MAGISTER SACRI PALATII (" Master of the Sacred Palace "): An official of the papal court, who unites the functions of chief chaplain and theological adviser of the pope. The first incumbent of this office is said to have been St. Dominic, and it is still filled invariably by a Dominican. Perceiving that the retainers of the cardinals and other dignitaries used to while away their time in idle amusements during the attendance of their masters on the pope, St. Dominic is said to have urged the pope to appoint some one to instruct them during these intervals in the Bible and in Christian doctrine. The saint himself was commissioned to do this, and met with such success that about 1218 Honorius III., according to tradition, established the office of Master of the Sacred Palace. The legendary character of this tradition, however, is evident from the fact that the first incumbent whose existence can be indubitably established was Bartholomaeus de Brigantiis, who filled the office about 1236 under Gregory IX. Gradually other duties were added to homiletic instruction, and, in collaboration with the cardinal-vicar, the Master of the Sacred Palace exercised a censorship over all books, while he also controlled the import and export, as well as the purchase and sale, of books in Rome, besides attending the sessions of the Congregation of the Index. These multifarious duties rendered the office of Master of the Sacred Palace very important. Its incumbent was a member both of the Holy Office and of the Congregation of Rites. In the course of time many of the duties and privileges of this official of the Sacred Palace became obsolete. The office has been filled by many Dominicans of distinction, such as Albertus Magnus (supposed to have held this position in 1255-56) and Thomas Aquinas (1262-68).

(O. Zöckler†.)

Bibliography: Fontana, Syllabus magiatrorum aacrfi palatii apostolici., Rome, 1863; J. Qudtif and J. chard, Scriptores ordinia prodicatorum, vol. ii., p. xxi., Paris, 1721; J. Catalani, De mapiatro aacri yalatid apostolicd, Rome, 1751; F. A. Zaccaria, La Come di Rome, vol. ii., ib. 1774; G. Phillips, Kirchenrecht, vi. 548, Regensburg, 1857 ; F. H. Reuech, Der Index der verbotenen Bfirher, passim, Bonn, 1883; H. DeniHe, in ALKG, ii (1888), 187-248; KL, viii. 183-185.

MAGNIFICAT: The common liturgical designation of the hymn of praise in Luke i. 46-55; so called from its initial word in the Latin. It is more formally called the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin, in accordance with the tradition which refers it to the lips of the Lord's mother, in verse 48. This tradition is based on all the Greek and the majority of the Latin manuscripts, and on countless ancient witnesses: notably Irenaeus (Hear. III., x. 2) and Tertullian (De anima, xxvi.), who confirm the tray ditionsl reading of verse 46. The authority for this designation has been recently questioned by G. Morin in his edition of the treatise De psalmodies bono, ascribed to Nicetas, bishop of Remeaiana in Dacia, about the close of the fourth century, which in two passages assumes Elisabeth to be the singer (for critical discussion see Revue B&kddidirte, xiv [1897], 385-397). Both on thin ground and on the ground of the other evidences for the reading "Elisabeth" in verse 46, as well as on internal evidence, Fr. Jacob challenges the received interpretation; while, independently of Morin and Jacob, it has been decisively contested by A. Harnack. On the other hand, the traditional view is supported by A. Durand, against Jacob and by O. Bardenhewer against Harnack. The controversy can not be here discussed in detail.

The use of the Magnificat in public worship dates back to the early Christian centuries. In the Eastern Church, it constitutes an element of the morning prayers. Between each verse is a response addressed to the Virgin. While it is being sung the deacon incenses the altar.

In the Western Church, the Magrtif cat certainly appears before 600, in the second Gallican liturgy, while Bingham (Origirtes, XV., ii. § 7 ) refers its introduction to Caesarius of Arles (d. in 542). Since the time of Gregory the Great or St. Benedict it has been assigned to the vesper service, which, as an "evening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving," culminates in the Magnifuat, corresponding to the Benedict2ta at lauds. While the Song of Zacharias proclaims the coming redemption, the Magnificat, at evening, celebrates the fulfilment of the promise. The Glorea patri, subjoined to the hymn, generalizes Mary's thanksgiving into the Church's. At the same time it receives a coloring appropriate to the special manifestation of salvation commemorated by the particular day or season, through the antiphon, which is sung entire both before and after it on all but the lowest class of festivals (see Antiphon).

With the vesper service the Evangelical Church also retained the Magnified, "f orasmuch as it is an excellent hymn of praise" (Kirchertordnung of Brunswick-Lüneburg, 1544). Along with the Latin

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version of the Magnificat, assigned to the choir, or instead of it, the German version was early used, in accordance with the Evangelical principle of having the congregation take part in divine wor ship. For instance, the Wittenberg Order of 1533 prescribes that "before a particular feast, and after the (afternoon) sermon, they shall sing the German Magnificat, as usual, with a German versicle, in the midst of the Church, with the people." In short, their first practise was to sing the plain Ger man version, adhering exactly to the Latin melody; afterward, the metrical Mageiftcut, paraphrased into the form of a German hymn: or both together, sometimes in the guise that each verse of the Latin, or German and Latin, Magniftcat would serve as "text," to be followed by a German hymn strophe by way of "elucidation." As concerning the liturgically musical presentation of the Magnificdt, the Roman Catholic cus tom is to sing it, whatever the psalm tone em ployed, somewhat higher and slower, in its quality of -a New Testament canticle, with a festival in tonation for each verse. The Evangelical Church in Germany adheres to this custom as regards the Latin Magniftcat; whereas, for the German version, it is usual to select the ninth psalm tone (tones peregrines). The Magnifical was made a favorite theme for artistic elaboration, and masters in every style of church music have applied their skill to it. In the Evangelical Church, also, the Magnifu;at is an attractive focus for the development and ex pansion of musical art.- Out of the practise of playing organ interludes between the verses, there grew up a special department of organ literature (see Organ). The structure of the text itself be comes an important factor in the development of Evangelical church music, and exhibits all forms and styles of the same, from the closed choral motet (as with Dietrich, Hassler, Vulpius, Frank, Cruger, etc.); or, in case of the metrical Magnifuat, from the polyphonic choral hymn, down to the highly elaborate cantata, comprising all modes of church music in one complicated artistic creation, such as Johann Sebastian Bach's quintet Magnificat. See Church Music.

H. A. Köstlin†.

Bibliography: F. Jacob, in Revue d'histoire et de Litterature religieuse, ii (1897), 424-432; A. Durand, in Revue biblaque, vii (1898), 74-77; A. Harnack, in SBA, xxvi (1900), 538-558; O. Bardenhewer, BibLische Studien, vi (1901), parts 1-2; H. A. Köstlin, in Zeitschrift für die NeuteatametttLiehe Wiseeaechaft, 1902, pp. 139 sqq.; Julian, Hprnnology, p. 711. Consult also: B. Thalhofer, Hand buch der katholischen Liturgik, ii. 478, Freiburg, 1883-90; S. Kiimmerle, Encyklopttdie der evangelischen Kirchere musik, ii. 124-127, 180-186, Gütersloh. 1890; G. Riet echel, Lehrbuch der Liturgik, pp. 345, 443, Berlin, 1899.