quagesima; terms obviously signifying the seventieth, sixtieth, and fiftieth. Why such titles were applied to these Sundays, the writers on the Offices of the Church since the eighth century have assigned various reasons, most of them sufficiently fanciful or absurd*. In order to ascertain the true reason, recourse must be had to the circumstances of the times, in which these names were first adopted, and to the intentions of the governors of the Church, as far as they can be discovered. Now it is certain, that when the words Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima, were first applied to denote these three Sundays, the season of Lent had generally been extended to a fast of six weeks, that is thirty-six days, not reckoning the Sun

* ALCUIN, who was the pupil of BEDE, and the preceptor of CHARLEMAGNE, thinks that Septuagesima was so called, because it was the seventieth day before the Saturday in Easter week. But this is nothing to the purpose; and it confounds with Lent the Paschal week, which was always a time of rejoicing. Sexagesima, he says, is so called, because there are sixty days between it and the Thursday in Easter week; and Quinquagesima is so called, because from it to the day of the Resurrection, reckoning both inclusively, we find fifty days. He then discovers various types and mysteries in these numbers, which it would be idle to repeat. CHARLEMAGNE, in his reply to ALCUIN, observes, that persons who delight in such calculations, may find mysterious numbers not only in these weeks but in every other week of the year, and in every hour, and minute of the day; and then proceeds to assign for these names reasons similar to those which I have stated. (ALCUIN's Letter and CHARLEMAGNE's to ALCUIN.) It is surprising, that the writers of the following centuries should have rejected CHARLEMAGNE's simple and natural account, and fallen into the most extravagant reveries on the subject,

days, which were always celebrated as festivals. At this time likewise the Sunday, which we call the first Sunday in Lent, was styled simply Quadragesima or the fortieth, meaning no doubt the fortieth day before Easter. Quadragesima was also the name given to the season of Lent, and denoted the Quadragesimal, or forty days fast. When the three weeks before Quadragesima ceased to be considered as weeks after the Theophany (or Epiphany), and were appointed to be observed as a time of preparation for Lent, it was perfectly conformable to the ordinary mode of computation to reckon backwards, and for the sake of even and round numbers, to count by Decads. The Authors of this novel institution, and the Compilers of the new proper Offices, would naturally call the first Sunday before Quadragesima, Quinquagesima; the second, Sexagesima; and the third, Septuagesima. This reason at least corresponds with what CHARLEMAGNE states in answer to the enquiries of our learned countryman ALCUIN, and with the account that seems to be at present most generally adopted. I must add, that after considering with attention, what CHARLEMAGNE, ALCUIN, AMALARIUS, RHABANUS MAURUS, Ivo, RUPERTUS, and DURANDUS have said upon the subject, this appears to me the only account, that is in any tolerable degree rational and satisfactory. At the Reformation, technical and ecclesiastical titles and terms were not always translated from the original language into our own, and among others are retained the Latin names of these three Sundays. Of whatever antiquity the institution of Septuagesima and the two following

Sundays may be, no vestige of it is discoverable even in the Roman Church, where it originated, before the beginning of the sixth or the close of the fifth century. GELASIUS and GREGORY notice these days in their Sacramentaries; but after the death of the latter they had not been received into either France or Spain. It is plain, however, that in the time of CHARLEMAGNE, and our ALCUIN at latest, not only the present names of these Sundays, but also the proper Offices that GREGORY had assigned to them, were generally adopted in the Churches of France and Britain.

When the names of these Sundays, and their respective Offices were introduced by authority into France and Britain, they were all introduced together: yet Quinquagesima seems to have been first known. The first Council of Orleans * made a decree against the admission of Quinquagesima, and ordered that Lent should be retained within its ancient limits. At this time the names Sexagesima and Septuagesima were probably not known in France. By the fourth Council of Orleans †, the names and the observation of Quinquagesima and Sexagesima are ordered to be suppressed, and uniformity in the keeping of Lent is prescribed. Septuagesima does not appear to have been yet heard of in France; and this order was probably levelled against the practice of some, who, in imitation of the Greeks, began to omit the Saturday fast, and to extend the duration of Lent, in order to

* A.D. 511.

+ A.D. 541.

make up the number of fasting days. At Rome the three days were instituted at the same time.

On Septuagesima, and the two following Sundays, the Compilers of our Office have retained the Collects, Epistles and Gospels, which they found appropriated to these days in the Missal of Sarum, and other ancient Liturgies; excepting only the Collect for Quinquagesima, for which day they composed a new one more consonant to the subject of the Epistle. The old Collect both in GREGORY'S Sacramentary, and the Missals, was "Preces nostras, quæsumus, Domine, clementer exaudi; atque a peccatorum "vinculis absolutos ab omni nos adversitate custodi,

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per Dominum," &c. It is perhaps entering too far into minutiæ to notice, that on Septuagesima our Collect, as well as that of the Roman, Gallican and Salisbury Missals, forms in GREGORY'S Sacramentary, not the Collect, but the Oratio ad populum, or in the modern language of the Roman Catholics, the Post Communion.

The object of the Church, in instituting these Sundays and weeks, was to withdraw our attention from the festivals of the Nativity, and the Epiphany, from contemplating our Lord's manifestation of his Divinity and to direct it to our own sins and imperfections; to prepare us, as we have said before, to devote the approaching season to strict self-examination, to the practice of religious abstinence, and to acts of more than ordinary humiliation and devotion.

Hence the proper Lessons for these Sundays, are no longer taken from the Evangelical Prophet, but

portions from Genesis are read, which treat of the Fall and its consequences.

On Septuagesima Sunday, the Collect entreats God "favourably to hear the prayers of his people;" and particularly beseeches him, that "we, who are justly punished for our offences, may by his goodness be " mercifully delivered from our afflictions." The Epistle recommends the mortification of our worldly appetites, and activity in our Christian course. The Gospel has a similar tendency, shewing, that all who are admitted into Christ's vineyard, must labour, if they expect to obtain the promised reward.

The Collect for Sexagesima confesses the frailty of our nature, and the weakness of our abilities; and acknowledges, that He to whom "the secrets of all "hearts are open" perceives that we confide not in ourselves it therefore beseeches him to succour and defend us. As an encouragement to trust in God, and to bear with patience the evils and dangers of our spiritual warfare, the Epistle proposes the example of St. Paul, who was remarkable for his exertions and sufferings in the cause of the Gospel; and here glories in his weakness and infirmities, which God had enabled him to rectify. The Gospel recommends vigilance against the seduction of the Devil, and the allurements of the world, with carefulnesss both to hear and keep the word of God, if we hope to bring forth the fruits of eternal life.

On the two preceding Sundays, acts of mortification, with vigilance and circumspection, were recommended. But to these we must add faith and charity,