phon of Lauds is said for the Psalms at Prime; the second, for those at Tierce; the third, those at Sexts; the fifth for those at Nones; the fourth being omitted.

The only other remark we shall make on the little Hours is that the Liège Breviary has, on the greater festivals, proper collects for them; an arrangement which is very rare. Thus, on the Epiphany, it has at Lauds the same collect as the Roman and most other Breviaries, which is substantially the same with that of our own Prayer-book. But the Collect for Tierce is: 'God, the illuminator of all nations, grant that Thy people may enjoy perpetual peace; and pour into our hearts that shining light, which Thou didst inspire into the minds of the Wise Men, Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, Who.' At Sexts: Grant to us, Almighty God, we beseech Thee, that Thy 'salvation, wonderful with a new light from Heaven, which for the safety of the world, as on this day, shone forth, may ever arise in our hearts, that thereby they may be renewed, Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.' At Nones: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that the Nativity of the Saviour of the 'world, made manifest by the leading of a star, may ever be revealed, and increase in our hearts, through.' At the second Vespers Almighty and Everlasting God, the Light of Souls, 'Who hast consecrated this solemnity by the first-fruits of the 'election of the Gentiles, fill the world with Thy glory, and, 'the people being subdued unto Thee, make the glory of Thy light to appear, through.' (At the first Vespers, the Collect had been: Lighten, O Lord, we beseech Thee, Thy people, ' and evermore inflame their hearts with the glory of Thy grace, that they may without ceasing acknowledge their Saviour, and without error apprehend Him, Thy Son, &c.')

We come to Vespers. After the Pater Noster, the secular Breviaries give five, the monastic four Psalms, each under its own Antiphon, (except in Paschal time, when all are said under Alleluia;) then the short chapter, which, on ordinary days, is, 'Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation,' &c.; a beautifully chosen lesson after the fatigues of the day. Then the hymns, varying with the day of the week, the verse and response; the Magnificat, with its proper Antiphon and the proper Collect. In Advent, Lent, and the Ember Days, the Preces and the 51st Psalm are said after the Magnificat.

The French Breviaries give varying short chapters at Vespers, according to the day of the week.

It is as Antiphons to the Magnificat that the famous O's are said. On Dec. 17th, O Sapientia;' 18th, 'O Adonai;' 19th, ‘O Radix Jesse;' 20th, O Clavis David;' 21st, 'O Oriens;' 22d, 'O Rex Gentium;' 23d, ' O Emmanuel.' The English Breviaries

O

added, O Virgo Virginum,' and (on the 20th and 21st,) Thoma Didyme,' beginning the O's on the 16th instead of the 17th of December, (as marked in our present Calendar.) Some of the French Breviaries, as that of Moulins, begin the O's on the 15th; having on the 21st, 'O Speculum;' and on the 23d, O Rex Israel.' The Liège begins them on the 18th, adding, on the 24th, O Summe Artifex.'

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6

It now only remains to say a word about Compline. This commences with the Jube Domine benedicere: the Benediction, 'Almighty GOD grant us a quiet night and a perfect end' the Lection, Be sober, be vigilant,' &c.: the Confiteor and the four Psalms, 4, 30 (1-6), 91, 130, under one Antiphon. The Benedictine Breviary omits the 2d of these, except on the last nights of Holy Week. Then the hymn, Te Lucis ante terminum, (which in the English Breviaries varied with the season): the short chapter from Jeremiah, But Thou art in us, O Lord, and Thy Holy name is called upon us: leave us not, O Lord our GOD' the verse, Into Thine hands I commend my spirit,' &c. the Song of Simeon, the Preces, when they are to be said, the beautiful Collect, Visita quæsumus,' and an Antiphon and Prayer of the Virgin. The office is concluded with the Lord's Prayer and Belief, that the Church's children may lie down to rest with the faith of their Mother on their lips. By monastic rule, speech was forbidden after Compline.

:

6

On the variations of this office we have not left ourselves space to dwell. The French Breviaries change the Psalms with the day of the week, and some even appoint proper lessons, thus utterly spoiling the beauty of this quiet service, the monotony of which is expressly calculated for the last weary hour of the day.

Before we conclude, we wish to say a few words on the selection of Saints commemorated in the Breviary, because certainly, in some of the modern uses, a very great reform is needed here. We have no reason to complain that any religious order should by preference commemorate its own Saints. Yet we do think that such a list of greater Doubles, as the present Franciscan Breviary gives,-we are quoting from the Mechlin edition of 1818,-can scarcely be tolerated. They are these: The Dedication of the two famous Franciscan Churches of S. Mary de Portiunculâ and S. Francis at Assisi (see Mr. Webb's Continental Ecclesiology, p. 455); the Transfiguration; the Exaltation of the Cross; the Sacred Heart; the Betrothal, Seven Dolours, Visitation, Heart, Name, Seven Dolours again, Patronage, Presentation, Expectation, Rosary, of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the Festivals de Mercede, ad Nives, and under the title of the Help of Christians,' the Translation of the House of Loretto, (surely this festival should at once be put

down by authority); S. Michael, S. Gabriel, S. Joachim, both Cathedræ of S. Peter, S. Peter ad Vincula, S. John Port. Lat., Conversion of S. Paul, Decollation of S. John Baptist, S. Barnabas, and then the following list :—

Now we do call it intolerable that Saints so completely local as many of the above should be allowed to take precedence of those whose fame is world-wide; such as the Eight Doctors of the Church; as the Martyrs S. Agnes and S. Vincent; as S. Leo I., S. Ignatius of Antioch, or S. Mary Magdalene. This is to turn an order into a clique. The case is the same with other monastic Breviaries; and in particular, though not to such an extent, with that of the Augustinians. That at least three-fourths of the principal holidays of these late Breviaries should have been appointed only within the last 250 years, is another remarkable phenomenon.

