Robert at Rouen, a manuscript of the 10th century, cap. xxix., contains
a “Benedictio ad mandatum ipso die” (_Archæologia_, vol. xxiv. p. 119),
and Wlnothus, Abbot of St. Alban’s, ordained a daily performance of the
mandate. In other houses it was customary to wash the feet of as many
poor people as there were monks in the convent, on Holy Thursday, and on
Saturday before Palm Sunday: the day of the latter ablution received the
name of _mandatum pauperum_, to distinguish it from the _Mandati Dies_.
During the ceremony the whole choir chanted the words of Christ,
“Mandatum novum do vobis” (“A new commandment I give unto you”). Du
Cange quotes from the life of St. Brigida by Chilienus:
“Proxima cœna fuit Domini, qua sancta solebat
Mandatum Christi calido complere lavacro.”
(Du Cange, _Gloss._, tom. iv., col. 399.)
Archdeacon Nares, however, apparently following Spelman and Skinner
whose opinion is adopted by Junius, in opposition to Minsheu, says that
this day is so named from the _maunds_, in which the gifts were
contained, and he maintains that _maund_ is a corruption of the Saxon
_mand_, a basket.
The glossographer on Matthew Paris explains the word _mandatum_, to be
alms, from the Saxon _Mandye_, charity. Somner has no such word in his
Dictionary; and it seems more probable that Maunday Thursday has
originally been Mandate Thursday; _Mandati Dies_ being the name where
the Saxon _mands_ were totally unknown.
Ælfric, Archbishop of Canterbury, having employed the Latin name of this
day, Cœna Domini, gives these directions to the Saxon priests: “On
Thursday you shall wash the altars before you celebrate mass, otherwise
you must not. After vespers you must uncover the altars and let them
remain bare until Saturday, washing them in the interior. You shall then
fast until nones. _Imple mandata Domini in cœna ipsius._ ‘Do on Thursday
as our Lord commands you;’ wash the feet of the poor, feed and clothe
them; and, with humility, wash your feet among yourselves as Christ
himself did, and commanded us so to do.” On the whole there seems to be
no reason to doubt that the name _maundy_ is derived from the mandate
obeyed on this day.
The bread given to the poor on Maundy Thursday was named mandate bread,
_mandati panes_, in the monasteries; as the coin given was called
mandate money.--_Med. Ævi Kalend._ i. 183-185.
One of the earliest instances on record of a monarch observing this
custom, and which is the more curious as it shows that the practice of
regulating the amount of the dole given on Maundy Thursday by the age of
the king was then in existence, is preserved in the “_Rotulus Misæ_, or
role of the wardrobe expenses of the 14th year of King John,” in which
there appears an item of “fourteen shillings and one penny, for alms to
thirteen poor persons, every one of whom received thirteen pence at
Rochester, on Thursday, in Cœna Domini” (Holy Thursday), John having
then reigned thirteen complete years.
In the wardrobe expenses of Edward I. we find money given on Easter eve
to thirteen poor people whose feet the Queen had washed; which latter
custom is said to have been performed by the sovereign so late as the
reign of James II.--Thoms, _Book of the Court_, 1844, p. 311.
Henry VII. gave, when thirty-eight years old, thirty-eight coins and
thirty-eight small purses to as many poor people:
“_March 25._ To thirty-eight poor men in almes, £6 0_s._ 4_d._ For
thirty-eight small purses, 1_s._ 8_d._
There are several entries for the Maundy in the “Privy Purse expenses”
of this sovereign, as in 1496:
“April 10. For bote hire for the Maundy and the kinges robe, payed by
John Flee, 4_s._”
The order of the Maundy, as practised by Queen Elizabeth in 1579 is here
given--(from No. 6183, Add. MSS. in the British Museum):
“_Order of the Maunday made, at Greenwich,
19th March 1579, 14 Elizabeth._”
“First.--The hall was prepared with a long table on each side, and
formes set by them; on the edges of which tables, and under those formes
were lay’d carpets and cushions for her Majestie to kneel when she
should wash them. There was also another table set across the upper end
of the hall somewhat above the foot pace, for the chappelan to stand at.
