon and Subdeacon, more solito. Before the first Prayer in the Mass, the Bishop does not say Pax vobis, but Dominus vobiscum. At the Adjuva nos, Deus, the Bishop kneels at the throne, and not at the faldstool. (Ibid. n. 22-25.)

CHAPTER III.

LETARE AND GAUDETE SUNDAYS.

THERE are three particular things to be observed on these Sundays: First, at solemn High Mass the organ is played (Carem. Epis. lib. i. cap. xxviii. n. 2); and also at Vespers, according to a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, dated April 2, 1718. Secondly, the purple ornaments of more than ordinary costliness should be used. Thirdly, the Deacon and Subdeacon, instead of folded chasubles, should wear the dalmatic and tunic. (Rubr. Miss. de qualitate paramentorum.)

Note. If the fourth Sunday of Advent fall on the Vigil of Christmas, the imperata Collects are omitted. (Sacred Congregation of Rites, April 20, 1822.) The same observation applies absolutely to the Vigil itself, according to a decree of the Congregation, March 3, 1761.

CHAPTER IV.

PALM SUNDAY.

ARTICLE I.-Preparations.

1. In the sacristy, in the usual place, the cope, stole, girdle, alb, and amice, for the Celebrant; the folded chasuble, stole, maniple, girdle, alb, and amice, for the Deacon; and the same for the Subdeacon, except the stole: the colour purple.

2. On the Altar, which should be entirely unadorned, the candlesticks and cross. Branches of olive, however, where such is the custom, may be placed between the candlesticks. (Bauldry, part iv. cap. vi. art. i. n. 1; Merati, part iv. tit. vii. n. 8.)

3. Near the Altar, on the Epistle side, a small table, covered with a cloth, having on it the palms, covered with white linen. On the Gospel side, in a suitable place, three lecterns for the Passion.

4. On the credence, the vase of Holy-water, with its aspersory; in the centre, the chalice, covered as usual; the

humeral veil, the cruets, little bell, and Missal for the Gospel and Epistle; the large stole for the Deacon; the ewer of water for washing the hands, and the towel.

5. In a convenient place, the processional Cross, covered with a purple veil, and a small grate with lighted charcoal, to renew the fire in the thurible, and the tongs.

6. On the bench of the Ministers the chasuble and maniple for the Celebrant.1

7. Besides these, either in the sacristy or some other convenient place, three amices, albs, girdles, maniples, and purple stoles, for the three Deacons of the Passion (Merati, ibid.; Bauldry, ibid. n. 2; Bisso, litt. B. n. 225, § 7), and the three books for the Passion.2

ARTICLE II. From the commencement of the Function to the Distribution of the Palms.3

8. The Ministers being vested as usual in their albs, and the Deacon having put on the stole, assist the Celebrant to vest in the alb, stole, and cope; after which, both put on their folded chasubles and maniples. At the intimation of the Master of Ceremonies, the Celebrant proceeds, having the Ministers on either side, raising the borders of his cope: all three wear their berrettas. (Gavanto, part iv. tit. vii. in Rubr. vii. litt. B.; Merati, ibid. n. 10.)

9. Having arrived at the Altar, and given as usual their berrettas to the Master of Ceremonies, they make the proper reverences, and ascend to the predella, when the Celebrant kisses the centre of the Altar (Gavanto, ibid.; Merati, ibid.), and the sacred Ministers at the same time genuflect. (Bauldry, part iv. cap. vi. art. ii. n. 3.) They then retire in cornu Epistolæ, when the Celebrant stands in the middle, the Subdeacon on his left, and the Deacon on the step to the right, both being at a little distance from the Altar (Merati, ibid.

1 Should the Bishop bless the palms, these may be placed in the sacristy, so that during the procession they may retire to assume them, according to the Ceremonial of Bishops.

2 Should the Bishop bless the palms, the following preparations will be made in addition :-The credence, on which are the palms, is placed between the throne and the Altar; the Episcopal vestments are laid in due order on the Altar; those for his Assistants in convenient places; the gremial veil, book, bugia, ewer of water and basin, towel, silver plates, faldstool, and cushion, each in its appropriate place.

3 The asperges may be given, but the Gloria Patri is omitted. Gavanto, part iv. tit. vii. n. 9.

n. 12): the Master of Ceremonies then uncovers the palms. (Bauldry, ibid.)

