it appears, that these versicles were not, perhaps, originally repeated in church, but at home, as a preparation for divine service. The primitive and apostolical hymn, Gloria Patri, was probably first used in this place as a proper termination for the psalm Deus in adjutorium, or some other introductory psalm. Benedict, in his Rule, speaks of the Gloria Patri, as used at the beginning of the offices. Amalarius, and Walafridus, who lived in the ninth century, also refer to it', and we find it prescribed in the Anglo-Saxon offices". We may probably conjecture that the Gloria Patri began to be used here at some time before the age of Benedict, as a termination to some introductory psalms, which were then repeated entirely. The versicle, "Praise ye the Lord," is a translation of the Hebrew word Alleluia, which was from a very remote period much used by the Christian churches in divine service; and more especially during the season of Easter ". Durandus in the thirteenth century mentions sibi S. crucis imprimat per invocationem S. Trinitatis, deinde dicat versum Domine labia mea aperies, et os meum annunciabit laudem tuam. Deinde psalmum, Deus in adjutorium meum intende, totum cum Gloria. Et tunc provideat sibi corpoream necessitatem naturæ, et sic ad oratorium festinet, psallendo psalmum, Ad te levavi animam meam, cum summa reverentia et cautela intrans, ut aliis orantibus non impediat. Et tunc prostratus in loco congruo effundat preces in conspectu Domini magis corde quam ore. "Canonicorum Regula, &c. Labbe, Concilia, tom. vii. p. 1465. "In primis semper diurnis horis dicantur versus: Deus in adjutorium, &c. Domine ad adjuvandum, &c. et Gloria." S. Benedict. Regula, c. 18. 1 Amalar. de Eccl. Off. lib. iv. cap. 9. Walafrid. Strabo, de Reb. Eccl. c. 25. m ters. Appendix to Hickes's Let n Benedict. Regula, c. 15. Bona, Divina Psalmodia, cap. 16, § 7. Alleluia as occurring in this place o, and Ivo Carnotensis also probably alludes to it. The churches of England formerly used Alleluia here, except for a certain part of the year. We may perhaps refer the introduction of Alleluia into this part of the offices to the same cause which placed the Gloria Patri here. The response of the people, "The Lord's name "be praised," did not originally occur in the offices of the church of England, having been first placed here in A. D. 1661; however, it had been introduced many years before, into those of the church of Scotland. • Durandi Rationale, lib. vi. sima ad vesperas, et abhinc usc. 24, no. 19, fol. 292. que ad Miss. in vigilia Pascha P Ivo Carnotensis Sermo de non dicitur Alleluia, scilicet in Sacramentis dedicationis, inter principio vesperarum et horaSermones de Rebus Eccl. p. rum loco Alleluia dicitur hoc 786, 787, apud Melchior. Hit- modo, Laus tibi Domine, Rex torp. æternæ gloriæ." Breviarium ¶ "Dominica in Septuage- Sarisb. fol. lvii. This psalm has from a very remote period been placed before the psalms of the nocturn, in the western churches. It is probable that the custom of prefixing one or two psalms to the nocturnal office, arose from a desire to allow some little time for the clergy and people to collect, before the office began. In the time of Cassian, or early in the fifth century, it was lawful for the brethren to enter the church at any time before the end of the second psalm. In the following century, this custom was probably thought inconvenient, so that Benedict appointed two psalms to be chanted before the nocturns began, in order to afford sufficient time for the brethren to assemble": and of these two Psalms, the second was the 95th, or Venite exultemus. Amalarius also speaks of this psalm as occurring at the beginning of nocturns, and he says that it r Breviarium Sarisb. fol. 2. s Breviar. Sarisb. fol. lvii. ut supra. t Cassian. Instit. Cœnob. lib. iii. c. 7. "In nocturnis vero conventiculis usque ad secundum Psalmum præbetur tardanti dilatio, ita dumtaxat, ut antequam finito eodem Psalmo fratres in oratione procumbant, semetipsum congregationi inserere atque admiscere festinet.” "Benedict. Regula, c. 9. V "Dein sequitur invitatorium: in eo communis cœtus fratrum convocat omnes degentes undique ut excitentur et veniant ad confitendum Domino." Amalar. de Eccl. Off. lib. 4, c. 9. was only sung on Sundays in his time, (A.D. 820,) because the people, who were engaged in labour, did not ordinarily attend this service on the week-days, but only on Sundays; and therefore there was no need of singing the invitatory psalm to call them to church ". In the ancient offices of the English churches this was generally termed the invitatory psalm; it followed the versicles, which were the subject of the last section, and preceded the psalms of the nocturn or matins, which will be the subject of the next *. An anthem called invitatory was prefixed to this, and was repeated in part, or entirely, after each verse. SECTION IX. THE PSALMS. In the position of the psalms we follow the ancient order of matins according to the English church; in which the psalms of the day followed the invitatory psalm. In the breviaries or common prayers of the churches of Sarum, York, and Hereford, the psalms at matins, together with the lessons which followed, were called nocturn. I have already spoken of the nocturn or nocturnal office of the primitive Christians, and observed that the persecutions which they suffered, obliged them to meet for public worship in the night-time; and that this custom was afterwards continued from choice, espe " In Supplemento, c. 4, cited by Merati in Gavanti Thesaur. p. 110. x Breviar. Sarisb. fol. 2, 3. Breviar. Eborac. fol. 3. y Breviar. Sarisb. fol. 3. Breviar. Eborac. fol. 3. a cially by the ancient ascetics and monks. I have also remarked that there was much variety in the service for the nocturnal assembly in different churches. Thus in Egypt, at first, in some places they read sixty psalms, in others fifty, and afterwards all agreed to recite twelve only 2. According to Cassian, other churches were accustomed to repeat twenty or thirty psalms, some still more, and some only eighteen ; so that he says there were as many rules and appointments as there were monasteries. Again, Columbanus in his rule appointed the number of psalms to vary according to the seasons of the year, and the length of the nights; so that sometimes seventy-five were sung. In the monasteries of Armenia they repeat ninety-nine psalms at the present day. On the other hand, in Spain, according to Isidore, three psalms only were sung in the nocturnal office, a number which is still preserved in the Mosarabic or Spanish breviary. Pre z Cassian. Institut. Cœnob. lib. ii. c. 5. "Cum-alii quinquagenos, alii sexagenos psalmos, nonnulli vero ne hoc quidem numero contenti, excedi eum debere censerent." a Cassian. lib. ii. c. 2. b "Totque propemodum typos et regulas vidimus usurpatas, quot etiam monasteria cellasque conspeximus." Cassian. lib. ii. c. 2. c "Ita ut totum Psalterium inter duas supradictas noctescantent." Columbani Regula, c. 7. d Bona, de Div. Psalmodia, c. 18, § 15, p. 649, 650. e "In quotidianis officiis Vigiliarum, primum tres psalmi Re canonici recitandi sunt." f Bona, de Div. Psalmodia, c. xviii. § 11, p. 635. Schultingius in vain objects to the English office, that sometimes five psalms are recited at matins and vespers, sometimes two, sometimes only one, and at other times four; which he says is new and unheard of, tom. iv. pars 2, p. 128. For it appears that every church, and even monastery, arranged all things relating to the number of Psalms, as it pleased. Schultingius also blames us because we do not regulate the office according to the decree of Gre |