The Roman Breviary by John, Marquess de Bute

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StGerardMajella

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I was wondering if anyone has prayed the Divine Office using The Roman Breviary by John, Marquess de Bute (English translation) circa 1908. Sample of 1 of the 4 volumes here:

archive.org/details/theromanbreviary02unknuoft

Questions:
  • Where can one obtain a hardbound copy of all 4 volumes? I saw that Kessinger Publishing has reprints of 2 of the 4 volumes on Amazon. Where can one find an original from 1908 of the entire 4 volumes?
  • How does this particular Roman Breviary differ from the 1962 pre-Vatican 2 Divine Office?
  • Likes, dislikes?
Finally, if you wanted to pray the Divine Office in the manner and form that the majority of the saints through the centuries prayed, would you utilize this Roman Breviary or would you choose another version?

If so, what version would you choose and why?
 
The Divine Office has been subject to constant tinkering througout the ages, even more so than the Roman Missal. Whatever form you use, if it were duly authorized, you can be assured of the probability that some saint somewhere used it.

Despite the preface Quod a nobis, which threatened the wrath of St. Peter and Paul on anyone who would dare to change it, the Roman Breviary was subjected to a major revision by Pope St. Pius X and Pope Pius XI. This involved a major and radical (and I mean radical) redistribution of the Psalter, suppression of Votive Offices, omission of the centuries-old suffrages and collects of Lauds and Vespers, and so on. It also totally suppressed any previous version, including the Pian Breviary on which Bute’s translation was based.

In the early 1960’s, Pope Bl. John XXIII authorized a revision and simplification of the rubrics of the Roman Breviary, which also involved shortening both the length and number of Matins lessons from 9 to 3.

I know of no plans to republish the 4 volume edition of Bute’s translation of the Breviary. I was given a 1 volume reprint issued after his death.

Somewhere the 4 volume version is available on line free for the download, but I can’t tell you where.

The particular advantage of Bute’s version is his inclusion of the Roman Martyrology, traditionally read at Prime. Recently this office, as you know, was suppressed.
 
Great answer, Cluny - Thank you. All the changes are enough to make one’s head spin.

What I am after is the most “authentic”, widely used Roman Breviary, preferably with an English translation if possible. The Liturgy of the Hours is too watered down for my taste.

For some reason, it is very disturbing to me that there has been so much tinkering with the Divine Office over the decades and centuries.
 
Why should it be disturbing?

Do you think the Divine Office was engraved on tablets of stone and delivered from Mt. Sinai?

The raw materials of the Divine Office–psalms, Biblical canticles, hymns, readings, and prayers–have always been the same in its various forms, both East and West.

Only particulars and arrangement have differed in time and place.

It’s supposed to be prayer, not an exercise in correctness; the Opus Dei, not the onus (burden) dei.

It’s living prayer, not a dead, fossilized rite.

And even in the Western Church, the Roman Breviary was not everywhere used. For example, the Monastic rite (used by Benedictines, Cistercians, and Carthusians) was quite different. The major monastic orders had their own use. And when you get to the Ambrosian and Mozarabic rites, they were even more different from the Roman.

And what do you mean by “authentic” in this context?

As one bishop said, “The liturgy has never been ‘pure’, in the sense of being celebrated exactly in one century as it was in the previous one.”
 
Cluny - I am aware of the different monastic orders having their own version of the Divine Office, and I am fine with that. In fact, I have a Monastic Diurnale (Benedictine) that is one of my favorite prayer books.

The main issue that I have is that the Liturgy of the Hours - while certainly easy to read and generally pleasant to read - appears to me to be quite watered down and lacks rigor. The Psalter is much different from the Book of Psalms in the Douay-Rheims, for example. Even the traditional, “Glory Be” is watered down.

Even changing from saying the whole Psalter in a week to now a month seems to me to be a bit lax.

