Parish Priests and Their People in the Middle Ages in England Part 14

Then comes an instruction on the mode of hearing confessions, and some practical advice on the kind of penances to give, _e.g._ if the penitent does not know the Pater, Ave, and Creed, he is to have such a penance set as will make him learn them; and he is to be examined as to his belief.

Next, as part of the instruction in the art of confession, comes a practical exposition of the ten commandments one by one; and in the same way an exposition of the seven deadly sins and of the venial sins; and of the sins of the senses; in all which we recognize a digest of Archbishop Peckham's famous canon of instruction for preaching; then come counsels as to the remedies for the seven deadly sins. Then an instruction on the administration of Extreme Unction, with a kind of Office for the Visitation of the Sick.

When thou shalt to sick gone A clean surplice cast thee on, Take thy stole with thee right, And pull thy hood over thy sight.

Bear thy Host anont[234] thy breast In a box that is honest.

Make thy clerk before thee gynge[235]

To bear light and bell ring.[236]

This is the prayer of the sick before the unction--

My G.o.d, my G.o.d, my mercy and my refuge, Thee I desire, to Thee I flee, to Thee I hasten to come. Despise me not, placed in this tremendous crisis, be merciful to me in these my great necessities. I cannot redeem myself by my own works; but do Thou my G.o.d redeem me, and have mercy on me. I trust not in my merits, but I confide rather in Thy mercies, and I trust more in Thy mercies than I distrust my evil deeds. My faults, my great faults. Now I come to Thee because Thou failest none, I desire to depart and be with Thee. Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit, Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord G.o.d of truth.

Amen. And grant to me, my G.o.d, that I may sleep and rest in peace, who in perfect Trinity livest and reignest G.o.d, world without end. Amen.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PARISH PRIEST TAKING THE LAST SACRAMENT TO THE SICK. XIV.

CENT. MS., 6 E. VI., f. 427 verso.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PARISH PRIEST ADMINISTERING LAST SACRAMENT. XIV. CENT. MS., 6 E. VII., f. 70.]

CHAPTER XVI.

POPULAR RELIGION.

In Saxon times, the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Ten Commandments were taught to the people in their own tongue, sometimes in metrical paraphrases, that they might the more easily be remembered, and every parent was required to teach them to his children.

A canon of the Synod of Clovesho, in 747, required the priest to explain everything in the Divine service to the people, and the Gospel for the day was read to them in the vernacular. The poem of Caedmon, which paraphrased large portions of the Old Testament history, was not the only use of the native poetry for the purpose of popularizing the truths of religion; we call to mind how Aldhelm used to sit on the parapet of the bridge over which the country-people must needs pa.s.s into Malmesbury, and sing to them religious poems, to the accompaniment of his harp. King Alfred translated the psalms, and there were various other versions of the psalms and other portions of Scripture.

Education was much more common among the laity of the Middle Ages than is sometimes supposed. The French books of piety and of romance in the thirteenth century presuppose people capable of reading them. Grostete's "Castle of Love" was a religious allegory, in which, under the ideas of chivalry, the fundamental articles of Christian belief are represented. By the middle of the fourteenth century, English had become a literary language, and works of all kinds were written in it. Wiclif did not translate the Bible from Latin into English for the clergy; they would rightly prefer to continue to read it in the Latin of the Vulgate; he wrote it for the laity, and we know that it was largely circulated among them. The poems of Lydgate and Gower, "Piers Plowman," and the Canterbury Tales, the numerous romances, and the religious tracts of Wiclif and Robert of Hampole, had numerous readers; and for those readers books of devotion were largely provided.

Robert de Brunne's "Handlyng of Synne," in 1303, was a translation of the French "Manuel des Pechiez" of the previous century. The "Meditacyuns of the Soper of oure Lorde Ihesu," in 1303, was a translation of the "Meditationes Vitae Christi" of Cardinal Bonaventure.

"The p.r.i.c.ke of Conscience," by Richard Rolle, the Hermit of Hampole, and "The Ayenbite of Inwit" (Remorse of Conscience), completed in 1340,[237]

are translations of "Le Somme des Vices et des Vertus," composed in 1279.

The "Parson's Tale" in Chaucer's "Canterbury Pilgrims," is in part a translation from the same book. The "Lay Folks' Ma.s.s-book," or manner of hearing ma.s.s, with rubrics and devotions for the people, and offices in English according to the Use of York, is an evidence that pains was taken to enable the people to enter intelligently into the Latin service. It was written in French by Dan Jeremy, Canon of Rouen, afterwards Archdeacon of Cleveland, in about the year 1170, and was translated into English towards the close of the thirteenth century.

