takes the chalice by the knop with the left hand, the right hand being placed upon top, and sets it on the corporal; then he arranges the veil, which should hang sufficiently low in front to hide the foot of the chalice, but which should not cover the cross on the corporal. Then he joins his hands, bows slightly to the cross, turns by his right and goes to the Epistle side, turns towards the book, opens it upon the book rest, and conveniently sets the markers. He joins his hands, turns by his left and goes to the midst, bows to the cross, and turning by his right hand he moves back a little towards the Gospel side, so that he may not turn his back upon the cross, and goes down below the lowest step of the altar; or, if there are more than three steps, divided into different orders, he need not return to below the lowest step of all, but it will suffice, if he goes down below the lowest step of the first order.24 Then he turns himself by his left, and faces the midst of the altar.

CHAPTER II.

THE PRIVATE Prayers at THE FOOT Of the Altar.1

1. With hands joined before his breast, he bows his body profoundly to the cross; or if the Blessed Sacrament be in the tabernacle, he genuflects on the right knee; then standing erect, he places the left hand a little below the breast, and making the sign of the cross from the forehead to the breast with the right hand, says privately:

Bauldry, Manuale, etc., p. iii. tit. ii. rub. iv. n. 3, and Merati, Nova Ob., etc., t. i. tit. ii. xviii.

1 See Notes on the Mass, i., p. 1.

N the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.2

IN

Then he joins his hands before the breast, and says, V. I will go unto the altar of God.

The server kneeling at his left, continues:3

R. Even unto the God of my joy and gladness. In the same way, the Priest begins and continues alternately with the server, the following psalm:

Gr

PSALM 43. Judica me, Deus.

IVE sentence with me, O God, and defend my cause against the ungodly people: O deliver me from the deceitful, and wicked man.

S. For thou art the God of my strength, why hast thou put me from thee: and why go I so heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me?

P. O send out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling.

S. And that I may go unto the altar of God, even unto the God of my joy and gladness: and upon the harp will I give thanks unto thee, O God, my God.

P. Why art thou so heavy, O my soul: and why art thou so disquieted within me?

S. O put thy trust in God: for I will yet give him thanks, which is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Having begun the Mass with the words, "In the name," etc., the Priest will not take any notice of what may be done at another altar, even though the Sacrament be there elevated, but will proceed with his own Mass to the end.

If the server be not instructed to make the responses, the Priest both here and elsewhere says them himself. In which case, after the Priest has said Confiteor, he adds: "Almighty God have mercy upon me," etc., and then, "The Almighty and merciful Lord," etc.

Then the Priest, bowing his head, says:

P. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost.

S. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

The Priest repeats the antiphon: V. I will go unto the altar of God.

R. Even unto the God of my joy and gladness.

The psalm Judica me, Deus is omitted in Requiem Masses, and throughout Passion-tide, that is from Passion Sunday until Holy Sabbath exclusive. At which times, the Priest having said, "In the name," etc., and the antiphon, "I will go," etc., says immediately, "Our help," etc., as below.

2. After the antiphon, the Priest signs himself with the sign of the cross, saying:

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

R. Who hath made heaven and earth.

Then with hands joined before the breast, he bows his body profoundly, and says:

I

Confiteor.

CONFESS to God Almighty, to blessed Mary Ever-Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the Saints, and to you, my brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed (He places his left hand a little below the breast, and with the extremities of the fingers of the right hand, strikes his breast thrice, saying:) by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault. Therefore

The Priest at Low Mass does not turn towards the server as he says "you, my brethren." At High Mass the Celebrant turns himself towards the Deacon and Sub-deacon at these words.

I beg blessed Mary Ever-Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the Saints, and you, my brethren, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

The server, with hands joined, answers:

Misereatur.

LMIGHTY GOD have mercy upon thee, forgive

thee thy sins, and bring thee to everlasting life.

The Priest says, "Amen," and stands erect. Then the server, bowing forward, repeats the Confession. Where the Priest said, "to you, my brethren," and, "you, my brethren," the server says, "to thee, father," and "thee, father;" and as he says these words, he turns himself somewhat towards the Priest. He also strikes the breast thrice at the words, "by my fault," etc. After the server has said the Confession, the Priest with hands joined, says:

Misereatur.

LMIGHTY GOD have mercy upon you, forgive you your sins, and bring you to everlasting life.

R. Amen.

Then the Priest makes the sign of the cross from his forehead to his breast (the server doing likewise), saying:

THE

Indulgentiam.

HE Almighty and merciful Lord grant unto us pardon, absolution, and remission of all our sins. R. Amen.

Then the Priest joins his hands before the breast, and moderately bowing, says:

V. Wilt thou not, O God, turn again and quicken us?

R. That thy people may rejoice in thee.3
V. O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
R. And grant us thy salvation.*
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee."
V. The Lord be with you."

R. And with thy spirit."

3. Then extending and joining his hands, the Priest says: "Let us pray." Holding his head erect, and with hands joined before the breast, he goes up the steps of the altar, saying privately:

Aufer a nobis.

AKE away from us, we beseech thee, O Lord, our

TAK iniquities, that we may be worthy with pure

minds to enter into the holy of holies; through Christ our Lord. Amen.8

4. The server rises, bows or genuflects in the midst, and then kneels on the lowest step at the Gospel side, where he remains until the end of the Epistle. The Priest having gone up to the altar, bowing moderately before it, with hands joined, places the extremities of the six longer fingers upon the corporal, (so that the little fingers merely touch the front of the mensa of the altar, the remainder of the hands being held between the altar and himself, and the right thumb being placed upon the left in the form of a cross), and then says:

Psalm, lxxxv. 6. Ibid, 7. Psalm, cii. 1. Ruth, ii. 4. II. Tim., iv. 22.

This prayer is in Egbert's Pontifical (Surtees Soc. p. 44) and in all the English Uses; it is also found in the Gregorian Sacramentary (Muratori, Liturgia Romana Vetus, t. ii. col. 479).