ignifies a person provided with a chapel, or who discharges the duty thereof.

CHAPLAIN is also used for an ecclesiastical person, in the house of a prince, or a person of quality, who officiates in their chapels, &c.

In England there are 48 chaplains to the king, who wait four each month, preach in the chapel, read the service to the family, and to the king in his private oratory, and say grace in the absence of the clerk of the closet. While in waiting they have a table and attendance, but no salary. In Scotland the king has six chaplains, with a salary of 50l. each, three of them having in addition the deanery of the chapel royal divided between them, making up above 100l. to each. The only duty at present is to say prayers at the election of peers for Scotland to fit in parliament.—According to a statute of Henry VIII., the persons vested with a power of retaining chaplains, together with the number each is allowed to qualify, is as follows: An archbishop, eight; a duke or bishop, six; marquis or earl, five; viscount, four; baron, knight of the garter, or lord chancellor, three; a duke, marchioness, countess, baroness, the treasurer and comptroller of the king's house, clerk of the closet, the king's secretary, dean of the chapel, almoner, and master of the rolls, each of them two; chief justice of the king's bench, and warden of the cinque-ports, each one. All these chaplains may purchase a licence or dispensation, and take two benefices in cure of souls. A chaplain must be retained by letters testimonial under hand and seal; for it is not sufficient that he serve as chaplain in the family.

The first chaplains are said to have been those instituted by the ancient kings of France, for preserving the chape, or cape, with the other relics of St Martin, which the kings kept in their palace, and carried out with them to the war. The first chaplain is said to have been Gul. de Mesmes, chaplain to St Louis.

CHAPLAIN in the order of Malta, is used for the second rank or class in that order; otherwise called diano.

The knights make the first class, and the chaplains the second.

CHAPLAINS of the Pope, are the auditors, or judges of cause in the sacred palace; so called, because the pope anciently gave audience in his chapel, for the decision of cases sent from the several parts of Christendom. He hither summoned as affilors the most learned lawyers of his time; and they hence acquired the appellation of capellani, chaplains. It is from the decrees formerly given by these that the body of decrets is composed: their number Pope Sixtus IV. reduced to twelve.

Some say, the shrines of relics were covered with a kind of tent cape, or capella, i.e. little cape; and that hence the priests, who had the care of them, were called chaplains. In time these relics were repolished in a little church, either contiguous to a larger or separate from it; and the same name, capella, which was given to the cover, was also given to the place where it was lodged: and hence the priest who superintended it came to be called chaplain.