SEPULCHRE, Ecclesiastical, a receptacle for the blessed sacrament which is reserved, among the Latins, from the mass of Maundy-Thursday. There is a good example of an Eastern sepulchre in the north chapel of the Church of St. Mary, Haddenham, in Buckingham- shire, England.
SEPULCHRE, Regular Canons of, a religious or- der said to have been founded b}- Godfrey on the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. Many of these canons journeyed into Europe; but the order was suppressed by pope In- nocent VIII, and its revenues were ultimately bestowed on the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. According to Broughton, the suppression of the order did not extend to Poland. — Eadie, Eccles. Cyclop, s. v.
Sepulveda, Juan Ginez i>e, a Spanish writer, was born at Cordova in 1491 (or 1490). He assisted cardi- nal Cajetan at Naples in the revision of the Greek Tes- tament. In 1529 he went to Rome, and in 1536 was ap- pointed chaplain and historiographer to Charles V. He is memorable for writing a Vindication of the Cruelties of the Spaniards against the Indians. Charles V sup- pressed the publication of the work in his dominions, but it was published in Rome. He died at Salamanca in 1572. He was the author of various works besides the one mentioned, in particular of some Latin Letters : — .4 Translation from Aristotle, with Notes: — .4 Life of Charles V and Philip. II, printed together at Madrid (1780, 4 vols. 4 to).
Sequence. 1. The later name of the pneiima, a melodious and varied prolongation of the Hallelujah. 2. The announcement of the Gospel of the day when taken from the middle of the (iospels, but called inifium when the opening words were to follow. On the four days of Holy Week the words '• The Passion of our Lord Je- sus Christ" replaced the ordinary sequence, or initial. 3. The name for a hymn in metre. See Prose; Se- quences.
SEQUENCES
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SERAIAH
Sequences. In chanting the Graduule in the IMass it was customary to prolong the last syllables of the Hallelujah through a succession of notes without words, which were termed sequences, when considered in their combination, and Jubila or jubilaiiones with reference to their character. They were intended to indicate that feeling had reached a point at which it was too strong for expression. The difficulty of retaining a long series of notes in the memory led to efforts for devising mne- monic helps, which eventually resulted in the adoption of suitable rhythmical language in Latin prose to fit the music — Notker Balbulus (q. v.; died 912), a monk of St. Gall, being especially distinguished in accomplish- ing this kind of work. The idea was suggested to him by some verses which were modulated or fitted to the series of tones in an antiphonarium belonging to a fugi- tive priest of Gimedia. He attempted to improve on them, and with such success that his teacher, Marcellus, a Scotchman, had his verses collected and sung by his jiupils; and also persuaded Notker to dedicate his work to some prominent personage and give it to the world. Notker thus became the originator of an edifying ele- ment of worship, which was approved by the popes and speedily introduced into wider circles; and as he not only used the succession of tones already current — the metten- sis mujor and minor, the Romana and A moma — but also composed new series of notes, he became the creator of an elevating, melodious choir music which was insert- ed in the Mass. Each piece was divided into several parts and provided with an a[ipropriate conclusion ; and, in like manner, the text, which was everywhere adapt- ed to the melody, consisted of a number of shorter or longer sections. A poetic character was thus naturally given to the text, and such compositions were conse- quently called " hymns" — a term that is not misplaced when applied to those written by Notker. They were liymns of praise in which the leading features of a fes- tival, the faithful support of the Almighty God, the Ke- deemer's merits, the dignity of the Blessed Virgin, etc., are fervently presented; while ni their intent they were a continuation of the Hallelujah in the Gradual, though they might also be separately employed.
These sequences were introduced into use in Ger- many, England, France, and other countries. Notker's works became the type, and imitations in great number followed, until they were employed to edify the peo|)le at every festival; and more than one hundred were con- tained in the mass-books. The revised Roman Missal contains but five — viz. one to the Paschal lamb, intend- ed for Easter; one for Pentecost {\'eni Sancte Spirit us) ; one for Corpus-Christi Day {Lauda, Sion, Salcutorem, by Thomas Aquinas); one intended to glorify the Ma- ter Dolorosa (the celebratetl Stubat Mater by .Jacopo- nus) ; and one for use in masses pro defunctis, Thomas de Celano's judgment-hymn Dies Irce, The last two are most unlike the early sequences, as the Hallelujah could not be chanted with them; but they are at bottom ju- bilee hymns like the others. — Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s. V.
Sequential^ is the name given to the book in which the sequences (q. v.) were contained. It was necessary to the Church so long as a complete missal comprehending all parts of the mass was not in use; af- ter this had been provided the sequentiale was retjuired only by the singers.