Page images
PDF
EPUB

CXXXI.

Use of Piscina in Churches.

MR. URBAN,

I HAVE sent you an accurate representation of a fenestella in the south wall of the chancel of the very beautiful church of Melton Mowbray, in Leicestershire.

These niches have in general been improperly called basins or stoups, for holy water; but your correspondent Indagator*, gave them the true name of piscine; and in his learned disquisition on episcopal seats, stone chairs, and other appendages to sacred edifices, inserted in Archæologia, vol. XI. he has specified some of the uses of these receptacles. One of them was, p. 353,

"That, should a fly or spider, &c. fall into the chalice before consecration, it was directed to be thrown, together with the wine, into this receptacle; but, should this happen afterwards, it was directed to be burnt super piscinam.'

Mr. Clarke's reference is to a Roman missal published in 1528; but this direction occurs in Typographical Antiquities, vol. III. under the article of "The Boke named the Royall, compyled at the Request of King Phelip (ie Bele of Fraunce), in the year MCCLXXIX." Of the, translation of this book, made and printed by Caxton, Mr. Herbert remarks, that he knows of no other copy than that which is in the King's possession; and that to it are annexed some curious injunctions, or instructions, to a priest about saying mass, intituled, "Of the Negligences happyning in the Masse, and of the Remedyes. Made especially for the symple peple, and for the symple prests, which understond not latyn." The instruction alluded to is at p. 1769, as follows:

"A doctour whyche is called Bonauenture, saith, that yf tofore the consecracion a flye or loppe or ony other venymouse beest were founde in the chalyce, it ought to be caste in to the piscine. And the chalyce ought to be wasshen, and to put other wine and water in to the chalyce. And yf after the consecracyon were found ony thi'g, as poyson, or venymous beste in the chalyce, it ought to be take wysely and wesshen, and to brenne the beste. And the asshes and the wasschyng of the beeste to be put in the pyscyne.”

* See p. 396.

Very requisite therefore, was it that the piscina should be constructed near the station of the celebrant. And this will account for our seeing these niches not only in the walls of chancels not far from the high altar, but also in the ailes and chantry-chapels, where there were side altars for private

masses.

In the preceding page the same profound Doctor gives this instruction concerning the kind of wine which the priest was to consecrate for the use of himself alone, the cup being at that time withheld from lay-communicants:

And knowe that the wyne ought not to be soure ne vergews. For it sholde have noo consecracyon. For the aygre wyne is no more wyn, but it hath be wyne. And the vergews is not yet wyne, but it shold be wyne yf it shold be suffred to ripe."

But qu. is this observation well founded? If time formerly would thus improve verjuice, has it not lost that quality? According to Chambers's Dictionary, v. verjuice,

it has its name from a large sort of grape, called verjus, or bourdelas, which is said never to grow perfectly ripe; or, rather, which in its utmost maturity is too austere and sour to be used in wine, whence it is commonly turned into. perjuice. 1797, Aug.

W. and D.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Baker on the Death of Cardinal Wolsey, 28,

Ballistrarius Regis, 379.

Bank of England, 254.

Baptismal Church, what, 311.

Baptisteries, 311.

Barber-surgeons, their hall and library, 433.
Barbican, 254.

[blocks in formation]

Blase, St. 304; Custom on the Anniversary of, 311,
Bloomsbury, 255.

Blossom's Inn, Laurance-lane, 255.

Bones, Human, found filled with Lead, 138.

Book, date of a, 209.

Borough, English, 389.

Bows, Cross, the Antiquity of, 379.

Bow-staves, importation of, 347; prices of, 348.
Brand's History of Newcastle upon Tyne, 425.
Brandon, Charles, Duke of Suffolk, Case of, 44.
Brandons, 149.

Bride, Custom of saluting, 456.
Bridewell, 255.

« PreviousContinue »