ON EUCHARISTIC VESTMENTS, CHALICE-VEIL AND BURSE
The Ornaments Rubric as it stands at the beginning of our Prayer-books
has been an open field for controversy for many years. So much light
has been thrown by this means upon customs and observances once
almost forgotten and fallen into neglect (which obviously at the time
of the Rubric were before the eyes or fresh in the memories of all
Church-people), that we can now once more picture to ourselves, without
effort, what our forefathers strove successfully to retain as permissible
for the maximum (_if not absolutely commanded as the minimum_) of
distinctive vesture and ritual to be used in the services of the Church
of England.
For the Celebrant—the Amice, the Albe, the Girdle, the Stole, the Maniple
or Fanon, and the Chasuble.
For the Epistoler and Gospeller—the same vestments, except that instead
of the Chasuble a Dalmatic or Tunicle is worn.
For the Altar itself—a Frontal, Fair linen cloth, two Corporals (or
Corporal and Chalice-veil, or Corporal and Pall), Purificators, and
Corporal-case or Burse.
The symbolism of the vestments may be considered in a two-fold aspect:
both as signifying the garments worn by our Lord at His Passion (and so
keeping before the eyes of the congregation the ‘continual remembrance’),
and, secondly, as representing the virtues required in the ministers.
Thus we may see in the amice, first, the cloth with which our Lord was
blindfolded when the Jews struck Him on the face, and, secondly (as it is
first placed on the head), ‘Hope—the Helmet of Salvation.’ In the albe,
first, the white garment in which He was arrayed by Herod, and secondly,
Innocence of Life, or a ‘conscience void of offence toward God.’ And so,
of the others, the girdle, stole, and maniple may represent the cords
and bands with which He was bound and scourged, and, secondly, purity
or chastity, and the yoke of Christ. While in the chasuble we see the
royal robe in which He was mocked as king, and, secondly, covering and
embracing all, the glorious grace of charity.
The amice, albe, &c., will be more particularly described in the chapter
on Linen-work. The altar-frontal we have already spoken of. In this place
we will consider the stole, maniple, chasuble, and dalmatic.
In a little book such as this, the primary intention of which is to be
of practical use to the embroidress, we cannot do more than touch upon
the very outside margin of history. It is, indeed, extremely interesting
to trace back to their primitive uses and beginnings all the articles of
vesture and ornament used by the Church in her services; but I can merely
remark in passing upon the evolution of the Liturgical garments, which
seem to have proceeded gradually from the most simple and elementary
requirements;—begun by necessity, continued by reverence, and completed
by symbolism.
Putting aside, therefore, learned research into the origin of the stole
(_orarium_, _stola_) and the maniple (_mapula_, _sudarium_, _mantile_, or
_fanon_), we need not go further back than the ninth or tenth centuries
to find them in general use by the clergy much the same as we see them
now.
The stole and maniple are usually made to match, and follow the colour
of the season, as shown by the altar-frontal. About 9 feet is the full
length of the former and 3 feet of the latter; 2 yards of damask will be
sufficient for both, if the stole has a seam in the centre, and half the
width only of 27-inch damask is required. And the best shops will supply
the half-width if requested to do so; but if other vestments are being
made at the same time, with the same material, it is more economical to
get all the silk in one length, as it will cut to more advantage than by
getting the pieces separately.
[Illustration: Fig. I.—Rubens’s Portrait of St. Ignatius of Loyola, (in
Warwick Castle), showing elaborately worked Chasuble]
[Illustration: Fig. II.—Ancient forms of ends of Stole and Maniple]
The width of a stole and a maniple may be from 1½ to 2½ inches in the
narrowest or central part. (They are sometimes made wider, but are not
so convenient to wear under a chasuble.) They may be perfectly straight
from end to end, as in Illustration _A_, or they may widen out by degrees
from the centre to the fringe, as at _D_. They may have a square end
added on like _C_, or begin to widen from 8 to 10 inches above the fringe
(see _B_), or, again, only _just_ over the fringe, as in _E_ and _F_. All
these are typical ancient examples.
As to the decoration of them, as a rule they were either woven in gold
thread or embroidered richly throughout the whole length in gold diaper
patterns, or geometric devices, with crosses, roses, &c., at intervals;
or with figures, as in the celebrated Durham relics of St. Cuthbert. The
fringes were often very handsome, either knotted or plain, in various
colours or of gold alone; sometimes tassels at the corners were used
instead of fringe, or little golden bells.
The material of which they are made should be rich and handsome—by
preference the same as the chasuble. A deacon’s stole[8] should not be so
richly decorated as that of the priest.
