“God men and wymine, as ye see theise thre days for to service ye go in ye evontyde in darknesse. Wherfore hit is callyd with you ‘tenabulles;’ but holy churche calleth hit _tenebras_, that is to say, ‘derknesse.’ Than why this service is done in darkness holy fathers wrytuth to us thre skylles.” Then, after giving these reasons, he continues, “Wherefore to this service is no bell irongon, bot a sownde makuth of tre, whereby uche criston man and woman is enformede for to comon to this service withowtyn noyse makyng, and alle that thei spek on going, shall sown of ye tree that Cryste was done onne. Also at this service is sette on herce with candulles brennyng aftur as ye use is, yn some place more, yn some place lesse, the which bene quenchyt uch one after othur in showing how Christes discipules stolne from hym. Yet when all be quenched one levyth leight, the which is borne away a wyle yt the clerkes syngone hymis and ye versus, ye which betokeneth ye whymmen yt made lamentation at Crystus Sepulcur.... Then aftur this, ye candul is brougt agayne and all othur at that ben lygte; ye which betokeneth that Christus y^t was for a gwile dede and hid in hys sepulchre, but soon aftur he was from dethe to lyfe and gave the lyghte of lyfe to all them that weren quenchud.... “The strokys that ye prestes geveth on the boke betokynneth the clappus of thunder yt Christ brake helle gattys wyth when he com thedur and spoylud helle.” MAUNDY, OR SHEER THURSDAY.--On Thursday in Holy Week was commemorated the Institution of the Blessed Eucharist by our Lord in His last Supper. The _Liber Festivalis_ makes the following explanation of the feast, for the benefit of those who ask for the reason of such things-- “First if men aske why _Schere_ Thursday is so called, say y^t in holy churche it is called Our Lord’s Soper day. For that day he soupud with hys disciple oponly.... Hit is also in English tong ‘Schere Thursday,’ for in owr elde fadur days men wold on y^t day makon scheron hem honest, and dode here hedes ond clypon here berdes and poll here hedes, ond so makon hem honest agen Estur day; for on ye moro (Good Friday) yei woldon done here bodies non ease, but suffur penaunce, in mynde of Hym y^t suffrud so harte for hem. On Saturday they myghte mote whyle, whate for longe service, what for other occupacion that they haddon for the wake comynge and after mote was no tyme for haly daye.... Therefore as John Belette telluth and techuth, on ‘Schere Thursday’ a man shall dodun his heres and clypponde his berde, and a prest schal schave his crowne so that there schall no thynge bene betwene God Almythy and hym.”