They are not imposed on him as a task; for he had better leave them altogether unsaid than make them a burden, and say them as a matter of form without devout attention and serious recollection. He ought, if at all possible, to use the daily services of Matins and Evensong; for they come to him not by the mere direction of the heads of a voluntary Society, but upon the far greater authority of the Church herself. Most men, however actively engaged in secular pursuits, do find themselves at times with a few unoccupied minutes: surely this their leisure cannot in any way be better employed than in the use of some such devotions as these here presented. Happy is he who, stealing a few moments from the world, can give himself occasionally to so good a practice: happier far is he who, using them with unbroken regularity, can say with the Psalmist, "Seven times a day do I praise Thee, because of Thy righteous judgments." OF THE SAYING OF THE OFFICES IN COMMON HALL, The OFFICIANT sayeth the Offices in his own place or stall, standing, except during the saying of the Lord's Prayer and the final Benediction. The Psalms are sung antiphonally. The Cantor commenceth the first Psalm alone: all the rest join their voices to his after the close of the mediation of the first verse. The second verse is sung by the opposite side alone; the third by the Cantor's side, and so on alternately. Glory be to the Father, etc. is sung after every Psalm, or portion of a Psalm when divided, unless in any Office it be otherwise directed. At Prime, Terce, Sext, None, and Compline, on all Vigils and Fast-days, and during the whole Seasons of Advent and Lent, the Lord's Prayer is said only as far as the words But deliver us from evil. When two Holy days fall together, the Office of the greater Holy day is said entire; and the less is commemorated by saying its Collect after the Collect for the day. Advent Sunday, Christmas-day, Circumcision, Epiphany, Ash-Wednesday, all the days of Holy Week, Easter-day and the Monday and Tuesday following it, the first Sunday after Easter, the Rogation days, Ascension day, Pentecost, with the Monday and Tuesday following, and Trinity Sunday, take precedence of all other Holy days falling at those times. Whenever anything is read in the proper course of the Office in Oratory or Common Hall, whether the Reading be from the Holy Scriptures or otherwise, the READER goeth from his seat or stall to the Reading-desk, and boweth to the PRESIDENT, in token that he is ready to commence; and the PRESIDENT sayeth one of the Benedictions, for which see page 1; and when the READER ceaseth to read, he saith, But [or And] Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Unless the Reading be from the Prophetical Books of the Old Testament, in which case he saith, Thus saith the Lord, Be ye turned unto me, and ye shall be saved. and all present answer,— Thanks be to God. Then the Reader returneth to his own place. A TABLE Of all the Feasts that are to be observed in the Church of England throughout the Year. All Sundays in the Year. Monday and Tuesday in Easter-Week. Monday and Tuesday in Whitsun-Week. Jan. 25. Feb. 2. Feb. 24. Mar. 25. April 25. May 1. The Circumcision of our Lord JESUS CHRIST. The Conversion of Saint Paul. The Purification of the Blessed Virgin. Saint Matthias the Apostle. The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin. Saint Philip and Saint James the Apostles. The Ascension of our Lord JESUS CHRIST. June 11. Saint Barnabas. A TABLE Of the Vigils, Fasts, and Days of Abstinence, to be observed in The Evens or the Year. Saint Andrew. Saint Thomas. The Nativity of our LORD. The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Matthias. Saint John Baptist. Saint Peter. Saint James, Saint Bartholomew. Saint Matthew. Saint Simon and Saint Jude. Note, that if any of the Feast-Days fall upon a Monday, then the Vigil or Fast-Day shall be kept upon the Saturday, and not upon the Sunday next before it. Days of Fasting, or Abstinence. I. The Forty Days of Lent. II. The Ember-Days at the Four Seasons, being the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after December 13, the First Sunday in Lent, the Feast of Pentecost, and September 14. III. The Three Rogation-Days, being the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, before Holy-Thursday, or the Ascension of our LORD. IV. All the Fridays in the Year, except CHRISTMAS-DAY. Dec. 6. A TABLE Of the Commemorations. Nicolas, Bishop of Myra, Confessor, A.D. 342. 8. Conception of Virgin Mary. 13. 31. Jan. 8. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr, Syracuse, A.D. 304. Silvester, Bishop of Rome, Confessor, A.D. 304. Lucian, Presbyter and Martyr, Antioch, A.D. 312. 13. Hilary, Bishop of Poictiers, Confessor, A.D. 367. 18. Prisca, Virgin and Martyr, Rome, A.D. 275. 20. Fabian, Bishop of Rome, Martyr, A.D. 253. 21. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, Rome, A.D. 306. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Spain, A.D. 303. Feb. 3. Blasius, Bishop of Sebaste, Martyr, A.D. 289. 5. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr, Sicily, A.D. 253. Valentine, Martyr, A.D. 271. 22. 14. March 1. 2. David, Archbishop of Menevia, Confessor, A.D. 544. 12. Gregory, Bishop of Rome, Doctor, A.D. 600. April 3. May 19. 23. 3. 6. 1012. George, Bishop of Cappadocia, Martyr, A.D. 290. S. John, before the Latin Gate, A.D. 75. 19. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, Confessor, A.D. 988. 26. Augustin, Archbishop of Canterbury, Apostle of England, A.D. 606. 27. Venerable Bede, Presbyter, Doctor, A.D. 735. June 1. Nicomede, Presbyter, Martyr, A.D. 90. 5. Boniface, Archbishop of Mentz, Apostle of Ger- 17. ALBAN, PROTOMARTYR OF BRITAIN, A.D. 303. July 2. Visitation of Virgin Mary. 4. Translation of S. Martin, Bishop of Tours, Confessor, |