point out the discrepancy-" Hoc habes in alia parte De Sanctis Ibydem: quere illud et invenies." On the title page is written, "Ludolphus Pruss. ... me possidet," above the name of some earlier owner, partly obliterated, “. . . uss Al.. ss." Lower down the book is made to tell its story, thus :"Specto Vicariatui Gronaviensi ordinis prædicatorum" ("I belong to the Vicariate of Gronau, of the Dominican Order "); and "Pro Conventu Gronauiensi" is written at the other end of the volume. On the fly-leaf at the beginning, over leaf, we read (from Gen. i. 31): "Undt Gott sah an alles, und alles was er gemachte und sie da es war alles sehr gut." Also (from Isaiah, liii. 4): "Furwar er trug Vnser Kranckheit," followed by an alphabet. At the back of the title page is written: "Plures sunt homines in pœnis quam in gloria: dictum domini Augustini in libris De Civitate Dei. Hoc ego Gasparus Vasun scripsi in signum amictiæ veteris mei amici Ludolphi Brussii. Anno Christi 1586, 20 Aprilis." Then follows the closely-written form of exorcism, with an opening nearly akin to the conclusion of the Preface in the Latin mass :— Q VEM Cherubin et Seraphin collaudant dicentes, Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Dominus Exercituum qui regnat et dominatur per infinita secula seculorum. Amen. IN Benedictio domus. [Et cum spiritu tuo.] N principio erat verbum, &c. [1 Jo. i.—sicut in Evangelio Nativitatis Domini.] Per evangelica dicta [: deleantur nostra delicta].1 Deus, in adiutorium meum [intende]. Domine, ad adiuuandum me festina.] Qui fortitudin." 1 I have given the usual expansion of the Benedictio ad Lectorem, "Per evangelica dicta." The exorcists, however, sometimes used other forms: (1) Per evangelica dicta. Extinguatur, dissi petur, et destruatur omnis malitia Diabolica. In nomine Patris. Stampa, Fuga Satana, p. 13. Or (2) “Per evangelica dicta, extinguatur in te N. omnis virtus diabolica et infundatur virtus divina. Amen." Mengi, Fustis, p. 48; and his Flagellum, p. 40. 2 I am at a loss to find the verse to which Qui fortitudin [..]' was the cue. Besides the usual service-books, I have looked through the following : Coniuratio Malignorum Spirituum. Hieron. Mengi, Flagellum Dæmonum. Valerii Polidori, Practica Exorcista- P. A. Stampæ, Fuga Satana. Como. Hieron. Mengi, Fustis Dæmonum. Candidi Brognoli Bergamensis, Man- I am half inclined to read, with Fustis Dæmonum, the second form of exorcism, p. 78, "Adiutorium nostrum, &c. R. Qui [fecit celum et terram]. Esto, Domine, turris fortitudinis." For another MS. exorcism, see Notes and Queries, 6th Series, viii. p. 245. Col [lecta]. Hymnus. Veni, Creator Spiritus, &c. [Et renouabis faciem terre.] DEVS, qui corda fidelium [Sancti Spiritus illustracione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de eius semper consolacione gaudere. Per. In vnitate eiusdem Spiritus sancti. Amen. O crux benedicta, que sola fuisti digna portare regem celorum et dominum potestatum Salua Benedicet sanctifica populum inhabitantem, et domum istam crucis per signacula pauores et morbos auerte corporis et anime, contra te signum nullum stet positum . . .1 Versus. Adoramus te, Christe, [et benedicimus tibi.] [Responsorium. Quia per crucem tuam redemisti mundum.] Oremus. DEVS, qui crucem sanctam ascendisti, et mundi tenebras illumi nasti; tu corda et corpora nostra per virtutem sancte crucis illuminare et visitare dignare, per Christum. Oremus. BENEDIC, Domine, domum istam et omnes inhabitantes in illa [vt sit in ea sanitas, sanctitas, castitas, virtus, victoria, humilitas, lenitas, bonitas, mansuetudo, plenitudo legis, obedientia et gratiarum actio Deo Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Et sit super domum istam, et super omnes habitantes in ea tua larga benedictio, ut in his manufactis habitaculis cum sobrietate manentes ipsi tuum sint semper habitaculum. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum viuit et regnat in vnitate Spiritus Sancti Deus per secula seculorum. Amen.]2 In nomine patris, Jhesu Christi filij eius, et in vnitate spiritus sancti proinde omnis potestas3 inimici et incursus demonum eradicare et explantare ab hac domo vales, per eum qui venturus est [iudicare viuos et mortuos et seculum per ignem]. Oremus. SVP VPPLICES, quesumus te, Domine, vt emittas sanctum angelum Raphaelem vt veniat sic vt repulit a thobia et Zara demonem mortiferum, eos infestantem per huius Benedictionis sanctificacionem contreat' illum et defendat. De loco et de domo ista, de angulis et de loculis deque vniuersis locis in quibuscunque famulantes deo habitant et requiescunt, domi 1 The last word of the line has faded past restoration. Those which immediately precede may possibly be read "sit" or "stet periculum." 2 Only the opening catchwords, or cue, to this prayer being written in the MS., I have given a form combined from 3 Read perhaps : premere omnis potestatem, &c. 4 Read: conterat. manent et vigilant, ambulant et consistunt; nec redeat ille malignus spiritus, vel immundiciis suis amplius inquietare vel pauores immittere super habitantes domum istam, vel vbicunque hominum quos sancta crismatis tui vnctione fecisti immunitos, per eum qui ven[turus est iudicare viuos et mortuos, et seculum per ignem]. Exorciso enim et adiuro te, immunde Spiritus, per deum viuum per deum verum per deum sanctum, vt exeas et recedas de domo ista, et nunquam reuertens nos inhabitantes in illa et alicui hominum nec bruto animali pauorem immittas, per eum qui pedibus super mare ambulat et beato petro manum dexteram sue maiestatis porrexit. In nomine patris et filij et spiritus sancti. Et pax domini sit semper vobiscum. O rex glorie, veni cum pace, homo Christus factus est. Amen. 1Wen eyn mensche betouert is, so shal hi det vorgen sele overlezen