J 40 Charles Davidson — English Mystery Plays. 



to the middle of the Altar, and uncovers the whole Cross, singing a third time, 

 ecce lignum. After this, he carries it to a place prepared before the Altar, 

 where he adores first himself, and then the clergy and laity, all kneeling thrice 

 on both knees, and kissing the feet of the Crucifix. When the adoration of the 

 Cross is almost finished, the candles upon the Altar are lighted, and after the 

 adoration the Cross is placed again upon the Altar. 



Afterwards the Priest receives in communion the host that has 

 been consecrated on Maundy Thursday, and placed in a tabernacle 

 appropriately decorated and lighted. 



There is in this no sign of the mediaeval custom of placing Christ 

 in the sepulchre, but our author states that a custom, which is very 

 significant, is observed by the laity. After the host is placed in the 

 tabernacle on Maundy Thursday, it is visited by the laity, who call 

 this * Visiting Sepulchres,' ^ which our author cannot reconcile with 

 " lights and the richest ornaments ; things very unbecoming a sep- 

 ulchre." 



This custom is, however, easily explained, if we compare with the 

 modern service the ceremony as given by the York MissaP of the 

 twelfth century. I omit all before the adoration, as the variations 

 are unimportant and foreign to our purpose. It reads : 



Dum populus adorat, canatur Antiphona cum Versu. . . . Tandem adorata 

 Cruce, bajulent eam duo Vicarii usque ad locum sepulcri, ubi Prselatus earn 

 accipiens incipiat has Antiphonas, et Chorus finiat. . . . Postea Praelatus ponat 

 flexis genibus Crucem in sepulchro et duos cereos accensos cum duobus urceis ; 

 postea thurificet eam, et tunc erectus incipiat Antiphonam. 



Although in the Missal for Good Friday nothing is said about 

 placing a host with the crucifix in the sepulchre, we know that it 

 was done ; for, in the Missal for Thursdaj^, Feria V. in die Cenae, 

 we read:^ 



Ponantur a Diacono tres hostiae ad consecrandum, quarum duae reserventur in 

 crastinum, una ad percipiendum ab Executore Officii; reliqua, ut ponatur cum 

 Cruce in Sepulchro.'^ 



1 The Office of the Holy Week, p. 183. 



2 The York Missal, vol. 1, pp. 106-7. Note.— MS. A, owned by Hev. John Gott, Leeds, 

 Eng-., is in part of the twelfth century, in part of the fifteenth. MS. D is In the library 

 of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. It is of the fifteenth century, and contains many 

 rubrics not given in the other six MSS. The portion of MS. A used in this work Is of 

 the twelfth century. The portions from MS. D are noted. 



3 The York Missal, p. 97, MS. D. 



4 In the abbey church of Durham the host was inclosed in crj'stal, and set into the 

 breast of the image of the Savior. Hone's Ancient Mysteries, p. 223, quoting from 

 Davies's Kites of the Cathedral of Durham. 



