402 CIRCLE or THE HOURS. 



V. O'CLOCK P.M. 



Ob. Sometimes the Vespers took place now, and even earlier, 

 though the regular hour for them is six. Children in convents say 

 the Rosary often at five. 



At five the following^ hymn sung ad libitum : 



Hymnm ante Rosarium, or on a pious. Virgin taken the Veil. 



Fortemvirili pectore 



Laudenius oinnes feniinani, 



Quae sanctitatis gloria 



Vbique fiili^et inclyta. 



Haec sancto aniore saucia, 



Duni muiidi amorcni noxium 



Honescit, ad coelestia , 



Iter peregit aidiiuin. 



Carnem doinans jejtiniis, 



Pulcique mentem pabiilo 



Orationis nutrieiis, 



Coeli potitur gaudiis. 



Rex Christe virtus foitium. 



Qui magna solus efficis, 



Hujus precatu quaesumus, 



Audi benignussuppiices. 



Deo Patri sit gloria, 



Ejnsque soli Filio, 



Cum Spiiitn Paraclito, 



Nunc, & per ouine saeculuro. 



VI. O'CLOCK P.M. VESPERS. 



Obs. That six o'clock was the hour of Vespers, and nine of the 

 Complin, among certain rehgious orders, there can be no doubt from 

 recorded history ; but now Vespers and Complin are among the 

 secular clergy and in our ordinary churches sung together, that in 

 Complin Vespers between three and five o'clock. Vespers or the 

 Evening Song consists chiefly of the chanting of parts of the Psalter 

 with certain Evening Prayers and Hymns. 



Six o'clock is rather a pleasing time of day all the year round. 

 In spring it is calm after the falling of vernal showers, and the diur- 

 nal gales of Zephyrus and Caurus, or after cold easterly and clear 

 winds. In summer the heat of the day is moderated, and the sky 

 serene and beautiful. In autumn the first snug evening fires are 

 lighted, when at ]\Iichaelmas Tide we come in after a day's work to 

 tea, a fire, and candles ; the weather being still temperate, and in 

 winter the cold is by this time shut out for the night, and with cur- 

 tains and fastened doors we are barricadoed in for our evening stu- 

 dies, our tea and cofiee, and a comfortable pipe of tobacco, and the 

 amusement of the newspaper. Cowper in his " Task" and " Table 

 Talk," has well described some of these domestic scenes; but has, 

 we think, paid too great a compliment to the worrying hissing of the 

 tea urn, or the singing of a boiling kettle. 