A little beneath the midst whereof, and beneath the said foot-pace, a
stoole and cushion of estate was pitched for her Majestie to kneel at
during the service time. This done the holy water, basons, alms, and
other things being brought into the hall, and the chappelan and poor
folks having taken the said places, the laundresse, armed with a faire
towell, and taking a silver-bason filled with warm water and sweet
flowers, washed their feet all after one another and wiped the same with
his towell, and soe making a crosse a little above the toes kissed them.
After hym, within a little while, followed the sub-almoner, doing
likewise, and after him the almoner himself also. Then, lastly, her
Majestie came into the hall, and after some singing and prayers made,
and the gospel of Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet read, 39
ladyes and gentlewomen (for soe many were the poor folks, according to
the number of the yeares complete of her Majesties age), addressed
themselves with aprons and towels to waite upon her Majestie; and she,
kneeling down upon the cushions and carpets under the feete of the poore
women, first washed one foote of every one of them in soe many several
basons of warm water and sweete flowers, brought to her severally by the
said ladies and gentlewomen; then wiped, crossed, and kissed them, as
the almoner and others had done before. When her Majestie had thus gone
through the whole number of 39 (of which 20 sat on the one side of the
hall, and 19 on the other), she resorted to the first again, and gave to
each one certain yardes of broad clothe to make a gowne, so passing to
them all. Thirdly; she began at the first, and gave to each of them a
pair of gloves. Fourthly; to each of them a wooden platter, wherein was
half a side of salmon, as much ling, six red herrings and lofes of cheat
bread. Fifthly; she began with the first again, and gave to each of them
a white wooden dish with claret wine. Sixthly; she received of each
waiting-lady and gentlewoman their towel and apron, and gave to each
poor woman one of the same, and after this the ladies and gentlewomen
waited no longer, nor served as they had done throughout the courses
before. But then the treasurer of the chamber, Mr. Hennage, came to her
Majestie with thirty-nine small white purses, wherein were also
thirty-nine pence (as they saye) after the number of yeares to her
Majestie’s saide age, and of him she received and distributed them
severally. Which done she received of him soe many leather purses alsoe,
each containing 20_sh._ for the redemption of her Majestie’s gown, which
(as men saye) by ancient order she sought to give some of them at her
pleasure but she to avoid the trouble of suite, which accustomablie was
made for that preferment, had changed that reward into money, to be
equally divided amongst them all, namely, 20_sh._ a piece, and she also
delivered particularly to the whole company. And so taking her ease upon
the cushion of estate and hearing the quire a little while, her Majestie
withdrew herself and the companye departed, for it was by that time the
sun was setting.”
Charles II. observed this custom, as we find in a letter preserved in
the _Rawdon Letters_, p. 175:
“On Thursday last his Majesty washed poor men’s feet in the Banquetting
House, an act of humility used by his predecessors on Maundy Thursday to
as many poor men as he had lived years. To each poor man he gave two
yards of cloth for a coat, three ells of linen for a shirt, shoes,
stockings, two purses, the one with thirty-three pence, the other with
twenty pence, one jole of ling, one jole of salmon, a quantity of red
and white herrings, one barrel with beer, and another with wine, with
which they drank his Majesty’s health. The queen did pay the same
observance to several women about one of the clock at St. James.”
After these illustrations of the ceremonies formerly observed in the
distribution of the royal alms on Maundy Thursday, it becomes
interesting to witness those which obtain at the present time.
The following is taken from the _Times_ newspaper (April 6th, 1871):
“Those ancient and royal charities designated the Queen’s Maundy were
distributed yesterday in Whitehall Chapel during Divine service with the
customary formalities, to fifty-two aged men and fifty-two aged women,
the number of each one corresponding with the age of her most gracious
Majesty.
