1 In the notes to this Office, and that which succeeds, of conferring Orders, I shall give the chief variations of the following manuscript pontificals: viz. the Bangor; the Winchester;-and the Exeter. The first of these is unhappily mutilated in many parts of these offices; initial letters have been cut out, and of course with them much of the text upon the reverse of the leaves: and besides, the rubrics have been much rubbed and defaced.

As regards the arrangement of this first office, "ad clericum faciendum," the Exeter pontifical does not place it immediately before the services of Ordination, as in the text and the other MSS. but immediately succeeding the "Confirmatio puerorum," and before the "Dedicatio ecclesiarum." The reader will see this by referring to the table of the contents of that pontifical, in the first volume of this work, p. cxxiij. Such an arrangement is unusual: for

although the other MSS. do not agree in placing it next after the order of confirmation (as do the pontifical from which the text is taken, and another in Trinity College, Dublin, MS. B. Tab. 3. No. 7), yet they do not separate this first office, from the other forms of Ordination.

The title of this Office in the Exeter pontifical is, "Collatio primæ tonsuræ."

2 This rubric, and the succeeding paragraph are omitted by the Bangor, Winchester, and Exeter pontificals. The second paragraph has reference to those cases in which confirmation had been neglected at its proper period, early childhood; and some particulars relating to females are mixed up with it, not concerned with the giving of the tonsure.

3 This is contrary to the order of the present Roman pontifical, the rubric of which allows that, "Clericatus, seu prima tonsura, quocumque die, hora, et loco con

4

ferri potest." And in his commentary upon this, Catalani has fallen into an error, where he says that the Tonsure, 66 ex omnium scriptorum sententia, et ex recepta ecclesiæ praxi, quovis anni tempore, qualibet die, et hora, et loco conferri potest." Comment. in Pontif. Rom. Tom. 1. p. 49. That the modern Roman Use knows no limit as to time for the conferring of the Tonsure, is evident from a comparison of the rubric at the commencement of the office "De minoribus ordinibus," concerning which last it is expressly stated to be lawfully conferred" in mane tantum."

4 The general opinion of the canonists seems to be, that a bishop might have conferred the tonsure (but not other orders, even the minor) out of his own diocese, "subditis suis." This however would be influenced by the custom of the time. The reader will find more remarks upon this subject in the preliminary dissertation.

5 Under this head would fall ignorance, such as of the rudiments of the Faith, or to be unable to read or write. As to the first, from the earliest ages a knowledge of the creed was required

VOL. III.

of those who were to be baptized, and much more therefore of candidates for the ministry: as to the second, whatever the practice might have been, the theory in England always was, that every clerk

should be able at least to read: and this was the well-known test by which men were allowed "benefit of clergy." In the thirteenth century, it was strictly forbidden by Boniface VIII, "Nequis episcopus infanti, vel illiterato tonsuram clericalem conferret, ita ut qui contrafecerit, in eo in quo peccaverit puniatur, per unum annum a collatione clericalis tonsuræ dumtaxat noverit se suspensum." De temp. Ordin. cap. ult.

6 See Vol. 1. p. 34.

That confirmation should precede ordination to any rank or degree in the ministry of the Church, is a very ancient rule, and, I doubt not, apostolic. To this effect it would certainly seem that we should interpret the viij th canon of the council of Nice: