ginning. The verso of each leaf, as in many Syriac MSS., is marked with a diamond of black dots in the upper outer corner. Abbreviations are rare, except in the church-lesson notes, in which they are the rule. Otherwise, they are confined almost entirely to the words for "glory," with its derivatives, and to that for "disciples." Vowels of the Greek sort are not rare throughout the MS. Some of these are of the first hand; others were apparently added by some late reader to guide his voice. Grammatical diacritic punctuation is frequent enough to keep the sense generally clear. Vocalization by points is neither rare nor very In some portions of the MS. are to be seen specimens of the peculiar compound voweling noted in Wiseman's Hora Syriaca, pages 191-193; which also occurs rarely in the Peshitto portion of common. the Beirut MS. The writing is generally done with considerable care and accuracy. Wherever words or letters have been omitted, or other slips made, the correction has been made generally by the original scribe or a contemporary hand, either above or below the line, or in the margin, with a proper reference mark (usually a small diamond of black dots). Ornaments scarcely occur at all. The only thing of the sort is the diamond, composed of dot-diamonds, which surrounds the quinionumber at the beginning and end of each quire; besides here and there some dot-diamonds to fill out a line, and a few ornamental tails to letters likewise attached for the purpose of filling a short blank at the end of a line. The writing is continuous, without any break from the beginning to the end of a book. The (Jacobite) church-lessons are noted in vermilion letters (with the diacritic points in black), in the body of the text; these rubrics being much abbreviated. The numbers of these lessons, as they now appear, though written in Estrangela, are in a different ink and a much later hand than the rest of the MS.; and in many places there are evidences in them not only of a re-writing, but of an erasure before re-writing. In a few places the older number is still legible; but whether its writing is contemporary with the first scribe cannot now be determined. The MS. was doubtless originally provided with the Syriac section (L) numbers, written mostly in red. But of these numbers only the following now remain: In Matthew, 17, 19, 20, 22; in Mark, I (written in black), 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12; in Luke, 2, 6 (written in black), 11, 22 (written erroneously 25 or 26, it being uncertain whether an Estrangela he or waw has accidentally replaced the re quired beth); in John, 12. These numbers are generally, but not always, written exactly at the beginning of the section to which they belong; but they always mark the page or column on which the divi sion occurs. The titles and subscriptions to the Gospels are very simple in form. The following is a translation of those that are still present: Subscription to Matthew: "Ends the Gospel of Matthew the Apostle, which he spoke in Hebrew in Palestine." Title to Mark: "Holy Gospel, the preaching of Mark the Evangelist." Subscription to Mark: "End of the preaching of Mark, which he spoke in Latin in Rome." Title to Luke: "Holy Gospel, the preaching of Luke the Evangelist." Subscription to Luke: "Ends the Holy Gospel, the preaching of Luke, which he spoke in Greek in Alexandria the Great." The Title to John: "Holy Gospel, the preaching of John the Apostle." Besides the titles and subscriptions, it seems best to give the churchlesson notes in full. Technical students will find it of value. numbers are given as they occur in the MS.; in which the reader will perceive some continued mistakes. Generally, the numbers are those of a late hand; but the few instances in which they are (still) legible in an older hand are marked with a*. Sometimes, but very rarely, the older and the later hands are both legible. In a few instances there is an illegible spot. Such are denoted either by .. or by a conjectural supply of the deficiency in brackets. PASSAGE. List of Church-Lessons. LESSON. xxi. 23. Of Tuesday of [Passion] week, at vespers; and 13th of xxi. 33. xxii. I. xxii. 15. xxii. 23. xxii. 34. xxiii. I. xxiii. 25. xxiv. I. Resurrection.1 Of Stephen, at vespers; and of the martyrs, at vespers. Of Passion Monday, at midday. Of the Saturday of Rest, at matins; and of the departed, at vespers. Of Passion Tuesday, at matins. Of Passion Monday, at matins. And Monday of Passion week, at the third hour; and of the martyrs, at the oblation. At vespers of the Feast of the Cross; . . . of the Resurrection, at matins. 1 That is, 13th Sunday; 12th Sunday after Easter. Where a number occurs without the name of the day, it stands for a Sunday. NO. PASSAGE. LESSON. 