At three o’clock a procession, consisting of a detachment of the yeomen
of the guard under the command of a sergeant-major (one of the yeomen
carrying the royal alms on a gold salver), the Rev. Dr. Jelf, D.D.,
Sub-Almoner, Mr. Joseph Hanby, Secretary and Yeoman of the Royal
Almonry, and his Assistant, Mr. John Hanby, accompanied by senior
children from the National Schools in the parish of St. John the
Evangelist and St. Margaret, Westminster, who had been selected to
participate in this privilege for their good conduct, proceeded from the
Almonry office, in Scotland Yard, to the Chapel Royal, Whitehall.
The arrival of the procession having been signified to the Hon. and Very
Rev. the Dean of Windsor, Lord High Almoner, and to the Sub-Dean of the
Chapels Royal, they, preceded by Mr. Chapman, Sergeant of the Vestry,
met it at the entrance, and took their places immediately after the
yeoman of the guard bearing the salver with the royal alms.
The whole procession then advanced in the following order:
Boys of the Chapel Royal,
Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal,
Priests of the Chapel Royal,
Sergeant-Major of the Yeoman of the Guard,
The Yeoman with the Salver of Alms,
The Sergeant of the Vestry,
The Lord High Almoner,
The Sub-Almoner and Sub-Dean,
The Children of the National Schools,
The Yeoman of the Almonry and his Assistant,
And the Yeomen of the Guard.
The procession having passed up the centre aisle to the steps of the
altar, the Lord Almoner, the Sub-Almoner, and the Sub-Dean, and those
forming the procession having taken their assigned places on either side
of the chapel, the royal alms being deposited in front of the royal
closet, the afternoon service (a special service for the occasion) was
read by the Rev. Dr. Vivian, senior priest in waiting, commencing with
the Exhortation, Confession, Absolution, &c. Then followed the
41ST PSALM (THE GRAND CHANT).
FIRST LESSON, ST. MATTHEW, CHAP. xxv. 14-31.
_First Anthem_ (Psalm xxxiv.)--“O taste and see how gracious the Lord
is.”
Goss.
£1. 15_s._ distributed to each woman. To each man, shoes and
stockings.
_Second Anthem._--“O Saviour of the world.”
Goss.
Woollen and linen clothes distributed to each man.
_Third Anthem.-_--“I waited for the Lord.”
Mendelssohn.
Money purses distributed to each man and woman.
SECOND LESSON, ST. MATTHEW, CHAP. xxv. v. 31, to the end.
_Fourth Anthem_ (Psalm xxi.)--“The king shall rejoice in thy
strength.”
Greene.
Then were read two prayers composed for the occasion, after which
followed the prayer for the Queen, and so on to the end.”
The minor bounty and royal gate alms, &c., were, in accordance with
ancient usage, distributed at the Almonry Office, in Scotland Yard, on
Friday and Saturday in the past week, and on Monday and Tuesday during
the current week, to aged, disabled, and meritorious persons who had
been previously recommended by the clergy of the various parishes in and
round London.
There were over four thousand persons relieved.
The selections were made by the Lord High Almoner, assisted by the Rev.
Dr. Jelf, D.D. The payments were conducted by Mr. Joseph Hanby,
secretary and yeoman of Her Majesty’s Almonry in ordinary, who has
officiated on these occasions since Easter, 1812, inclusive.--See also
the _True Briton_, 1801.
In Nares’ _Glossary_ (1859, vol. i. p. 151) occurs the following
article:
“_Chare Thursday._--The Thursday in Passion week, corrupted, according
to the following ancient explanation, from _Shear Thursday_, being the
day for shearing, or shaving, preparatory to Easter. Called also Maundy
Thursday:
“‘Upon _Chare Thursday_ Christ brake bread unto his disciples, and bade
them eat it, saying it was his flesh and blood.’--Shepherd’s _Kalendar_.
