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psalms, czlviii<-cl, and the versicles (" Hist. Franco- nim", II, vii, in P. L., LXXI. 201, 256, 1034 etc. Cf. B&umer-Biron, "Hist, du br^v. rom.", I, 220- 30). At an earlier period than that of the fifth and fourth centuries, we find various descriptions of the Morning Office in Cassian, in Melania the Younger, in the " Per^rinatio iEtheri»", St. John Chrysostom, St. Hilary, Eusebius (BSximer-Biron, op. cit., I, 81, 114, 134, 140, 150-68, 208, 210).

Naturally, in proportion as we advance, greater varieties of the form of the Office are foimd in the different Christian provinces. The general features, however, remain the same; it is the office of the dawn (Aurora), the office of sunrise, the momins office, the morning praises, the office of cock-crow {GaUicinium, ad galh cantus), the office of the Resurrection of Christ. Nowhere better than at Jerusalem, in the "Peregrinatio Etherise", does this office, celebrated at the very tomb of Christ, preserve its local colour. The author calls it hymni matutinales; it is considered the principal office of the day. There the hturgy dis- plays all its pomps; the bishop used to be present with all his cler^, the office being celebrated around the Grotto of the Holy Sepulchre itself; after the psalms and canticles had beensimg, the litanies were chanted, and the bishop then blessed the people. (Cf. Dom Cfabrol, " Etude sur la Peregrinatio Silvise, les Eglises de Jerusalem, la discipline et la liturgie au IV^ si^ cle", Paris, 1895, pp. 39, 40. For the East cf. "De Virginitate", xx, m P. G., XXVIII, 275.) Lastly, we again find the first traces of Lauds in the third, and even in the second, century in the Canons of Hip- polytus, in St. Cyprian, and even in the Apostolic Fathers, so much so that B^Lumer does not hesitate to assert that Lauds together with Vespers are the most ancient office, and owe their origin to the Apostles (Bftumer-Biron, op. cit., I, 58; cf. 56, 57, 64, 72 etc.).

rV. Stmbolibm and Reason op This Office. — It is easy to conclude from the preceding what were the motives which gave rise to this office, and what its signification is. For a Christian the first thought mdch should present itself to the mind in the morning, is the thought of God; the first act of his day should be a prayer. The first gleam of dawn recalls to our minds that Christ is the true Light, that He comes to dispel spiritual darkness, and to reign over the world. It was at dawn that Christ rose from the tomb, Con- queror of Death and of the Night. It is this thought of His Resurrection which gives to this office its whole signification. Lastlv, this tranquil hour, before day has commenced, ancl man has again plunged into the torrent of cares, is the most favourable to contempla- tion and prayer. Liturgically, the elements of Lauds have been most harmoniously combined, and it has preserved its significance better than other Hours.

Bona, De. Divina Ptalmodia, v, in 0pp. omnia (Antwerp, 1677), pp. 705 »qq.;Commentaritu hialoncua in Romanum Bre- viarium (Vaiice, 1724), 102; Probst, Bremer u. Brevierod>€t (Tubingen. 1868). pp. 146. 173. 184. 188; Idem, Lehre u. Gd>et in den dre% eraten Jahrk. (Tubingen. 1871); Baumer. Hist, du hr& viaire, French tr. Biron. I (Paris, 1905), 68. 164. etc.; Batif- roL, Hiai. du br&v. romain (Paris, 1803). 22 sqq.; Dx7chbsnb, ChriaUan Worship (London, 1904). 448-9; Hotham in Did. ChrisL. Antiq., s. v. Office, The Divine; Scudauore. ibid., b. v. Hourt of Prayer; Monm. Lee Laudea du dimanche du IV* au VII* ai^eU. in Revue Binidictine (1889). 301-4; BmoHAlf, Worka (Oxford, 1855). IV, 342. 548, etc. See also Brbviart: Hours, Canonical; VxaiLs; Matins.

