Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/350

 344: LENT LENTIL eggs, cheese, and wine, was allowed, and became general after the llth century; and thereafter even the use of these was permitted, flesh be- ing alone excepted. Indeed, judging from the writings of the early fathers, the custom had been to take but one meal a day, in the even- ing, consisting either of " dry food " or bread and water. As the rigor of the fast was re- laxed, the hour of refection was advanced from sunset to noon; and in the 13th century a slight cold collation was allowed in the even- ing. In the early ages also, the fast of Lent was kept with the greatest rigor by the cate- chumens and public penitents ; by the former as a fitting preparation for their solemn bap- tism on Holy Saturday, and by the latter in the hope of receiving at the same time entire absolution or a mitigation of their penance. By the laws of Theodosius the Great the inflic- tion of alj species of corporal punishment was forbidden during Lent. For the same reason the council of Olermont (1095) enjoined under pain of excommunication that the universal peace called the truce of God should be observed from Ash Wednesday till Whitsuntide. In the present discipline of the Roman Catholic dmrch, only one meal is allowed, and at this the use of flesh meat is prohibited. Custom allows a slight refection, not exceeding two ounces in the morning, and a collation not exceeding eight ounces in the evening. This general rule is modified to suit the necessities of climate and occupation. In the United States, the use of flesh meat is allowed several times a week in accordance with the demands made by each bishop for his diocese. But fish and flesh are never allowed during Lent at the same meal. In Spain, the Spanish colonies, and Spanish America, by the payment of a trifling sum, one can purchase during Lent the privilege of the cruzada, which is the perpetuation of the privilege of using flesh meat on all days of abstinence granted in favor of those engaged in the crusades against the Moors, or who con- tributed money to assist the crusaders. In nearly all the Protestant churches of continen- tal Europe, particularly in the Lutheran church, Lent is still a penitential season. In Eng- land Ercombert, who died in 664, made the observance of Lent obligatory in Kent. The church of England still keeps the Lenten fast on her calendar with appropriate services, as does the Protestant Episcopal church. A curi- ous old English custom followed in Lent was that of pelting a puppet called a Jack o' Lent, the origin of which is not explained. Ben Jonson alludes to it in his "Tale of a Tub": on an Ash "Wednesday, When thou didst stand six weeks the Jack o 1 Lent For boys to hurl three throws a penny at thee. In a ballad called "Lenton Stuff," found in a manuscript in the Ashmolean museum, occur the following verses : Then Jake a Lent comes justlynge in, With the hedpeece of a herynge, And saythe, repent yow of yower syn, For shame, syrs, leve yower swerynge : And to Palme Sonday doethe he ryde, With sprots and herryngs by hys syde, And makes an end of Lenton tyde ! The fourth Sunday of Lent is often termed Mid-Lent Sunday or Passion Sunday; it was formerly known as "Carl Sunday," and on that day beans or peas called " carlings " used to be given away or eaten. Thus an English translator (1607) gives the following passage from the Quadragesimale Spirituale (Paris, 1565) : "After the sallad (eaten in Lent at the first service) we eat fried beanes, by which we understand confession. When we would have beanes well sooden, we lay them in steepe, for otherwise they will never seeth kindly. There- fore, if we purpose to mend our faults, it is not sufficient barely to confess them at all ad- venture, but we must let our confession lie in steepe in the water of meditation." In his " Colin Clout " Skelton writes : In holy Lenton Season, Ye will neither Beanes nor Peason, But ye look to be let loose To a pigge or to a goose. Lent is preceded in some countries by the dis- sipation of the carnival. (See CAENIVAL.) The day before Ash Wednesday is called Shrove Tuesday, because the faithful used then to con- fess and be shriven, in preparation for the fast. In the north of England Shrovetide is still called Fastingtide, Fastens, and Fastmass. (See HOLY WEEK, and GOOD FKIDAY.) LENTIL (Lat. lens), an esculent seed pro- duced by ervnm lens, of the pea family, and used for food from the earliest times. The len- Lentil (Ervum lens). tils of Egypt used to be held in much esteem. It was a preparation of this diet which Esau ex- changed for his birthright, under the name of "red pottage;" and according to Dr. Shaw, in his " Travels in Barbary," the lentils were dressed in the same manner as beans, dissolving into a