As you put it, the “major and radical (and I mean radical) redistribution of the Psalter, suppression of Votive Offices, omission of the centuries-old suffrages and collects of Lauds and Vespers, and so on” is disheartening to me.

I think - personal opinion - that we lose something by making things too easy. Prayer is not supposed to be instant gratification. It’s a conversation with God, and to me, that implies reverence and a certain amount of discipline. (I think I was a Carthusian in another life, lol.)

Just a personal preference, not an edict. I would prefer a more rigorous, traditional Divine Office than a watered down version. Bute seems to be pretty close to what I am looking for - Now if I can just find a nice copy that doesn’t cost me an arm and a leg.
 
I should think that, among the various Breviaries past and present floating around, that the Monastic Office would show the longest traditional usage.

Is it just the Diurnal you have (there are two editions of that), or do you have the separate Monasatic Matins as well?
 
Let’s see…I have the Monastic Diurnale from St. Michael’s Abbey Press. I have never been able to find a copy of the Monastic Matins just yet, but would love to get a copy.

Actually - if I could get a copy of the Monastic Matins - that would be perfect, because I could just stick with learning the Monastic Diurnale, which is pretty traditional for my taste.
 
StGerardMajella said:
Let’s see…I have the Monastic Diurnale from St. Michael’s Abbey Press. I have never been able to find a copy of the Monastic Matins just yet, but would love to get a copy.

Actually - if I could get a copy of the Monastic Matins - that would be perfect, because I could just stick with learning the Monastic Diurnale, which is pretty traditional for my taste.
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Here’s a link to Monastic Matins, in a format similar in size to both editions of the Diurnal.

andrewespress.com/matins.html

I was given a copy of it. It’s a great resource in and of itself for Scripture and Patristic readings.

You might want to explore other links on this page.

This site and its products are of particular interest to Western Rite Orthodox (they exist!) and traditional Anglo-Catholics.
 
I think the most important thing to remember is that the Divine Office is first and foremost the Prayer of the Church. Its numerous changes (of greater or lesser magnitude) have been made, all by competent authority, to ensure that the Office fits the mission of the Church.

The different uses of the Office came about because in different communities different needs arose - the monastic office is far more rigorous than the liturgy of the hours, for instance, because in general individual monks don’t have to chair parish council meetings, confirm babies, deliver marriage preparation classes, visit hospitals or counsel prisoners. Secular (and numerous religious) priests, on the other hand, frequently struggle to find time to meet both their obligations to pray even the simplified office and complete their ministerial work.

As a lay Dominican I agree that it can often feel a bit more like the “liturgy of the minutes”, but there’s nothing stopping us from expanding the prayers (such as by praying them more slowly, or with chant, or in Latin etc) or praying other prayers in addition to the prescribed hours (I once tried saying the five hours, the rosary, the divine mercy chaplet, the chaplet for the poor souls in purgatory, and various other devotions all during a full working day).
 
Cluny - Thank you for the link. I read a review of this particular version of Monastic Matins, and it seemed to indicate that it was more closely associated with the Anglicans, and used the KJV of the Bible.

Do you know if there is a thoroughly Roman Catholic - Benedictine version of Monastic Matins? I heard St. Abbey’s Press might come out with a version, but that this has been delayed. Can you point me in the right direction? I would love to get a copy.

(Should I even be hesitant that this version of Monastic Matins uses the KJV?)

Toribus - Thank you for the comments. I appreciate it. One of the positives of the LOTH is that it is generally easy to read for a lay person like myself, and pretty straightforward to follow. It’s a great resource for me, but I am now ready to start using a more rigorous version of the Divine Office - I think Cluny’s suggestion to use the Monastic Diurnal and the Monastic Matins is a great suggestion and fits right with what I am looking for.
 
I think the most important thing to remember is that the Divine Office is first and foremost the Prayer of the Church. Its numerous changes (of greater or lesser magnitude) have been made, all by competent authority, to ensure that the Office fits the mission of the Church.
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I was thinking much the same thing earlier today

There has always been an evolutionary process in Liturgy, and especially in the Divine Office.

