EPISCOPAL. The vestments officially worn by a bishop in the exercise of his functions are numerous and partly general, partly peculiar to his office. A bishop fully vested for celebrating solemn mass wears (over a purple cassock or a black one with red buttons) amiee, alb, girdle, stole, maniple, tuniele. dalinatie, ehasuble, and mitre. and carries his pastoral staff in his hand. The ring and pectoral croFs which he wears at other times must also be included, as must the buskins or sandals and the gloves, which com plete the pontifical attire. There is also the premial reit, an embroidered cloth which is spread over his knees when he sits during the service. In other functions, such as confirma tion. he wears cope and mitre, with a stole for the administration of the sacraments: but if he wishes to administer e.g. confirmation less solemnly, he may wear simply the rochet. The mitre is the principal ornament peculiar to the episcopal office. It is a head-dress worn in sol emn services by bishops and by certain abbots who preside over specially distinguished monas teries known as 'mitred' abbeys. It may be de scribed as a tall. tornme-shaped cap, terminating in a twofold point, which is supposed to sym bolize the cloven tongues in the ,form of which the Holy Ghost came upon the Apostles. Two mitres are worn in pontifical functions; one called the precious or costly mitre, the other of plainer material and ornament. The imstoral staff or ero.:icr in the case of bishops resembles a shepherd's crook, and is given to them at their consecration as a symbol of the authority with which they are to rule their flocks. An arch bishop's pastoral staff does not differ from a bishop's; but he sometimes has carried in front of him a staff surmounted by a cross or crucifix —that of a patriarch having two cross-bars. An other vestment peculiar to archbishops is the pal/ium, a circular band of white woolen stuff surrounding the neck, with a pendent strip be fore and behind; the whole being marked with several crosses. It is a symbol of jurisdiction,
worn by the Pope and by him bestowed on arch bishops, who wear it at high mass on solemn days, but only within their own jurisdictions. The sandals were not originally confined to bishops; the earliest authors who mention them allude to a special shape worn by deacons and subdea•ons. Their early distinct liturgical use is an incidental proof that the vestments are derived from the costume of every-day life, not from that of the Jewish priests, who officiated barefoot. The pectoral cross is a small gold cross adorned with jewels, which is worn on the breast by bishops and abbots as a mark of their office. Innocent III. is the first author to men tion its use. The episcopal ring, worn on the right hand and generally set with a large ame thyst, is supposed to symbolize that the bishop is wedded to his diocese. Among less formal vestments, the rocket alluded to above is a close fitting vestment of linen, somewhat like a shorter alb or a surplice with tight sleeves; it is worn by bishops and abbots, also sometimes as a spe cial privilege by canons. The mozzetta is a short cape covering the shoulders, a part of the state dress of bishops when not pontificating, and is worn with the rocket. The mantelletto is a sleeveless garment of silk or woolen stuff reach ing to the knees, worn by cardinals, bishops. and other prelates. It is used to cover the rocket, so that bishops wear it when out of their own dioceses, the uncovered rocket being a symbol of jurisdiction. The other vestments worn by a bishop have already been described, with the manner of their use, except that. wearing the pectoral cross upon his breast, he does not cross the stole as a priest does when preparing to celebrate. The combination of dalmatic and tuniele with the chasuble is supposed to express the union of all the orders in the episcopal office.