The Commendations.

The Psalmes of the passion.

The Passion of our Lorde.

Certeine godly praiers, for sundry purposes." Having thus shewn that in their contents and object these later prymers (which have been taken only as specimens from several such) and the present manuscript may almost be said to be identical, I do not think that the title "Prymer" is an improper one to give it.

The only objection which could be offered would be, that it is a term of too late an introduction to be applied to a book of devotions written in the xiv th century. But it is quite impossible to say how early it was so applied. Dr. Burton says, "the word Prymer appears to have been in use long before the date mentioned above," 1535, and there is no doubt of the fact, though he himself seems to mean by long before some ten or twenty years. It is a word peculiarly English, as connected with the English versions of the Horæ, and occasional devotions, the litany, the dirge, &c. and by means of a most valuable series of documents, viz. ancient Wills, we can trace it upwards to the date assigned to my manuscript. Upon this point I shall not hesitate, though it may appear unnecessary, to accumulate authorities.

54

In the year 1521, by her last will, Lady Scrope leaves to her sister "a prymer and a psalter, which I had of the gift of King Henry the Seventh's mother." A. D. 1511, Robert Fabyan the chronicler, directs that his wife should keep among other goods he had given

54 Compare his Pref. p. 2.

her in his lifetime his "great masse booke and also the great prymar." A. D. 1503, Katherine, Lady Hastings, leaves her "prym'ar" to one person, and to another, "a faire prymar, which I had by the yefture of Queen Elizabeth.”. A "little prymer" is mentioned in the will of Sir Ralph Hastings, 1495. In 1480, Ann Dutchess of Buckingham gives "a Prymer with clasps of silver gilt covered with purple velvet." I pass over fifty years, and A. D. 1427, we find Elizabeth, Lady Fitzhugh, giving to her two daughters, the one "a prymer covered in red," and the other "a prymer covered in blue.". In 1415, Michael, Earl of Suffolk, leaves his "little prymer which belonged to John de la Pole, his brother." In 1399, Eleanor, Dutchess of Gloucester, leaves her daughter" a book with the psalter, prymer, and other devotions, with two clasps of gold enamelled with my arms, which book I have often used." And lastly, 1391, Margaret, Countess of Devon, leaves "two prymers" to her daughter."55702 10 Take again two examples from a similar collection! In the year 1420, Matilda, wife of William Bowes, says, "Item do et lego Elizabethæ filiæ meæ j blak primer." In the year 1427, already cited, “Elizabeth Lady of Rauenswath" leaves to her "doghter Mariory a prymer cou❜ed in Rede, and (her) doghter Darcy a sauter (Psalter) cou'ed in blew, and (her) doghter Malde Eure a prim' couered in blew."56

35 Vide Sir Harris Nicolas, Testamenta Vetusta. Vol.1.p. 127. 148. 190. 213. 357. Vol. 2. p. 42.1. 452.506.588.

56 Wills and Inventories. (Surtees Society.) P. 65. 74. The

first is valuable, as it proves that there was no Latin name by which at that time the Prymer was known. In the same will occurs a very curious item. "Lego filiola meæ j romance book is called the

To these I shall add the testimony of Piers Ploughman, an author (whatever his real name may have been) who lived before the year 1365, and I think there will remain no doubt that the title prymer was in common use, and its meaning well ascertained, certainly before the middle of the xiv th century. He

says,

The lomes that ich labour with, and lyflode de

serve,

Ys pater noster and my prymer.

"57

It is highly probable that the word was originally derived from some small manuals, which were spread among the people, of the first and chief lessons of religious belief and practice. These may have been so called, not only because they were the lessons of children, but equally necessary for all men to learn. And the Prymer in its first state may have been well known, in the early days even of the Anglo-saxons, under that or some similar name, as containing the Creed and the Pater-noster.

For there never was a period in the history of the English Church, when care was not taken to enforce upon all priests the duty of teaching their people the rudiments of the faith, in the vulgar tongue, and to pro

gospelles." Mr. Surtees printed this in his History of Durham, and asks in a note (1. ij. 5), “Did a Romance ever actually exist under this strange title? or had the Lady of Dalden (the testatrix) met with one of Wycliffe's Bibles, and conceived the Gospels to be a series of fabulous adventures ?" I can answer one point: the

"Lady of Dalden" was no heretic, as her will abundantly testifies.