The "Lay Folks' Ma.s.s-book" is well worth more s.p.a.ce than we can afford it here, as a curious ill.u.s.tration of the popular religion. It explains the meaning of the service, and of the ritual, tells the worshipper when to stand and kneel, and puts private devotions into his mouth in rhyme, for their better remembrance. There are numerous MSS. of these books still existing, and when the art of printing was discovered, they were among the books early printed, so that we have reason to believe that they were in general demand and use among the laity.

We learn that it was the custom for the parish priest to vest at the altar--the old parish churches seldom had vestries:

When the altar is all dight, And the priest is washed right, Then he takes in both his hands A chesepull[238] cloth on the altar hangs, And comes aback a little down, And does it upon him all aboune.

All men kneeling, but he stands, And holds to G.o.d up both his handes.

When the priest and clerks confess to one another, the worshipper is directed also to make his confession in a form given.

After the confession the people stand, and the priest begins the service; the worshipper is told to pray for him, and the hearers, and their friends, and for "peace and rest that lastes ay to Christian souls pa.s.sed away," and to all men. Next is given a rhyming English version of the _Gloria in Excelsis_, to be said while the priest is saying it in Latin.

The people kneel and say _Pater nosters_ through the Collect and Epistle; when the priest crosses to the south corner of the altar to read the Gospel, then the people are to stand and make a cross, and take good heed, and say this prayer--

In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, One steadfast G.o.d of might most, Be G.o.d's word welcome to me, Joy and love, Lord, be to Thee.

Again at the end of the Gospel make another cross and kiss it. While the Ma.s.s (Nicene) Creed is being said, say the Apostles' Creed, as given in a rhymed version--

I trow[239] in G.o.d, father of might That all has wrought, Heaven and earth, day and night, And all of nought, etc.

At the end is a very curious perversion of the clause of the Communion of Saints: _Communio Sanctorum_ is translated as if it were _Concomitantia Sanctorum_--

And so I trow that housel is Both flesh and blood.

After that comes the offertory; offer or not, as you please;[240] but in either case say the following prayer--

Jesu, that wast in Bethlem bore, Three kings once kneeled Thee before, And offered gold, myrrh, and incense; Thou disdained not their presents, But didst guide them all the three Home again to their country.

So our offerings that we offer, And our prayers that we proffer, Take them, Lord, to Thy praise, And be our help through all our days.

Then when the priest turns to the people and asks their prayers, kneel and pray for him. When the priest comes to the middle of the altar and says _sursum corda_, then lift up your heart and body, and praise G.o.d with the angels--

Sweet Jesu grant me now this That I may come to Thy bliss, There with angels for to sing, The sweet song of Thy loving, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, G.o.d Grant that it be thus.

Kneel when the canon of the ma.s.s begins, and offer thanksgivings for talents of nature, right mind, grace in perils, etc.; pray for pardon, grace, strength for the future; make intercessions for church, king, n.o.bility, kinsmen, friends, servants, for the afflicted, sick, captive, poor, banished, dispossessed; pray for G.o.d's ordering of the world, for good weather, that He will

The fruits of the earth make plenteous; All Thou seest best ordain for us, Such grace to us Thou send, That in our last end, When this world and we shall sever, Bring us to joy that lasts for ever. Amen.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ADMINISTERING HOLY COMMUNION WITH HOUSEL CLOTH. EARLY XIV.

CENT. MS., ROYAL, 2 B VII., f. 260 v.]

At the sacring bell do reverence to Jesus Christ's presence, holding up both hands, and looking upon the elevation;[241] and if you have nothing better prepared to say, say this which follows--

Loved be Thou, king, And blessed be Thou, king, Of all thy giftes good; And thanked be Thou, king, Jesu, all my joying, That for me spilt Thy blood.

And died upon the rood.

Thou give me grace to sing, The song of thy loving.

Pater noster. Ave maria. Credo.

After the sacring, pray for the dead, that they may have part in this ma.s.s:--

When the priest the elevation has made He will spread his arms on-brade,[242]

Then is the time to pray for the dead, Father's soul, mother's soul, brother dear, Sister's souls, sibmen, and other sere,[243]

That us good would, or us good did, Or any kindness unto us kyd.

And to all in purgatory pine This ma.s.s be mede and medicine; To all Christian souls holy Grant Thy grace and Thy mercy; Forgive them all their trespa.s.s, Loose their bonds and let them pa.s.s From all pine and care, Into the joy lasting evermore. Amen.

Listen for the priest to begin _Pater noster_, and be ready to answer at _temptationem_, _Sed libera nos a malo. Amen._ And then say the Lord's Prayer to yourself as here given--

Fader our, that is in heaven, Blessed be Thy name to neven.[244]

Come to us Thy kingdom.