other forms of wild merriment and frantic joy, yet with good humor ; replacing the old Roman feasts of Saturnalia, Lupercalia, and FloraUa. VOL. ir. — 26 •i02 THIRD PEKIOD. A.D. 311-590. The six Sundays of Lent are called Quadragesima jn^hna^ secunda, and so on to sexta. They are also named, after the initial words of the introit in the mass for the day : Invocabit (Ps. xci. 15), Beminiscere (Ps. xxv. 6), Oculi (Ps. xxxiv. 15), Lcetare (Is. Ixvi. 10), Judica (Ps. xliii, 1), Palmarum (from Matt. xxi. 8). The three Sundays preceding Quadragesima are called respectively EstomiJii (from Ps. xxxi. 2) or Quin- quagesima {i. <?., Dominica quinquagesimse diei, viz., before Easter), Sexagesima, and Septuagesima ^ which are, however, inaccurate designations. These three Sundays were regarded as preparatory to the Lenten season proper. In the larger cities it became customary to preach daily during the Quadra- gesimal fast; and the usage of daily Lenten sermons {Quadror gesimales, or sermoaes Quadragesimales) has maintained itself in the Roman church to this day. The Quadragesimal fast culminates in the Geeat, or Silent, or Holy Week,' which is especially devoted to the commemo- ration of the passion and death of Jesus, and is distinguished by daily public worship, rigid fastijig, and deep silence. This week, again, has its prominent days. First Palm Sunday,* which has been, in the East since the fourth century, in the West since the sixth, observed in memory of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem for His enthronement on the cross. ISText fol- lows Maundy Thuksday,^ in connnemoration of the institution of the Holy Supper, which on this day was observed in the evening^ and was usually connected with a love feast, and also with feet-washing. The Friday of the Holy Week is distin- guished from all others as Good Friday,^ the day of the Sa- viour's death ; the day of the deepest penance and fastiug of ' Sepiimana sancta, magna^ muta ; hebdomas nigra, ov paschalls ; f^So/xas /x e 7 a A 17 ; Passion Week. ^ Dominica palmarum ; eoprij tuv fiaiaiv, ^ Feria quinta paschse, dies natalis eucharistife, dies viridium ; ^ ixeyaXt) niixinri. Tiie English name, Maundy Thursday, is derived from maunds or baskets, in which on that day the king of England distributed alms to certain poor at Whitehall. Jfaund is connected with the Latin mendicare, and French mendier, to beg. * Dies dominica; passionis ; irapaa k tvij , -naaxo- ffravpaxriixov, Tjij.(pa Till aravpov. In German: Char-Frcitag ; cither from the Greek x«P'J) or, more probably, from the Latin cams, beloved, dear, corap. the English Good Friday. § T8. THE EASTEE CYCLE. 403 the year, stripped of all Sunday splendor and liturgical pomp, veiled in the deepest silence and holy sorrow ; the communion omitted (which had taken place the evening before), altars un- clothed, crucifixes veiled, lights extinguislied, the story of the passion read, and, instead of the church hymns, nothing sung but penitential psalms. Finally the Geeat Sabbath,'