CANONICAL

The seven hours of prayer, observed, it is said, by the Catholic Church since the 5lh century: chiefly in monasteries. The number seems before that time to have varied, although some peculiar seasons of the day and night w ere always set apart for this observance. They became finally fixed at seven by the rule of S'. Benedict;a number, perhaps, recommended by the literal acceptation of the words of David (Psalm cxix"), "Seven times n day will I praise thee." These hours are termed, in the language of the Latin Church, matins, prima, tenia, nona, < mplctaor completorium, which hist takes place at midnight. At the time of the Reformation the canonical hours were reduced in the Luther an Church to two, morning and evening; the " reformed" church never observed them. (See Bingham's J)nt. Eccl., 5: Riddle's Christian Ant.; Ersch and Oruber's Encycl., " Hone.") HOUSE (Germ, haus.) A human habitation, or place of abode of a family. Among the Eastern nations, and those to the south, houses are flat on the top. with the ascent to the upper story by steps on the outside. As we proceed northward, a declivity of the roof becomes requisite to throw off" the rain and snow, which are of greater continuance in higher latitudes. Among the nncient Greeks, Romans, and Jews, the houses usually enclosed a quadrangular area or court, open to the sky. This part of the house was by the Romans called the impluvium, or cavtzdium, and was provided with channels to carry off the waters into the sew en*. Both the Roman and Greek house is described by 569 [s. 583]