The National Register.
London, England, 1809-10-01 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGITER:

ON THE CALLEAIONY OF THE JUBILEE.

-.—
11111. EDITOR—The antitt«oty, of the religious e?.remony
•f Jubilee, if we consult the records of the earliest trans-

actions of men appears almost coeval with the first sacred
institutions, connected with the civilizaNn of primitive
ages. Nor ix itt to be presumed that such a period will be
passed over in silence, which would be innovation, had it
the 'reverence due to what is ancient, and could alone
••• beast a course of long observance for its use," to recom-
mend it. If we consult the sacred pages, we find it among
the orders and ordinances of the patriarchal Governors o
those long lost times.

" Cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound !"
66 It shall be a Jubilee, it shall bo holy to you.''
" A Jubilee shall that fiftieth year be to curt."

in the year of Jubilee ye shall return to possession."
" A field shall go out in the year of Jubilee."
to Then the house shall not go out in the jubilee."
" They shall go out in the year ufjubilee."
" If he sanctify his field frotn the year of Jubilee."
" Wheu Jubilee then their inheritance he put."

Stub are terms in which we find this important period
tanameed; Fide Levit. and Numbers.
. In our own country this ceremony seems net to have
been uniformly attended to. Old !'peed does not mention it
in the reign of Henry 111. as having been at all observed.
in that of Edward 111, however, it is particularly noted ;
sad we see no reason why similar attentions should not be
paid to it in the reign of George M. We have reason,
*otwithstanding the fatalities which have attended it, to he
thankful that we remain still undaunted amidst the wreck
of States. But let us return to Speed.
" Now was this renowned Monarch Edward the Great,
Xing of England, upon the day of St. Brice (the day on
which, by King Etheldred's commandment, all the Danes
in England were murdered), aged 50 years ; at which
time a Parliament (where none was permitted to appear
by proxy) was holden at Westminster upon prorogation.
Therefore to make the memory of his birth-day acceptable
by acts of gracious government, as in a year of Jabilce,
he granted his general and special pardon to offl.nder;
without fine or fee paying to the State, set pri'oners
at liberty, revoked such as were in banishment. More-
over, upon the grievances of his people pestered with
the doublings of lawyers, he commanded that pi, ._s ,
shouid be henceforth made in English, not in French,
a necessary law, if it had been as carefully observe,;,
especially if with all he had ordered the same shortic
not be written also in French, that his people might know
their •wn duties. It is observed also, that the law of Mao
na Charta, confirmed also this Parliament, was about.
a dozen several times confirmed by this King during the
years of his reign. 1
Polydore Virgil, in his Toth book, on occasion of this
Jubilee, should out be omitted : for " the famous custo:a
of our King's also upon Maundy Thursday, in imitation of
Christ, wash, clothe, and feed as many poor as tilese are
years old. This is refereed to this celebration which *King
Edward made of his 50th year, in regud to the numbers
fed, which number he calls the Jubilee of their ages. But
as he imparted grace to his people, so he also took order
to replenish his purse ; that seldom or never the poor coin-
Mons !ive any thin!, which they pay not for."
Some have considered it as synonymous with the Feast of
Lights, which does indeed, if we may credit profane history,
appear to be maintained and kept tip after the same man-
ner. Thus the learned Joseph us tells us, that " after Judas
had re-established the .:ervice of the Temple, bo;h he and
his couiVrymen solemnised a felts!. for eight days, omitting
not any kind of laWf.. pleasure, banqueting sumptuoieil,
and honouring God in hymns and psalms." Thus rejoiced
they at this re-establishment, seeing that contrary to ail
hope, after so long a time, they had recovered the customs 11
of their conatrv, and their orient religion, so that a de-
em was made tor those that should come after, whereby

OCT. 1.

it was emum.:nded, " that
.for the space of ei;111 do/is the
qf the l'emplif should be solcmnized zciih tiro cere-
111011MS and anc!,7itt ordinances," and ever since that. time,
until this day, :ve celebrate the feast called the Feu,/ qr
I,4;Pis, for this red son in my opinion, lwanae this is so
great felicity, began to stew u. a tight contrary to all
hope.

