An abridgement of the notable woorke of Polidore Vergile conteignyng the deuisers and firste finders out as well of artes, ministeries, feactes & ciuill ordinaunces, as of rites, and ceremonies, commo[n]ly vsed in the churche: and the originall beginnyng of the same. Co[m]pendiously gathered by Thomas Langley

❧The .viii. Chapiter. ¶Of the seuenth daie, thirty daie, old ma∣ner of buriall, hallowyng chalices, prie∣stes garmentes with other thynges.

HORATIVS the Poete and Seruius write that the Ro∣maynes vsed custo∣mably y^e nynth daie after the buriall to renewe the sacryfi∣ces and solemne rites of the funerall whiche thei named in latyne Nouem¦dialis:* 1.1 of this we in our religiō haue gathered the fashion of kepyng the seuēth daie with exequies and other ordinary oblacions.* 1.2 And in England

the custome is to kepe the thirty daie or moneth mynde with like Obites,* 1.3 as were dooen on the buriall daies. Or els it mighte seme that this ke∣pyng of the seuēth daie was brought vp after thesame sort emong vs, as in mariages thei vsed in old tyme to re∣newe their vowes the seuenth daie.* 1.4 For like as that daie was the solēne beginnyng of encreasyng the issue of mankynde, so thesame daie of burial is or should be the complet finishyng and ende of euery thyng.* 1.5 The Massi∣liens in Fraunce passed and spente the daies of their burialles, with pri∣uate oblacions, and feastyng of their kinsefolke without any maner lamē∣tacion or sorowe, whiche thyng the Englishe at this daie vse commonly to dooe. In burials the old rite was that the ••ded corps was borne afore,* 1.6 and the people folowed after, as one should saie, we shall dye and folowe after hym, as their laste woordes to the coarse did pretende. For thei vsed too saie, when it was buried on this wise, fare well wee come after thee, and of the folowyng of y^e multitude thei were called exequies.* 1.7 Albeeit

thei vsed at kynges, and noble men∣nes funeralles to goo afore with ta∣pers▪ whiche custome we kepe still.

* 1.8CHALICES, wherin the bloud of Christe is consecrated, were at the first of woode, and that was the insti¦tuciō of the Apostles, whiche would preuent all occasiō of auarise in prie∣stes: but Zepherinus afterward com¦maunded that thei should consecrate in a vessel of glasse. Notwithstādyng in processe that custome was broken.* 1.9 And Gratianus decreed y^t thei should saie Masse and consecrate with cha∣lices of siluer or golde,* 1.10 orels if those mighte not bee gotten, in chalices of tynne, albeit some referre this to Vr∣bane the firste. Sextus the firste com∣maunded that the corporaces should bee of linen clothe onely and that of the finest,* 1.11 and purest: and he forbade that any laye manne should handle the hallowed vessels and namely wo¦mē wer inhibited. The hallowyng of priestes vestures,* 1.12 and altare clothes, with other ornamētes of the churche and the diuersitee of vestures of sun∣dry orders was taken out of the He∣brues priesthod, & vsed in our churche

fyrst by Steuen bishop of Rome fyrst of that name. For at the beginnyng priestes in their massyng vsed rather inwarde vertues of solle then out∣ward apparel of the body, whiche is rather a gloriouse gase, then any god¦ly edifiyng. Sabinianus decreed fyrst that the people should be assembled together to heare seruice at certayne houres of the day by ringyng of bel∣les:* 1.13 And Iohn the .xxii. ordeined that belles should be tolled euerye daye thrise in y^e euenyng, & that then euery mā should say thrise the Aue maria.* 1.14

The vse of belles came fyrst of the Hebrues, wher y^e high priest or bishop had in the skyrtes of his vppermoost vestures litle belles to ryng, when he was in the holy place within y^e vaile. And euen the vayle, hangynges, can∣delsteckes, with other vessels that we vse in the churche came also of theyr ceremonies. The baners that be han∣ged abroad in the easter tyme may be vsed to declare the triumph of Christ ouer death, the deuil, and hel,* 1.15 & were taken of the heathen, whiche in their victories did beare baners to declare & signifye y^e cōquest of their enemies.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Nouemdialis.
• * 1.2

  Seuēth daie.
• * 1.3

  Thirtie daie.
• * 1.4

  Mariage vo¦wes renued.
• * 1.5

  Buriall is an ende of all thynges.

  Massiliens vsage at bu¦ryalles.
• * 1.6

  Rite of bury∣alles.
• * 1.7

  Fare well we shal come af∣ter.
• * 1.8

  Chalices of woode.
• * 1.9

  Chalices of Glasse.
• * 1.10

  Chalices of siluer or gold
• * 1.11

  Corporaces.
• * 1.12

  Hallowyng of clothes of priestes.
• * 1.13

  Ringyng to seruice.
• * 1.14

  Tollyng the Aue belle. Vse of belles came of the Hebrewes.
• * 1.15

  Baners.