PRIME ROMAN ORDER
THE CHURCH, ITS MINISTERS, AND THE ORNAMENTS THEREOF
THE document from whence this journal’s title has been taken is commonly known as Ordo Romanus Primus and is a directory of the ceremonies of solemn or public mass, celebrated in Rome by the pope himself (or his deputy) in the year 700 A.D. , at which all the clergy and people of the Church of Rome were present or at least represented, and in which they all fulfilled their several functions in the exercise of that royal priesthood which St. Peter tells us is the common property of the body of baptized Christians.
CHRISTOPHORVS, humilis discipulus, servum servorum Dei, indignus nomine et professione monachi, omnibus mentis desidiam animique vagationem utili manuum occupatione, et delectabili novitatum meditatione declinare et calcare volentibus, retributionem coelestis praemii!
Legimus in exordio mundanae creationis, hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem Dei conditum et inspiratione divini spiraculi animatum, tantaeque dignitatis excellentia caeteris animantibus praerogatum, ut rationis capax divinae prudentiae, consilii ingeniique mereretur participium, arbitriique libertate donatus solius conditoris sui suspiceret voluntatem et revereretur imperium. qui astu diabolico misere deceptus, licet propter inobedientiae culpam privilegrium inmortalitatis amiserit, tamen scientiae et intelligentiae dignitatem adeo in posteritatis propaginem transtulit, ut quicunque curam sollicitudinemque addiderit, totius artis ingeniique capacitatem quasi haereditario iure adipisci possit.
Huiusmodi intentionem humana suscipiens sollertia, et in diversis actibus suis insistens lucris et voluptatibus, per temporum incrementa, tandem ad praedestinata christianae religionis perduxit tempora, factumque est, ut quod ad laudem et gloriam nominis sui condidit dispositio divina, in eius obsequium converteret plebs Deo devota.
Qua propter quod ad nostram usque aetatem sollers praedecessorum transtulit provisio, pia fidelium non neglegat devotio; quodque haereditarium Deus contulit homini, hoc homo omni aviditate amplectatur et laboret adipisci. quo adepto nemo apud se, quasi ex se et non aliunde accepto glorietur; sed in Domino, a quo et per quem omnia, et sine quo nihil, humiliter gratuletur, nec concessa invidiae sacculo recondat, aut tenacis armariolo cordis occultet, sed omni iactantia repulsa, hilari mente simpliciter quaerentibus eroget, metuatque evangelicam illius negotiatoris sententiam, qui domino suo reconsignare dissimulans mammonam foeneratam, omni beneficio privatus oris sui iudicio nequam servi promeruit notam.
Quam sententiam incurrere formidans ego indignus et pene nullius nominis homuncio, quod mihi gratis concessit, quae dat omnibus affluenter et non improperat, divina dignatio, cunctis humiliter discere desiderantibus gratis offero, et ut in me benignitatem dei recognoscant largitatemque mirentur, admoneo et ut idem, si opera addiderint, sibi praesto esse, procul dubio credant, insinuo. sicut enim homini quodcunque vetitumaut indebitum cuiuscunque modi ambitione attemptare, sive rapina usurpare, iniquum est et detestabile: sic iure debitum, et ex patre Deo haereditarium intemptatum negligere aut contemptui ducere, ignaviae adscribitur ac stultitiae.
Tu ergo quicunque es, fili carissime, cui Deus misit in cor, campum latissimum diversarum artium perscrutari, et ut exinde, quod libuerit colligas, intellectum curamque apponere, non vilipendas preciosa et utilia quaeque, quasi ea tibi sponte aut insperato domestica terra produxerit; quia stultus negotiator est, qui thesaurum subito fossa humo repererit, si illum colligere et servare neglexerit. quod si tibi arbusta vilia myrrham, thus et balsama producerent, seu fontes domestici oleum, lac et mella profunderent, sive pro urtica ot carduo ceterisque horti graminibus nardus et fistula diversorumque generum aromata crescerent, numquid his contemptis tanquam vilibus et domesticis ad extranea, nec meliora, sed fortassis viliora comparanda circuires terras et maria? et hoc te iudice grandis foret stultitia. quamvis enim soleant homines quaeque preciosa multo sudore quaesita, sumptuumque numerositate comparata, primo locoo reponere, summaque tueri cautela: tamen si forte interdum gratis occurrerint aut inveniantur paria seu meliora, non dissimili, imo maiori servantur custodia.
Qua propter, fili dulcissime, quem Deus omnino beatum fecit in hac parte, qua tibi gratis offeruntur, quae multi marinos secantes fluctus cum summo periculo vitae, famis ac frigoris artati necessitate, aut diuturna doctorum fessi servitute, nec defatigati discendi desiderio, intolerabili tamen acquirunt labore; hanc diversarum artium schedulam avidis obtutibus concupisce, tenaci memoria perlege, ardenti amore complectere.
Quam si diligentius perscruteris, illic invenies quicquid in diversorum colorum generibus et mixturis habet Graecia; quicquid in electrorum operositate, seu nigelli varietate novit Rusca; quicquid ductili vel fusili, seu interrasili opere distinguit Arabia; quicquid in vasorum diversitate, seu gemmarum ossiumve sculptura auro decorat Italia; quicquid in fenestrarum preciosa varietate diligit Francia; quicquid in auri, argenti, cupri et ferri, lignorum lapidumque subtilitate sollers laudat Germania.
