m the French, has been
derived from the use of incense at the altars of the temples during the
religious services:--"According to the custom of the priest's office,
his lot (Zacharias') was to burn incense when he went into the temple
of the Lord." (Luke 1:9.) "And thou shalt make an altar to burn
incense.... And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning
when he dresseth the lamps, and at even when he lighteth the lamps he
shall burn incense upon it." (Exodus 30.)

An analogous practice is in use to the present day in the Roman Catholic
churches, but, instead of being consumed upon an altar, the incense is
burned in a censer, as doubtless many of our readers have seen. "As soon
as the signal was given by the chief priest the incense was kindled, the
holy place was filled with perfume, and the congregation without joined
in prayers." (_Carpenters Temple service of the Hebrews._)

THE CENSER.

"On the walls of every temple in Egypt, from Meroee to Memphis, the
censer is depicted smoking before the presiding deity of the place; on
the walls of the tombs glow in bright colors the preparation of spices
and perfumes." In the British Museum there is a vase (No. 2595) the body
of which is intended to contain a lamp, the sides being perforated to
admit the heat from the flame to act upon the projecting tubes; which
are intended to contain ottos of flowers placed in the small vases at
the end of the tubes; the heat volatilizes the ottos, and quickly
perfumes an apartment. This vase or censer is from an Egyptian catacomb.

[Illustration: The Censer.]

The Censer, as used in the "holy places," is made either of brass,
German silver, or the precious metals; its form somewhat resembles a
saucer and an inverted cup, which latter is perforated, to allow the
escape of the perfume. In the outer saucer is placed an inner one of
copper, which can be taken out and filled with ignited charcoal. When in
use, the ignited carbon is placed in the censer, and is then covered
with the incense; the heat rapidly volatilizes it in visible fumes. The
effect is assisted by the incense-bearer swinging the censer, attached
to three long chains, in the air. The manner of swinging the censer
varies slightly in the churches in Rome, in France, and in England, some
holding it above the head. At LA MADELEINE the method is always
to give the censer a full swing at the greatest length of the chains
with the right hand, and to catch it up short w