Forms and disciplines that bore great spiritual fruit in one time and place may not be so felicitous in other times and other places.
 
Even changing from saying the whole Psalter in a week to now a month seems to me to be a bit lax.
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I forgot to mention that in the Ambrosian Office, the Psalms are distributed on a 2 week cycle, and have always been.

Historically in most secular forms of the Divine Office, only selected Psalms were used.

You might find this site interesting:

kellerbook.com/
 
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

Though I am a convert to Orthodoxy, I hope you will welcome me. For most of my life, I was Roman Catholic, and an avid student (and “pray-er”) of the Divine Office, with a special love for the Lord Bute’s pioneering translation of the Roman Breviary. Though I may be a day late and a dollar short, I’d like to attempt (in my own poor way to answer some questions posed by StGerardMajella.
  1. I have been privileged to use the Marquess’ translation numerous times; and, though it is indeed rigorous (as is the Latin original), I always found it a profoundly prayerful experience.
  2. Incidentally, The Roman Roman Breviary appeared in two editions; the first in 1879 (in two volumes); the second, in 1908, (in the standard four volumes.)
  3. As to obtaining hardcopy editions of this work today; this is problematic for a number of reasons. I was able to obtain the four-volume 1908 edition in 1981; from Blackwell’s Booksellers in Oxford; at a price of around $85. By the end of the '90’s, the printed work had become extremely rare, and single volumes were priced at around $400 each. So, I also rejoice in the scanned version available at the Internet Archive. My own printed version was regrettably destroyed in a flood.
  4. If you’re still interested in the printed version, I think Blackwell’s Booksellers in Oxford remains your best bet.
  5. The differences between any pre-1913 Roman Breviary and current practice are far too numerous and weighty to describe here. (These differences would require a book.) One example: The Roman Breviary of the Marquess of Bute includes the traditional Psalter ascribed to Pope St Damasus (4th century.) This disappeared in the West following 1913, after nearly 16 centuries of use.
  6. Historically, there can be very little doubt that the majority of saints bound to the Roman Breviary, used the version reflected in the Marquess of Bute’s translation. (We must not forget, however, the thousands of monastic saints who used the traditional Monastic Breviary.)
  7. But, is this the right version for you? I have no way to answer that. This version of the Breviary, in English or Latin, requires a tremendous amount of time each day; at the very least, some 3 or 4 hours, compared to the hour or so required by the current Liturgystain of the Hours. I’m not saying you couldn’t sustain this. But I never could.
  8. There are also some techical, canonical questions regarding its use, but I need to consult wiser heads than my own…
Sorry for the length of this. When all is said and done, prayer is prayer, so long as it is genuine and grounded in the truth. The Marquess of Bute’s translation remains a masterpiece; and, if it is too burdensome or otherwise not suited to contemporary use, it remains a vast treasury for contemplation.

Pray for your poor brother, Nikolai
p.martinus@yahoo.com
 
StGerardMajella said:
Cluny - Thank you for the link. I read a review of this particular version of Monastic Matins, and it seemed to indicate that it was more closely associated with the Anglicans, and used the KJV of the Bible.

Do you know if there is a thoroughly Roman Catholic - Benedictine version of Monastic Matins? I heard St. Abbey’s Press might come out with a version, but that this has been delayed. Can you point me in the right direction? I would love to get a copy.

(Should I even be hesitant that this version of Monastic Matins uses the KJV?)

