"MATINS" OR "MATTINS."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13844, 2 September 1908, Page 5

"MATINS" OR "MATTINS."

Sir,—ln your Local Gossip column of , , August 29 ''MtSrcufcio," quotes aa"Esteem- ■ ?| ': ed Correspondent," who-.takes exception ,to '"';' the word "mattins." on a church notice- - " ' board at To Aroha and Waihi. Tie says thi,t. „ "the word is a Roman Catholic term, and is , '- not to be found in the English Prayer Book; I*. r ,;. and' he further remarks that if the -" English - -••'?;,■■' "j sacerdotalists whoever they may 'bo—are ~,*,., going to copy '• the Roman Catholics they• ■ •■ t t" should Follow the orthodox spelling-. For the)' information of the esteemed correspondent* '"■ ; ,' ITcak leave to point out that the word £3 . not the monopoly of the Roman. Catholic*.'"■'■'■' .; It occupies a prominent ' place in «the Book ; ofrvOommon Prayer, at the head of "The Table of Proper Lessons," where it is spelled-.'. in tlio form to which he objects. "' Philip Walsh, Archdeacon* Sir,—Lest the dogmatic oock-suredness of ..'■_. a letter noticed in Saturday's Supplement ' should mislead the unwary, may I be allow-' ed to say that the word "mat-tins" does-, occur in the Book of Common Prayer, and '""■' that it is there spelled with two t's. I have consulted copies printed -by Cambridge, Ox- p ford, and tho King's printers, and they all .* agree in the spelling. I find that a reprint - of Queen Elizabeth's Prayer Book gives - ' "mattens," so does one printed in Charles),, ! ;-.''•",' title First's reign, of subsequent dates. I have consulted copies printed in the reign o£ ' > Queen Anne, the Georges, and various 19tli j century dates, and ■ they all so far give j "mattins" with two t's. '. ' • _ / W. Edward Lush. , , - Sir,—lf your correspondent.whom you quota in your Load Gossip column of Saturday's Supplement, will refer to the "Tables oE • Proper Lessons" for Sundays and for holy , . . days, ; and of " Proper Psalms on Certain , Days," in the Prayer Book; he will find the? word " niattins" used there. In any cat«, it is not easy to see the connection between " sacerdotalism "—whatever that may mcaui .—and the use of the word ."mattins." -.',-'.:'' G.K. : :"':■'■ -'.''.'■ : - ■•-';'.'■■•>/■■• '.' ; '.-:■■' ■■• .'■-. '■ '■; ■/':!;'.,'.'::■■:'■■ :-'-'Vt.-V ! ''<-'. ,I S-'3'S. i