2. Prime, on the Rising of the Sun.

Verse. “O God, make speed, &c.
Resp. O Lord, make haste, &c” and the Gloria Patri, &c. as before.

A Hymn, the same every day in the year. Then four Psalms (except Saturday when there are three,) viz.

Psalm 54;—
Sunday.—Psalm 118, or (sometimes) 93.
Monday.—Psalm 24.
Tuesday. —Psalm 25.
Wednesday.—Psalm 26.
Thursday.—Psalm 23.
Friday.—Psalm 22.
Saturday.—Psalm is omitted.

Then, throughout the week,—

Psalm 119, v. 1-32. in two parts.

Then on Saturday only, follows the Psalm Quicumque, commonly called the Athanasian Creed. It is a far truer view of this venerable composition, to consider it a Psalm or Hymn of praise, and of concurrence in God’s appointments, as Psalm 118 or 139, or the Te Deum, than as a formal Creed; and by using it weekly, its living character and spirit are incorporated into the Christian’s devotions, and its influence on the heart, as far as may be, secured. The time, too, should be observed. The dawn of the first day of the week.

The Service concludes with a Text (Capitulum); with the Lord’s Prayer, privately: a Confession of Priest to People, and in turn of People to Priest, and a corresponding Absolution: Sentences; Collect, the Third, for grace in our own Morning Service, a Lesson from the Book of Martyrs; an Invocation of St. Mary and All Saints; Sentences, with the Lord’s Prayer, privately; Collect, the Second, at the end of our Communion Service; a Short Lesson; and Sentences.

3. The Third (Nine A.M.) 4. Sixth (noon.) 5. Ninth (Three P.M.)

“O God, make speed,” &c. as before.

A Hymn, the same throughout the year, at the same hours respectively: then—

At the Third.—Psalm 119, v. 33-80. in three parts.
At the Sixth.—Psalm 119, v. 81-128. in three parts.
At the Ninth.—Psalm 119, v. 129-176. in three parts.

Thus the whole of the 119th Psalm is gone through every day of the year.

Then a Text (Capitulum) and Sentences, with the Lord’s Prayer, privately, varying with the time of the year. Then the Collect for the day or week.

6. Vespers. (Evening.)

“O God, make speed,” &c. as before; then Five Psalms, viz. on

Sunday.—Psalms 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, and 115.
Monday.—Psalms 116, in two parts, 117, 120, 121.
Tuesday.—Psalms 122, 123, 124, 125, 126. Wednesday.—Psalms 127, 128, 129, 130, 131.
Thursday.—Psalms 132, 133, 135, 136, 137.
Friday—Psalms 138, 139, 140, 141, 142.
Saturday.—Psalms 144, 145, 146, 147, in two parts.

Then on every day a Text (Capitulum), a Hymn, and the Collect, all varying with the day and season; between the Hymn and Collect always is interposed the Magnificat, sometimes with Sentences after it. The Service ends, as Lauds, with Collects and Invocations.

7. Compline. (Bed-time.)

This Service is almost invariable throughout the year.

It begins with a Blessing for the ensuing night; a Short Lesson; the Confession and Absolution as at Prime; Sentences; then four Psalms, viz.

Psalms 4, 31, down to v. 6, 9, 134.

A Hymn: Text (Capitulum); Sentences; Song of Simeon (Luke ii); Sentences with the Lord’s Prayer and Creed, privately; Collect for safety during the night. The Service ends with an Antiphon in praise of the Virgin, and Collect upon it.

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To this Sketch of the Services must be added a few words concerning the Antiphons and Benedictions which occur throughout them, but have not been noticed in their places.

The Antiphons or Anthems are sentences preceding and succeeding the Separate Psalms and Songs, and are ordinarily verses taken from the particular compositions to which they are attached. They seem to answer the purpose of calling attention to what is coming, of interpreting it, or of pointing out the particular part of it which is intended to bear on the Service of the day; in all respects answering the place of what is called by musicians a key note. They are repeated at the end, as if to fix the impression or the lesson intended.

Antiphons are introduced in other connexions, as before Collects; such are those, for instance, in the Commemorations of the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles in Vespers and Lauds. Such, too, are the Antiphons to the Blessed Virgin placed at the end of Compline, to which especial attention was above directed (p. 11), on the ground of their objectionable nature. They shall be here given, in order to show clearly, as a simple inspection of them will suffice to do, the utter contrariety between the Roman system, as actually existing, and our own; which, however similar in certain respects, are in others so at variance, as to make any attempt to reconcile them together in their present state perfectly nugatory. Till Rome moves towards us, it is quite impossible that we should move towards Rome; however closely we may approximate to her in particular doctrines, principles, or views. In reading the following, it should be recollected, indeed, that Antiphons are not, strictly speaking, Prayers, but Sentences applied to the particular purpose of meditation, thanksgiving, &c.; yet the following, taken together, are quite beyond the power of any defence which might thence be available for less explicit compositions.

From Advent to the Purification.

Alma Redemptoris Mater quæ pervia cœli
Porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,
Surgere qui curat, populo; to quæ genuisti,
Naturâ mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore,
Sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Kindly Mother of the Redeemer, who art ever of heaven
The open gate, and the star of the sea, aid a fallen people,
Which is trying to rise again; thou who didst give birth,
While Nature marvelled how, to thy Holy Creator,
Virgin both before and after, from Gabriel’s mouth
Accepting the All hail, be merciful towards sinners.

From the Purification to Good Friday.

Ave, Regina cœlorum!
Ave, Domina Angelorum!
Salve radix, salve porta!
Ex quâ mundo lux est orta.
Gaude, Virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa;
Vale, o valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum exora.

Hail, O Queen of the heavens
Hail, Lady of Angels
Hail, the root! hail the gate!
Whence to the world light is risen.
Rejoice, O glorious Virgin,
Beautiful above all;
Farewell, O thou most comely,
And prevail on Christ for us by thy prayer.

From Trinity tide to Advent.

Salve Regina, mater misericordiæ, vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus exules, filii Hevæ. Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lachrymarum valle. Eja ergo advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte, et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exilium ostende. O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, O Queen, the mother of mercy, our life, sweetness, and hope, hail. To Thee we exiles cry out, the sons of Eve. To Thee we sigh, groaning and weeping in this valley of tears. Come then, O our Patroness, turn thou on us those merciful eyes of thine, and show to us, after this exile, Jesus the blessed fruit of thy womb. O gracious, O pitiful, O sweet Virgin Mary.

These Antiphons have already been shown to be of comparatively modern origin; which, indeed, is sufficiently clear from their composition, independently of the question of doctrine. The Absolutions and Benedictions on the other hand seem, from their doctrinal character, to come from high antiquity. Wheatly remarks, that the precise indicative Absolution, such as it occurs in our Visitation for the Sick, though altogether justifiable and edifying, did not come into use till the twelfth century; that is, about the time of the above innovations in commemorating the Blessed Virgin. Now the Absolutions and Benedictions in the Breviary happen, on the contrary, to be of a remarkably simple character; they are uniformly in the shape of petitions to Almighty God, and they include the minister using them, being worded in the first, not the second person. Again, in the quasi Absolution, after the stated Confession at Prime and Compline, it is to be noticed, that the People absolve the Priest, before, and in the same words in which the Priest absolves the People, as if vindicating to the body of Christians that sacramental power, (whatever may be its degree,) which might have seemed inconsistent with the special stress laid by Romanism on Sacerdotal gifts. An Absolution occurs in each Nocturn between the Psalms and Lessons: a short Benediction is pronounced before the reading of each of the latter, being first asked for by the Reader.