"The old Roman breviary" says the author of Tract 75 above quoted "had long before Gregory VII's time been received in various parts of Europe; and in England since the time of Gregory the great who after the pattern of Leo and Gelasius before him had been a reformer of it". The people used anciently to join with the clergy in offering this, constant tribute of praise to God; but the duty of daily reciting it is obligatory only upon the Catholic clergy, and religious orders. S. Benedict shortened it considerably, (as Grancolas observes, Com. Hist. in Brev. Rom.) New editions and emendations of it were published successively by the authority of St. Gregory VII, Nicholas III, and Clement VII, and finally the Roman Breviary at present used was restored by order of the Council of Trent, published by Pope Pius V, and revised by Clement VIII, and Urban VIII. It follows closely, as Merati observes, that first adopted by the regular-clerks in the 16th century, and resembles the edition published by Haymo, general of the Franciscans, and authorised by Nicholas III (A.D. 1278). Hence it is called by the author of Tract 75 the _Franciscan_ Breviary. It is however founded upon the old Roman Breviary, which the Franciscans by the direction of their holy founder had adopted: for according to Rodolfo, dean of Tongres Cap. XXII, when the Popes dwelt at the Lateran, the _office of the Papal chapel_ was much shorter than that of the other churches of Rome; it was composed by Innocent III, and was adopted by the Franciscans instituted at his time. Nicolas III ordered that all the Roman churches should use the Franciscan Breviary as reformed by Haymo, in 1241. "Our own daily service", says the above-mentioned minister of the church of England is confessedly formed upon the Breviary". [Sidenote: P. II. Office of Tenebrae.] Having premised thus much on the office in general, we may now return to holy-week. Besides palm-sunday, three other days in the week are particularly devoted to the commemoration of the history of our redemption; holy-thursday, because on it our Lord instituted the blessed Eucharist, and his passion began; good-friday, on which He was crucified and died; and holy saturday, on which His sacred body remained in the tomb. The church commences her solemn service of each of these days with that part of the divine office called matins and lauds, and at this time Tenebrae from the _darkness_ with which it concludes. It used of old to be celebrated at night, as it still is by some religious communities[47]; but it now takes place on the afternoon preceding each of those three days. Nor is this unusual: for "the ecclesiastical day is considered to begin with the evening or Vesper service, according to the Jewish reckoning, as alluded to in the text. "In the evening and morning and at noon day will I pray, and that instantly". (Tracts of the Times, No. 75). [Sidenote: Matins and Lauds.]