Although we said, at the commencement of this paper, that we did not intend to treat of the Breviary except as a choral book, and had no purpose of entering into the question of its solitary recitation, we cannot refrain from mentioning the Breviarium Colbertinum. The celebrated minister of France, Colbert, was in the habit, for many years, of reciting the Breviary daily. He at first employed the Roman, and then the Paris use; but finding much in both that was more appropriate for the choir than for private recitation, especially when the reciter was a layman, he had the book in question drawn up for his own devotions. It is a handsome 8vo. of about 780 pages, very

much simplified; for instance, there is but one Antiphon to each hour, the ferial Psalms are always said,—and there are no lections, because Colbert read the Bible yearly through, after an arrangement of his own. There is a French preface, in copper-plate, written evidently after Colbert's death. Some of the hymns were composed on purpose for this Breviary. The Calendar is curious for calling the two Sundays after Christmas the first and second Sundays after Advent; and—as Quignon's Breviary also does-for naming the Sundays which occur either after Epiphany or before Advent, prima, secunda, &c. Dominica Vagantium.

Yet of one thing, in conclusion, it seems proper to remind the reader, lest the glitter of so magnificent an array of sevenfold devotion should blind the eyes of any to the real state of the matter. Except in monastic bodies, the Breviary, as a Church office, is scarcely ever used as a whole. You may gowe do not say from Church to Church, but from Cathedral to Cathedral of central Europe, and never hear-never have a chance of hearing-Matins, save at high festivals. In Spain and Portugal it is somewhat more frequent; but there as every where it is a clerical devotion exclusively. But, any where, as we had occasion to say in a previous number, to find in a village church a Priest who daily recited his Matins publicly would be a phenomenon.' Then, again, the lesser Hours are not often publicly said, except in Cathedrals, and then principally by aggregation, and in connexion with Mass. Vespers is the only popular service; and that, in connexion with the Benediction, seems to be put forward by English Ultramontanes as the congregational service of the Roman Church of the Future. Our readers will remember that some time ago we made a statement characterised by many persons at the period as startling,' that in no national Church under the sun are so many Matin Services daily said as in our own.' An AngloRoman Priest shortly afterwards strongly and publicly remonstrated with us for certain other statements contained in the same number. But of this point he took no notice; and therefore, we may fairly presume, allowed its truth. We feel it only right to dwell on this; because, having had occasion in the preceding pages to enlarge with so much admiration on the Roman theory, we are bound not to shut our eyes to Roman practice. We thus conclude the very brief sketch which alone our limits have allowed us to offer. It would be our wish to render it more perfect, by adding, at some future time, a few more remarks on the other contents of the Roman Breviary and of the Ritual, and a short account of the Ambrosian and Mozarabic Breviaries.

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ART. III.-The Prelude; or, Growth of a Poet's Mind. An Autobiographical Poem. By WILLIAM WORDSWORTH. London: Moxon. 1850.

A POSTHUMOUS poem by the greatest poet of our time,—one but lately departed full of years and honour from the scene of his labours, and that poem composed in the full meridian of his powers, though still held back by him and designed to be his latest legacy to the world,-must necessarily cause a universal sentiment of interest and curiosity. The first impression on its announcement can scarcely fail to be one of excited expectation, as if we were to hope for some new revelation of the poet's character and genius-some collective effort crowning all that has gone before. We look, in this promised history of himself, for the fruits of all seasons, and expect to find the enthusiasm of a glorious youth deepened and matured by the experience of a poet's old age. It is sunset remembering and reflecting back the hues and promise of the morning. But further consideration will, we think, necessarily abate and lower these anticipations. Those especially who have felt the most genuine reverence for Wordsworth's genius-who have themselves been influenced by him-who can look back to principles which had their first conscious rise in his teaching, to high thoughts that he originated, to moments that he glorified-who have realized, to use a hackneyed phrase, his mission to the world and to themselves, will feel that this is already accomplished. The work he had to do is manifestly done. He has had a practical influence beyond the common meed of poets. He has advanced the cause of the poor, and actually raised and dignified their condition in the eyes of men. He has broken down haughty distinctions, and brought home to the heart and conscience a conviction of true equality and common brotherhood, proving that truest happiness lies within reach of all men, and finds its root not in the intellect but the affections, in love of God and man. To each one of us his imagination,

'with a flash that has reveal'd

Th' invisible world,'

has withdrawn the veil that enwraps us-withdrawn for a moment, never, it may be, to enclose us so thickly again-that veil which separates ourselves from ourselves, one portion of our being from another, our origin from our present existence. He has done that pre-eminently which it is the gift and calling of poets to do, stirring up our hearts to realize what faith teaches