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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. VIIL OCT. 19, 1901.


has undergone revision. In other respects the book is a reissue. A volume likely to be more serviceable to the student, or conveying a better estimate of Cromwell and his work, does not exist and is not to be expected.

Ceremonies and Processions of the Cathedral Church

of Salisbury. Edited by Chr. Wordsworth.

(Cambridge, University Press.) THE work of publishing old liturgical documents goes on apace. Thanks to the two University Presses and the Bradshaw Society, the ancient precept " Antiquam exquirite matrem" is yearly obtaining a wider observance, and ere long we may hope to be in possession of a complete collection of the MS. sources of English liturgiology. The " use of Sarum " or " Salisbury use" is an historic phrase that should not be unfamiliar to any one who pos- sesses a Book of Common Prayer. A part of this "use" is represented by the present volume, for which we are indebted to the learned labours of the Rev. Christopher Wordsworth, a venerabile nomen for more than one generation of Church literature.

It is interesting to know that Salisbury has always enjoyed a reputation for ceremonial and ritual. Not only were disputed questions referred to its chapter as a recognized authority on such matters in the Middle Ages, but its bishop was designated " the Pope's Master of the Ceremonies," and had that position conceded to him in solemn functions at Rome. We can readily understand therefore that its "use" had a prestige which threw those of other dioceses into the shade.

The Processional now printed, and carefully edited, with notes and illustrative documents, belongs to the MS. treasures of the Cathedral, and seems to have been written about 1445. Portions are unfortunately missing the service for "the Boy Bishop " in particular is a lacuna much to be deplored but the gaps have been as far as possible supplied from other sources. Among the features deserving of special attention is a full account of the curious rite of "the love drink" or "drink of charity" (potus caritatis) on Maundy Thursday, which the bishop was to provide at his own expense and partake of in the midst of his clergy during the reading of the Gospel, " according to the custom of Jesus Christ." The draught was not of wine, as we might expect, but of ale (servisia), and drunk out of wooden cups. What was left of the ale was kept for the use of the boys (garciones) of the choir. Afterwards a modius of good wine was supplied to each of the officiants (p. 80).

In the matter of relics a subject lately thrust upon public attention, and as precipitately withdrawn the mediaeval Church of Sarum was famous. It kept a Festum Reliquiarum, which fell about 10 July; and a curious list is here given of the " relykes," which includes "cristes sudarye" and "cracche," "the milke of our ladye," a " parcel of heer " (hair) of St. Peter, and many other items which recall the merry satire in the old play of ' The Four P's.' .t had an altar called " Jesian," a name which has proved a puzzle to many. This was sometimes spelt Jesianum, and supposed to be connected with Jesus ; but there is little doubt that it was an altar of the Virgin Mary, and, as its older name fry sine (1341) suggests, was so called from the Old French gesine, lying in child-bed (Scot, jizzen) - it was especially frequented probably by expectant matrons.

The bulk of the work consists of minute direc-


tions for the order of precedence among the mem- bers of the chapter, and other trivial matters of anise and cummin, which only appeal to the antiquarian ritualist. We could have spared a good deal of this if we might have obtained a little in- formation as to the direction in which the proces- sions moved in circumambulating the church, whe- ther it was always from left to right (diasul) or sometimes vice versa; but this point of folk-lore interest is left obscure. The ritual is illustrated by. quaint woodcuts taken from editions of the Pro- cessional printed in the early part of the sixteenth century.

THE REV. C. S. WARD writes : " Your reviewer (ante, p. 295) has been misled by the get-up of the volume on Christ Church, Dublin, by W. Butler. It is not by 'Same publishers,' but by Elliot Stock."

THE sixth and final volume of ' Musgrave's Obituary,' each of which has been edited by Sir George J. Armytage, Bart., F.S.A., has just been issued to the members by the publishers for the Harleian Society. The first volume of this valuable genealogical work of reference was issued as an extra book to the members for 1899: thus the Society has been enabled to complete the work, by the issue of the remaining five volumes, averaging 400 pp. in each, within the two years following, and for three annual subscriptions. The whole comprises 94,828 entries of British subjects who died prior to 1800, transcribed from the twenty-three volumes in the British Museum (Add. MSS. 5727-5749), and com- piled by Sir William Musgrave, sixth baronet, of Hayton Castle, co. Cumberland.


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