Page:Duffy's Irish Catholic Magazine April 1847 p. 75.png

 Seems but commissioned to repeat In echo's accents—silvery sweet— That thou, O Lord, didst give it birth There is a tongue in every flame— There is a tongue in every wave— To these the bounteous Godhead gave These organs but to praise his name! O mighty Lord of boundless space, Here can'st thou be both sought and found— For here in every thing around, Thy presence and thy power I trace. With faith my guide, and my defence, I burn to serve in love and fear; If as a slave Oh! leave me here; If not, O Lord, remove he hence!

Angel.Patrick! Patr.Who calls? Paul.There's no one by— Nobody calls. The man's distraught—[Aside. Methinks a poet he should be. Angel.Patrick! Patr.Who calls again? Angel.'Tis I, Paul.He speaks and yet I can see naught— Well let him speak: what's that to me? I am not placed to guard his tongue.[Exit. Patr.Ah! can I trust my wondering eyes, That Heaven so great a favour sends?— A glorious cloud from yonder skies With mingled tints of pearl and rose, And all its summer bravery hung, Before my raptur'd sight descends— And now its glittering gates disclose The sun within more glorious still; He comes in purple and in gold— He comes, as comes the smiling dawn, In his crimson chariot drawn By the running rosy hours— Scattering over vale and hill Jessamine and all sweet flowers. Never yet by day or night Did I such a sight behold! Angel.Patrick! Patr.I'm dazzled with the light— Who art thou, celestial Lord? Angel.Patrick, of my own accord Here my course I have not bent, I am Victor, hither sent (Guardian Angel of thy soul), From the happy realms of bliss, Even by God, to give thee this.[Gives him the letter. Patr.Oh! sweet messenger divine, Happy harbinger of joy, How can I my heart controul? Seeing thee, who, like the seven That before God's footstool shine, All thy eternal hours employ, 'Mid the sweet choirs singing, solely, “Holy! holy! holy! holy! Mighty Lord of Earth and Heaven.” Angel.Read the letter. Patr.Can it be That the scroll is sent to me? Yes to me 'tis sent indeed. [Reads the superscription, which is addressed: “.”] Angel.Open it. Patr.Within I read, “Come, Patrick, come, we wait for thee To free us from our slavery” So ends the writing; it is clear This means more than doth appear— Faithful guardian, let me know Who are those who call me so. Angel.Look within this mirror then. Patr.Heavens! Angel.What do you behold? Patr.A mighty crowd of young and old, Tender children, women, men, Calling me. Angel.And those you see Are the Irish people. They Stretch their longing arms to thee, Waiting for the blessed day, When the darkness pass'd and gone, Thou wilt bring, like morning light, Tidings of the Faith—Begone! Thou, I know, will not be loth To listen to thy God's command— Leave thy slavery, and go Legate and Apostle both, Of the favour'd Irish land. First to France depart and take There at blessed German's feet The habit of a monk. To Rome, Then, a rapid journey make— Then with letters from the Pope, Good Celestine, thou wilt come Hither, full of heavenly hope, Thou, St. Martin, too, wilt see Bishop of Tours. But now with me Borne upon the mighty wind Let us leave this land behind. Now that I have let thee know What thy glorious fate must be, And the task reserved for thee, Let us on our journey go.[Exeunt. []



“ symbolic sense of the holy vestments worn by the priests of the Catholic church was seen in the sublime prayers which they repeated, as they clothed themselves to minister at the altar. A long sermon of Ives de Chartres is devoted to explaining, for the edification of manners, the mystic beauty of the priest's vestments, in which every part had a divine meaning. Witness, says Walafried Strabo, that alb denoting purity, that belt signifying continence, that stole obedience, and that flowing chasuble which is placed over all to denote charity, the greatest of all virtues. The gloves of the bishop, were put on to signify that his good works were sometimes to be in secret, and not before men; and, there were laid aside, to remind him that his light was to shine before men. The mystic sense of the pallium, symbol of unanimity, as Pope Symmachus styles it, writing to a bishop of Austria, in the year 504, and which ancient authors mention as being taken from the body of St. Peter, that is to say, from the altar over his relics, and to which they ascribe the plenitude of the pontificial office, is explained by Isidorus Palusista, in his epistle to Count Herminius. The bishop, he says, wears upon his shoulders a band, not of linen, but of wool, to signify that he is an imitator of Christ,