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twice, once in the morning and once in the evening, besides the Epistles and Gospels, except the Apocalypse, out of which there are only certain Lessons appointed at the end of the year, and

thrice, besides the Epistles and Gospels; except the Apocalypse, out of which there are only

If Evening Prayer is said at two different times in the

same place of worship on any Sunday (except a Sunday for which alternative Second Lessons are specially appointed in the table), the Second Lesson at the second time may, at the discretion of the minister, be any chapter from the four Gospels, or any Lesson appointed in the Table of Lessons from the four Gospels.

Upon occasions, to be approved by the Ordinary, other Lessons may, with his consent, be substituted for those which are appointed in the Calendar.

Note also, That upon occasions to be appointed by the

Ordinary, other Psalms may, with his consent, be substituted for those appointed in the Psalter.

If any of the Holy-days for which Proper Lessons are appointed in the table fall upon a Sunday which is the first Sunday in Advent, Easter Day, Whitsunday, or Trinity Sunday, the Lessons appointed for such Sunday shall be read, but if it fall upon any other Sunday, the Lessons appointed either for the Sunday or for the Holy-day may be read at the discretion of the minister.

THE LESSONS.

The old system of the Church of England, in respect to the reading of Holy Scripture in Divine Service, was very similar thrazhout all the offices in which it was read, to that now retained only in the Communion Service. Short selections were made from different books of the Holy Bible, and these were read successively (sometimes three, and at others nine), “responds,” or short anthems (intended to answer in character to the Lesson read), being sung after each. But the whole of the

Lessons of the day were rarely taken from Holy Scripture, some being usually extracts from Patristic writings, or the Lives of Saints.

The responsory system of reading Holy Scripture is still retained in its old form in the case of the Ten Commandments when said at the Communion Service: but one of the principal changes made in 1549, was the substitution for it of longer and continuous lessons,-generally whole chapters,-with responsory Canticles, sung at the end only. No doubt this was a return to ancient practice, as it is said to be in the original preface to the

it would not produce the effect desired upon mixed congregations, and was better fitted for monastic than for popular use.

Some changes in the direction of our present Lectionary were made in the new and reformed editions of the Salisbury Portiforium, which were printed in 1516 and 1531: and more extensively by Cardinal Quignonez in his Reformed Ronan Breviary of 1536. In this latter two lessons were appointed for ordinary days, one from the Old and another from the New Testament; and a third, generally from a Patristic Homily, for festivals. These were about the length of our Epistles and Gospels, or somewhat longer than most of them.

In the Prayer Book of 1549 our present system of daily and Proper Lessons was established, both being indicated in the Calendar, except in the case of the moveable festivals, when the chapter and verse for Mattins were referred to before the Introit (which preceded the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel of the day), and for Evensong after the Gospel. There were no Proper Lessons for ordinary Sundays, the books of Holy Scripture being read continuously on those as well as on week-days: nor were there so many proper lessons for festivals as there now are.

When Queen Elizabeth restored the use of the Prayer Book in

It is observable that the Sunday Proper Lessons again break up that orderly system of reading the books of Holy Scripture through which is spoken of in the Preface. More than a hundred chapters of the Old Testamwat are thus displaced and omitted every year.

1559, the Tables of Proper Lessons were introduced, which were nearly identical with those now in the Prayer Book; and they were settled in their present form in 1661, all the changes being written in the margin of Bishop Cosin's Durham Prayer Book.

It is scarcely probable that any thing more was known of the primitive mode of reading Holy Scripture, by the Reformers of the sixteenth century, than is known by ourselves: yet in the Preface Archbishop Cranmer speaks of the manner in which the "ancient Fathers" ordered the whole Bible to be read over once every year. It has, however, been pointed out that there are some coincidences between our modern customs and those of primitive times, which seem as if they could hardly be accidental. Thus, during Advent, the lessons for Sundays are selected from the book of Isaiah, and the same book was prescribed to be read during Advent by the Ordo Romanus. From Septuagesima to the Fifth Sunday in Lent, we read the book of Genesis on Sundays. St. John Chrysostom preached his homilies on this book at Antioch during Lent, and he remarks in several places that Genesis was appointed to be read at that season. After Pentecost the books of Samuel and Kings are read; and still later the books of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, while Tobit and Judith are read nearer to Advent. The same order may be observed in the forms of the Church described by Rupertus Tuitensis (A.D. 1100), and in the Ordo Romanus. Coincidences may also be pointed out between the ancient lessons for par

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taken out of Bishop Cosin's Collection of Private Devotions. Previous editions of the Prayer Book contained "an Almanack for thirty-nine years," which was the same as our "Table of Moveable Feasts;" a "Table to find Easter for ever;" the list of days beginning "Septuagesima," but without Ascension Day, and without any prefix whatever; and a short list of Holydays. The general title, "Tables and Rules, &c.," is in the Durham Book in Bishop Cosin's handwriting: and all the ecclesiastical alterations and insertions appear to have been made by him. The chronological apparatus of the Calendar was, however, revised by Dr. John Pell (a very learned man, and a friend of Vossius 1), in conjunction with Sancroft as secretary to the Committee of Revision. Of this chronological apparatus there is no trace whatever in Bishop Cosin's Prayer Book. In 1752 (24 Geo. II.) "an Act for regulating the commencement of the year, and for correcting the Calendar," was passed, and from this the present tables of the Prayer Book are printed, not from the Sealed Books.

§ Rules to know when the Moveable Feasts and Holydays begin.

These rules stand exactly as they do in Cosin's Devotions, as published in 1627: except that the day of the month is substituted for the words " Equinoctial of the Spring in March." The rule for finding Easter (founded on a decree of the Council of Nicaa) is not quite exactly stated. Instead of "Full Moon" it ought to say, "the 14th day of the Calendar Moon, whether that day be the actual Full Moon or not." In some years (as in 1818 and 1815) the Full Moon and Easter coincide, and this rule then contradicts the Tables.

It was the strange fate of this learned man to be so poor that he could not get even pens, ink, and paper, and the necessaries of life: and he was buried by the charity of Dr. Busby in the Rector's vault at St. Giles's in tas Fulda.

This Table is not in Cosin's Devotions, though the days are all marked in the Calendar of the volume; but it is in MS. in the margin of his Durham Prayer Book. The remarks made by him in the Notes on the Prayer Book published in the fifth volume of his works show that he had long wished to see a more complete list of the Holydays of the Church printed in the Calendar; and that he thought the abbreviated list of former Prayer Books was the fault of the printer.

All the Feasts in this table have their own Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, and notices of the days will be found in the footnotes appended to these in their proper places.