In consulting, the life of Pope Clement VI. a Frenchman
of Limosin, and who Succeeited Bennet XII. in the Papal
Chair in 134,2, we find, that of his ordination the Jubilee
or Holy Year was brought tb be celebrated every fiftieth.
With the Popes it was 4et apart for granting indulgences:
By Bonn face VIII. it was, inn imitation of the Jews, 04-der.
ed to be celtbrated every hundreth year. Urban VI. to
XXX. and ,e‘ritis V. to XXV, where, in Cathdic Coln.
'ries, it was continued in the year 1703. Besides, there IS
a kind of Jubilee on the ctaitation ofevery Pope:
The ceremony observed at the first is this : the Pope,
coming to open the haIN gate, knocks thrice with a golden
hammer, and at the same time pronounces these words of
the- Psalmist, "_l perils mihi portas pestithe," &C.* %%here-
' upon the Masons throw down the wall, when his Holinest
kneeling, the penitentiaries come and Wash him with holy
watet, which done, he take!: up the cross and enters
the church singing a Te Deum ; at the same time three
cardinal legates break down three other holy gates that
are at nome4 Next mornieg the Pope gives his belie.
diction to the people publicly, After the year is out the
holy tate is shut again, the Pope blessing the mortar and
stones, and leaving twelve boxes of gold and silver medals
to be closed up in the wall. Formerly treat nionbers.came
from all countries to these soleinnitiesit.but since they have
Jubilees of their own allowed them they have left oil corn.;
:ig,the Pope granting the same benefits as if they came to
Rome. What the Jewish Jubilee was is to be aeon in an.,
other place.

These observations will be at least thought valuable,
from :heir historical correctness, and are much, Mr. Edi-
tor, at your service, should a corner of your next Register
be uneugaged on their arrival.
1 remain, with respect, Sir, yours, •
PuifALEtnits:
P. S. On congulting Tindal's Summary of Engicnd nhich
was not at hand when the above was written-1 titttl It'at
in 1262 Edward 111. arriving at the age of 50 (mark M.-,
Editor, at the age of se) grants a general pardon to all his
subjects— and in April 1376 he being now in the 50th year
crf his reign cauvti a v;eneral pardon to all his subjects.
See pages ::93 and ‘, .798, vol. I.

will beg leave to add that George lIL has reigned
longer than any British Prince who came to the Throne
aftcr he was of arc. •
* Open to me the ;Fairs of righteousness and I will go in unt•
then: a3d praise the Lord. Ps. 19.
t This is done in the- churches of St. John of Lateran, of St.
Paid, and St. Mary ;:he Greater. This is performed lit the Aril
Evening V f!‘pers of (.*ristirias Eve, and the neat morning the
Pope gives his becetlietion to the people in his Jubilee form.

Mr. Canning continues daily to recover. He, however,
suffered a greMer degree of pain on Monday night, than
lie has done since he received the wound ; but it was not
accompanied with any fever, or any symptom that can be
considered of an unfavourable nature.

This Month.—T. respectfoilly reminds the Public, that the State Lot•
tern not oniy begins hut finishes on Frifloy, the 2ntle of this ilooth; therefore
nil wbo dove.chance to r.%i ThelNaltd the purchase
of n sinde mnst bit) before the drawin4 IteTins,l?; the %thole Lttery,
consisting of .-,t'avO,ooo ill prizes, tail! hr decided in one day. Tickets and
shares are setting hi great variety at his Old established Offices mid by his Agetili
ix the country; who, in the Itte Latttei.ica have beep rem:lli:ably fortunate to "
sellints ;out F/1:1rill;"n1 hlttnense ntonla.r of capital Petzo,, pirticularly the two
tut X3o,ocn Prise +,the last 1•:5,900 Prize, and the last capital Prize ever
dr..wn. Persons in the country may be supplied the same as if preselt, by
se:lair:7. their orders (post or cavria,,,v paid), accurnpatii3d with bank notes,
card bills, cash, or pest office nialem, to either of his old Established Offices,
No. 4, Cornhill,..r Charlur.scross, Londnz ; where all business in the. Public
Vends is tr.:las:l:7lod uith fidelity aid -tlispatch.—Please (9 reiagrit IM tate la
the ogiy b4tteri 444 will be isawie this Jew.