ceeded to consecrate them by a prayer, commencing "I conjure thee, thou creature of flowers and branches, in the name of God the Father," &c. This was to displace the devil or his influences, if he or they lurked or were hidden in or about the "creature of flowers and branches." Then followed a prayer wherein he said, with crosses, "We humbly beseech thee that thy truth may + sanctify this creature of flowers and branches, and slips of palms,or boughs of trees,which we offer," &c. Then the "creature of flowers and branches" was fumed with smoke of frankincense from the censers, and there were other prayers with crossings, and they were sprinkled with holy water with this supplication: "Bless + and sanctify these branches of palms, and other trees and flowers," &c. Then the sacrists distributed the palms to the abbots, priors, and nobler persons, and the flowers and leaves to the others. When this was done the procession moved, and afterwards made a stand while two priests brought a Pascal in which the crucifix was laid; afterwards the banner and cross-bearers filed off to the right and to the left, and the boys and monks of the convent arranged themselves, and, after a short service, the priests with the tomb, headed by the banner and cross, passed between the monks, who knelt as they passed. When they came to the citygates they divided again on two sides, and the shrine being put on a table, was covered with cloth. Above the entrance of the gates, in a place handsomely prepared with hangings, were boys with other singers whom the chanter had appointed, and these sang, “Gloria, Laus,"

66

Glory, praise," &c. After having made a procession through the city, they returned to the convent-gate, where the shrine was laid on the table and covered with cloth, and a religious service was performed. The monks then returned to the church, and stood before the crucifix uncovered, while mass was performed; and after they had communicated, the deacon first and the rest afterwards, they offered their palms and flowers, at the altar.*

It was also an old Roman catholic custom on Palm Sunday, to draw about the town a wooden ass with a figure on it, representing Christ riding into Jerusalem,

* Fosbroke's British Monach. Brand's Pop. Antiq. &c.

and the people strewing palms before it. Googe's Naogeorgus says :—

A woodden Asse they have, and

Image great that on him rides, But underneath the Asse's feete

a table broad there slides, Being borne on wheeles, which ready drest, and al things meete therfore, The Asse is brought abroad and set before the churche's doore:

The people all do come, and bowes

of trees and Palmes they bere, Which things against the tempest great the Parson conjures there, And straytwayes downe before the Asse, his face he lies, upon Whome there an other Priest doth strike with rodde of largest sise:

He rising up, two lubbours great

upon their faces fall, In straunge attire, and lothsomely,

with filthie tune, they ball:
Who, when againe they risen are,

with stretching out their hande,
They poynt unto the wooden knight,
and, singing as they stande,
Declare that that is he that came
into the worlde to save,
And to redeeme such as in him

their hope assured have:
And even the same that long agone,

while in the streate he roade, The people mette, and Olive-bowes

so thicke before him stroade. This being soung, the people cast

the braunches us they passe, Some part upon the Image, and

some part upon the Asse: Before whose feete a wondrous heape

of bowes and braunches ly: This done, into the Church he strayght is drawne full solemly: The shaven Priestes before them marche, the people follow fast, Still striving who shall gather first

the bowes that downe are cast:
For falsely they beieeve that these

have force and vertue great,
Against the rage of winter stormes
and thunders flashing heate.
In some place wealthie citizens,
and men of sober chere,
For no small summe doe hire this Asse
with them about to bere,
And manerly they use the same,
not suffering any by
To touch this Asse, nor to presume
unto his presence ny.
For they suppose that in this thing,

they Christ do lightly serve,
And well of him accepted are,

and great rewardes deserve.

When the wooden ass had performed

day before Palm Sunday, which they sell

FLORAL DIRECTORY.

CHRONOLOGY.

On this day in 1380, gunpowder was first used in Europe by the Venetians against the Genoese. Its power is said by the Germans to have been discovered accidentally by Berthold Schwartz; but our Roger Bacon who died in 1278, certainly was acquainted with it. Gunpowder was known in India very early, and from thence the knowledge of it was obtained by the Arabians, who employed it in a battle near Mecca so long ago as the year 690.

1677. Wenceslaus Hollar, the engraver, died at Westminster. His view of Lon

don in Howell's "Londinopolis," and the numerous plates he executed for Dug dale's "Monasticon," 66 Warwickshire, "St. Paul's," 66 Origines Juridiciales," and other works have made him well known to the topographer and portrait collector; but his " muffs" and "insects" are particularly beautiful. His style almost peculiar to himself, is known at a glance by the experienced eye; Gaywood, in portraits, and King, in views, were inferior artists of the same school. Merian, in some insects, rivals him formidably. Hollar's labour was immense as may be seen from Vertue's catalogue of his prints; yet he often worked at fourpence an hour, and perished in poverty.

