[The Hymn being finished, let some Boy from the Choir, turning to the Altar, begin the Verse, without changing vestment or place. (See the Note to Verficles at Matins.)]

And Thou, Child, shalt be called The Prophet of The Highest for Thou shalt go before the face of The Lord to prepare his ways.

Through the bowels of mercy of our God: whereby the Day-spring from on

V. The Lord hath reigned,
B. And hath clothed Himself with high hath visited us;

Majefty.

Alleluya.w

[Then on Sundays and Festivals the pro-
per Antiphon is begun before Benedictus,
which is to be found in the Proper or
Common of the Time or of the Saints;
then is fung]

THE SONG OF ZECHARIAH.
Benedictus. Luke i.

LESSED be The Lord God of
Ifrael for He hath visfited
and wrought the redemption
of his people.

And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us: in the house of his servant David.

To give light to them that fit in darkness and in the shadow of death: and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to The Father, and to The Son: and to The Holy Ghost;

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

[After Benedictus then is fung the proper Antiphon entire, which is finished with a Cadence (“neupma").]

As He spake by the mouth of his holy T

Prophets: which have been fince the world began.

Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us.

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers: and to remember his holy

covenant;

The oath which He sware to our forefather Abraham: that He would give us; That without fear we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies: might serve Him;

In holiness and righteousness before Him: all the days of our life.

SELECT ANTIPHONS ON
BENEDICTUS.

In the First Sunday in Advent.

HE Holy Spirit shall defcend

in-to thee, Mary; Fear thou not

having in thy womb The Son of God.

Al - le - lu - ya.

Pfalm. Bleff - ed be.

While the Verficle is being finished, the Conductor of the Choir is to give the Antiphon on 'Benedictus,' or 'Magnificat, or 'Nunc Dimittis, at Vespers and Compline, to some one on the upper grade. The Conductor begins by intoning the two first words, and then it is sung through by the Choir.

While the Antiphon on the 'Benedictus or Magnificat was being fung, the Prieft who had retired during the last verse of the Hymn, returned with his filken cap, Taper bearers, and Thuribles; and the Boy having offered him the Thurible, he filled it with incense and blessed it; and bowing to the Altar, censed it in the middle, then the right, then the left, then the Reliquary of the Church; then bowing at the lowest step of the Altar, he returned to his Stall. Then the Boy cenfed the Priest himself, then the Conductors of the Choir, then the Dignitaries in order, beginning with the Dean's fide and ending on the Precentor's fide: bowing to each as he did fo. From the Arlyngham MSS. at Vefpers.

K

both now and e-ver, and through B. And with thy fpi-rit.

z "Orifons are faid at the end of each Hour; for the Apostles, whenever they were together, kneeled down on their knees and prayed, or they departed asunder. And she that faith the Orifon ftandeth turned to the Eaft, for Paradise, from whence we are expelled, is in the East, and therefore, thinking what we have loft, and where we are, and whither we defire, we pray turned towards the East." -Myrroure, lxxii.

* As to Commemorations, fee Note to Compline, VI., poft.

b From the Rubrics for Advent.

• Arundel MSS. 130, Wednesday in the Head of The Faft, at Sext.

B. And with thy spi-rit.
Or thus:-

The Lord be with you.

B. And with thy spi-rit.

[This being said, the following Benedicamus is faid by one Boy throughout the

B. Thanks be to God.
Or thus:-

Blefs we The Lord.

B. Thanks be to God.

[This Orifon, (i. e. for the Sunday), is faid at all hours of the Sunday, and of the whole week, when it is the office for the Time. And let this be generally obferved throughout the whole year, whether the Service be of the Time or of any Saint, that the Collect, which is faid at Matins, (i. e. Lauds), is always faid at Terce, Sext, None, and at the Second Vespers; except on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, of the Four Times of The Advent of The Lord, and on the Friday after The Nativity of The Lord, and on

a" It is to be observed, that whenever there is any Memorial or Procession at Vefpers, or at Matins, (Scil. Lauds), then at all the Orifons after the first Benedicamus,' which may end thus, Who livest and reigneft with God The Father; or thus, Who with God The Father and The Holy Ghost; or thus, Who livest and reignest God; or thus, Who with Thee liveth and reignetb, this shall always be faid to the end; but at the Orifons which end thus, our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, it is said no farther, but immediately 'Amen' is faid by the Choir, and afterwards let the Memorial or Proceffion take place.

When, however, after the first 'Benedicamus,' any Memorial or Procession fucceed any Orifon which terminates thus, Through The Lord, or thus, Through The fame our Lord, then the conclufion is thus,Through Chrift our Lord, or thus, Through The Same Chrift our Lord, as is fuitable.

The fame is the case in all refpects after those Orifons which are faid after the Proceffion and before Mass." -From the Rubrics for the First Sunday in Advent.

It is to be observed, that according to Sarum Ufe, from Advent thenceforward, up to the Saturday before the Octave of Eafter, there was no Proceffion on Saturdays.