Toribus - Thank you for the comments. I appreciate it. One of the positives of the LOTH is that it is generally easy to read for a lay person like myself, and pretty straightforward to follow. It’s a great resource for me, but I am now ready to start using a more rigorous version of the Divine Office - I think Cluny’s suggestion to use the Monastic Diurnal and the Monastic Matins is a great suggestion and fits right with what I am looking for.
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The Monastic Diurnal is the prayer of most Benedictine communities, when I am at the Abbey I’m an Oblate of, we use the Monastic Diurnal (and other communities i’ve visited, the Benedictines are lovely people, I’m always welcomed as a Brother and even addressed as one), however some communities do use the Brevarium Romanum (I’ve never heard the new LOTH used). The version of Matins that Cluny posted, does seem to be more towards the Anglican Benedictines, however the office is almost the same (I think there are slight differences, but these will only be slight).

If anyone is looking for a traditional Monastic office, attempt to get the Monastic Diurnal, but the Psalter is intense, and very long (it wont take you that long to get through all 150 Psalms, I can’t tell you exactly, I don’t pray the Minor Hours only Matins, Lauds, Vespers and Compline, and sometimes Prime, None and Sext depending if i’m on retreat, where I end up praying more hours), and learn how to Chant it, believe me, it takes longer but you immerse yourself deeper in the Psalms, and learn to appreciate them more.

God Bless you all
 
Check the lulu.com. Someone from England printed the Bute Breviary if full (5 volumes, the common of Saints is separated) . The price is reasonable, the break into 5 volume is cumbersome, probably it was necessity. You may see copies from that print at the Amazon.com

Bute is specifically English edition, close to fifty offices of the universal Church, among them Sundays are missing for specific English offices.

Be prepared that to pray that pre 1911 version full, you need 1.5 - 2.0 hours daily.

Check instead the Anglican Breviary (that is the post 1911 version around $70) or wait for the Baronius bilingual till August (that is the 1962 version $350)
 
StGerardMajella,

Greeting.

I currently have in my possession, all four volumes of the 1908 english translation of the Roman Breviary. All four hardback volumes are in fair to good condition. I do have pictures available, yet i must transfer them to my computer in order to post them.

I have only found one of the volumes available that was for sale.
abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=4114388652&searchurl=kn%3Dbreviary%2B1908%26sortby%3D1%26x%3D0%26y%3D0

I am willing to except the price of that Spring volume, times three. For a total of $750 plus the price for shipping from a local and reputable rare book store. I am currently in the Salt Lake area and if you know of someone local who will mediate this transaction, you will be able to save in that handling expense.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Pax,
Mister Blu
 
Cluny said:
I was thinking much the same thing earlier today

There has always been an evolutionary process in Liturgy, and especially in the Divine Office.

Forms and disciplines that bore great spiritual fruit in one time and place may not be so felicitous in other times and other places.
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I’m with you on this. I am a Benedictine Oblate and pray the Divine Office daily. I use the same monastic schema as my abbey. They use a post-Vatican II Monastic psalter, with all 150 psalms in a week. I use an approved 2-week version. On occasion when particularly busy or traveling I revert to the current 4-week LOTH. I use the same 2-year lectionary for Vigils as my abbey. For my purposes, the Divine Office needs to be in unity with the Church, hence an approved Office should be used (it is), and in unity with my monastic community.

That said, for the OP, indeed I agree with you Cluny (great username by the way!) that the Monastic Office is the most “traditional” one if that’s what the OP wants. Even better, that office is still alive and well; it is used at Solesmes and St. Wandrille in France, and it is the post-Vatican II version that is used; that means, same psalter as St. Benedict (except with the psalms of Prime distributed through the other minor hours), but the modern liturgical year and the same collects, prayers, etc. as the current LOTH.

To pray that Office, all books are available. The Monastic Antiphonary was recently revised starting in 2005, and all the day hours are now available. The Monastic Psalter (in Latin) is available from Solesmes and also includes Vigils. It can be a bit awkward to use especially for feasts. There’s a Latin-French version (which I use as my mother tongue is French). It most certainly isn’t “watered down”. You can also buy on-line the 1895 Liber Responsorialis for antiphons for feasts, etc., which are still used. Most abbeys, incidentally, recite Vigils recto-tono at least on ordinary days, although the Carthusians do chant it.

