THE NEW YORK ASTOR, LENOX AND Entered according to act of Congress, in the year HUTCHISON & DWIER, 1833, by in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Connecticut. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ENGRAVINGS CONTAINED IN VOLUME II. NO. 49.—Benediction of Agnus Dei's-Pope's arms-ring of the knights of Malta. During the first year of his pontificate the Roman Pontiff performs the ceremony of baptizing and blessing the Agnus Dei's, and every seventh year of his reign, he repeats it. They are composed of holy chrism, balm and virgin wax, and made in the form of an oval medal, and on them is the figure of Jesus Christ under that of a lamb, holding a cross. Hence they are called Agnus's, this word in the latin language, signifying lamb. These Agnus are presented to the Pope in one or more basins, and he blesses them with great ceremony. The virtues of these Agnus's are supposed to be very great. We read that Pope Urban V. sent the Emperor of the Greeks three Agnus Dei's with the following verses expressive of their virtues: It drives away thunder, It washes away sin, Secures from fire, And from drowning, Reserves from sudden death, Conquers enemies, Both mother and child Are freed from danger Who have a hand in making it: It gives great power To such as are worthy of it; Is as effectual as the greatest. The second figure, in this cut represents the arms of Pope Alexander VII. The third figure is a ring used by the Knights of Malta, in saying their rosary, the rose on the top turns by a spring; and by a little black spot points out on the 16 figures round it, the number of glorias repeated. NO. 50.-Instruments of Piety--The first figure represents a copper medal blessed, worn by the sisters of charity at Paris, at their breasts to preserve their virginity. The second is St. Genevieve's bread, a sort of dry biscuit, given by the monks of St. Genevieve to persons afflicted with fevers. The third represents a row of beads called "Tens," to say the rosary. NO. 51.-Instruments of Piety. The first figure in this engraving represents a rosary. This is a large chaplet, consisting of one hundred and fifty beads, which make so many Aves. Every ten beads divided by one something larger, make a Pater. The fifteen large beads are the symbols of fifteen mysteries, which are so many lively images, as it were, in which are to be discerned the intentions of "the Eternal Father in the temporal birth of his son, the casualties that befel him in his infancy and not only in the private and unknown part of his life, but also in the glorious, and immortal part of it." The common chaplets contain only fifty Ave Marias, and five Paternosters. Before the person begins to repeat his rosary, he must take it and cross himself. He must in the next place repeat the apostles' creed, to put himself into a proper disposition for prayer; after which, he must say a Pater and three Aves, on account of the three relations, which the Blessed Virgin bears to the three Persons in the sacred Trinity. 2 The figure below which has the appearance of beads, is a common chaplet, adorned with relics. The right hand figure is a Scapulary. That of the Carmelites is a small woollen garment, of a dark brown, or tawny color, which goes over the stomach, back and shoulders. It consists likewise of two small pieces of cloth, three or four inches square tied together with two ribands. This is what the brethren of the Order of the Scapulary wear. The devotee of the scapulary celebrate the sixteenth of July as their festival, which day is likewise devoted to the service of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Scapulary is said to have been bestowed by the Blessed Virgin upon Simon Stoch, commander of the Carmelites, in the same century, and much about the same time, that she gave the rosary to St. Dominic. She assured the devotee of her protection, promised to be propitious to all those, who should join in the devotion of the scapulary, and to look upon them as her children. She also engaged to save all those, who at the hour of death should be provided with so precious a badge. NO. 52.-Ceremony of Giving the Ashes. This represents the ceremony of giving the ashes, on Ash-Wednesday. These ashes are made from the branches of the olive. After having been blessed, and incensed, the officiating priest, having on one side of him the deacon carrying the ashes, and his sub-deacon on the other, goes forward towards the middle of the altar, and turns round to the congregation. Then the chief of the clergy, in whose church the ceremony of giving the ashes is performed, goes up to the altar and lays the ashes on the head of the officiating priest in the form of a cross, repeating the words Memento homo quia pulvis es, &c. i. e. Remember man that thou art dust, &c. After the priest has received the ashes, he gives them to his assistants, to all the clergy then present, and at last to the whole congregation. The women as well as the men, receive the ashes on their foreheads. NO. 53. Adoration of the Cross, on Good Friday. The first part of the ceremony of the adoration of the cross consists of prayers, singing, &c., which `being ended, a purple cushion and a silken veil, embroidered with gold are laid upon the altar. Upon this the officiating priest carries the cross thither, and kneeling down, lays it on the cushion, and bows to it. Preceded by his ministers, who attend upon him at this august ceremony, he now returns to his place, where he puts off his sandals and his mitre. He afterwards advances towards the cross, in the midst of his ministers, who are likewise without shoes or sandals; kneels down thrice, repeats thrice a short prayer, and at last kisses the holy wood, which the ministers do likewise. After this, having bowed to the cross, they all return, and put on their sandals. The rest of the dignitaries of the church, each in his rank now perform the same ceremony, and also the people. The ceremony of the adoration being ended, the deacon salutes the cross, elevates it, and in this posture carries it to the altar, where he places it, observing to bow the knee before it. As he walks along, the officiating priest stands up, while it passes before him; but the rest of the ministers of the altar remain upon their knees. NO. 54.-Procession of the Holy Oil.-At Rome, the Holy oils are blessed on Holy Thursday, at which time, those of the year preceding are burned. Three sorts of oil are thus blessed, after which they are consecrated and exorcised. The first kind of oil, on which the ceremony is performed, is that of the infirm, or on that which is used in extreme unction, exorcisms, &c.; afterwards on that of the chrism; and, lastly, on that of the catechumens; and the whole is closed with a salutation, which the officiating priest and the ministers, who assist at the consecration, make to these sanctified oils, saying, Are sanctum oleum, Hail holy oil, &c. After this, the new-made oils are carried in procession into the sacristy, where the officiating priest washes his hands, then sings mass, and gives the blessing. |