F. Cabrol.

Laura. — ^The Greek word laura (Ka^pa) is em- ployed by writers from the end of the fifth century to distinguish the monasteries of Palestine of the semi- eremitical type. The word signifies a narrow way or passage, and m later times the quarter of a town. We find it used in Alexandria for the different portions of the city grouped around the principal churches; and this latt^ sense of the word is in conformity with what we know of the Palestinian laura, which was a group of hennitages surrounding a church.

Although the term laura has been almost exclusively used with re^rd to Palestine, the type of monastery • which it designated existed, not only there, but in Syria and Mesopotamia; in Gaul; in Italy; and among the (Celtic monks. The type of life led therein might be described as something midway between the purely eremitical — inaugurated by St. Paul the first hermit — and the purely cenobitical life. The monk lived alone though dependent on a superior, and was only bound to the common life on Saturdays and Sundays, when all met in church for the solemn Eucharistic Liturgy. This central church was the origin of what was after- wards called the axnobiumj or the house of the im- perfect, or of "the children". There the future soli- tjuy was to pass the time of his probation, and to it he might have to return if he had not the strength for the full rigour of the solitary life. The lauras of Palestine were originated by St. Chariton, who died about 350. He founded the Laura of Pharan, to the north-east of Jerusalem, and that of Douka, north-east of Jericho. But most of the lauras in the vicinity of Jerusalem owed their existence to a Cappadocian named Sabas. In 483 he founded the monastery which still bears his name, Mar Saba. It stands on the west bank of Q^ dron and was once known as the Great Laura. We know that in 814 the Laura of Pharan was still flourish- ing, and it appears that on Mount Athos this type of life was followed till late in the tenth century, ft gave way, however, to the cenobitic, and no monastery now extant can be said really to resemble the ancient lauras.

KrOlx. in Real EncylopAdie dir Chriatlicher AUerihiimer, 8. v. Laura; Butlsr, Tho iMuaiac Iliaiory of Palladius, I (Part 2, London, 1901): G&nier. W« de Euthyme le grand. — Lea moinea et VSgliae en Pateatine au V» aikde (Pans. 1909).

R. Urban Butler.

Laurence Johnson, Blessed. See William File y,

Blessed.

Laurentie, Pierre-S^bastien, French publicist; b. at Houga, in the Department of Gers, France, 21 January, 1793; d. 9 February, 1876. He went to Paris in the early part of 1817, and on 17 June of the same year enterea the famous pious and charitable association known as ''La Congregation". Through the patronage of the Royalist writer Michaud, Lau- rentie became connected with the editorial stafif of "La Quotidienne '*, in 1818; and in 1823 he was ap- pointed Chief Inspector of Schools (inspecteur g^n^ ral des etudes), with the functions of which office he was able to combine his work as a publicist. His earliest writings wo^ for him a great reputation. They were: "De I'i^loquence publique et de son in- fluence" (1819); "Etudes litt^raircs et morales sur les historiens latins" (1822); "De la justice au XIX« sidcle" (1822); "Introduction k la philoso- phic" (1826); "Considerations sur les constitutions ddmocratiques " (1826). The complaint was made against the last-named of these works, that it was aimed at the Villi^le Ministry, and censured its legis- lation in regard to the press. This charge, together with the attacks on the Ministry which appeared in "La Quotidienne" and the fact of Laurentie's friendly relations with Lamennais, led to Laurentie's dismissal from the oflice of Chief Inspector of Schools (5 November, 1826). "La Quotidienne" supported the Martignac Ministry until it issued the decrees of 16 June, 1828, against the Jesuits, and the 'peiUa s^inaires. Laurentie vigorously opposed these decrees. He purchased the old Benedictine col- lege of Ponlevoy, which had existerl for more than seven centuries and which, ^-ith the colleges of Juilly, Sordze, and Venddme, Napoleon had permitted to continue in existence side by side ^-ith the univer^ sity. Laurentie's plan was to take advantage of this exceptional official authorization (which constituted a breach in the wall of the state university monopoly) to insure the prosperous existence of one independent