the words this Man and this Woman' in the Sarum Manual occurs the note 'Hic respiciat sacerdos personas suas'; the priest may therefore turn his head slightly to each of the parties as he mentions them. The charge I require is said in a lower voice directly to the persons that shall be married', and not to the congregation like the Address.

Still

After the Espousal comes the Giving Away and Plighting. The priest is directed to receive the woman at her 'father's or friend's hands', and then to 'cause the Man with his right hand to take the Woman by her right hand', which he will best do by taking her hand from that of the father and placing it in that of the bridegroom.1 holding her hand, the bridegroom says the words after the priest, who should divide them into very short sentences. The priest generally has to whisper 'Loose hands', and to see that the woman takes the man's right hand with her right hand. When she has said the words after the priest, he may have to tell them again to loose hands.

The best man has meanwhile got the ring ready; this he hands, together with the fees, to the bridegroom, who lays both upon the book, which the priest holds out to him open. There is no reason why the accustomed duty to the Priest and Clerk' (substituted for the spousal money of the First Prayer Book) should not be placed on the book with the ring, as our rubric directs. It is

The glove is not removed for the Plighting in the case of a widow, 'si puella sit, discoopertam habeat manum: si vidua, tectam.' -Man. Sar., p. 56.

Perhaps the placing of the ring on the book was intended to retain the old custom of blessing the ring, in which case the priest would make the sign of the cross over it, as it lies on the book. ‘A ring, and other token of spousage, as gold or silver.’—First P.B.

3 4

the same as the ancient 'tokens of spousage', as it was called in 1549, and the delivery of it is a ceremonial act which it is unlawful to omit: the clerk or verger must therefore see that the best man is ready with the money before the service begins. The priest hands the fees to the clerk, who receives them in a bason or bag.

The priest then gives the ring to the bridegroom, who at once puts it on the fourth finger of the Woman's left hand', and holds it there while he says, in short sentences after the priest ('taught by the Priest'), With this Ring. They then loose hands and 'both kneel down' (the rest all remaining standing), while the priest says Let us pray and the prayer. He then stoops down, and joining 'their right hands together' says Those whom.

At the Blessing God the Father (as well as at the final Blessing Almighty God, who) the priest makes the sign of the Cross, according to the First Prayer Book. This ceremony, not being 'an innovation', should not, one gathers from the Lincoln Judgement, be 'discontinued "."

Even when it was called the tokens of spousage' it was customary to give it to the priest and clerk after the ceremony, for it is spoken of in 1552 as the accustomed duty to the Priest and Clerk'.

2 In churches where there are many weddings it will be found convenient to keep small square envelopes in the vestry. The verger then gives one to the best man or bridegroom before the service, informing him at the same time of the exact amount of the fees. A table of all the fees should be posted permanently in the vestry.

3 The practice of folding the ends of the stole over the hands is of doubtful authority even in the Roman Church. There seems no evidence that it was ever done in England' (Dr. Wickham Legg in S.P.E.S. Trans., iii. p. 169).

'God the Father bless you. God the Son keep you,' &c.First Prayer Book, in loc. Pour upon you the riches of his grace,

sanctify and bless you.'-Ibid.

See p. 401, n. 2.

One of the two Psalms' is then sung in procession to the altar, the priest and servers' walking first; the married couple (and no one else of the party) follow them, being directed what to do by the verger. Two chanters (the 'Clerks' of the rubric) may walk behind the priest. The priest stands on the foot-pace, and does not turn round till the Gloria is finished.

At the conclusion of the Gloria, the bride and bridegroom kneel before the Lord's Table', on their cushions, which should lie side by side at or near the sanctuary step. The priest, standing at the Table,' on the footpace, and turning his face towards them,' begins the Kyries. All sing the responses, and join in the Lord's Prayer. The priest remains facing west to the end, and the couple continue to kneel.

During the Bridal Mass they kneel at the south side of the sanctuary, the bride now on the right: at the Sanctus they should go and kneel at the altar rails till the end of the service.

The priest is at liberty (indeed he is expected by the rubric) to substitute a sermon-which may be a very short address for the Exhortation. If there is a Bridal

1 Beati omnes is the old marriage psalm. The second, Deus misereatur, was added in 1549 to meet those cases when the woman is past child-bearing.

'Cum suis ministris.'-Man. Sar., p. 60.

Tunc prostratis sponso et sponsa ante gradum altaris.'— Ibid., p. 62.

Cum duobus cereis in manibus.'-Mis. Her., p. 441. Sconces or candlesticks would be needed on which to rest these two tapers. Finitis orationibus quae dicebantur super eos prostratos ad gradum altaris; et introductis illis in presbyterium, scilicet inter chorum et altare, ex parte ecclesiae australi: et statuta muliere a dextris viri, videlicet, inter ipsum et altare: incipiatur officium.'Man. Sar., p. 64.

It is clearly wrong to say nothing. Why not say an address of about three sentences when time is short?

Mass,' the Sermon or Exhortation might be delivered after the Creed.

The clergy are sometimes a little scandalized by the bridegroom kissing the bride before they leave the chancel. Yet he is following a good old custom: the bridegroom was ordered to kiss the bride at the Pax in the old rite."

If there are three priests, the best plan is, perhaps, for one to take the whole office, the second to celebrate the Holy Communion (the first and third acting as his deacon and subdeacon), and the third to give the Exhortation or Sermon. If there is no Mass, it would be best for one priest to take the first part of the service; for the other to go to the altar to take the last part, the first priest preceding him to the sanctuary, and then standing at one side, facing across it; and for a third priest to give the final Exhortation.

A little book of directions as to the proper filling in of registers is now supplied gratis by the RegistrarGeneral, Somerset House, London. It may well be kept in the vestry.

1 The service ends abruptly because the Eucharist is expected to follow. A form of the Votive Mass of the Holy Trinity was used at weddings in England.—Mis. Sar., col. 836*. Cf. The English Liturgy.

Ösculans eam.'-Mis. Sar., col. 844*.

CHAPTER XVI

THE VISITATION AND COMMUNION OF THE SICK,

AND THE CHURCHING OF WOMEN

The Visitation of the Sick.-This beautiful Order is not used or known enough by our clergy. Nearly all its prayers and rubrics are to be found in the Sarum Manual, and some of the prayers can be traced to almost primitive times. It is a solemn rite, which should be used if possible as a preparation for Communion, and does not seem to be intended as a rule for use in its entirety more than once in an illness. Even when it is not advisable to use it in full, the prayers will still be found invaluable; and those who visit the sick should know them well.

The priest, wearing his surplice and (if he is to minister the Absolution or any other sacramental rite) his stole,3 comes to the sick man's house, and says, as the door is opened, Peace be to this house, &c. As soon as he enters the sick-room he is directed to kneel down and say the

1

When any person is dangerously sick in any parish, the Minister or Curate, having knowledge thereof, shall resort unto him or her (if the disease be not known, or probably suspected, to be infectious), to instruct and comfort them in their distress, according to the order of the Communion Book.'-Canon 67. The Communion Book' was at this time a name for the Book of Common Prayer; later generations seem to have thought of it as a Mattins and Evensong Book.

2 Maskell, Mon. Rit. (Ordo ad Visitandum Infirmum), i. pp. cclxix, 80; iii. p. 413.

In primis induat se sacerdos superpelliceo cum stola, et in eundo dicat cum suis ministris septem psalmos poenitentiales.'—Man. Sar., p. 8o. Confession and Unction were part of the Office.