light of day, shine out in full splendour through the stormy darkness of night, so does the fame of many of the worthies of that period shine out with noble light through the gloom that gathered over their native land during the stormy years of the sixteenth century. This constellation of honour, loyalty, and gallantry, redeems by its lustre much of the blackness which evil deeds and evil passions cast in those days upon our country.

Glasgow having, before the Reformation, been the residence of the second church dignitary of Scotland, and a numerous retinue of clergy, from whom its chief importance was derived, it may, perhaps, be not uninteresting to take a slight glance at the principal orders of the popish establishment as they existed in this country. There is nothing regarding which, at the present day, a greater want of knowledge prevails, than of this subject; and such ignorance should not exist, since, however much the system as a whole may appear to us ridiculous, it is still venerable as being the great parent of the ecclesiastical economy of our own time.

The Clergy were divided into two great classes,Regular and Secular. The former were so denominated because they were under an obligation to live according to certain rules, prescribed to them by St. Augustine or St. Bennet; the latter received their appellation from their living in the world abroad, without being shut up in convents and cloisters like the former.

Of the Regular Clergy several distinct societies existed. The principal of these classes constituted an

Abbey, and were ruled by an abbot.

Some abbots

were independent of the bishop, and were called abbotes exempti. Others were invested with episcopal power, wore a mitre, and were called sovereign mitred abbots, and had a seat in Parliament.

The second subdivision of the Regular Clergy formed a Priory. In early times the prior was only the ruler of the abbey, under the abbot, who was primate in the monastery, the former not being considered a dignitary; but afterwards, a party of monks becoming detached from the mother abbey, and obtaining a settlement in some other place, were formed into a separate convent. A prior was set over them, and their house was called cella obedentia, denoting that they depended upon a superior monastery. This personage was denominated a conventual prior, and held dignity; while a prior in the abbey was only a claustral prior. In general, the priory lands were erected into a regality, of which the prior was lord.

The third subdivision of the Regular Clergy was composed of monks, friars, and nuns. It is generally supposed, that the terms monk and friar are synonymous: such, however, is not the case. They differed in this respect, that the former were seldom allowed to go out of their cloisters, while the latter were commonly mendicants, who travelled about and preached in the neighbourhood. They agreed so far as that they both wore the tonsure, or shaved crown, an emblem, they said, of their hope of a crown of glory. They vowed chastity,

poverty, and obedience, besides the titles of their respective orders. The nuns were never allowed to appear out of their cloisters, after they had made their vows. They wore a grey gown and a rotchet, and followed St. Austin's rule.

The principal orders of the friars were,—

1st, The Dominicans, or Black Friars, so called because they wore a black cross on a white gown, and were instituted by Dominicus, a Spaniard. They were first brought into Scotland by William Malvoisin, bishop of Glasgow, about the year 1200.

2d, The Franciscans, or Grey Friars, so named from their wearing a grey gown and cowl, with a rope about their waist, and from being established by St. Francis, an Italian, in the year 1206.

3d, The Carmelite, or White Friars, a less numerous order, were instituted about the same period.

The Secular Clergy consisted of the bishops and parish ministers, &c., and lived in the world abroad.

Of this class, colleges or associations were formed, for the performance of divine service, and singing masses for the souls of their founders and their friends. These colleges were sometimes removed to Cathedrals, sometimes to ordinary churches, which then became collegiate churches. In the former case, the bishop was the ruler; the latter were governed by a provost or dean. The members of the colleges were canons, or prebendaries, who had their stalls for singing the canonical hours, &c. Canons secular, (so called to

distinguish them from the regulars in convents,) were ministers, or parsons, within the diocese, chosen by the bishop to be members of his chapter or council. They lived within the college, performed divine service in the cathedral, and sung in the choir, according to the rules of the chapter. Prebendaries had each a portion of land allotted him for his service. The difference between Canons and Prebendaries lay chiefly in this, that the Canon had his canonica, or portion, merely for his being received, although he did not serve in the church; but the Prebendary had his prebendum only when he officiated.

Every Canonry had a Vicarage annexed to it, for the better subsistence of the Canon, who had the great tithes of both parishes, and was generally the patron of the annexed Vicarage.

The Dignitaries of the church, exclusively of the bishop, were five in number:-The Dean, who presided in the chapter, or during the absence of the bishop. The Archdeacon, who visited the diocese, examined for candidates' orders, and was the bishop's vicar. The Chanter, who regulated the music, and when present, presided in the choir. The Chancellor, who was the judge of the bishop's court, the secretary of the chapter, and the keeper of their seal. The Treasurer, who had the charge of the common revenue of the diocese. All these had rich livings, and deputies to officiate for them; and, with the addition of some canons and prebendaries chosen by the bishop, constituted his privy

council, and in a vacancy, elected for bishop whom the king recommended.

The inferior clergy were parsons, vicars, ministers of mensal churches and of common churches, and chaplains. Parsons were those who had a right to the tithes, and were the ministers and rectors of parishes.

Vicars were the curates of the rectors. In order to augment the revenues of the bishop, and the other dignitaries of the church, and the canons, parish churches were annexed to the churches in which the rectors served, who were the rectors and parsons of such annexed churches. They claimed the tithes as a right, and they appointed Vicars to perform the duties of the cure, to whom an allowance was made of a portion of the tithes as their stipend, which generally consisted of the small tithes.

Ministers of mensal churches took charge of furnishing the bishop's table.

Common churches were so called, because the tithes of them were for the common good, or for the common exigencies of the diocese.

Chaplains were those who officiated in chapels. These chapels were of different kinds. In parishes of great extent, chapels were erected in out corners for convenience, and the rector of the parish maintained a curate there to read prayers and say masses. These were called Chapels of Ease. Some chapels were called free chapels, which were not dependent on any parish, but