Men and women came to the altar successively, in perfect order, and deposited below the lattice-work of pierced white marble, their baskets of wheat and grapes, incense, oil for the sanctuary lamps; bread and wine especially--pure wheaten bread, the pure white wine of the Tusculan vineyards.

There was here a veritable consecration, hopeful and animating, of the earth's gifts, of old dead and dark matter itself, now in some way redeemed at last, of all that we can touch or see, in the midst of a jaded world that had lost the true sense of such things, and in strong contrast to the wise emperor's renunciant and impassive attitude towards them.

Certain portions of that bread and wine were taken into the bishop's hands; and thereafter, with an increasing mysticity and effusion the rite proceeded.

Still in a strain of inspired supplication, the antiphonal singing developed, from this point, into a kind of dialogue between the chief minister and the whole assisting company-- SURSUM CORDA! HABEMUS AD DOMINUM.
GRATIAS AGAMUS DOMINO DEO NOSTRO!-- It might have been thought the business, the duty or service of young men more particularly, as they stood there in long ranks, and in severe and simple vesture of the purest white--a service in which they would seem to be flying [138] for refuge, as with their precious, their treacherous and critical youth in their hands, to one--Yes! one like themselves, who yet claimed their worship, a worship, above all, in the way of Aurelius, in the way of imitation.

Adoramus te Christe, quia per crucem tuam redemisti mundum!--they cry together.