Quae cum saepe relegeris et tenaci memoriae compessabis, ut, quoties labore meo bene usus fueris, ores pro me apud misericordiam Dei omnipotentis, qui scit, me nec humanae laudis amore, nec temporalis praemii cupiditate, quae digesta sunt, conscripsisse, aut invidiae livore preciosum quid aut rarum subtraxisse, seu mihi peculiariter reservatum conticuisse, sed in augmentum honoris et gloriae nominie eius multorum necessitatibus succurrisse et profectibus consuluisse.
TRANSLATION :
Christophorus, humble student, servant of the servants of God, unworthy of the name and profession of monk – wishes to all, who are willing to avoid and spurn idleness and the shiftlessness of the mind by the useful occupation of their hands and the agreeable contemplation of new things, the recompense of a heavenly reward! In the account of the creation of the world, we read that man was created in the image and likeness of God and was animated by the Divine breath, breathed into him. By the eminence of such distinction, he was placed above the other living creatures, so that, capable of reason, he acquired participation in the wisdom and skill of the Divine Intelligence, and, endowed with free will, was subject onlv to the will of his Creator, and revered His sovereignty.
Wretchedly deceived bv the guile of the Devil, through the sin of disobedience we lost the privilege of immortality, but, however, so far transmitted to later posterity the distinction of wisdom and intelligence, that whoever will contribute both care and concern is able to attain a capacity for all arts and skills, as if by hereditary right.
Human skill sustained this purpose and, in its various activities, pursued profit and pleasure and, finally, with the passage of time transmitted it to the predestined age of Christian religion. So, it has come about that, what God intended to create for the praise and glory of His name, a people devoted to God has restored to His worship.
Therefore, let not the pious devotion of the faithful neglect what the wise foresight of our predecessors has transmitted to our age; what God has given man as an inheritance, let man strive and work with all eagerness to attain. When this has been attained, let no one glorify himself, as if it were received of himself and not Another, but let him humbly render thanks to God, from Whom and through Whom all things are, and without Whom nothing is. Nor let him conceal what has been given in the cloak of envy, or hide it in the closet of a grasping heart. But, repelling all vain-glory, let him with a joyful heart and with simplicity dispense to all who seek, in fear of the Gospel judgment on that merchant who failed to restore to his master his talent with added interest, and, deprived of all regard, merited the censure from his master’s lips of being a wicked servant.
Fearful of incurring this judgment, I, an unworthy and frail mortal of little consequence, freely offer to all, who wish to learn with humility, what has freely been given me by the Divine condescension, which gives to all in abundance and holds it against no man. I exhort them to recognize God’s favour towards me and to appreciate His generosity, and I would have them know that they can be quite sure that the same things are at hand for themselves if they will add their own labour. For, as it is wicked and detestable for man in any man to strive after, or take by theft, what is forbidden or not intended for him, so, to fail to strive after what is rightfully his and an inheritance from God the Father, or to hold it in contempt, must be put down to laziness and foolishness.
Therefore, dearest son,- wherever you may be, whose heart is inspired by God to investigate the vast field of the various arts and apply your mind and care in order to gather from it what pleases you-do not despise useful and precious things, simply because your native earth has produced them for you of its own accord or unexpectedly. For, foolish is the merchant who suddenly finds a treasure in a hole in the ground and fails to pick it up and keep it. if the common vines were to produce myrrh, frankincense and balsam for you: if your native springs were to pour forth oil, milk and honey: if, instead of nettles and thistles and other weeds of the garden, nard, calamus and various spices grew, surely you would not still despise them as mean and homely, and voyage over lands and seas to procure foreign things, not better but probably more mean. This, you would consider to be great folly. For, however much men are accustomed to place in the first rank precious things that are sought with much toil and acquired at great expense, and to look after them with great solicitude, yet, if meanwhile they happen to find or come across things for nothing that are comparable or better, then they keep these with a similar, even greater care.
Wherefore, dearest son,-whom God has made wholly happy in this regard, in so far as those things are offered freely, for which many at the greatest peril of life plough the sea waves compelled to endure hunger and cold, or which others, wearied with long servitude in the schools and not exhausted by the . desire of learning, only acquire with intolerable labour-be eager and anxious to look at this little work on the various arts, read it through with a retentive memory, and cherish it with a warm affection. If you will diligently examine it, you will find in it whatever kinds and blends of various colours Greece possesses: whatever Russia knows of workmanship in enamels or variety of niello: whatever Arabia adorns with repouss6 or cast work, or engravings in relief: whatever gold embellishments Italy applies to various vessels or to the carving of gems and ivories: whatever France esteems in her precious variety of windows: whatever skilled Germany praises in subtle work in gold, silver, copper, iron, wood and stone.
When you have read through these things several times and commended them to a retentive memory, you will recompense me for the labour of instruction if every time you make good use of my work you pray to Almighty God to have mercy on me. He knows that I have ‘Written’ the things collected here out of no love for human approbation nor greed for temporal gain, and that I have not appropriated anything precious or rare nor kept silent about something reserved especially for myself from malice or envy, but that, to increase the honour and glory of His name, I have ministered to the necessities of the many and bad regard to their advantage.
