the list of his works" (!) yet allows that "a somewhat less questionable claim may be advanced in favour of the Prefaces to these two publications." 29 Let us see, lastly, how in the instance of one parish, by way of example, the old laws were obeyed. In the parish of Stratton, Cornwall, a small town, is still preserved a nearly complete series of the church accounts from the year 1512 up to 1604.30 One year only is 30 This is not only, unless I am mistaken, a very important and valuable series of accounts, but I am the rather induced to quote from it for my present purpose, as I do not believe it has been any where before noticed. Neither must I omit acknowledging with much gratitude the facilities of examination afforded me, by John Summers James Esq., Churchwarden, and Mr. Henry James, Stockwarden of Stratton, in the autumn of 1845. Doubtless too great care of such documents can scarcely be taken by those to whose custody they are committed: but the enquirers into these and similar sources of information have far oftener to complain of a half-suspicious, half-churlish reluctance, suggesting ridiculous objections. For reasonable and proper purposes, these valuable materials (of which large stores probably still exist) should be looked upon as the property of the public, and not of a parish. And I shall here take the opportunity of adding a copy of an ancient deed, which is preserved in the chest of the same Church. It forms a portion of the titledeeds of some property left for charitable uses, and although not connected with our present subject, yet so interesting both in itself, and on account of its late date, that I am glad to assist in its preservation. It is the manumission of a bond-woman. "Noverint universi per præsentes quod ego Johannes de Albo Monasterio, (John de Blanch-minster) miles, manumisi et liberam feci ac infranchiavi Agnetem de Llandissoke, per manus Ricardi de Speckote, cum omnibus bonis et catallis suis et cum tota sequela sua, procreatis vel procreandis, domum et mansionem eligendam ubicunque voluerit. Nihil juris vel clamei mihi nec hæredibus meis in prædictam Agnetem, bonis et catallis suis seu sequelis suis, ratione nativitatis, vendicando seu retinendo in posterum, sed per præsentes exclusi simus in perpetuum. Et missing, 1550. It would be almost waste of space to extract all such entries as the following: "Item, paid for ij processionalles. ij. s. iiij. d." (1526.) In the same year, "Item, p. for a manuele. ij. s."—(1535.) "Item p. for a newe manuele book. ij. s. Item, po. for a newe processionale book. xx"."-(1539.) "Item pd. mendyng of a masbocke. iij .s. iiij. d.” ”—(1547.) "Item p. for a manuele boock. xxij. d.”—(1554.) ego vero prædictus Johannes, et hæredes mei, prædictam manumissionem contra omnes mortales warrantizabimus in perpetuum. In cujus rei testimonium præsentibus sigillum meum apposui, hiis testibus, Johanne de Treuger, Willmo de Leghe, Roberto Grande loce, Nichō Poddynger, Ricardo Rogger de Exe, et aliis. Datum apud bename die Martis proxima post festum sancti Ambrosii, Anno regni regis Edvardi tertii a conquestu Angliæ quadragesimo sexto." A. D. 1373. The seal is attached. The remains of a moated house still exist at Binhamy, about a mile from the town of Stratton. I know only one deed of the same kind to be extant, of so late a date; which is preserved in the British Museum. A manumission of a bondman, by an Abbot of S. John's, Colchester: in the 9th year of K. Henry IV. A. D. 1407. 31 There is no record of the purchase of a new Missal in the accounts which remain, but from the sum here paid for the repairing of one, we may suppose that these volumes were of a large size, even for the use of parish churches, and therefore very carefully preserved. "Two masbookes, one old writen, and the oder print," which belonged to Kilburn Nunnery, were priced by the Commissioners of Henry, the two at "xxd." Monasticon Anglic. 3. 425. We must not however take this as a safe guide, for the valuers in very many instances were also the purchasers, and thus not only robbed God, but their King. Among the manuscripts in the library of Exeter Cathedral, is an inventory of the year 1327, which has escaped (if I mistake not) the notice of the last Editors of the Monasticon. It contains very curious matter; and much to our present purpose, not only a list of service Books then in the Cathedral, but a valuation of them. I shall extract some items. "Missalia .xiv." of which the x.th"absque Epistolis et Evan "Item, p. for a processional and a whole manuell. geliis, de usu ignoto," is priced, this, the first Common Prayer x. s." 66 "Item, unum missale novum sine ep. et evang. pr. xl. s. Unum manuale de usu ignoto. pret. vj. d. Item unum portiforium vetus notatum. pret. xl. s. Item aliud portiforium de dono M. Decani. pret. vi. marc. Item unum Manuale bonum. pret. xx. s. Duo martyrologe quorum unum pret. iiij. s. et aliud xij. d. Item quinque collectaria quorum. j. pret. iiij. s. et iiij. pret. iiij. s. quia non sunt in usu. Item placebo, dirige cum sepultura mortuorum in duobus voluminibus. pret. ii. s." What would we not now give for these volumes, "de usu ignoto?" Is it impossible that some one might have decided the Use of the earlier English Church? 