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i 



\ 



Poems 
Charades, Inscriptions 

OF 

Pope Leo XIII 



With English Translation and Notes 



H . T , H K; .N K Y 



OHiua Boouauanfiiti; Bamw 
Mbw York— PBaAHLPSiA 






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I'V '~J 



^SICW. t LK..^-' AND » 

R 1^C L 



coftrioht, 11x)2 
American Ecclesiastical Keyiew 






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THE DOLPHIN PRESS 
Nkv York and Philadilphia 



• ♦ - • 

* • - . w 






POEMS OF 

POPE LEO XIII 



INDEX. 



CARMINA. 

PAOB 

Ad Vincentiom Payanium 2 

De Invalitadine Sua 4 

Bogerius A. C 6 

LUDICRA. 

Lac-rima 10 

Arti-Giano 12 

Can-Estro 16 

Sol-FaneUo 20 

CARMINA. 

A Monsignor Orfei * 22 

Idem Latino 24 

A Fulvio Bellelio 26 

In Maeyium 28 

In Nicolaum Pompilium 32 

In Petrum Penna 34 

In Seraphlnum Paradisium 36 

InSanctem Petrazzinium 38 

In Hermelindam Montesperelli 40 

In Bosalindam Bastiani 42 

An Photographica 44 

In Galium 46 

Damnatorum ad Inferos Lamentabilis Vox 48 

Bicorso alia Vergine 50 

Ad Aloisium Kotelli Can 52 

Ad Aloisium Bufum 56 

Gertrudi Sterbiniae 58 

Idem Sororis Opem Implorat 62 

Ad Josephum Fratrem 64 

* Original texts (Latin or Italian) appear on this page. 

vi 



FOEMS. 

fAOB. irom* 

To Vincenro PaTwii, a J 3 (267) 

OnHisSicknoB 6 (267) 

Buggero Repels the Wanton 7 (269) 

CHARADES. 

Idc-Tima 11 

Arti-Giano 13 (269) 

Can-Ertro 17 (270) 

Sol-Pwiello 21 



IdemLatine 23 (271) 

To Honsignor Orfei 26 (271) 

To Fnlvio Bellelio 27 

Eccentric Maevins 29 (272) 

Nicolo Pompili 83 

PietroPenna 3S 

Serrfno ParadM 87 (272) 

Suite Petrazdni 89 

Hennelinda Montesperelli 41 

Bcsalind fiastiani 43 

Photography 46 (273) 

To QaUcs 47 (273) 

"OforOneHourt" 49 

Recooise to the Virgin in Tetnpltttion 61 

To ConoQ AloyHQs Rotelli 63 

ToLuigi Ruffo 57 

The Prayer of Julini 69 

To the Same 63 

HuLifeand Fortnoes. 65 (278) 

■Tbe Bgtira In parentheiiB lodlcate the page* wbere Sotta are foanil. 



INDEX 

— ♦ 

PAOK 

Ad Jeremiam Bninelli 70 

Ad Joannem Amolfum Servanzi 72 

8. Herculanus 74 

In Honorem S. Herculani 76 

S. ConstantiuB 82 

Hjmnus 1 84 

HymnusII 88 

S. Felicianus 94 

Ad Sanctum Felicianum 94 

In Sacram Familiam, 

Hymnus 1 104 

HjmnusII 108 

Hjmnus III * 112 

Ad Florum 116 

Ne Se Voluptatum Illecebris Capi Patiatur 118 

'*JiistitiamColui'' 120 

Frustrata Impiorum Spe Pontificum Romanorum Series Non 

Intermittitur 122 

Frustrata Impiorum Spe Pontificum Romanorum Series Non 

Intermittitur 124 

Ecclesiae Auspicatus Triumphus 126 

Sanctus Joannes Baptista ^ ;... 128 

In Jesum Christum Baptizatum 132 

In lUud Psalmi xiii 136 

In Illud Eccl. xxxiv, 16 138 

In Platea Maiore prope Templum Princeps 142 

In Parte Oppidi Superiore prope Avitas Pecciorum Aedes 144 

Ad Beatam Virginem Mariam (I) 148 

Ad Beatam Virginem Mariam (I) 150 

Ad Beatam Virginem Mariam (II) 152 

Ad Beatam Virginem Mariam j[U) 154 

Praesidium Divinae Matris 156 

Adiutrici Christianorum 160 

In Obitu Joaephi Peed Card, Oermani FrcUria, 

loseph 168 

loachim 168 

In Mariam Elisam Bemezzo 170 

• • • 

viu 



To Oeremia Branelli 71 {a77) 

