11. At the proper time, the second Acolyte removes the Missal (by the longest way) to the Gospel side of the Altar, and then kneels down in his usual place. At the commencement of the Gospel they rise, and at its conclusion answer, Laus Tibi Christe; they again kneel until the Credo has been recited, and the Celebrant proceeds to sit down.

12. After the Credo, the Celebrant having sung the Dominus vobiscum and Oremus, the Acolytes rise, genuflect together at the centre, and proceed to the credence for the cruets, which they place on the Altar. The first Acolyte presents the cruet containing the wine, and the second, who is on the left, that containing the water; the second pours the water for the Lavabo, and the first presents the towel. Both observe to make a reverence to the Celebrant before and after, as at solemn High Mass.

2

13. Having replaced the cruets, they return to the centre of the Altar, genuflect on the pavement, and kneel in their places.3

14. At the Elevation, both raise the chasuble, and continue the rest as at other Masses.

15. After the Priest has communicated and made the genuflection, the first Acolyte rises, and with the usual reverences proceeds to minister the wine and water for the ablutions; during which the second Acolyte proceeds to the Missal. While the first is proceeding to the Gospel corner to arrange the chalice, the second descends to the pavement with the Missal, and they conjointly make a genuflection; the latter sets the Missal on the Epistle corner, and afterwards returns to his place.

4

16. The first Acolyte having conveyed the chalice to the credence, genuflects in the centre, and kneels in his place.

17. At the last Gospel they rise, and the first proceeds to take the birretta. At Verbum caro, they make a genuflection. The Celebrant having descended from the Altar, they genuflect with him. The Celebrant having received his birretta, proceeds to the sacristy, preceded by the two Acolytes, as on first entering.

1 Merati enjoins the Acolytes not to place the cruets upon the linen of the Altar, nor upon the towel, but upon the plate or stand belonging to them. Baldeschi supposes that they carry with them the cruets, stand, and towel, and that they do not return to the credence till after the Lavabo.

At the Preface it will be necessary to have some other Clerks of the choir ready to bear the torches: the number should vary according to the Festival. 3 That is, towards the corners of the lowest step.

It is supposed that he is authorized to do so.

18. Having arrived in the sacristy, they make the reverence to the Cross; the first aids the Celebrant to unvest, and the second extinguishes the candles, and arranges everything in its proper place,

Note. If Communion be given, the first Acolyte only, after the Priest has communicated and made the genuflection, proceeds to take the Communion-cloth, returns to the centre, and kneels on the pavement with his companion, When the Priest has received the Precious Blood, they say the Confiteor, being profoundly inclired. After the Indul. gentiam they rise, genuflect together with the Celebrant, and kneel on the predella to communicate; after which they rise, genuflect, and separate, to sustain the cloth in a kneeling posture. After the clergy and people have communicated, the first Acolyte draws to himself the entire cloth, unites with the second in the centre, where they both genuflect, and then proceed to minister for the ablutions as above.

PART II.

OF SOLEMN VESPERS.

CHAPTER I.

PARTICULAR RULES TO BE OBSERVED IN CHOIR DURING SOLEMN VESPERS AND COMPLINE,

THE Ecclesiastics who assist at Solemn Vespers, besides the general instructions given for the Mass, should observe also the following:

1. At Solemn Vespers they should not enter choir during the singing of the Deus in adjutorium, the Gloria Patri, the Collects, the Capitulum, or during the last strophe of the Hymn. They should not enter also during the first strophe of the Ave maris stella, or Veni Creator, nor during the last two strophes of the Pange, lingua, or Vexilla Regis prodeunt.

2. At Compline, besides the above, they should not enter during the Confiteor. If, however, any person make his entry at any of these times, he should remain in the centre of the choir, either kneeling or standing, according to the posture retained by the clergy.

3. They should kneel to say Aperi, &c. as soon as the Officiant arrives at the Altar; also, during the first verse of the hymns Ave maris stella, and Veni Creator; during the singing of the verse Tantum ergo, in the Pange, lingua, provided the Blessed Sacrament be present, either exposed or enclosed in the Tabernacle; and during the singing of the verse, O crux, ave, spes unica, of the Vexilla Regis prodeunt (ex Decr. S. R. C. 31 Julii, 1665), they should remain kneeling during the whole stanza of these hymns, according to a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, dated Nov. 14, 1676, even in Paschal time, as is commonly asserted by all authors; during the ferial prayers; the antiphon of the Blessed Virgin, which terminates the office; and during the Pater, Ave, and Credo, except after Vespers on Saturdays, all Sundays, and in Paschal time, on which occasions they kneel only at the Sacrosanctæ.