57 I give this upon the authority of Richardson's Dictionary, Verb. Primer: but I have not been able to verify the quotation, as he does not state the edition he has used. Full reliance however may be laid on his accuracy.

vide books fitted for that purpose. Hence is it, that we have still remaining in manuscript so many short expositions in English, of the Creed and the Lord's Prayer and the ten Commandments; to which are often added the seven works of mercy, the seven sacraments of grace and such-like: of which one of the most famous was written by Thoresby Archbishop of York, about this very time, 1370.58 Archbishop Peckham in his constitutions at Lambeth orders every parish priest in his province to expound once every year to the people, in the vulgar tongue,59 without "any fantastical affectation of subtilty" the fourteen articles of the Faith, the ten Commandments, the two precepts of the Gospel, &c. These are afterwards gone into at length in the next four statutes, as if a form which might be used or imitated. A synodal statute of the diocese of Norwich, A.D. 1257, enjoins all rectors and parish priests to be careful to teach the children of their people, the Lord's prayer, and the creed. 61 The same are commanded to be taught by all parish priests to the laity, in the last canon of the synod of Exeter in 1287.62 These add also the salutation of

58 Collier. Ecclesiastical History. Vol. 1. 562.

59 Vulgariter: which Lyndwood explains to be "in lingua materna, et vulgari. Anglica viz. Anglicis, Gallica Gallicis. Et est idem dicere vulgariter, i: e: non literaliter, sed ad intellectum vulgi: i: e: communitatis plebium simul commorantium." His observations also upon "absque cujuslibet subtilitatis textura fantastica," are

worth referring to. Lib. 1. Tit. xi. Ignorantia sacerdotum.

60 A.D. 1281. Wilkins. Concilia. Tom. 2. 54. Compare alsó Constit. Geo. Neville, Concilia. Tom. 3. 599.

61 Wilkins. Concilia. Tom. 1. 732.

62 Wilkins. Concil. Tom. 2. 168. Compare also, Tom. 2. 297. Synod of Winchester. This adds;

sign of the cross.

the blessed Virgin, and the first the proper use of the But to pass by the intermediate centuries, it will be sufficient to collect some notices to the same purpose from documents of the Anglo-saxon age. The xxiind. of the Ecclesiastical Institutes begins, "All ye faithful men are to be admonished in common, from the least to the greatest, that every man learn the Pater noster, and Creed." 63 The laws of king Canute A.D. 1033 (the xxij nd.) enjoin the same thing: because, it is added, by the one every christian should learn to pray to God, and by the other declare his faith. In 960, the xvij th. of the canons enacted under king Edgar directs that every Christian should diligently teach his child the Pater noster and Creed.65 Nearly two hundred years before, it was ordered by the council of Chalcuith, not only that all should know them, but that all sponsors should promise to teach their god-children.66 And, once more, I must not omit

"A laicis etiam jam adultis, cum ad confessionem venerint, an sciant hujusmodi, exquisitive inquiratur; ut si forte ea non noverint, prout accidit in plerisque, per ipsos presbyteros super hoc informentur."

63 Thorpe. Ancient Laws and Institutes of England. Vol. 2. 419. In this chapter of the Institutes allusion is made to the Canon of the council of Chalcuith, quoted below. "It was established formerly, that no man who knew not the Creed and Pater noster, might receive any man, either at the bishops hand or at baptism." Compare also the 23rd of Ælfric's Ca

nons. Wilkins. Concilia. Tom. 1. 253.

64 Wilkins. Concilia. Tom. 1. 304.

65 Wilkins. Concilia. Tom. 1. 226.

66 Wilkins. Concilia. Tom. 1. 146. In the year 816 another synod was held at Chalcuith, under Archbishop Wulfred, when among other prayers and services to be observed by the Church, on the death of a Bishop, it was ordered "et vij beltidum Pater noster pro eo cantetur." Wilkins. Concilia. 1. 171. Johnson Ecc. Laws. vol.