Decretum Generale.
Quum nonnulli Rmi. per orbem Ordinarii pluries exquisierint et modo a Sancta Sede requirantutrum quarto Idus Novembris in Ecclesia universali Festum S. Andreae Avellini Confessoris recoli debeat ritu duplici minori, quem praseferunt recentiores editiones Breviarii et Missalis Romani, Subscriptus Secretarius S. R. C. sui muneris esse duxit Ssmi. Domini Nostri Pii Papae IX. desuper exposcere oraculum. Sanctitas porro Sua clementer declaravit ut amodo festum S. Andreae Avellini Confessoris ab utroque clero Urbis et Orbis, ipsis non exclusis Sanctimonialibus, agatur ritu duplici minori quem obtinet in alma Urbe, et pluribus Dioecesibus; dummodo Rubricae serventur. Contrariis non obstantibus quibuscumque. Die 21 Januarii, 1864.
V.
FORMULA FOR THE BLESSING OF RAILWAYS, APPROVED BY THE S. CONGREGATION OF RITES.
Benedictio Viae Ferreae et Curruum.
℣. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
℟. Qui fecit coelum et terram.
℣. Dominus vobiscum.
℟]. Et cum spiritu tuo.Oremus.
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus qui omnia elementa ad tuam gloriam, utilitatemque hominum condidisti; dignare quaesumus hanc viam ferream, ejusque instrumenta bene✠dicere, et benigna semper tua providentia tueri; et dum famuli tui velociter properant in via, in lege tua ambulantes, et viam mandatorum tuorum currentes, ad coelestem patriam feliciter pervenire valeant. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
℟. Amen.
Oremus.
Propitiare Domine Deus supplicationibus nostris, et bene✠dic currus istos dextera tua sancta; adjunge ad ipsos sanctos Angelos tuos ut omnes qui in eis vehentur, liberent et custodiant semper a periculis universis: et quemadmodum viro Æthiopi super currum suum sedenti et sacra eloquia legenti, per Apostolum tuum fidem et gratiam contulisti; ita famulis tuis viam salutis ostende, qui tua gratia adjuti, bonisque operibus jugiter intenti post omnes viae et vitae hujus varietates aeterna gaudia consequi mereantur per Christum Dominum nostrum.
Amen.
Deinde Sacerdos aspergat viam et currus aqua benedicta.
NOTICES OF BOOKS.
I.
Variae lectiones Vulgatae Bibliorum Editionis, quas Carolus Vercellone sodalis Barnabites digessit. Tom. II. Romae, apud Josephim Spithöver, anno 1864, 4º, pagg. 561.
The minute attention which Biblical students have paid to the original Hebrew and to the Septuagint version, with a view to fix the genuine readings of the text, has hitherto not been given to the Vulgate. Not to speak of the labours of Mill, Kennicott, and others, the Italian priest, John Bernard De Rossi collated more than seven hundred MSS. of the Hebrew text; and in his private library at Parma, 712 such codices were brought together by his industry. Walton's Polyglot, the publications of Tischendorf, and the collections made by Cardinal Mai, have contributed much to establish with accuracy the text of the Septuagint. It remained for Father Vercellone to undertake, in our day, a similar task in favour of the Vulgate. His master, the learned Father Ungarelli, had already commenced the work, and between 1830 and 1845, had amassed a considerable amount of materials for a book on the variae lectiones of the Vulgate. In 1845, shortly before his death, he confided these materials to his disciple, Father Vercellone, of whose erudition and critical judgment he had had so many proofs. To the old riches his master had brought forth from his storehouse, the scholar added new treasures of his own; and the result of his labours upon and among both, is to be found in the work under notice.
We shall now briefly state the method which the author has followed. As the basis of his researches, he has taken the Clementine edition of 1592, purified from typographical errors, according to the other Vatican editions of 1595 and 1598. The editors of the Clementine of 1592, did but correct the text of the Sixtine edition of 1590. From the documents belonging to the congregation appointed by Sixtus V. to edit the Vulgate in that year, it appears that the editors took as the foundation of their corrections the text of the folio edition published by the Dominican Father, John Hunter, in 1583. But as the Hunterian edition of 1583 is identical with the Louvain folio edition published by Hunter in 1547, it follows that the Louvain text of 1547 may be considered as the basis upon which all the subsequent Vatican corrections have been made.
To correct this text, Father Vercellone has directed his studies, and in the volumes before us the fruit of his labours has been given to the world. How arduous these labours have been, and what confidence we may feel in his selection of readings, will best be learned from an enumeration of the sources whence, with incredible pains, he has drawn the information required for the execution of his design. These sources may be classed under three heads: Vatican papers, MSS. codices, and printed books. As to the first class, Pius IX. has assisted Father Vercellone by placing at his disposal the treasures stored up in the Vatican archives. Hence, our author has been enabled to examine, 1º, the documents of the corrections proposed and adopted by the congregation appointed to edit the Vulgate under Saint Pius V. in 1569, which documents he has compared with the writings of Cardinal Serleto, who had a great share in making those corrections; 2º, the documents concerning the corrections proposed or adopted in a similar congregation, under Sixtus V. in 1588 and 1589; 3º, the Sixtine edition of 1590; 4º, notes of the corrections discussed in the congregations appointed under Gregory XIV. and Clement VIII. to free the Sixtine edition, from its many mistakes of the press; 5º, the readings proposed by the learned Angelo Rocca; 6º, the annotations of Cardinal Toleto, preserved in the Vatican; and 7º, the Clementine edition of 1592.