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which inclines them to prolong the memory of a deceased friend has made them establish services in commemoration of the dead to be celebrated at the grave, or in the church, on the third, ninth, and fortieth day after his death; also on the anniversary of that event, as long as the mourners live to see it performed. Having brought you to this meditation on the end of our time, I shall bid you a temporary farewel, with as sincere a benediction as ever passed from the lips of priest or bishop. God bless you in weal or wo, in sickness or in health, in life or death! Ever yours, &c. &c.

LETTER X.

St. Petersburgh, September, 1805.

I HAVE undertaken a very intricate matter, that of initiating you into all the mysteries of the Greek church: and, perhaps, I shall execute my enterprise so clumsily as to be easily discovered to be no better a novice than the daring Clodius; and so share the same fate that he did at the rites of the bona dea, be hooted forth for my impertinence. And yet, my good friend, if that should be your decree, I shall take it as rather ungrateful: in asking me to penetrate these mysteries, you send me into the temple; and if I am debarred from inspecting the Holy of Holies, or deemed sacrilegious for having touched the ark at all, you must not unite in the cry against such presumption, by blaming me for not carrying the whole of the fabric by storm.

Much time is required, much reading, and many conversations with the intelligent ministers of the Greek church, to gain any correct idea of its institutions. The books which relate to its services in Russia are numerous, and all in the Sclavonian language. That tongue being almost obsolete, very little of the service is understood by the congregation; but believing that all is orthodox which the priest utters, they repeat at the end of every prayer the usual response, "Lord have mercy upon us!” and cross themselves with the most unreserved faith.

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The ceremony of crossing is done by touching the forehead first, then the breast, then the right shoulder, then the left, and so making the sign of the cross. In this action, the thumb with the fore and middle fingers must be bent together, to represent the sacred number of three. This is called the reverence. The great reverence is to prostrate themselves so low as to beat their foreheads on the ground.

Both in monasteries and in parish churches, service is performed thrice a day, under the names of vespers, matins, and the liturgy. The service of each particular day begins in the evening of the preceding one. This usage is founded on that passage in Genesis; "And the evening and the morning were the first day." The greatest part of the duty consists in psalms and hymns; they are not all of them sung, but generally delivered in rather a monotonous recitative. No musical instruments are admitted into the Greek church. The early christians altogether disallowed them, as partaking of judaism; and the Greeks continued the prohibition. It is said that Marinus Sanutus, about the year 1290, was the first who introduced organs into the Latin church; and so fond am I of their "pealing notes," that I think the Romans much obliged to him. We have adopted the practice in our protestant church with happy effect. Indeed, though I esteem the devotion of the heart as the only true devotion, yet I would not have it bestowed alone. There is something niggardly to the Giver of all good, in worshipping him with as bare a homage as possible. As he gave us all the powers we possess, I would have their first fruits dedicated to his honour. With my will, all the arts should mingle their labours to decorate his temples: and that such devotion of them is not despised by the Most High, may be gathered from the plan given to Moses for building the tabernacle.

But to return to the Greek ritual. I shall begin in order, with the vespers, and give you a sketch of the service. You will perceive, by the frequent mention of the change of place of the officiating ministers, that the ceremony must have rather a theatrical air. As most days in the year are dedicated to some saint; so in every day's service there is some reference made

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to the holy personage whose name marks it in the calendar. The vespers begin before sun set. The priests standing before the royal doors, which are those that lead into the sanctum. sanctorum, gives the benediction; then several short prayers are repeated, which are immediately followed by seven longer ones, called the lucerns. The priest comes forth from a door on the north side of the sanctum sanctorum, and offers up petitions for the people and the state. Psalms or hymns are then sung; and an invocation addressed to the saint of the day. A hymn to the Virgin succeeds, and a prayer to her Divine Son for his grace: at that moment the royal doors are thrown open, and the deacon, holding the censer, comes forth, followed by the priest, and the clerks bearing lighted tapers. The priest gives the benediction; after which the deacon incenses the holy table and exclaims, "Wisdom stand up!" The priest and deacon then return into the altar (or sanctum sanctorum), the doors are closed on them, and an anthem is sung. The words are so beautiful that I cannot but repeat them.

