remarkable a period in
ecclesiastical history, and to an event so intimately interwoven with
the former state of our native land, appears to justify the introduction
of the entire service, rather than extracts from it, in this place.
Whilst it bears throughout immediately on the subject of our present
inquiry, it supplies us at the same time with the strong views
entertained by the authors of the service, on points which gave rise to
great and repeated discussion, not only in England, but in various parts
also of continental Europe, with regard to the moral and spiritual
merits or demerits of Becket, as a subject of the realm and a Christian
minister. It is, moreover, only by becoming familiar in all their
details with some such remains of past times, that we can form any
adequate idea of the great and deplorable extent to which the legends
had banished the reading and expounding of Holy Scriptures from our
churches; and also how much the praises of mortal man had encroached
upon those hours of public worship, which should be devoted to
meditations on our Maker, Redeemer, and Sanctifier; to the exclusive
praises of his holy name; and to supplications {201} to Him alone for
blessings at his hand, and for his mercy through Christ.

There is much obscurity in the few first paragraphs. The historical or
biographical part begins at Lesson the First, and continues throughout,
only interspersed with canticles in general referring to the incidents
in the narrative preceding each.

* * * * *

THE SERVICE OF THOMAS BECKET[70].

[Footnote 70: The copies which I have chiefly consulted for the
purposes of the present inquiry, are two large folio
manuscripts, in good preservation, No. 1512 and No. 2785 of the
Harleian MSS. in the British Museum. The service commences about
the 49th page, B. of No. 2785. This MS. is considered to be of a
date somewhere about 1430. The first parts of the service are
preserved also in a Breviary printed in Paris in 1556, with some
variations and omissions. There are various other copies in the
British Museum, as well printed as in manuscript.]

Let them without change of vestments and without tapers in their hands,
proceed to the altar of St. Thomas the Martyr, chanting the requiem, the
chanter beginning,

_Req._ The grain lies buried beneath the straw;
The just man is slain by the spear of the wicked;
The gu