390 CIRCLE OF THE HOURS. 



at the first hour, as here, but at sunrise. Hence the hymn begin- 

 ning, Jam hicis orto sidere, which we have given at page 66, was 

 ordered to be sung at Prime, but more of the Hours by and bye. 

 The following is very ancient : 



Hymmis ad I. An. ve! inter Maluiinum et Laudes. 



Primo die, qno Trinitas 



Beata iiiundum condidit, 



Vel qno resurseiis Conditor 



Nos raoi te victa liberal : 



Pulsis procul torporibns 



Surgamns oranes ocyiis, 



Et iiocte quaeiamus Deuiit 



Propheta sicut praecipit. 



Nostras preces ut audiat, 



Suamque dextram porrigat, 



Et expiates sordibus 



Reddat polornm sedibtis. 



Vt, quique sacratissimo 



Hujus diei tempore 



Horis qiiietis psallimus, 



Donis beatis muneret. 



lam nunc Paterna claritas, 



Te postulamus affatim, 



Absint faces libidinis, 



Et omnis actus noxius. 



Ne foeda sit, vel lubrica 



Compago nostri corporis, 



Ob cujus igiies ignibus . 



Avernusurat acrius. 



Mundi Redemptorquaesumus? . 



Tu probra nostra diluas, 



Nobisque largns commoda 



Vitae pereniiis conferas. 



Praesta, Pater piissime, 



Patrique compar Unice, 



Cum Spiritu Paraclito 



Regnans per omne saeenlum. 



II. O'CLOCK A.M. Not Canonical. 



Obs. The second hour of the morning is not canonical, nor do 

 we find in general any particular office attached to it by the monas- 

 tic orders of ancient times. 



At the close of the second hour, when the clock strikes two, we 

 may expect several peculiar natural phenomena. At Midsummer 

 the day breaks, and at all times of year certain invalids are subject 

 to the nocturnal exacerbations of disease ; two o'clock being one of 

 the hours at which the periodical paroxysms of many complaints 

 takes place. After two o'clock we find persons who have laid awake 

 with febrile symptoms all night often begin to get into a little com- 

 fortable sleep ; and soon after' two, or early in the third hour, the 

 Cocks first begin their general crowing, or Alextrophong, as if to 

 awake the slumbering vestals and drowsy monks against the office 

 of the third hour, once devoted to Laudes, though they afterwards 