“‘If a man asks why _Shere Thursday_ is called so, ye may say that in
holy Chirche it is called _Cena Domini_, our Lordes Super day. It is
also in Englyshe called _Sher Thursday_, for in old faders dayes the
people wolde that day shere theyr hedes, and clippe theyr berdes, and
poll theyr hedes, and so make them honest agenst Ester day. For on Good
Fryday they doo theyr bodyes none ease, but suffre penaunce in mynde of
him that that day suffred his passyon for all mankynde. On Ester even it
is time to here theyr service, and after service to make holy daye.
“‘Then, as Johan Bellet sayth, on _Sher Thursday_ a man sholde so poll
his here, and clype his berde, and a preest sholde shave his crowne, so
that there sholde nothynge be between God and hym.’”--Festival, quoted
by Dr. Wordsworth, in _Eccles. Biog._ vol. i. p. 297.
In Brand’s _Pop. Antiq._ (revised by Sir Henry Ellis), London, 1841, in
the chapter headed “Shere Thursday, also Maundy Thursday,” the same
derivation is given; and in one of the notes, a passage is quoted from
the _Gent. Mag._ (July 1779, p. 349), in which the writer says:
“Maundy Thursday, called by Collier _Shier Thursday_, Cotgrave calls by
a word of the same sound and import, _Sheere Thursday_. Perhaps--for I
can only go upon conjecture--as _shear_ means _purus_, _mundus_, it may
allude to the washing of the disciples’ feet (John xiii. 5., _et seq._),
and be tantamount to clean. See 10th verse, and Lye’s _Saxon Dictionary
v. Scip_. If this does not please, the Saxon _scipan_ signifies
_dividere_, and the name may come from the distribution of alms upon
that day, for which see _Archæol. Soc. Antiq._, vol. i. p. 7, _seq._;
Spelman, _Gloss._ _v._ Mandatum; and Du Fresne, vol. iv. p. 400. Please
to observe, too, that on that day _they also washed the altars_, so that
the term in question may allude to that business.--See Collier’s
_Eccles. History_, vol. ii. p. 157.”
_Chare Thursday_, however, says Dr. Hahn (_N. & Q. 3rd S._ vol. viii. p.
389), is the correct expression, and has nothing whatever to do with
_shearing_ or _sheer_, or _scipan_. _Shere_ is only a corruption of
chare = char, care, or carr.
In Germany Passion Week is called _Charwoche_, and Good Friday
_Charfreitag_. But in former times _Char_ was prefixed to every day of
Passion Week, and we find _Charmontag_ (Chare Monday), _Chardienstag_
(Chare Tuesday), &c. The origin of Chare Thursday is therefore evident.
_Char_ is an old German word signifying _luctus_, _solicitudo_; Goth.
_kar_, _kara_; Old Saxon _cara_; O.-H.-G. _chara_; Anglo-Saxon _cearu_,
_caru_, allied to Latin _cura_, &c.[27]
[27] See Care Sunday, p. 121.
The original signification _chare_ having become obsolete, a word of
similar sound was substituted in its place, and hence _Shere Thursday_.
MIDDLESEX.
Robert Halliday, by his will, dated 6th May, 1491, gave estates in the
parish of St. Leonard, Eastcheap, London, the rents to be applied to
various purposes, and, amongst others, five shillings to the
churchwardens yearly, either to make an entertainment among such persons
of the said parish of St. Clement, who should be at variance with each
other, in the week preceding Easter, to induce such persons to beget
brotherly love amongst them; or if none should be found in the said
parish, then to make an entertainment with the said five shillings, at
the tavern, amongst the honest parishioners of the said parish on the
day of our Lord’s Supper, commonly called Shere Thursday, that they
might pray more fervently for the souls of certain persons named in his
will.--Edwards, _Old English Customs and Charities_, 1842, p. 146.
