ECCLESIASTICAL VESTMENTS

hand. The other two at the bottom of the alb or skirt, onebefore and one behind.

Alb. —A garment which reached to the feet. It was usually madeof pure white linen ; but other colours were used, and silk, velvet, andcloth of gold albs were worn in the Middle Ages.

CHASUBLE. —The upper or last vestment put on by the priestbefore celebrating the Mass. In form it is nearly circular, having anaperture in the middle for the head.

Cope.—A vestment like a cloak. Its form is an exact semi-circle without sleeves. It is fastened across the breast by a morseor clasp.

Dalmatic.—A vestment with wide sleeves. It has an aperturefor the head. The garment is slit up a short distance on eitherside.

Maniple.—A narrow scarf fringed at each end of the richestmaterials, such as cloth of gold. It was worn depending from theleft hand.

Orphreys. —Gold embroidered work—cloth of gold. Thegolden bands fastened to or embroidered on chasubles or copes.The orphreys were frequently used separately.

STOLE.—A narrow woven or embroidered scarf worn over theshoulders. In 1287 it was directed to be long enough to reach thebottom of the alb.

TUNICLE.—A short outer garment but with tight sleeves. Thesame shape as the dalmatic, but slightly longer and less ornamented.

The vestments of the Christian priesthood, both of the Greekand the Latin churches, have evolved from the secular dress of thelater Roman empire. Thus the chasuble derives from the penula ,planeta , or casula, a bell-shaped, sleeveless cloak, worn out of doorsby persons of all classes. The cope was a cloak for wet weather(hence its alternative name, pluvial). The alb was an under-tunic,and the dalmatic an over-tunic. The two bands that run down thefronts of all except the Spanish dalmatics are the survivals of theold clavi latterly characterising the dress of all Roman citizens (thetunics found in Egyptian burying-grounds frequently have them).The maniple has developed out of a small cloth or handkerchief( mappula ), dropped by consuls or praetors in starting races. Thereare certain differences between the vestments of the Latin and thoseof the Greek and other Oriental churches, the latter being as a ruleampler than the former. The maniple does not exist in the Greekchurch, its place being taken by the epigonation, a lozenge-shapedpiece of cloth, which hangs down over the right knee.

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