4. All stand up while they are saying the Pater and Ave until the intonation of the first Psalm. When an antiphon

is intoned, they alone stand up who are on that side of the choir where it is intoned: it is as well here to remark, that when there are cantors vested in copes, they should rise at the time these present themselves; also at the Capitulum and Hymn until the end of Vespers, except during the singing of the antiphon of the Magnificat by the choir, at which time they sit, provided the incensation of the choir be finished; and, finally, from the prayer and commemorations until the conclusions.

5. At Compline they remain standing from the commencement until the intonation of the first Psalm; from the intonation of the Hymn until the end: during the rest of the office they sit, except on those occasions specified for kueeling.

6. They should make an inclination, and take off their birrettas, at the Gloria Patri; when pronouncing the names of JESUS, &c. as we have elsewhere remarked; at the last verse of the hymns, which contains the Doxology of the Blessed Trinity; at the words, Sit nomen Domini benedictum, of the Psalm Laudate pueri; and at the Confiteor of Compline.

CHAPTER II.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ACOLYTES.

1. THE Acolytes having laid their birrettas2 on their seats in the choir, and having lighted the candles of the Altar and those in their own candlesticks, proceed to the choir in the manner specified for Mass.

2. The Officiant having arrived at the Altar, they turn round and genuflect, whilst he makes the usual inclination; they then place their candlesticks, each on his side, upon the steps of the Altar, extinguish them (Carem. Episc. lib. ii. cap. iii. § 2), and proceed to their places.3

1 "Surgente Canonico cui præintonatur antiphona, Canonici et omnes alii in choro præsentes surgunt; sed quando præintonatur alicui ex Assistentibus Episcopi, surgunt tantummodo alii co-assistantes." (Carem. Episc. lib. ii. cap. i. n. 10.)

2 This, of course, supposes the Acolytes to be clerics.

3 According to the Ceremonial of Bishops, the Acolytes should place their candlesticks upon a step of the Altar, or on the pavement, "super gradu vel plano inferiori," while the Officiant makes his prayer at the foot of the Altar.

3. Towards the end of the last Psalm they lay aside their birrettas, and proceed to light their candles, observing, that at the Gloria Patri they should stand still, and incline towards the Cross. At the Sicut erat they take their candlesticks and pass to the centre of the choir, before the steps of the Altar, where having genuflected together on the pavement, they proceed to the Officiant. (Carem. Epis. ibid. § 9.)

4. They salute him on arriving, and place themselves before his lectern, where they remain (having their faces turned towards each other), until he has intoned the Hymn; and if it be the Ave maris stella, or Veni Creator, until after the first stanza, during which they do not kneel as the others. They then return to the Altar, having saluted the Celebrant, and turned round in such a manner as not to have lost their proper sides. They now make a genuflection, replace their candlesticks, without extinguishing them, and retire to their places. (Carem. Episc. ibid.)

2

5. After the Gloria Patri of the Magnificat they take their candlesticks, and proceed as before to the Celebrant; having made the usual inclination, they stand as before (Carem. Episc. ibid. § 13), until after the Dominus vobiscum, at the conclusion of the prayers, when they make the usual inclination, and proceed to the middle of the Altar, and await the Officiant having genuflected with him and saluted the choir, they return to the sacristy.

Note. If the clergy also leave the choir, they do not genuflect when the Officiant arrives at the Altar, but invariably continue standing until after the recital of the antiphon, usually said after the office. After the Divinum auxilium they genuflect and retire as after Mass.

This lectern, or book-stand, is always used at Rome in parish churches, where the Officiant at Vespers is separated from the choir.

2 On account of the incensation about to take place, they will be careful not to deposit their candlesticks in an inconvenient place. As the Altar (out of Mass) is usually covered, it will be necessary that the Acolytes should turn back the cover during the Antiphon before the Magnificat. They should proceed to the corners of the Altar, and fold it in the centre. (Carem. Episc. lib. ii. cap. i. n. 13; Baudry, pars ii. c. xi. art. i. n. 30.) Should other Altars be incensed during the Magnificat, the Acolytes, having turned back the cover of the Altar, will take their candles to the entrance of the Sanctuary, and precede the procession in the usual manner.-See Nos. 13-19 of the Instructions for the Master of Ceremonies. The Altar at which the Vespers are sung having been incensed, and the Celebrant and his Assistants having retired, the Acolytes will again proceed to the corners of the Altar and unfold the cover, leaving it as at first.