Dogmatic decrees and other synodal decisions in Latin as to the doctrine of the Eucharist were very numerous; but so far as I have observed, the only English authorized statements that were put forth in the middle ages are those in Appendix II. The piece in Appendix III does not treat of the manner of celebrating or hearing mass, and has little of antiquarian or linguistic interest; but I make no apology for including it in this collection, as it may prove even to those of us who may not accept the doctrinal opinions that underlie itthat there were some among our forefathers who approached the subject in a devout and humble spirit, that was in strong contrast with the tone of many of their contemporaries.

The pieces in Appendix IV and V are of a very different character. There is much more to interest the antiquarian, and they serve to bring before us an aspect of the religion of the time, which has to be considered in forming an opinion on the subject.

In these and the other pieces here brought together, as in all monuments of the religious life and feeling of our forefathers, there is much to be noted from a theological point of view. This is altogether beyond the scope of the Society, but it will be readily understood that in any attempt to illustrate the text, it would be impossible to avoid ritual and doctrinal questions. These it has been my object to discuss -to use a well-drawn distinction-not doyuarikŵs, but diŋynμаTIK@s, placing facts and quotations that bear upon them before my readers, and leaving it to those, who care to do so, to form their own conclusions.

Some of these questions bear upon certain doctrines and practices that were received or allowed in the Church of England when the manuscripts were written, and were afterwards either formally rejected or advisedly put away: but the circumstance that I am a clergyman of the reformed Church, and that I am one of those "who according to the order of our Holy Reformation have deliberately and with good reason "renounced the errors, corruptions, and superstitions, as “well as the Papal Tyranny, which once here prevailed,”(1)

(1) Instead of using my own words, I have adopted the above from

has not appeared to me to be a reason why I should accompany the notes with the running comment of a controversialist. It is from no failure in loyalty in this matter, but because it is due to the E. E. T. Society-and the list will show that there are members who do not belong to the Church of England-that I have been careful to avoid the expression of my own opinion upon points which are the subject of religious controversy; and I have done this,-not because I had not formed opinions in respect to them, but because I had long arrived at very definite conclusions, and I thought I had no right to obtrude them upon my fellow members, who had not joined the Society in the expectation of any such encounter.

In the Glossary will be found all the noticeable words and forms in the B text of the Mass Book, and the references there given will serve for the corresponding places in the other texts. It also includes some of the less usual words and the more peculiar forms in those texts, and in the Appendix and notes. In it, and the notes, I have added illustrative quotations to some few words, for the most part when I have given a meaning that differs from that in some other glossary.

In printing the texts and direct quotations from English MSS., every care has been taken to reproduce the original, except that the punctuation has not uniformly been retained. unless when it is so expressly noted. The use of capital letters has been followed; and where contractions are printed at length, the words or letters so expanded are shewn in italic. All additions are printed in italic within brackets[broad-faced] where there is a hole in the MS., or when the surface of the vellum has been worn away; and [ordinary type] when they supply what is supposed to be an omission of the scribe. Glosses or verbal explanations are printed in

the "Form of Prayer" which is still used "at the opening of each day's session in both houses of [the northern] Convocation." As, for this once, I have allowed myself to give utterance to my own view of one side of the teaching of the Church of England, I venture to add the remaining words of this prayer, which equally express my feeling as to the other: SO "that we may all constantly hold fast the Apostolical and truly "Catholic Faith, and may duly serve Thee without fear, and with a "pure worship."

(italic) in a parenthesis. Rubrics or words written in red are printed in Clarendon.

Having given some account of my work as editor, it remains for me to acknowledge the friendly assistance I have received in the course of it. I have already mentioned the kindness of the Reverend W. W. Skeat, Professor of AngloSaxon at Cambridge, in respect to our Text F. The thanks of the Society are also due to the Reverend W. G. Henderson, D.C.L., Head Master of the Leeds Grammar-School, for a similar kindness in allowing me to print his own transcript of the Bidding Prayer in Sir John Lawson's Manual. It would have been a pleasure to me to have taken this opportunity of publicly thanking many friends, and others to whom I was personally unknown, for their valuable help-I have acknowledged the services of some of them in the notes-but I must now only single out Mr. Edward Maunde Thompson, Keeper of the MSS. in the British Museum. His scholar-like knowledge of the treasures in his custody is only equalled by his kindness in imparting it.—I should have often been at a standstill without it, and I never found him at fault at a bad place in a manuscript, where I could neither read nor construe.