loten van eynem prest' wen hi kompt eyn vch desen Koeln vnd vul hoffe mysse lezen So er schal he nicht specken so lange dat hi der hofft ouerlezten vul der he dre mael viel schal dissen breff den menschen hengen in den halsen so lange dat ich bitten weil vul na dissen wiste sol men dissen breff vole loten verotlegen den beesten wen so betouert syn.2 R. Hase. TRANSLATION. WHOM Cherubin and Seraphin together glorify, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts, who reigneth and governeth through countless ages of ages. Amen. THE BLESSING OF A HOUSE. The Lord be with you: [Answer. And with Thy spirit.] N the beginning was the Word, &c. IN [The Gospel for the third Mass on Christmas Day.] By these gospel sayings may [all our guilt be washed away. Or, hellish powers be chased away, &c.] O God, make speed to save me. Answer. O Lord, make haste to help me. might. . . .? Who in Thy The Hymn. Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, &c. Oh send out Thy Spirit, and they shall be made. Answer. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. The Collect. God, who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people, by sending to them, &c. [Collect for Whit-Sunday.] 1-2 I must ask those who know the Dutch language, or the old dialect of the North-West German border, to excuse my blunderings, and to amend our reading. I have expended much pains in trying in vain to get the passage more satisfactorily edited by someone who understands the language. O Blessed Cross, worthy alone to bear the King of the heavens and the Lord of powers Save Bless and Hallow the people dwelling here, and this house. By the signings of the cross, turn Thou away the fears and ills of is set contrary to Thee, [prevail !] body and soul. May no sign, that We adore Thee, O Christ, [and bless Thee.] Answer. For by Thy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Let us pray. GOD, who didst lift up Thyself upon the Cross, and didst enlighten the darkness of the world; vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, to visit and illuminate our hearts and bodies, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Let us pray. BLESS, O Lord, this house and all that dwell in it, that health and holiness, purity and virtue, may be found therein; may victory and lowliness, gentleness and goodness, meekness and the fulness of Thy holy law abound therein, together with thanksgiving to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And may Thy bounteous blessing descend upon this habitation, and rest upon all that dwell herein, so that in quiet conversation abiding in these buildings made with hands, they may themselves be made an holy temple to the Lord, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, &c. In the Name of the Father, and of Jesu Christ His Son and in the Unity of the Holy Spirit: Thou dost avail to beat down the power of every enemy,' and to root out and extirpate the onslaught of evil spirits against this house, through Him who shall come to judge the quick and the dead and the world by fire." WE Let us pray. WE humbly beseech Thee, O Lord, to send forth Thy holy angel Raphael to come to us; that, as he drove away from Tobias and from Sara the deadly evil spirit which molested them, so he may meet him and drive him away, by the sanctification of this benediction. From this place and from this house: from the corners and the closets, and from all places whereinsoever God's servants dwell or rest, where they watch and wake or walk and stand. Let not that malign spirit return any more to disquiet them by his uncleanness, or to cast terrors upon the dwellers in this house, or in any other places among those whom Thou hast made free from him through the holy unction 1 The text here is doubtful, or corrupt. 2 Exorcisms do not conclude with Amen. 3 Perhaps "conterat": beat down. Rom. xvi. 20; cf. Tobit, viii. 2, 3. of Thine anointing, through Him who shall come to judge the quick and the dead and the world by fire. For I exorcise thee and conjure thee, O foul spirit, by the Living God, by the True God, by the Holy God, to go out, depart from this house; and nevermore, by returning, strike terror on us who dwell here or any of mankind, or of dumb animals, through Him whose path is on the great waters, and who to the blessed Peter stretched forth the right hand of His Majesty. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. And may the peace of God be ever with you all. O King of Glory, come with peace. 'IF F a man is bewitched, he shall have the foregoing writing read over by a priest. When he comes, he must read it with great He shall not speak anything [else] until he has recited it. Having read it over three times, he shall hang the writing about the man's neck, so long. when it is thus bewitched." read over Photographs of the concluding passage have been submitted to five or six experts in England, Belgium, &c., but at present they have not succeeded in making out more than my friend, Mr. Robert Berndt, of Marlborough College, has deciphered. The scribe has scribbled off his vernacular conclusion with more speed and less precision than the Latin. The Latin itself, though easier to read, I found so difficult that I gazed at it for nearly forty minutes before I could read a single sentence. prayers without a check. 1-2 Between the Latin form and the German or Dutch direction which follows, there is a line, which may be either a mere scrawl or else the indication of a prayer, in very minute, illegible script. I owe to scholars of old North-West After that, I read the whole of the German or Dutch an apology for this attempt to give, conjecturally, the sense of a passage which I cannot properly read, and from a language which I do not know! |