[Illustration: Early Twelfth Century
_From MS., British Museum. V6_]
The chasuble (_chesible_, _casula_, _planeta_, _amphibalus_, _pænula_)
seems in very early days to have been the ordinary outer dress of the
clergy as well as the one worn at the celebration of the Eucharist; no
doubt the latter would be handsomer both in material and ornamentation,
so as to make a distinction. The most usual form would seem to be that
of a semicircle joined up the front, leaving an aperture sufficient for
the head of the wearer to pass through. It may possibly have been of a
completely circular shape to begin with, with a hole in the centre
like a poncho or a gaberdine. It may have been cut away at the sides for
convenience, till by degrees it arrived at the two typical shapes of
‘Gothic,’ or pointed, and ‘Roman,’ or square. The former has always been
more generally used in our Church, but the latter was not uncommon at the
time of our Rubric. Fig. III. shows the early form of Gothic. It is from
one of the tombs in Worcester Cathedral of the early thirteenth century;
there are numbers of equally fine ones to be seen on the effigies of
priests and bishops in our old parish and cathedral churches all over
the country; the older they are, the fuller and softer-looking is the
vestment as a rule. They often have one straight orphrey (or pillar) in
front and a Y-shaped cross at the back (where the square-shaped ones have
a Latin cross). Sometimes they have a Y-cross in front also. Occasionally
there is no orphrey in front, as in Fig. III. It is not unlikely that the
orphrey was added to cover the seam.
[Illustration: Fig. III.—A Bishop’s Tomb in Worcester Cathedral.
(_Showing old form of English chasuble_)]
Another and very graceful way of decorating the chasuble is by
embroidering it over the shoulders between the arms of the Y-cross,
either on the back alone or extending over the front also. This kind of
ornamentation is called the ‘Flower,’ and may be seen on the chasuble of
St. Thomas of Canterbury (p. 58) and also on Fig. IV.
Almost the only difference between a modern chasuble of a good ‘make’
and the old Gothic is the seam on the shoulders, which makes it less
cumbersome to wear.
Although the Gothic may be the more artistic garment, the square
chasuble can also be a noble-looking vestment in its older and ampler
form, as may be seen by Fig. I., taken from Rubens’s portrait of St.
Ignatius of Loyola. It also gave scope for much decoration, as the
broad, plain surface, unbroken by folds, lent itself to more pictorial
treatment. There are many in the South Kensington and other museums with
representations of the Crucifixion, surrounded by groups of saints and
attendant angels.
The chasuble follows the colour of the season. A good average size is 54
inches long at the back (3 or 4 inches shorter in front) and 50 inches
wide at the widest part. It takes 6 yards of 25- or 27-inch material, not
counting any extra length which may be required for ‘repeat’ of pattern,
which must never be forgotten when ordering any kind of figured stuff.
When there are orphreys, they should be worked separately on strips of
satin, velvet or damask, of a different colour or material from that of
the vestment, and applied to it on a frame before joining the two halves
together at the shoulders. A medallion may be placed at the intersection
of the Y-cross, which should not be too low down.
The material of which the orphrey is made should never be _less_ rich
than the vestment to which it is applied.
The DALMATIC worn by the Gospeller or deacon and the tunicle worn by
the Epistoler or sub-deacon are very similar to each other in shape and
general appearance. The latter is usually a little simpler in decoration.
Many very beautiful examples may be seen in our museums and picture
galleries. It was a favourite custom with the Old Masters to represent
the Angel Gabriel in the dress of a deacon in pictures of the
Annunciation. There were also many well-known ones of SS. Stephen and
Lawrence.
[Illustration: Fig. IV.—Diagram showing dimension of Chasuble]
The world-renowned ‘Dalmatic of Charlemagne’[9] is still in existence in
the Treasury of the Vatican, which shows the freedom with which masters
of the craft could treat the decoration of the dalmatic with the happiest
results. In these days we generally keep to the two stripes (_clavi_) and
two or four apparels.
The length of the dalmatic and tunicle should be about the same as that
of the chasuble or a little shorter. They also follow the colour of the
season where there are complete suites of vestments, but for poorer
churches it has not always been considered necessary. The lining of all
vestments should be of a different colour from the vestment itself. It
may be of either silk or linen; the richer ones are preferably of silk,
as it is not so heavy and cumbersome as linen. The narrow orphrey is
placed straight down each side of the dalmatic from the shoulder to the
hem, which may be fringed all round; sometimes a rich tassel hangs over
each shoulder, as in the sketch of St. Lawrence.
The apparels are rectangular pieces of silk or velvet, usually
embroidered very richly in gold and colours, and made up quite separately
from the vestment which they adorn.
They are attached by means of lightly worked tacking or slip-stitches.
For an amice the apparel is generally stiffened with an interlining of
tailor’s canvas. It should be about 22 inches long and 3 or 4 inches
deep. In use it looks something like a collar, and is sometimes called
the amice collar. For a dalmatic or tunicle the apparels may be about 21
× 15 inches for the skirt and 21 × 9 for the upper one; but there is no
exact rule about size, only they should not be _too long_ (not more than
21 inches to fit in between the clavi), and for the skirt not too deep.
