The Portland daily press., 1882-01-27
The Dress of the Clergy.

Dean Stanley, says the Quarterly Review,
describes, evidently with infinite amusement,
the purely secular and common origin Of the
present official dress of the clergy, whether in
the Anglican or in the Roman Church, and he
enforces with the liveliest illustration, the
conclusion that ''the dress of the clergy had no
distinct intention, symbolical, sscerdotal, sac
rificial, or mystical" but originated simply in
s'the fashions common to the whole communi-
ty of the Roman Empire during the three first
centuries" He begins by dressing up lay fig
ure at the time of the Christian era, and shows
how his various garments have survived In
clerical costume.
His shirt, canliSid or chemise, survives in two
forms, the alb, SO called from its being white,
and the dalmatic, SO called from Dalmatia,
from whence this shape of it was derived-iust
as certain greatcoats, to quote the Deans Illus
tration, are now called ulsters. This shirt, af-
ter the invasion of the Northern barbsrians,
used to be drawn over the fur coat, sheep skin
or otter skin, the pelisse of the Northern ma
tions. and hence, in the twelfth century, arose
the barbarous name of superDellicium or sur
g1Iiee the cover fur" The present Rector OF
ST. George 's-in-the-East, the Rev. Harry Jones,
told an amusing story of the Dean which Illus
trates this point.
He came to preach at st. Georges one very
cold day, wrapped in fur coat, and Mr.. Jones
advised him to keep it on during the services
eyes," said the Dean, II think 1 had better
do SO, and then my surplice will be true su-
perpellicium." Another form Of the same dress
survives in the Bishops rochet, which is the
little frock or coat worn by the mediBval Bish-
ops out of doors when they went out hunting.
Similarly the pail of an Archbishop is the relic
of the Roman toga or pallium. 1t 1s not 80 Ger
oil ha that
rived from Caracall "a long overall, which
Antoninus Bassianus brought from France,
and whence he derived his name, "for 1t has al
so been traced to kds, skin or hide.
But there can be no doubt that chasubls
comes from casuIa, "a slang name used by the
italian laborers for the cdpote," which they
called ''their little house," as "tile" is-or was
a short time ACCUSED for hat, and as coat
is the same word as "cote' or cottage" nor
that Scope" Is another form of overcoat-a sort
of waterproof; or that the mitre was an ordina-
ry head-dreSs worn by women, and still, ac-
cording to the Dean, to be seen in the museums
of Russia as the cap or turban worn on festive
occasions in ancient days by princes and mobiles
and even to this day by the peasant women.
The division into two points he says, Is "only
the mark of the crease, which Is the conse-
quence of its having been. like an opera hat,
folded and carried under the arm" The stole,
lastly, was simple handkerchief for common
uses. On state occasions such handkerchiefs
were used as ribbons, streamers or scarfs, and
were hence adopted by the Deacons, VINO hsd
little else to distinguish them.
The Dean mentions a curious modern in
stance of the way in which the use OF such
slight symbol may arise When Sir James
Brooke first returned from Borneo where the
cnly sign of royalty was to hold kerchiet in
the hand, he retained the practice in England,
The process by which these simple garments
passed into official use is easily traced. First,
the early Christian clergy and laity alike when
they came to their public assemblies, took caro-
- III IL kI.ao fhaw ms
ually wore, should be especially neat and clean.
Next it was natural that the colors and forms
chosen should be of a grave and sober sort.
Lastly came the process, which may be easily
followed in English society during the last two
centuries, as common fashions becoming fixed
in certain classes at particular moments, and
of what was once common to all becoming Pc
culiar to a few