The Very Reverend Hugh Mc. Neile, D.D., then Dean, and the Chapter of Ripon were good enough to grant me the loan of their unique service-books according to the use of York; and I cannot forbear to mention the readiness with which my brethren the Dean and Chapter of York allowed me to take away the Manual and other manuscripts ordinarily confined to the Minster Library.

I venture to add that I shall be much obliged by a note of any additional MSS. of the texts of the Mass-Book now printed, or any information as to the French original, or the author.

Dalton Holme, Yorkshire,

6th December, 1878.

T. F. SIMMONS.

INTRODUCTION

TO THE FOUR TEXTS OF THE MASS BOOK.

THE publications of the Early English Text Society do far more than fulfil their primary purpose of illustrating the course of the English language. Many of them are no less available for the study of history, where it is not confined to political events, which are most prominent in ordinary histories. A comparison of the four texts will supply an additional opportunity of examining the peculiarities of their several dialects; and the texts themselves,-apart from their liturgical interest, as showing the changes in the ritual, and more especially as to the part which the people were expected to take in the service,-will open a fresh page to the historical student who recognizes the religious condition of the people, or of any particular class, as an important element in the national life.

It is assumed as an axiom that the lex orandi at any period in the history of a church is also its lex credendi; and if the common prayers may be accepted as the best evidence of the creed of a church, the private prayers of our forefathers, if they were known, would be equally important in an estimate of their personal belief and spiritual condition.

Very little of this kind has come down to us. At all events, with the exception of incidental notices in contemporary documents, and the English primer of about the year 1400,(1) there is nothing, as

(1) It is printed in his Monumenta Ritualia (vol. II. 1—242) with a valuable preliminary dissertation by Mr Maskell, who has opened the way for the study of the English devotions in the Church of England before the reformation, as he has for that of the comparative liturgiology of the several English uses, both by the information he has actually embodied in his liturgical works, and by his having drawn attention to the sources from which further information was to be gained. b

MASS-BOOK.

15

yet(1) within the reach of the ordinary student, till we come to the time immediately preceding the reformation.

It must, however, be remembered that a primer in English, though understood by those who used it, was the translation of a servicebook, the use of which was enjoined by the Church; whereas the Lay Folks Mass Book, as possessing no ecclesiastical authority, is, on that very account, more satisfactory evidence both as to the private prayers and as to the personal feelings, not only of the author of the devotions, but of those of his readers who made them their own by adopting them.

But prior to the enquiry as to the time when, and the class for whom, the book was written, and the extent to which it was used; or before forming an opinion as to how far the work of Dan Jeremy has fulfilled its purpose, and justifies the name of Lay Folks Mass Book here given to it,(2) we must take into account: first, that the people did not understand the Latin of the missal service when it was written; and next, that the form in which it was cast was very probably due to the previous practice of the Church in having appointed simultaneous but separate devotions for the priest and people.

Whether the change commends itself to our judgment or the contrary, we must class the persistent retention of Latin as the language of the Latin rite, as one of many examples where rigid adherence to outward form has brought about a marked change in the original institution. There can be no question that, when the Eucharist was first celebrated in Latin-most probably when the main features of the liturgy, and almost the very words of the canon were stereotyped by Pope Gregory the Great,-it was a congregational service in which the lay people took their part in their own tongue.

Nor was this the case at Rome only. Latin, though falling very far below the classical standard, had spread through all the countries where the Roman empire had extended: in some of them it had displaced the native language; and throughout the West, except in Britain, it maintained its ground in various Romance forms, notwithstanding successive Teutonic invasions.

(1) See Note under Preface, ante, p. x.

(2) Notes, p. 155, 156.