The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-10
EARLY PRAYER BOOKS.

st. Jerome. st. Ambrose and o'be'
fathers of the Church mention the seveu
! cauonical hours ana old writer's tell us
! that In the Eastern monastcrics the
1 monks assembled for worship six times
a day and most of them at midnight as
/ well.
I Pope Cclas in the NTH century. wos
! the first to- unite in one volume prayers
suitable for every day in the year. as
we'll az for the feasts and fasts OF the
year. These prayers were said to have
been composed by the APOSTLES them
selves other mlssals were composed
by other Popes. and as time went on
each diocese and each community had
it's own missal. with its Liturgy con-
formed to it's special needs. In the por-
tiors set apart exclusively for the wor-
ship of God there was little variation
In the missals of the diocese, however.
the saints and martyrs their lives and
acts. occupied an important place;
while in those of the monasteries pre-
emlnence was given to the founder OF
their order and the particular doctrine
which he taught.
Tho services were long and fatiguing.
80 Pope Gregory VII. ordered an
abridgment to be made 1t was a very
imperfect work and was followed by
others more or less faulty. Finally the
Tapal Sec was commanded by the
Council of Trent to prepare n breviary
, suitable for all dioceses and for all COM
! munitics. This was accordingly done
and IN 1868 brevlary was published.
which has ever since been the base of
20 the Catholic ritual all over the world
? and from which. with the necessary
I notifications our Book of Common
Prayer was compiled.
Before the Introduction Of printing,
! missals and other devotional hooks were
! transcribed 10y the monks in the differ
. cni monasterics. Thcs" manuscript
, books ar, veritablc works of art orna-
h monted with miniatures, illuminated
a borders. vlsnottes and tail pieces
% Copies of them are carefully preserved
r in most of the public libraries OF Flu
II rope and numbers of them are well
: known Icy reproduction.
- \ treasured volume in the Mazarin
e. Library at Paris * the "M.ssal Of Mont
90 Cassn" of The eleventh century. II Is
the work of the monks of that celc-
i brated monastery in Lombardy. From
V the time of its foundation. on the site
u of a temple TO Apollo In the sixth CEN
Il fury, this monastery has been the home
Of religion. science and art. Many valu-
L. able works relating to the history Of the
90 carry UuTtn Wbulu nave nt'H Iost W
ID the world had they not been copied ny
rho dovout and talented men who
y, formed ,h" brotherhood ~ Mont Cass'n.
/. This beautiful missa * not very large.
10 the writing j. IN the I.ombardian style
.r of the period and the book is orna
- mcnted with Illuminated vgncttes and
-. superb initials In the richest Of color
u mcs These letters of,,n occupy whole
-, page.
70 There eXis, three devotional books
Is which belonged To Anne de Bretagne.
ct The "Graud.s Heurcs." in the Biblio
ut thequc Rationale is one of the most
r' remarkable and beautiful Of books; but
- "A smaller one. Les latornostres." has
~, recently been found which Is OF an ear
~, ll.r date. 1872. 1t l. ornamented with
I'd exquisite miniatures. said to be the
work OF Jean Perreal Each miniature
is surrounded with border varying in
So shape, hut which is entirely filled in with
'i- the letters of which the Queens Chris
80 ;ian name j. composed. ANE, so that
-. the name can be read IN any direction
This lt'lc book WaS bought 10y the la t.
.. . I'.rlon' Mora % and reproduced for
o. I.u Do ."lul- hv Mr.. euarriich. y SINAI
H edition win six Of tn, miniatures In
is HIcl and white has been brought out
pt . Paris firm FOR private circulation
or,N.
H' lH following centuries painters NJ nj
''' nations. a. we'll a. the most noted en-
On. gray'rS on wood. copper or steel have
Is contributed .u cmprll!~h the books %
go prayer Many * ;hos. Illustrated h,
ur ,he onpra,,rs ~ the sixteenth and sew
'utc,n'h centuries can ,., With the ear
'' l.'r Illuminated ones The ornamental
o.. t..n II RELIGIOUS books WIS regarded n
ID iYhn, Of love Low \h..r. Durpr HI