a symbol, may freely enter in through the merits of the same Cross.

And now I have mentioned all the principal features of this day's function, as far as it differs from the ordinary function of every high festival, excepting indeed one very striking particular which occurs in the course of the Mass, but which scarcely needs, however, any additional explana tion beyond what is contained in the remarks at the beginning of these pages;-I allude, of course, to the chanting of the Passion, that is, the peculiar way in which the history of our Lord's sufferings, as recorded by the Evangelist, is on this day and on Good Friday rehearsed to the people. "The words of the sacred history are distributed bete en three parts to the principal of the three are assigned the words of our Blessed Lord, and no others; the second takes the narrative of the Evangelist; while by the. third, whether singly or with others, are personated all the remaining speakers," whether individuals only, such as St. Peter, the high priest, the false witnesses, the servant-maid in the palace, &c., or the whole Jewish multitude collectively; or sometimes the multitude is represented by the whole choir, thus making a fourth part. I have already said that the Church would fain make us all present at the events which she is commemorating; and this is a very remarkable instance of it. The Passion of Christ, when chanted in this way, is not so much described as represented; and no devout person who has ever heard it can fail to have had his feelings most powerfully moved, precisely in the way I have described. He will have felt as if he were personally present in the judgment-hall of Pilate and upon Mount Calvary; as if he saw with his own eyes all the persons who were engaged in that tremendous scene, and heard with his own ears all the words that they uttered; until at last he falls, as it were spontaneously, upon his knees, to meditate in silence on the great mystery that has been accomplished. Certainly that man must have but a cold and stony heart who can listen to this solemn recital, and yet not be moved to feelings in harmony with the scene.

Holy Week.

II. MAUNDY THURSDAY, OR THE HOLY SEPULCHRE.

TO-DAY begins the more solemn portion of Holy Week. The whole week has been holy and solemn, and unlike any other; but to-day, to-morrow, and Holy Saturday, are every where marked in a still more special manner. In the dispensations which were granted at the beginning of Lent, relieving us from something of the ancient strictness of this long and rigorous fast, these three days were excepted; in Catholic countries, soldiers go about on these days with arms reversed and muffled drums, as on occasions of public mourning; in some cities, in Naples, for instance, no horses or carriages are allowed to be used, not even by the king or queen; every body must visit the churches on foot, so that a solemn silence and sadness seem to reign throughout the whole city.

This is common to all the three days; each day, however, has also a peculiar character of its own, something in which it differs from each of the other days; and I wish to tell you something about them, that may enable you better to understand what you see and hear in the services of the Church.

But first I must say a few words about the Tenebræ, a service which belongs to all these three days, or rather to the nights of these days, but which was first celebrated yesterday afternoon, and will be celebrated again both this evening and to-morrow. This service is, in fact, nothing but the regular Breviary office of the days on which it is solemnised; that is to say, it is nothing more than the regular office which the Church requires her clergy to recite every day in the year, but which on these days they usually sing or recite in public and all together (as indeed in mon

asteries and cathedrals they always do), instead of reciting it each one by himself in private. It consists of a number of Psalms and Lessons, chosen of course with special reference to the season, and interspersed with antiphons, or short passages of Holy Scripture bearing upon the same subjects. It would take me too long to set before you every moving sentence, every pathetic prophecy, that the Church has thus carefully chosen out of the inspired volume, and adapted with such wonderful and sublime beauty to commemorate the Passion of her Lord. That which most attracts general attention, from the touching chant in which it is sung, are the Lamentations of Jeremiah, and the Miserere, that is, the 50th Psalm (Protestant version, 51st), with which the office concludes.

I have said that the office belongs properly to the nights of these three days; for in the very early ages of the Church, whilst she lived in persecution and concealment, the greater portion of the office was always said at that hour; and for many centuries afterwards this practice was still continued, more especially during the present season. For some time past, however, it has been usual to anticipate the celebration of it on the preceding evening, instead of rising at midnight for the purpose, though the name of Matins, or morning office, is still retained, and each of its three divisions is still called a Nocturn, or nightly prayer. The whole office is also called Tenebræ, or darkness, from a ceremony which takes place in the course of it; viz. that after each of the fourteen Psalms which are recited, one of fifteen candles placed on a triangular stand in the choir is extinguished; then during the Benedictus, or prophetic song of Zachary (St. Luke i. 68-79), the lights upon the altar are put out also; and at the end of that song, the single remaining candle of the fifteen is taken down and hidden beneath the altar. Then, amid the total darkness in which the Church is thus buried, the Psalm Miserere is sung or said, and after it a short prayer, at the end of which a loud noise is heard, representing the confusion of nature-the earth trembling and the rocks rent-at the death of Him who is its Author; and then the people disperse in silence. This ceremony has been supposed by some to allude to the darkness which

covered the whole earth at our Lord's crucifixion; and by others to refer to the Apostles, who were "the light of the world" (Matt. v. 14), but who in the hour of trial failed, one after the other, and were all "scattered every man to his own, leaving Jesus alone;" and then last of all, Jesus Himself, "the true Light which enlighteneth_every man that cometh into this world" (John i. 9), even He too was, as it were, extinguished and hidden from our sight when He gave up the ghost on Mount Calvary. The ceremony has certainly been in use in the Christian Church for twelve centuries; probably it was used much earlier even than that; and every one must feel that darkness is a very just and appropriate expression of the deep sadness and mourning. which belongs to these days.

And now to come to what is peculiar to Maundy Thursday. I must first explain to you the origin and the meaning of the name. Maundy is a corruption of the Latin word mandatum, a command; and this day is so called, because to-day our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ " gave a new commandment to His disciples, that they should love one another, even as He had loved them" (John xiii. 34); and at the same time set them an example of the greatest love and humility which He commanded them to imitate; and the verse of the Gospel beginning with this word (mandatum) was the first anthem that was sung during the ceremony which always followed the Mass on this day,―the ceremony of washing the feet. You all know the history of this most touching act of humility- our Lord washing the feet of His disciples-as recorded in the Gospel of St. John, and you know that it happened on this very day, the day before the crucifixion. You may have heard also that it is one of the "superstitious mummeries" of Popery to keep up this practice. I do not mean to say that you will see it in church to-day; but in catholic countries, and in some religious communities even in this country, it will be done to-day just as it was 1000 years ago and more.

Perhaps you think this very silly and foolish; but if so, I would beg you to read the whole history over again in your Bible, as seriously as you can, and to meditate for a moment on those very plain and solemn words, spoken by