Matron of Israel true,

The Mother-maid withdrew,

Nor came to worship to His temple-door,—

The Law's accustom❜d days

Restrain❜d her pious praise,

Nor to His presence-court the wondrous infant bore.

And, lo, the threefold band,
That by yon altar stand!

Childhood, and age, and virgin purity :

She, mother undefil'd,

:

And He, her Heaven-born child,

And age, at such a sight, content in peace to die.

But, ah! what sorrows fierce,

What sword that heart shall pierce,
Oh, born for keenest throb of deepest woe !—
See they,-old Symeon's eyes,

Another altar rise,

And from this Holy Lamb th' atoning life-blood flow?

E'en now, in childhood weak,

All innocent and meek,

Death's dark wing hovers o'er His holy head:

And soon to manhood's bloom

His sorrowing years shall come,

And soon for guilty man His guiltless blood be shed.

To God the Father, Son,

And Spirit, Three in One,

In union blest, one common voice we raise.
To Thee, blest Trinity,

Eternal glory be;

Pure be our hearts, and ceaseless be our praise.

ON THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.

AT THE FIRST VESPERS.

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.-ZECH. ii.

"Hæc illa solemnis dies."

THIS is the festal light,
Salvation's herald bright,
When the golden sun was sent
From the crystal firmament.
We were all in ruin'd plight,
Falling on to endless night:
To take the fallen for his own,
Lo, God Himself comes down.

Who with the Eternal Father shared His throne,
And on His bosom lay, the Eternal Son,

He wears time's lowly weeds,

Nor scorns the Virgin's womb, the Holy One,

Puts on our mortal needs,

And as our victim bleeds,

That by His guiltless blood He may atone

For all our guilty deeds.

He who fills all with His own Deity,

Our earth hath trod,

In lineaments of poor mortality:

To bring us back to God,

He makes us His abode.

Then to His feet, who comes our King,

All worship let us bring;

Three Persons and one God let endless ages sing.

AT MIDNIGHT.

The Angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured; the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.-LUKE i.

"Cœlestis Ales nuntiat."

THE herald lights from Heav'n on golden wing,
Announcing mysteries,—the time is come,-
And God Himself, with dread o'ershadowing,
Doth fill the Virgin's womb.

Thee, from that wondrous and stupendous birth
What blessedness, O maiden, doth await,
While God, from thine own bosom brought to earth,
Makes thee the heavenly gate.

Thus moulded by the Spirit's holy flame,
From thy pure virgin body, Mother-maid,
He, the sole born of Adam free from blame,
The flesh of Christ is made.

Thus He, who, ere the course of time began,
Was food unto the heavenly habitants,
Becometh milk for babes, the food of man,
Food temper'd to his wants.

To praise His Name, till time his course hath run, To praise His Name, all worlds shall find a tongue ; To praise His Name, the Father, Spirit, Son,

Shall ever be our song.