60. Matt. xxiv. 34. Of the Supplication. Of the Priests, at vespers. Approach to the gate ( Uilab, ojo? ).1 Of Bishops and Priests, at the oblation. Of Friday of Confessors, at matins; and of the vigils of the brethren, at vespers. Of Thursday of the Mysteries, at vespers. Of Thursday of the Mysteries, at matins. Of the great season of the night of the Crucifixion. Of the third hour of the Crucifixion. Of the Saturday of Annunciation, at vespers. Of the Saturday of Annunciation, at matins. Of the second Sunday of the Resurrection, at vespers. Of the Ascension, at the oblation. Of the Season of the Epiphany, at vespers. 16. 56 66 viii. 28. Of the Dedication of a church, at the oblation. 17. 18. 19. 888 66 ix. 42. X. I. Of the Resurrection, at vespers; and of the Prophets, at matins; and of the Tabernacles. Of the Saturday of Rest, at vespers. Of the tenth Sunday of the Resurrection, at matins. Of the twenty-fourth of the Resurrection, at vespers; and of the Supplications. Of the nineteenth of the Resurrection, at matins. 1 In explaining this term, Castel's Lexicon makes a very gross mistake in citing J. S. Assemani, under the word, p. 237. For Castel's (or Michaelis's) usque ad hanc dominicam," read "usque ad hoc tempus appellatur Syris." This feast was one day only. To explain the matter fully would take too much space here. LESSON. x. 32. Of the twenty-ninth Sunday, at matins; and of the thirtythird of the Passion, of the first ministration of the night. Of Hosanna, at matins. Of Passion Tuesday, of the second ministration of the night. Of Passion Tuesday, in the night, at the third ministration. Of the night of Passion Tuesday, at the fourth ministration; Of the fourth night. Of Saint (Holy) Mûrûn. [The patron saint of the Maronites.] Of Thursday of the Mysteries, at the oblation. Of the second ministration of the night of the Crucifixion. Of the Annunciation of (to) Zacharias, at vespers. Of the Annunciation of (to) Zacharias, at matins. Of the Annunciation of (to) the Mother of God (Deipara). 66 31. 32. 66 66 33. 34. 66 xvi. 12. I. i. I. 66 2. [3.2] 66 45568 W 3. i. 39. 4. 5. 6. 7. ii. 33. Of the entry of Our Lord to the Temple, at vespers. 8. Of the Sunday after the Nativity, at vespers. Of the Epiphany, at the oblation. iii. 15. Of the Sunday after Nativity, at matins. II. iii. 23. Of the first Sunday of Nativity, at matins. iv. I. Of the Sunday that Lent comes in, at the oblation. iv. 25. iv. 31. V. I. v. 27. vi. 6. vii. 1. vii. II. vii. 18. Of the fifth Sunday after Epiphany, at matins. Of the fifth Sunday of Lent, at vespers. 1 If this is the right rendering, there is an error in the number (gomal-lomad for lomad-gomal). But if not an error, it is an abbreviation which I cannot solve, unless it be for "revelation," which makes no sense. If the lomad were absent, it would mean "Tuesday," which may be the right meaning. 2 This number has been erased, but can still be made out. 8 Numbers 21 to 29 (inclusive), following, were written 31 to 39, but have been NO. PASSAGE. Luke vii. 36. 22. 23. 24. 25. viii. I. viii. 40. ix. 1. ix. II. ix. 27. ix. 51. x. 17. x. 25. xỉ. I. xi. 23. xi. 37. xi. 52. xii. 16. xii. 31. LESSON. Of the Thursday night of the mysteries, of the second time. Of John the Baptist, at the oblation. Of the oblation, of any day. Of the Feast of Tabernacles, at matins. Of the sixth Sunday of the Resurrection, at vespers. Of the sixth Sunday of the Resurrection, at matins. Of the Passion, at the third hour; and twenty-sixth of the xii. 49. Of the twenty-third of the Resurrection, at matins; and of xiii. 1. xiii. 10. xiii. 18. xiii. 31. xiv. 7. Of the twenty-first of the Resurrection, at vespers. Of the twenty-fifth of the Resurrection, at matins. Of the night of Wednesday of Passion week, at the first Of Passion Tuesday, at the ninth hour. Of the twelfth of the Resurrection, at matins; and of the xiv. 25. Of the twenty-first of the Resurrection, at matins; and of XV. I. XV. II. xv. 33. xvi. 19. xvii. 5. Of the fourteenth of the Resurrection, at matins. Of the Wednesday of Rest, at matins; and twenty-seventh Of the Thursday of Rest, at vespers. Of the thirty-first of the Resurrection, at vespers. Of the sixteenth Sunday of the Resurrection, at matins. Of the night of Passion Tuesday, at the third ministration, xviii. I. Of Passion Thursday, at matins. xviii. 35. xix. I. xix. II. xix. 28. Of the sixth Sunday of Lent, at the oblation. Of the eleventh of the Resurrection, at matins. Of the Priests; and twenty-fourth of the Resurrection, at Of the Hosanna, in the night. xix. 47. Of Passion Monday, at vespers. corrected by erasing the upper end of the lomad, so as to make it read 'ee. But |