By indenture, bearing date 11th April, 1691, John Hall, granted a
messuage, in the parish of St. Martin Ongar, to Francis Kenton and
another, in trust to pay out of the rents thereof, amongst other sums,
ten shillings a year, to the churchwardens of the parish of St. Clement,
Eastcheap, London, on the Thursday next before Easter, to provide two
turkeys for the parishioners, to be eaten at their annual feast, called
the reconciling or love feast, usually made on that day. The house is in
the possession of the Weavers’ Company, who make the payment for the
turkeys annually.--_Ibid._ p. 60.
NORTHUMBERLAND.
The Thursday before Easter is called Bloody Thursday by some of the
inhabitants of this and the neighbouring county of Yorkshire.--_N. & Q.
1st S._ vol. x. p. 87; _4th S._ vol. v. p. 595.
MARCH 20.] GOOD FRIDAY.
The term Good Friday is erroneously said to be peculiar to the English
Church; but it is certainly an adoption of the old German _Gute
Freytag_, which may have been a corruption of _Gottes Freytag_, God’s
Friday, so called on the same principle that Easter Day in England was
at one period denominated God’s Day.
In a manuscript homily, entitled _Exortacio in die Pasche_, written
about the reign of Edward IV., we are told that the Paschal Day “in some
place is callede Esterne Day, and in sum place Goddes Day.”--Harl. MSS.
Cod. id. fol. 94.
Another MS. quoted by Strutt (_Horda Angel-Cynna_, vol. iii. p. 175)
says it is called Good Friday, because on this day good men were
reconciled to God. The length of the services in ancient times on this
day, occasioned it to be called Long Friday, the ~Lang Frigdæg~ of the
Anglo-Saxons, which they probably received from the Danes, by whom at
the present time the day is denominated _Lang Freday_.--_Med. Ævi
Kalend._ 1841, vol. i. p. 186.
The old ceremony of Creeping to the Cross on Good Friday is given from
an ancient book of the ceremonial of the Kings of England, in the _Notes
to the Northumberland Household Book_. The usher was to lay a carpet for
the king to “creepe to the Crosse upon.” The Queen and her ladies were
also to creepe to the Crosse.
In an original Proclamation, black letter, dated 26th February, 30th
Henry VIII., in the first volume of a _Collection of Proclamations_ in
the archives of the Society of Antiquaries of London (p. 138), we read:
“On Good Friday it shall be declared howe creepyng of the Crosse
signifyeth an humblynge of ourselfe to Christe before the Crosse, and
the kyssynge of it a memorie of our redemption made upon the Crosse.”
Anciently it was a custom with the kings of England on Good Friday to
hallow, with great ceremony, certain rings, the wearing of which was
believed to prevent the falling sickness. The custom originated from a
ring, long preserved with great veneration in Westminster Abbey, which
was reported to have been brought to King Edward by some persons coming
from Jerusalem, and which he himself had long before given privately to
a poor person, who had asked alms of him for the love he bare to St.
John the Evangelist. The rings consecrated by the sovereign were called
“Cramp-rings,” and there was a special service for their consecration.
Andrew Boorde, in his _Breviary of Health_, 1557, speaking of the cramp,
says, “The Kynge’s Majestie hath a great helpe in this matter in
halowyng crampe-ringes, and so geven without money or petition.”
Good Friday has now almost ceased to be considered a fast by a great
number of people. By many indeed its solemn significance is by no means
neglected; but while these attend the churches others make high holiday.
On this day excursion trains begin running, foot-races are advertised,
donkeys and gipsy drivers make their first appearance for the season on
heaths and commons, and Cornish and Devonshire wrestlers struggle for
muscular triumphs in the presence of excited multitudes.--_N. & Q. 5th
S._ vol. i. p. 261.
In many parts a small loaf of bread is baked on the morning of Good
Friday, and then put by till the same anniversary in the ensuing year.
