[Footnote 681: This alludes to the history of the feast of All Saints. Pope Boneface obtained a grant of the Pantheon from the Emperor Phocas: and dedicated it in honour of S. Mary and All Martyrs. This was on the 11th of May: and the feast of All Martyrs was kept on that day under the title of _S. Maria ad Martyres_. S. John, having confessed before the Latin gate on the 6th, the feast was subsequently kept on that day. But Gregory IV transferred it to Nov. 1st, because the harvest was then gathered in: and because the feast of All Apostles being kept on May 1st, the other would answer to it half-yearly. _All Martyrs_ occurs, in a solitary instance, as an English dedication: _All Apostles_ not to be found in this country, has been adopted in Germany. ] 6. Black is used on Good Friday: and on days of abstinence and affliction: and also in rogations. Moreover, in those processions which the Roman Pontiff maketh with bare feet: and in Masses of requiem, and Septuagesima to Easter Eve. For the spouse saith in the Canticles, 'I am black but comely,' [Footnote 682] etc. But on the feast of the Innocents, some use black on account of sadness, some scarlet. The former allege the text, 'In Rama was a voice heard,' [Footnote 683] etc. And for the same cause canticles of joy are omitted: and the mitre is brought without the orfrey, on account of the martyrdoms to which the Church hath principally an eye, when she saith, 'I saw beneath the throne the souls,' [Footnote 684] etc. [Footnote 682: Canticles i, 5.] [Footnote 683: Jeremiah xxxi, 15; S. Matthew ii, 18.] [Footnote 684: Apocalypse vi, 9.] {194} (So also on Sunday, Laetare [Footnote 685] Jerusalem, the Roman Pontiff beareth a mitre, beautified with the orfrey, on account of the joy which the golden [Footnote 686] rose signifieth, but on account of the time being one of sadness, he weareth black vestments.) But the Roman Church, when the festival falleth on a week-day, useth violet, but on the octave, red. [Footnote 685: Palm Sunday.] [Footnote 686: This refers to the celebrated golden rose blessed by the Roman Pontiff on that day: and sent in token of approval to some Catholic prince. Some of our readers may remember that which was lately exhibited along with the golden altars of Basle.] 7. In fine, on common days green vestments be employed: because green is the middle colour between black, white, and red; and specially between the octave of Epiphany and Septuagesima: and between Pentecost and Advent, in the Sunday office, this colour is used. 8. As he saith, 'Cypress with nard, nard and crocus.' [Footnote 687] To these four colours be the others referred; to wit, the scarlet to the red, [Footnote 688] the violet to the black, the fine linen to the white, the saffron to the green. But some refer the roses to martyrs, the saffron to confessors, the lilies to virgins. [Footnote 687: Canticles iii, 6. But the quotation is not exact.]