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FRANCISCAN monk named Thomas, born near the beginning of the thirteenth century, at Celano, a Neapolitan village, achieved ome reputation in his time as the friend and biographer of St. Francis de Aii, founder of the Order of Minorites. About the year 1250, as is uppoed, he wrote a brief lyric, which, reaching above and beyond his creed and time, has entered in ome form into the worhip of every Chritian people. In the Romih Burial Service it forms the Sequence for the Dead, and is ung with olemn majety at the great Sixtine Chapel, while portions of it enter into the praie or meditations of nearly "all who profes and call themelves Chritians." So that, becoming more highly eteemed, and more generally known with each century of its long hitory, it is at the preent time both ung at Rome and approved by all Protetant Chritendom.