32 There are other entries about books, of no little importance: for example. (1541.) "Item, paid for the bybyll. vi.s. vi. d." (1542.) "Item, pd. for a chayne for the bybyll. iij. d. ob." (1548.) "Item, pd. to Roger Yeo for a book of the pystels and godspels. viij. d." (1549.) "Item, pd. for lacyng of the communyon boke. ij.d." There is no record of the purchase of Book of Edward VI. for such it must have been: "the Order of Communion" was too small a book, and would scarcely have reached so far west, in the short time of its continuance. (Same year.) "Item, pd. to John Trevelyan for iij new books notyd for matens and evensong yn ynglyssh. xvi. d." This is a most important entry; it would appear to relate to the publication by John Merbecke but there is no edition known of that book earlier than 1550. Was there an edition of which no copy is extant, in 1549, by him, or by some other hand? (1553.) "Item, pd. for the communion boke. iiij. s. iiij. d." This was the second book of K. Edward VI. This charge must have included the carriage of the book: the highest price allowed according to the proclamation being "foure shillinges, and not aboue." (From a copy of Grafton's edition, Fol. in my possession.) In 1559, occurs an item, "expenses for John Inde to bring a communion boke from Exeter, xvi d." This was Q. Elizabeth's book, and immediately after is, "Item, pd. for boke of iniunction, j. d." and, "payd unto Wyllyam Wyll for a sauter boke. xx. d." I CHAPTER III. SHALL now attempt to give some account of the contents of the Service Books, the names of which we have met with. And first, those which occur in the last-cited statute of Archbishop Winchelsey demand our attention, because they were the books which the parishioners were bound, as we have seen, to furnish : and others may be looked upon either as essential to the performance of duties, higher in degree if not in kind, than those which concerned the parish-priest, or intended only for the more solemn worship performed in the Choirs of Abbeys and Cathedrals. There is no reason why we should not follow the order, in which they are given in the Statute. 1. The "Legenda," as Lyndwoods tells us, was the book in which were written the Lections to be read "in officiis Matutinis," at the Matin offices. These sometimes were taken from the Prophets, as for example, from Isaiah in Advent, with some exceptions, as at second Nocturns on the Sundays during Advent, and certain solemnities of the same season. Sometimes the Lections were taken from the Epistles of St. Paul, as from the first Sunday after the octave of the Epiphany, to Septuagesima, on which day the three first were from the book of Genesis. In Lent were read portions of the Homilies of S. John Chrysostom, and Pope Leo, and other Fathers, together with a conti 33 Lib. iij. Tit. 27. Ut Parochiani. verb. Legendam. nuation of the books of Genesis, and Exodus. On Passion Sunday, the first Lections were from Jeremiah, and in the week within the octave of the Ascension, from the Acts of the Apostles. On the first Sunday after Trinity the Histories" as they were called began, which regulated the succeeding Lections: thus, during the History "Peto Domine," the book of Tobias was read: during, "Adonai" the book of Judith: and so on. The above shews generally the character of the Lections: certain great Festivals interrupted the usual course, which was composed not only from the Holy Scriptures, but from Homilies, and Lives of the Saints. Upon All Souls' day, all nine lections were taken from the book of Job. The Legenda as thus explained by Lyndwood, comprehends an arrangement of the six books mentioned by Durandus and Du Cange: viz. the Legendarius, the Lectionarius, and the Sermologus: the Passionarius, the Homiliarius, and the Bibliotheca. The first of these as a distinct book contained the Acts of the Saints arranged for the yearly reading: "per anni totius circulum." 35 Durand's words are, "Legendarius vocatur liber ille, ubi agitur de vita et obitu confessorum, ut Hilarii, Martini, et aliorum confessorum, et legitur in festis eorum, dum tamen authenticatus 34 "Historiæ, dicuntur Scriptoribus de Offic. divinis Lectiones, desumptæ ex libris historicis veteris Testamenti, et aliis, quæ in Ecclesia statis diebus recitantur." Du Cange. And again: "Istoria, de Responsoriis post Lectiones decantandis dicitur in veteri Cæri moniali MS. B. M. Deauratæ." More correctly Gerbert: "Antiphonæ vel ex Scripturis, vel ex Sanctorum Actis compositæ vocari solebant historia." De cantu et musica sacra. Tom. I. p. 573. 35 Du Cange. Glossarium. |