2nd s. VI. m, Aug. 21. '68.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 



141 



LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 21. 1858. 



THE BOOD-LOrX. 



Any attempt to give a precise history of the 

 Rood-loft, with a nominal reference to the par- 

 ticular purposes for which it was originally de- 

 signed, and to which it was subsequently applied, 

 would be necessarily incomplete without some 

 short reference to the ambon iirom which they de- 

 rived their origin. 



The curtain typifying the vail of the Temple, and 

 which screened the celebrantes in the chancel from 

 the people in the nave, has long passed away, and 

 left no trace beyond a record ; but the division of 

 a church defying all ocular communication, is oc- 

 casionally maintained, as in the church of "Notre 

 Dame de Consolation" at Vilvord. 



The ambon is one of the earliest appendages of 

 the many appli^mces which in different ages have 

 been deemed necessary for the due observance of 

 the rites and ceremonies of the Christian churches. 

 Although it was destined for the full display of 

 the Koman services, it must now be numbered 

 with the things that were, to be followed by a far 

 more gorgeous substitute. 



The author of the Archeologie Chretienne, 

 Oudin, at page 118., says — 



" A peu prfes au milieu de la grande nef se trouvaieut 

 I'ambon ; c'e'taient des espfeces de petites chaires destine'es 

 h, la lecture des EVangiles, des E'pitres, dcs Li\Tes de 

 I'Ancien Testament, h. la r&itation des diptyques et aux 

 predications des e'veques ; on les trouve indiqu^es comme 

 plac^es au milieu de I'eglise. 11 y a quelque fois plu- 

 sieurs ambons dans une meme dosilique; ou en voit oil il 

 s'en rencontre trois : I'un pour recitation des Propheties 

 et de I'Ancien Testairfent; le second, commune'ment a 

 gauche, pour la lecture de I'E'pitre, et le troisieme a droite 

 I pour I'E'vangile : lorsqu'il ne s'en trouvait qu'un, d'apres 

 Ducauge, il y avait deux degr^s dans la partie supe- 

 rieure, I'un, plus e'leve, destine' a la lecture de I'E'vangile ; 

 I'autre, place un peu plus bas, oil on lisait I'E'pitre ; 

 d'apres le P. Caliier, la distinction des fonctions y etait 

 signalee exterieurement parlecercimonial. Contrairement 

 done a I'opinion de Fleury, I'ambon etait le choeur propre- 

 ment dit, puisque le concile de Laodicee y place les cban- 

 tres, en nous donnant lieu de reconnaitre que ce mot 

 indiquait souvent tout I'espace occupe par le clerge des 

 ordres iuferieures." 



Schayes, iu his Histoire de V Architecture en 

 Selgique, says on the same subject, at p. 126. 

 vol. ii. : — 



" Les jub^s furmant I'entre'e du chtEur n'apparaisscnt 

 que vers la lin du xiii<^ ou au commencement du xiv° 

 siiicle. lis remplacijrent alors les ambons et servirent 

 primilivcmcnt a la lecture de I'epitre et de I'e'vanglle : ce 

 ne ful que plus tard qu'ils rc(,'urent une autre destination, 

 et que i'on y plaru I'orgue et les chantres, lor.s(iu'il n'y 

 avail pan dc tribune en lete de la nef. lis se composaient 

 gdut'ralcment de trois ou de cinq arc.ides ouvertes en 

 guise dc portes, surmontees d'uno iilalefonne et que fcr- 

 maienl dea portea u. claires voies, en bois, en bron/.e ou en 

 fcr. Ccs portes ctaicnt gurnies dc ridcaux qui se tiiaicnt 



pendant la celAratiou de la messe, comme anterieure- 

 ment ceux du ciborium. Souvent il n'y avait d'ouvert 

 que I'arcade centrale ; le fond des arcades laterales etaient 

 mure et on y adossait des autels." 



The projecting compartment in the rood-loft at 

 Merevale iu Warwickshire over the entrance to 

 the choir bears out the general description of the 

 ambon, and appears designed to typify the passage 

 from this to a better world. 



It is doubtful whether an example of an analo- 

 gium now exists, and the question whether it 

 formed part of the rood-loft, or was a detached 

 construction, and became the precursor of the 

 modern pulpit, is difficult, if not impossible, to 

 determine. 



The Dictionnaire d^ Archeologie Sacree, adopting 

 the words of Durandus iu the Rationale Offi- 

 cionim, says, 



" The analogium is so named because the word of God 

 is from thence read or preached to the faithful." 



Hart, in his Ecclesiastical Records, p. 224., says, 



" The analogium was a reading-desk of Spanish metal 

 cast, on which was placed the martyrology or breviary ; 

 and the lessons relating to the Saints were read from it." 



In the Encyclopedic Methodique, under the 

 word jube, is the following passage referring to 

 the ambon : — 



" In place of an isolated tribunal they constructed au 

 elevation at the entrance of the choir, and made it a part 

 of the building, placing spiral steps on either side. Thus 

 the jube was an arcade separating the nave from the 

 choir." 



In continuation, the jube is styled " an elevated 

 tribune upon which they sing morning lessons on 

 fetes, and read the Epistles and Gospels." 



In the Dictionnaire d' Archeologie Sacree already 

 quoted, it is stated under the word jube, " this 

 name was given to that part of the sacred build- 

 ing from the first word which the deacon or reader 

 pronounced when he asked the benediction of the 

 bishop or priest, 



' Jube domine benedicere.' " 



But it has been suggested that these words were 

 addressed to the Deity, and give to "jube" the 

 meaning of " velis." The sentence would then be 

 " Be pleased, O Lord, to bless us." 



In the article " Cloture du Choeur," it is stated, 



"In the front part there is a jube which enabled the 

 Epistles and Gospels to be read on an elevated place, so 

 that those who ^vere present might take part in the cere- 

 monies." 



The position of the desk over the entrance to 

 the choir agrees beautifully with the typical cha- 

 racter of church architecture in which the choir 

 stands for heaven, and the nave for the world. By 

 the study of God's holy word the Christian passes 

 safely iVom probation to reward. 



In the Architectura Canonica, the author, giv- 

 ing a description of primitive Christian churches, 



