PERSONS AND EVENTS

RECORDED IN

HOLY SCRIPTURE.

ON THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.

He that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.-LUKE i.

"Ut sol decoro lumine."

As the sun

O'er misty shrouds,

When he walks

Upon the clouds;

Or as when

The moon doth rise,

And refreshes

All the skies;

Or as when

The lily flower
Stands amid

The vernal bower;

Or the water's

Glassy face

Doth reflect

The starry space;

Thus above

All mothers shone

The mother of

The Blessed One.

In Thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.-GEN. xii.

"Unus bonorum fons, Deus, omnium."

O THOU Sole Fountain of all good,
How hast Thou from Thy dark abode
Open'd Thine hand! Thine Israel own'd,
Thy handmaid with Thy bounty crown'd.

As on a rugged thorn the rose

Though hostile briers round her close,
Yet o'er a thousand armed spears
Her gentleness in beauty rears.

Thus meekly, mid our ruin'd race,
Hath grace found out a dwelling-place,
And, through that maiden-mother given,
Appear'd the loveliness of Heaven.

All glory to the Eternal Three,
Who, pitying man's poor destiny,
Have sent the pledge of mercy down
To herald Him, the Holy One.

ON THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.

AT THE FIRST VESPERS.

Benjamin shall raven as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.-GENESIS xlix.

"Pastore percusso minas."

THE Shepherd smitten is, and, lo,

His flock the wolf is scattering wide ;
For Saul as yet doth little know
He wounds in them a Saviour's side.

Prisons, and chains, and murderous wrath,
He breathes, where stern religion calls,
But one soft word has crossed his path,
And on the ground he stricken falls.

Saul, Saul, whence art thou? whither driven,
To persecute Christ's little band?

This is to wage a war with Heaven,

An arm almighty to withstand.

Lo, forth he spreads beseeching hands,
Prepared beneath Christ's yoke to go,
And, trembling, asks for His commands,-
What wouldst Thou have Thy servant do?

The spoiler fierce is lying low,

The vanquisher lies vanquished,

And he, who wore a threat'ning brow,
He is himself in triumph led.

O Lord it is Thy voice that shakes
Great Lebanon, with matchless ease
It goeth forth from Thee, and breaks
The tall aspiring cedar trees.

Good Shepherd, keep us as of old,

If Thou shouldst hurtful ought discern;

And, if we wander from Thy fold,
Again to Thee our bosoms turn.

Glory to God, both One and Three,
Who saw us laid in dead of night,
Glory and praise be unto Thee,

Who call'st us thence to glorious light.