vigils was, as a whole, regularly constituted and well known" (Baudot,
p.64). These vigils were held in cenacles or upper rooms of houses.
During the days of persecution these meetings were not infrequent and
were held secretly in crypts, catacombs, private houses and at martyrs'
tombs. In times of peace they were held everywhere, in churches,
monasteries, castles.

Vigils are divided into two classes, major and minor; major vigils are
the vigils of Christmas, Epiphany and Pentecost, and they are called
privileged vigils and are celebrated as semi-doubles. The vigils of
Christmas and Pentecost are privileged vigils of the first class. The
vigil of Epiphany is a privileged vigil of the second class. All others
are minor or non-privileged vigils.




TITLE VII.-OCTAVES.

_Etymology and nature_. The word "octave" is from the Latin _octavus_
(eighth) because, in the early ages of Christianity, the Church
celebrated the eighth day only after the celebration of the feast
itself; not until the twelfth century was the custom of a commemoration
on each of the eight days introduced. We have, probably, an example of
this still in our Breviaries. The feast of St. Agnes is celebrated on
21st January and on 28th it is mentioned at Vespers and Lauds only, and
the name in old Roman service books is _Octavo, S. Agnetis_. The origin
of the octave is Jewish. We read in the Old Testament that God ordered
that the Feasts of Pasch and Pentecost should be celebrated for eight
days. So, too, the Feast of Tabernacles lasted for eight days, the first