This bread is not intended to be eaten, but to be used as a medicine,
and the mode of administering it is by grating a small portion of it
into water and forming a sort of panada. It is believed to be good for
many disorders, but particularly for diarrhœa, for which it is
considered a sovereign remedy. Some years ago, a cottager lamented that
her poor neighbour must certainly die of this complaint, because she had
already given her two doses of Good Friday bread without any
benefit.--Brand, _Pop. Antiq._ 1849, vol. i. p. 155; see _N. & Q. 3rd
S._ vol. iii. pp. 262, 263; see also p. 157.
In London, and all over England (not, however, in Scotland), the morning
of Good Friday is ushered in with a universal cry of _Hot cross buns!_ A
parcel of them appears on every breakfast-table. It is rather a small
bun, more than usually spiced, and having its brown sugary surface
marked with a cross. The ear of every person who has ever dwelt in
England is familar with the cry of the street bun-vendors:
“One a penny, buns,
Two a penny, buns,
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot Cross buns!”
_Book of Days_, vol. i. p. 418.
The following lines are taken from _Poor Robin’s Almanac_ for 1733:
“Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs
With one or two a penny _hot cross buns_,
Whose virtue is, if you believe what’s said,
They’ll not grow mouldy like the common bread.”
It seems more than probable that the cross upon the Good Friday bun is
intended to remind the devout of a Saviour’s sufferings. The following
extract in illustration of the ancient name and use of the bun is from
Bryant’s _Analysis of Ancient Mythology_, 1807, vol. i. pp. 371-373:
“The offerings which people in ancient times used to present to the gods
were generally purchased at the entrance of the Temple, especially every
species of consecrated bread, which was denominated accordingly. One
species of sacred bread which used to be offered to the gods was of
great antiquity, and called _Boun_. Hesychius speaks of the _Boun_, and
describes it as a ‘kind of cake with a representation of two horns.’”
Julius Pollux mentions it after the same manner, “a sort of cake with
horns.” It must be observed, however, as Dr. Jamieson remarks, that the
term occurs in Hesychius in the form of βους, and that for the support
of the etymon Bryant finds it necessary to state that “the Greeks, who
changed the nu final into a sigma, expressed it in the nominative βους,
but in the accusative more truly βουν.” Winckelman relates this
remarkable fact, that at Herculaneum were found two entire loaves of the
same size, a palm and a half, or five inches in diameter; they were
marked by a _cross_, within which were four other lines, and so the
bread of the Greeks was marked from the earliest period.--_Med. Ævi
Kalend._ vol. i. p. 187.
The Romans divided their sacred cakes with lines intersecting each other
in the centre at right angles, and called the quarters _Quadra_.
“Et violare manu malisque audacibus orbem
Fatalis crusti, patulis nec parcere quadris.”
Virg. _Æn._ lib. vii. 114, 115.
“Nec te liba juvant, nec sectæ quadra placentæ.”
Mart. lib. iii. _Epig._ 77.
In the North of England a herb-pudding, in which the leaves of the
_passion-dock_ (_Polygonum Bistorta_) are a principal ingredient, is an
indispensable dish on this day. The custom is of ancient date, and it is
not improbable that this plant, and the pudding chiefly composed of it,
were intended to excite a grateful reminiscence of the Passion, with a
suitable acknowledgment of the inestimable blessings of the
Redemption.--Brand, _Pop. Antiq._ 1849, vol. i. p. 150.
BEDFORDSHIRE.
A yearly contribution is made of one quarter of wheat, one quarter of
barley, and one quarter of beans, by the proprietor of the great tithes
of the parish of Eaton Bray, to be distributed among the poor of the
parish on Good Friday. The great tithes of Eaton Bray are vested in the
Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge, by whose lessee the
quantity of grain above specified is regularly supplied; the whole of
which is distributed on Good Friday by the churchwardens and overseers,
among poor persons selected by them, in proportion to their several
wants and necessities.--_Old English Customs and Charities_, p. 33.
BERKSHIRE.