10. The sacred Ministers having retired in cornu Epistolæ, the Celebrant, standing with hands joined, reads from the Missal the antiphon Hosanna, &c., without making the sign of the Cross. The choir will sing the antiphon. (Bisso, litt. B. n. 87, § 4; Bauldry and Merati, ibid.)

11. The antiphon being sung, the Celebrant, with hands joined, says towards the Missal, in a ferial tone, Dominus vobiscum (Rubr. Miss. ut in die), and the Prayer which follows, the Ministers raising, hinc inde, the borders of his cope. At the beginning of the Prayer, the Subdeacon having made a reverence to the Cross, descends in plano behind the Celebrant, where, standing turned towards the Altar, the second Acolyte removes his chasuble, and the second Master of Ceremonies presents him the book.

12. The Prayer being finished, he sings in the Epistle tone, the Lesson which follows, having made before and after the usual reverences to the choir: he receives the benediction from the Celebrant (Rubr. ibid.), and having resumed the chasuble, returns per breviorem to assist the Celebrant. (Merati, ibid. n. 14.)

13. The Subdeacon having finished the Lesson, the choir sings one of the two responses, with their versicles, which follow in the Missal. (Rubr. ibid.) In the mean time, the Deacon having made a reverence to the Cross, descends in plano, where he takes off the chasuble, and being vested in the large stole, receives the Missal from the second Master of Ceremonies, and conveys it, with the usual reverences, to the centre of the Altar (Rubr. ibid.); having placed it there, he returns, per breviorem, to the right of the Celebrant, to minister the incense, the Subdeacon raising the border of the cope.

14. The incense blessed, the Subdeacon descends in plano, and the Deacon goes per breviorem to the middle of the Altar, and says the Munda cor meum, more solito, and having taken the Missal, asks the Celebrant's benediction (Rubr. ibid.), who, having turned towards the cornu Evangelii, pronounces it as usual. The Deacon then sings the Gospel as at other Masses. The Gospel over, the Subdeacon presents the beginning of the Text to the Celebrant to be kissed, and the Deacon incenses him. (Rubr. ibid.) The Subdeacon returns to the left of the Celebrant, and the Deacon (after having been divested of the large stole, and having resumed

the folded chasuble), to his right. (Gavanto, ibid. in Rubr. x.; Merati, ibid. n. 11.)

15. The Celebrant, having been incensed, turns towards the Altar, and joining his hands, sings in a ferial tone the Prayer, and the Preface which follows. (Rubr. ibid.) The Præfatio over, he joins the sacred Minister in saying, with head inclined and in a subdued voice, the Sanctus, which is also sung by the choir. (Rubr. ibid.)

16. This being completed, the Celebrant sings, in a ferial tone, and with hands joined, the Dominus vobiscum, and the Prayers of the benediction. When he blesses the Palms, he places the left hand on the Altar (Gavanto, ibid. in Rubr. xi.), and the Deacon raises the borders of his cope (Merati, ibid. n. 16), which he likewise does when he uses the aspersory or thurible.

17. At the beginning of the Prayers, the Thurifer proceeds to put fire in the thurible, and when they are terminated, goes to the Epistle side, together with the first Acolyte, who walks at his right, bearing the vessel of Holy-water and its aspersory. Both having made the due reverence on the pavement, the Thurifer ascends the steps to receive the incense as usual; he then retires to the pavement with the thurible and boat. The Acolyte presents the aspersory to the Deacon, who, taking it at the centre, tenders it to the Celebrant, with the usual oscula. The Celebrant thrice asperses the Palms, first in the middle, then on the right, and afterwards on the left (Gavanto, ibid. in Rubr. xiii. litt. D.), saying, Asperges me, &c. (Rubr. ibid.) The Deacon returns the aspersory to the Acolyte, takes the thurible from the Thurifer, and presents it, with the usual oscula, to the Celebrant, who thrice incenses the Palms, in the manner specified for the aspersion (Rubr. ibid.), without using any form of words. (Gavanto, ibid. litt. F.; Merati, ibid. n. 17.)

18. This concluded, the Thurifer takes the thurible, and having, together with the Acolyte, made the due reverence to the Altar, each returns to deposit what he holds in its proper place.

19. The Celebrant then says the Dominus vobiscum, and the Prayer which follows, in the manner given for the others. (Rubr. ibid.)

ARTICLE III.-The distribution of the Palms.

20. The Prayer over, the Ministers, with the Celebrant, proceed to the centre of the Altar, make a reverence to the

N