"O Jesus, thou most gentle light of the sacred glory of the Immortal Father! we being now come to the setting of the sun, and seeing the evening light that fades to relume again, sing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, God. Thou art worthy at all times to be praised by the voices of the pious, O Son of God; therefore the world glorifieth thee!"

In the meantime, while this and other hymns are sung, the priest reappears, and standing before the congregation with his hands crossed upon his breast, makes his devout rever. ences and retires. The deacon then comes forth from the north door, and repeats several prayers for the sovereign and the church. The choristers sing the song of Simeon. And after more invocations to Jesus and the Virgin, the priest pronounces the following:

"O Lord, grant us, now retiring to sleep, respose both of body and soul; and protect us from sinful dreams, and the sensuality of the night and darkness. Assuage our unruly affections; quench the fiery darts of the wicked, which are treacherously thrown against us; repress the seditions of our flesh; and lay our earthly and worldly thoughts asleep. Give us,

O Lord, quickness of understanding, purity of thought, sobriety of heart, and temperate sleep, free from all the illusions of Satan; that we may arise at the hour of prayer confirmed in thy commandments, and have the remembrance of thy judgments strongly infixed in us: and grant that glorifying thee in the night, we may bless thee for ever more!" With the benediction ends this service of the vespers.

The matins, which are celebrated at break of day, are on the same plan with the vespers, only praying for that almighty guidance through the day, which has so mercifully preserved them during the night. I shall not therefore detain you with any particular description of this duty, but proceed to notice the liturgies, or communion services, of this church.

In Russia there are three liturgies, which are used occasionally; Saint Chrysostom's, which is in ordinary use; Saint Basil's, for particular days; and that of the presanctified, performed in the great fast before Easter. St. Basil's is the most ancient, it being composed by him when he was bishop of Cæsarea, and considered as the first liturgy that ever was committed to writing. It was adopted by the church of Constantinople before Saint Chrysostom wrote his for that diocese. As the church of Russia took her ritual from that of Constantinople, like it, she uses both communion services on different days. St. Gregory is supposed to be the author of the presanetified office; so named because it is celebrated on the Wednesdays, or Fridays in Lent, with those elements which have been consecrated on the preceding Sunday.

The communicants in the Greek church receive the holy bread standing; and every person is obliged, by a civil decree, to take it at least once a year; which is usually done in the fast before Easter, neglecting it ever afterwards till that stated time comes round again. However, though they do not communicate, they are very eager to attend the liturgy, or hearing mass as it is called, which is performed every day. The offertory is a service that preceds the liturgy; intended as the preparation of the elements, and the opportunity for the congregation to lay they offerings on the altar of the Lord. Its directions are

as follow:

The priest who is to officiate must be at peace with the world, and guard his heart against the admission of any impure thought. He enters the church, and being joined by the deacon, they make three reverences eastward before the holy doors. They pay the same homages to the image of Jesus, kissing it with great solemnity; and also to that of the Virgin Mary. After this they bow to the two chorusses which stand on each side, and then proceed to the altar. During these transactions many appropriate prayers are said. Being come within the sanctum sanctorum they bow thrice before the holy table, kiss it, and the gospel which is laid upon it, and again bowing repeat each a prayer in a low voice. The priest then puts on several additional vestments, and approaching the prothesis (a second altar) places the sacred vessels in order, setting the dish on the right hand, and the chalice on the left. He takes the bread in his left hand, and the holy spear in his right, and with the spear signs the bread with the cross. He then thrusts the spear into the bread, praying over it the whole time. The deacon pours mingled wine and water into the chalice. The bread is cut into portions, and arranged in a very curious manner upon the dish; every piece having a particular invocation said over it. This done, the deacon puts incense on it, and the priest covers it with the holy veil. The like respect is paid to the wine; and then the deacon, making his reverence, withdraws through the north door, the royal doors being kept close till the celebration of the mass.

When the liturgy is to be performed, the deacon enters from the royal doors, with the priest; and with him goes through a great many holy bowings to the altar, the image of Jesus, and the Saints. Many prayers are also repeated and hymns sung, till they come to the administering of the eucharist.

The priest taking up the sacred dish that contains the bread, sets it upon the deacon's head, in the manner of the Athenian virgins, who at the festivals of Minerva used so to carry the baskets of offerings to the altars of the goddess. As I remarked before, besides this you may observe many customs which the christian Greek church has borrowed from the pagan. The deacon thus charged, goes forward holding the

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