Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1868-10-23

) aiut after the plague OF l347, after whic
me, these lettert were very soon common
y Introduced into churches. These letter
have had IS gned to them the following sip
nihceiinns Jesus h0minlHn S1iuator. "Je
! sus the Savior II men;' or, In hoe SAILS, III
hlm is salvation"
SIGNATURE on THE CROSS.
The mark which persons who are unable
| 10 ~rlte ore required to make, instead Of
! her signature, is in the form Of a crps,
~; ana tins practice having formerly been
! iuil'wed by kings and mobiles, Is ccustapttv
/ referred to as an instance of the deplorabI9
! ignorance Of ancient times. This sirnatnre
Il not, however, invariably proof of snch
| ignorance auc!eatly, the use Of this mark
was not cUutued TO iiterate persons for.
among The SaEons the mark If the cross
40 an sttestation OF the good faith OF persons
| 81 ing, was required To- be attached 10 the
signature of those who could write, as we'll
as To stand in the place of tine signature of
| those who could moi write. In those times
u a man could write or even read his knnwl.
! edge was considered proof presumptige that
| NE was IA holy orders. The word Clerjc,is
clerk, was synonymous with peuman; and
the lH1ty, or people who We're not clerks did
not leel any urgent necessity for the use of
letters. The ancient use of the cross was
therefore, universal, alike by those who
could and those who could not write il was
Indeed, the symbol Of an oath, from its holy
associations, and generally, The mark. On
THIS account, the editor Of tie Pictorial
Shakespeare explains the expression If "God
save the mark" as a form Of ejaculation
approaching to the character of an oalh.
THE CHRISTIAN ERA,
The Christian Era was first used abon
the year 527 by Diono5jus, surnamed "Exi-
guus." but better known as Denys 10 Petit.
a monk OF Scythla and Roman abbot. in
consequences of winch il issomeiimes called
"RecspitulatiO Dio0isii." It WA, NOT intro
duced into ltaly until the sixth century. and
though first used n France in the seventh.
1t was not universally established there mi
aoou, the eighth century. An Instance cr
the use Of tue Christian era IN ENGLAND is
supposed 70 have occurred aS early as the
year $50 it was generally adopted in the
eighth century, HHd 30 was ordained by the
Go neil OF Chelsea, IN July, SIC, that all
Bishops should date their Gets from the
year OF the incarnation Of our Savior. In
Spain, the Christian era, though occasion.
ally adopted In the eleventh, vas not uni |
iormly used IN public Instruments until ar- |
tti tur u4uulc OF the fourteenth century, !
nor 10 Portugal until about toe year l4l5, |
In the Eastern Empire aud in Greece, IL |
was nor universal until after mo capture vi |
Corstantuopie iy Aahomet II. 10 1853
the years Of Tie Christian era are de-
'cribed in ancient documents as the wears
'of Grace" Of "the Incarnati n" OF "our
Lord" Of "the Nativity" OF "ine Circum-
,ision," and 'annus rraUea.ioais."
CANoNICAL HOURS.
The Cath Ole Church divided the t~erty-
QUE hours into Sc en- paris, termed Matns
u Llrds, Prime, TIcrce, Sext, Noues, Yes
,ers, aud Colapietorlum or CumpiB, to
zach OF winch proper services were ass g,.-
ID. These divisions, together with others
allied watches, were generally used by &c.
esiatics, instead Of the usual hours Of the
lay. The following is 40 explanation of
hem. Mathis or Matuiiua OF Lauds, from
Midnight until Prime. The morning service
ommenced ct about 4. N. and WAS called
iatins, Or LaUds-Prime or Prima, from A.
I. until Tierce. The service immediately
ucceeded Mathis. TiUrce or Tertia, from
bout 4. N. TO Sext. Sext or Sexia, from
bout IL, or noon, 30 Nones. N0nes or No {
a, from about or 3 p. NJ. 10 Vespers. Yes ]
rrs or Nespera, from about 4 O'clock to {
omplin, or second wespers, slbout O'Clock ;
Sir Harris Nsch0lqs. s