They are generally shorter on the albe than on the dalmatic—from 12 to
15 inches. They may be of any colour; a crimson ground with gold, blue,
and white decoration has always been a favourite combination and looks
well with most vestments. A bold design and plenty of gold and colour
are desirable. Illustrations III. and IV. in Chapter VI. give good
fifteenth or sixteenth century designs for an apparel. They are done in
these colours. The earlier ones were generally of geometric design, like
the stoles in Illustration I., and the interlaced circles with cross in
the centre, &c. A piece of rich brocade or damask, &c., was often used
instead of embroidery.
For sleeves and skirt of albe they may match the amice collar. Indeed, I
have seen fourteenth-century work in which the stole, fanon, orphreys of
chasuble, and apparels of albe and amice are _all_ of the same pattern,
and the effect was very good.
[Illustration: Fig. V.—Chasuble of St. Thomas of Canterbury
(_At Sens_)]
The corporal-case, or burse, and the silk chalice-veil are usually _en
suite_ with the altar and vestments. It is said by some that the silk
chalice-veil is a foreign innovation and has no proper place in the
Anglican ritual, but it is of such general use now that we must mention
it here. It is usually made of the richest silk or satin, and embroidered
all over, or at the corners and centre, or with a border all round and a
cross or monogram in the middle of one side, lined with silk and edged
with a narrow fringe or cord, or made up plain. The design is frequently,
but not necessarily, made to match the burse. When this is desired, it is
important to arrange it so that the design and embroidery are not spoilt
when the veil is in use; for it must be remembered that the burse
always presents a flat surface of at least 9 inches square, while the
veil is intended to _hang over the chalice_, so that the centre (with a
radius of probably from 2½ to 3½ inches) is the only part that will lie
flat when in use. I once saw a beautifully worked chalice-veil entirely
spoilt by the heads of the four Evangelists hanging upside down over
the chalice. The design had apparently been copied from an alms-dish
of Benvenuto Cellini, and was extremely beautiful in itself and quite
suitable for a burse, but did not lend itself happily to a chalice-veil.
[Illustration: Fig. VI.—Ornament for Chasuble, called the Flower]
The burse should be made of rich and beautiful material. In many of the
old ones the back was made of leather, or something else useful and
strong; but nowadays they are generally made of damask or satin, the same
as the front. Nine inches square is a good size. If a chalice-veil and
burse are being made to match, 1 yard of 27-inch material will usually
be enough for the two. First cut a square of 25 inches for the veil; then
two squares of 11 inches each from the piece that is left; this allows
1 inch all round for turnings. When the embroidery on the silk for the
burse is finished it should be cut out of the frame with the linen still
at the back, not cut away round the work, or it will be apt to show a
ridge where it leaves off when it is stretched over the boards; besides,
it is needed to protect the silk where the edge of the boards would
otherwise come in contact with it. Have ready four pieces of good strong
cardboard, cut exactly square, each 9 inches. This can be got at any good
shop where mounts for pictures are cut.
[Illustration: Fig. VII.—St. Stephen (after V. Carpaccio)]
Two pieces of fine white linen, each 11 inches square, should be ready,
nicely washed and ironed. The linen is to be stretched over two of the
boards, the embroidered silk over one, and the plain silk, for the back,
on the other. It can be done either by taking long stitches from one edge
of the stuff to the other, right across the boards, or by means of a
very small quantity of embroidery-paste on the inside of the turnings.
Then each linen-covered board is placed with a silk-covered one, and
the two sewn together with the finest stitches of over-sewing, in white
thread or silk. After this the linen-faced sides are placed together, the
silk being outside, and the two sets of board are joined at the left side
by means of four or five tiny hinges, worked strongly through the silk
and inner lining, in buttonhole stitch of the same colour as the cover.
[Illustration: Fig. VIII.—St. Lawrence (after Fra Angelico)]
Some people make the back and front all in one piece of silk, but this is
not so convenient either to work or to make up. There is more difficulty
in getting the design exactly in the middle and straight on the boards;
there is, besides, a constant strain afterwards on that edge of the silk
which acts as a hinge every time it is opened and shut.
Another diversity in the way of making up a burse is the letting in of
side-pieces, like a purse or pocket-book. This also is difficult to do
neatly, and is inconvenient in use; but where it is preferred it may be
made less awkward by setting in a straight-edged piece of linen instead
of a ‘gusset-shaped’ one, covering it with silk like the burse-cover, and
stitching it firmly into a pleat before joining the two boards together.
It will then more readily keep in place, and if it bulges when in use it
will not look so slovenly as it does when the side-pieces are of linen
alone. Many of the old burses were sewn up closely along three sides,
with the fourth only left open, but this is obviously inconvenient.
[Illustration: Fig. IX.—Diagram showing dimensions of Dalmatic]
[Illustration: Corporal-case or Burse. (Italian, Sixteenth Century.) From
a drawing, size about 10 in. square
_V. & A. Museum, South Kensington (No. 1511—1388)._]
[Illustration: Chalice-veil. (Italian, Seventeenth Century.) From a
photograph, size about 24 in. square
_V. & A. Museum, South Kensington (No. 237—1895)._]