the Blessed Virgin make this Hour one of
great beauty.

_Structure_, The structure of the Hour seems to point to its monastic
origin, "The reader begins, 'Pray, Father, a blessing' (jube, domne
benedicere); the blessing, 'The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and
a perfect end. Amen.' 'Noctem quietam....' Then follows a short lesson,
which the Father Abbot gave to his monks. 'Brethren, be sober and watch;
because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about,
seeking whom he may devour, whom resist ye, strong in faith. But Thou, O
Lord, have mercy on us.' And the monks answer 'Thanks be to God.'
'Fratres sobrii estote et vigilate....' Then the _Pater Noster_
(silently), and the presiding priest, who was the Abbot or his deputy,
said the confiteor and the choir answered _Misereatur_.... 'May Almighty
God have mercy upon thee and forgive thee thy sins, and bring thee to
life everlasting.' The choir then repeats the Confiteor and the priest
replies 'Misereatur vestri....' 'May Almighty God have mercy upon you,
forgive you your sins and bring you to life everlasting.'" Of course, in
private recitation, or where two or three recite the Office, these
prayers are said only once, and in the Confiteor, _tibi pater_ and _te
pater_ are omitted, and _nostri, nostris, nos, nostrorum, nobis_, are
said in the Misereatur and Indulgentiam.

Then the _Converte nos Deus.... At averte iram tuam.... Deus in
adjutorium.... Domine ad adjuvandum.... Gloria Patri_.... Antiphon
(begun only) and three psalms, which vary, are said, _Gloria
Patri_.... _Sicut erat_... being said at the end of each. _In
manus tuas_... is said twice. _Redemisti nos_. ... _Commendo
spiritum meum_; _Custodi nos_ ... _sub umbra_.... _Salva
nos_; _Nunc dimittis_.... _Gloria Patri, Salva nos Domine
vigilantes, custodi nos_... _pace_. (Preces are said here if
rubric orders; i.e., _Kyrie eleison, Christie eleison_... _ad te
veniat_); _Dominus vobiscum, Et cum_.... _Benedicamus Domino,
Deo gratias_; _Benedicat et custodiat nos omnipotens_. Amen;
then the anthem of the Blessed Virgin, _Alma Redemptoris Mater_
(from Saturday before first Sunday of Advent to the feast of the
Purification, inclusive) with its antiphon; in Advent, _Angelus
Domini_, response, _Et concepit_, Oremus and prayer, _Gratiam
tuam_, or with antiphon (after Advent) _Post partum_... and
response, _Dei genetrix, Oremus, Deus qui salutis_. After the
Purification, until Holy Thursday the anthe