1801. Sir Ralph Abercrombie died in Egypt. He received his death-wound on the 21st., during his memorable victory over the French at Alexandria.

1802. Pallas, a new planet, was discovered by Dr. Olbers, of Bremen in Germany.

.

tagineum.

Dedicated to St. Priscus.

March 29.

Sts. Jonas, Barachisins, &c. A. d. 327. Sts. Armogastes, Archinimus, and Saturus, A. D. 457. St. Eustasius, or Eustachius, Abbot, A. v. 625. St. Gundlens, a Welsh King, 5th Cent. St. Mark, Bishop, 4th Cent. CHRONOLOGY.

1315. Raymond Lulle, the most celebrated chemist and alchymist of his time, was stoned to death by the natives of Mauritania, whither he had gone on a His attention was directed to chemistry religious mission, at the age of eighty. by the power of love. A lady, very handsome, with whom he was passionately enamoured, refused to marry him. One day, when he renewed his solicitation, she showed her bosom inflamed by a cancer. Young Lulle instantly took leave, with the resolution to cure, and if possible, conquer the heart of his mistress. He searched with all the ardour, which affection and compassion could inspire, into the secrets of medicine and chemistry, and had the good fortune to cure, and to marry her. After her death he attached himself to the church. The inhabitants of the island of Majorca, where he was born, in 1236, revere him as a martyr.

1461. The battle which decided the claims of the houses of York and Lancaster was fought between Towton and Saxton, two villages near York. It commenced in a snow storm at day break, was contested with fearful obstinacy till three in the afternoon, and terminated in a deluge of blood. Eight and thirty thousand human beings were left dead on the field; of whom the heralds appointed to number the slain, returned that twenty-eight thousand were Lancastrians. Edward, duke of York, who won the day, rode from the scene of carnage to York, where he ordered the death of several prisoners; while Henry VI. of Lancaster, who lost the crown, escaped with great difficulty to the borders.

FLORAL DIRECTORY.

Oxelip. Primula elatior. Dedicated to St. Eustasius. Fumitory. Fumaria officinalis. Dedicated to St. Jonas.

March 30.

St. John Climacus. St. Zozimus, Bishop of Syracuse, A. D. 660.

or Rieul, Bishop of Senlis.

St. Regulus,

St. John Climacus, a. D. 605, Was caverned as a hermit in a rock near Mount Sinai, in Syria, and became at seventy-five, abbot and superior-general of all the monks and hermits of the country. He admired one of the principal citizens of Alexandria in Egypt, who, petitioning to become a monk, was ordered to remain without the gate, and manifested his obedience by staying there for seven years, and begging prayers for his leprous soul of every passenger. St. John also admired a monkish cook, because he generally cried while he cooked, and assigned as a reason, that "the fire he always had before his eyes, reminded him of that fire which will burn souls for all eternity." It is related that a woman who had committed so enormous a sin that she dare not confess it, came to

St. John, who bade her write it, and seal it, and give it to him, and he would pray for her; this she did, and shortly after St. John died. The woman sorely afraid that her written secret would be read, wept and prayed at St. John's tomb, and begged he would appear and tell her what he had done with the paper; on a sudden, St. John came forth habited like a bishop, with a bishop on each side of him, and he said to the woman, "Why troublest thou me so much, and these saints with me? thou sufferest us to have no rest look here, cur clothes are all wet with thy tears." Then he delivered to her the paper, sealed as she had given it to him, and said, “ See here, look at the seal, open the writing, and read it." So she did; and she found all her sin "defaced clean out ;" and instead thereof was written, "All thy sins are forgiven, and put away by the prayer of St. John, my servant." Then she returned thanks, and St. John and his two bishops returned to their sepulchres.

:

OR

SHERE THURSDAY.

Thursday before Easter; its name has Maundy Thursday is always the occasioned some trouble to antiquaries. rupted from the mandate of Christ to his One writer conceives maundy to be cordisciples to break bread in remembrance of him or from his other mandate, after he had washed their feet, to love one another. With better reason it is conceived to be derived from the Saxon word mand, which afterwards became maund, a name for a basket, and subsequently for any gift or offering contained in the sand favours from her maund she drew:" basket. Thus Shakspeare says, "a thouand Hall in his satires, speaks of 66 maund charged with household merchandize:" so also Drayton tells of "a little maund being made of osiers small;" and

Herrick

says,

a