Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 6.djvu/144

 118 NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. VL AUG. n, 1900. and never was true." " He states that' in the Swailedale manor courts the same custom pre- vails,' which also is not true, and never was true." MR. BOYLE may have extraordinary information which he thinks may warrant him in contradicting me in such very clear language, but I have numerous extracts made from the Court Rollsof the Swailedale manors, extending from 1691 to 1785, and there is no doubt whatever that during that time males inherited in common. As to Skeeby, or Skid- by, the original record says " Schideby." JAMES PEACOCK. Sunderland. LITURGICAL LANGUAGE OF THE GREEK CHURCH (9th S. v. 515).—Throughout Turkey mass is said in Greek, except when the com- munity is Slav or Roumanian. The liturgy of St. Chrysostom is used, except on certain days when that of St. Basil takes its place. These two are called the "liturgies of Con- stantinople." In the Russian Church the language used is Slavonic. In this, or in the Greek liturgical language, mass is celebrated by the Russians, Greeks, Ruthenians, Mel- kites, and tfye Patriarchates of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch. But there are different languages used in different Oriental rites, as may be seen in Rome among the Eastern Uniats (i.e., those in communion with Rome). Thus : Greek rite, liturgy of Chry- sostom, language Greek ; Armenian, liturgy founded on that of Basil, language Armenian; Greco - Melkite, same as Greek ; Greco- Ruthenian the same, but in Slav; Coptic, that of Basil, language Coptic ; Syrian Mel- kites and Maromtes, Syrian liturgy of St. James, language Syrian ; Chald<ean Church, liturgy of St. Thomas, language Aramaic, that spoken by our Lord. My authorities for the above are ' The Catholic Dictionary ' (Addis and Arnold) and 'Handbook to Christian and Ecclesiastical Rome : The Liturgy in Rome.' I offer two remarks: (1) Those Oriental Christians who enter into communion with the Holy See are not in any way interfered with as regards their discipline and ancient customs. The Greeks in communion with Rome are not required to say the " Filioque " clause in the creed. And Rome insists upon the retention of the old liturgies. (2) The Russian peasant is no more required to say his prayers in Greek than is the Spanish or Italian peasant to say his in Latin. They may say their prayers in any language they know or please to use. Just as an English or French or Belgian Catholic hears mass read in Latin, and uses any language he chooses for his private devotions, so with the peasants of the Russo-Greek Church. Educated people, both in East and West, may follow the liturgy if they like, or accom- pany the liturgical acts with any suitable prayers or devotions ; but it is quite possible that in a congregation of (say) five hundred people, no two of these are using exactly the same forms of prayer throughout the celebra- tion of the liturgy. GEORGE ANGUS. St. Andrews, NJB. St. Cyril, who first preached Christianity in European Russia, translated the Greek liturgy and some parts of the Scriptures into the Slavonic tongue, and this translation is still used in the Russian Orthodox Church. The language does not greatly differ from the dialects that are in vogue nowadays among the Russians, and before a child receives its first communion it is instructed in the language of the Church sufficiently to be able to understand and recite the Lord's Prayer, the Nicene Creed, the Ten Command- ments, a hymn to the Holy Ghost, a version in the vernacular of the " Hail, Mary," as well as another hymn of praise to her, and grace before and after meat. Indeed, the course of instruction consists to a great extent in the interpretation of prayers. A few Greek words are to be found in the Russian services, as if to indicate their origin. Thus the ordination service begins, I believe, with the word " Hagios," " He is worthy," and is fol- lowed by the recital of the ' Kyrie Eleison.' T. P. ARMSTRONG. Timperley. "RULE, BRITANNIA" (9th S. vi. 8).—I have had occasion recently to refresh my memory in regard to Dr. Arne, and have looked up all available information about his career ; but I have come across no such tradition as that which W. mentions. No victory, naval or otherwise, coincided with any of the early performances of 'Alfred'—at Clieveden on 1 and 2 August, 1740; at Drury Lane Theatre on 20 March, 1745, or at the same house when Mallet's revised version was produced in 1751. It is highly probable that the famous ode has on more than one occasion provoked " extraordinary enthusiasm," but nothing of the sort is, I think, recorded 'in connexion with any early performance. . It would be well if W. told us where he heard (or read) the tradition. Those interested in " Rule, Britannia," and its composer will find an excellent account of the former in the Musical Times for April. At the risk of being considered too pushful, I may add that a biographical sketch, by