Hearken here, Epistemon, my little bully, dost not thou hold him to be very resolute in his responsory verdicts?
These shall be four in number, with the chanter saying the "Glory be to the Father" in the fourth responsory only, and all rising reverently as soon as he begins it.
After the fourth responsorylet the Abbot begin the hymn "We praise You, O God.
The ferial preces of Lauds are found in the Breviary, immediately after the second set of Psalms for ferial Lauds and after the short responsory in the psalm arrangements for the days of the week.
At the end of the third, sixth and eighth lesson the Gloria Patri with a repetition of part of the responsory is said.
In Passiontide the Gloria Patri is not said, but the responsory is repeated ab initio.
At those primitive vigils, then, after the reading of the Sacred Scripture, the responsory was given by the precentor and the assembled faithful took up the words and chanted them forth in the same simple melody.
The manner of reciting this responsory is sometimes not correctly understood, owing, perhaps, to its printed form in some Breviaries.
But if the Office be not any of these mentioned just now, the responsory is followed by the Preces.
In this responsorythe versicle Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris is sometimes changed, e.
It is said in the second responsory in offices of three lessons only.
This responsory system of reading Holy Scripture is still retained in its old form in the case of the Ten Commandments when read in the Communion service.
One of the principal changes made in revising the Prayer-book in 1549 was the setting forth of longer Lessons with responsory canticles sung at the end only.
The Benedictus has been used as a responsory canticle to the Gospel Lessons from very ancient times as the daily memorial of the Incarnation.