You correctly point out that the Divine Office has evolved over time. The 1910 reforms of Pius X were the beginning of reforms to make the LOTH more suitable for diocesan clergy. Until then, the diocesan clergy, bound to the Office, were praying an office essentially designed for monastic communities and cathedral chapters. It didn’t fit well with busy clergy doing multiple Masses, doing daily funerals, baptisms, sick calls, etc. The clergy had been clamoring for reforms for ages. When first Pius X, then Paul VI finally delivered, particularly now it is the laity whining about how it became “watered down”.

While the laity are encouraged to pray the Office, it is primarily for those bound to the Office and we have to accept that their needs should come first. The Church wisely retains Offices for those who recite the Office in choir, and those with busy external apostolates or for secular clergy. In any event now it is possible to chant the current 4-week schema in Gregorian chant, new books for that have come out in the last 4 years.

I want to say from my own perspective that even the 4-week LOTH is not a picnic for myself in professional life, and I consider using the 2-week version of my abbey’s monastic Office almost heroic. I have to get up at 5:30 am to be able to do it, and I put in 11 hour days commuting/working. If I use the 4-week LOTH I can basically get up a half hour later.

Therefore I would never ever complain about the 4-week version being “too watered down”. It meets the need of the Church for a specific time and place, as the Divine Office should.

I do have a pre-Vatican II monastic breviary, a gift from my spiritual director (I asked him what the pre-VII Office was like and on one of my later visits with him, he presented me with an old copy from the monastery’s cellars… love the guy!). But I use it more for historical research, although it would be a practical book to use to pray Matins recto-tono or recited silently, accompanied by the current breviary for the prayers, etc.

I agree with you, in short, that the Divine Office is the living, breathing prayer of the Church. I see much benefit in using an approved version, so one can fully participate in the liturgical life of the Church.

Fortunately for those of a traditionalist mind, there are basically 3 options that are approved:
  1. The 1960 Roman Breviary (which is by no means traditional as it was only a 50 y.o. Office at its publication)
  2. The pre-Vatican II Monastic breviary, still in use at places like Clear Creek abbey in Oklahoma, Fontgombault in France, to name 2
  3. The current Benedictine Monastic Schema A which is the pre-Vatican II breviary but adapted to the modern liturgical year and with prayers, OT canticles, etc., synched to the current 4-week LOTH.
Note, for options 1 and 2 to be liturgical, the Offices must be prayed in Latin. For option 3 an approved translation can be used. The Monastic Psalter uses approved translations for the psalms into French but for the collects, etc, one needs LOTH. I don’t know of an approved version in English.
 
StGerardMajella said:
What I am after is the most “authentic”, widely used Roman Breviary, preferably with an English translation if possible. The Liturgy of the Hours is too watered down for my taste.
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What you may consider watered down I consider a great gift by the Church to all her faithful, as the official vernacular and simplification of the Office now makes it more possible for all the baptized to participate in the official prayer of the Church, especially in this hectic day and age.
 
porthos11 said:
What you may consider watered down I consider a great gift by the Church to all her faithful, as the official vernacular and simplification of the Office now makes it more possible for all the baptized to participate in the official prayer of the Church, especially in this hectic day and age.
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I would also comment about the his reference to “taste”. The universal prayer of the Church shouldn’t be about taste. As an abbot comments in a commented Rule of St. Benedict that I read almost daily, the liturgy “isn’t all about me”. We pray joyful psalms when we are sorrowful, and sorrowful ones when we are joyful, because we pray for everyone’s needs, and at any given time many of us have reason for joy and others for sorrow. The liturgy is supposed to take us out of ourselves.

There are many things that irritate me about the Office that I use (in particular praying psalm 50 on Saturday instead of Friday, and moving psalm 109 from Vespers to Vigils), but it is the Office that the community I am associated to uses, and therefore I use it too as an act of unity with them.
 
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