An Uncommon Book of Prayer

Among the many treasures of St. Edmund's College, Ware, are a number of old Catholic Prayer-Books. Their preservation is mainly due to the zeal and insight of Father Raymund Stanfield. Amongst them is a copy of the famous old Manual: A Manual of Prayers and Litanies: Distributed according to the Days of the Week. With other Excellent Devotions fitted for all Persons and Occasions. Last Edition much corrected. Permissu Superiorum, 1688. It is a 12mo. volume, singularly compact though actually containing no less than 564 beautifully printed pages. From the foreword 'To the Pious Reader' we learn that the present edition is 'purg'd from many, both gross Errata's in the Print, and improprieties in the Translations'; the Hymns are 'rendered according to the Corrected Latin of P. Urban VIII (now generally used in the Church), and those too in far more Musical Numbers.'But the main and justest glory of this last Edition is a large and exquisite body of Litanies, so strong, and yet so sweet; so affectuous, and yet so instructive; so rigorously ordered and expressed, yet so soft and naturally flowing; in fine, so intirely comprehensive and yet so moderately proportion'd that it is impossible they can be attended to without rendring their Readers wisely devout; nor practis'd without engaging attention; nor once read, without inveigling into a continual practise.The Calendar which follows is peculiarly interesting. In January alone twenty British Saints are commemorated or their feasts kept; in February twenty-two; in March twenty-seven; in April twenty-six, and so on

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