ToJohD Arnulf Serraiid 73 

Sl Uercnlanue 75 

Saint HerculaDiu 77 (278) 

St. Constantiue 83 

Hymn 1 85 (2S0) 

Hymn U 80 (280) 

Sl. Felicianos 85 

To S^nt Felidan «7 (282) 

Hymtu in Honor of Utt Holy Family. 

Vesper Hymn 105 (282) 

Matin Hymn 109 

Hymn at lAoda 113 

To Floras 117 

To the Same „ llfl 

"I Have LoTcd Justice" 121 

Venione libera 123 

"Even to the Coosommation of the World" 126 

An Augury of Triamph 127 

St John the Baptist 12B 

The Baptinn of Christ 133 

On the Words of Pealm xiii 137 

OnEccl. xxxiv, 16 130 

Soug of the Two Foantains 14S (284) 

Id Upper Carpinelo, near the Ancient Manuon of the 

Peccis 135 ' 

Veisione libera 149 (287) 

, A Sigh of the Faithful Soul 161 

Versione libera 153 

Supplication of the Loving Soul, 15S 

Our Lady sBosary 157 (288) 

To the "Helper of Christians" 161 (280) 

On lie Death of hu Bro&er Card. Joieph Peon. 

Jowph 169 (293) 

Joachim 169 

" For Love is Strong as Death" 171 



INDEX 

PAOK 

DeS. Petro Caelestino V 172 

Ad Societatem Bomanam luyentatis Catholicae 174 

Ad Sodales Areadieos, 

Ad Canendum Invitat 178 

Neander Heracleus Arcadiae Laudes Commemorat 1 80 

Ad Gailelmam Massaia 188 

Virgine Favente Fiat Unom Ovile 190 

Sob Effigie Virginis Guadalapanae apud Mexicanos 192 

Julius Adolescens Deiparam Matrem a Bono Consilio Supplex 

Implorat 194 

Ob Memoriam Auspicatissimi Eventus, etc 196 

Deo et Virgini Matri Extrema Leonis Vota 204 

Deo et Virgini Instante Morte Vota 206 

Julio Sterbinio Familiari 208 

Julii Sterbini Filiis 212 

ObNuptias t 214 

Tenui Victu Contentus Ingluviem Fuge (Ad Fabricium Kufum) 216 

Ineuntis Saeculi Auspicia 224 

In Praeludio Natalia Jesu Christi Domini Nostri 230 

In Praeludio Natalia Jean Christi Domini Noatri 234 

IN8CRIPTIONE8. 

Anna Alex. F. Prosperia 240 

Gertrudi Sterbiniae 242 

Dynastae Signienses 244 

Rerum Mortalium Vices 248 

Inaana Voluptatmn Cupiditaa 250 

Voluptaa Siren * 252 

Concupiscentia Ocolorum 254 

Pecuniam Infinite Goncupiscens 256 

Superbia Vitae 258 

Idem Argumentum 260 

In Mortali Vita Quae Supereat 262 

Age lam, O Leo 264 



St. CelertineV 173 

"' BememberthjCrMtoTintlie Dftysof thj Youth" 176 

lb the Armdkm*. 

Sing, Ye Arcadiaiul 179 (296) 

Praise of Arcadia 161 

To Onglidmo Cud. HtsMk ISO 

Let there be One Fold 101 

The Virgin of Gnadalnpe 193 (318) 

The Prayer of JuIiuB 195 

"Pmsed be ChriBt who Loves the Franks " 107 (299) 

Italian Version 205 

Death 207 (304) 

JnliuB Slerbini 209 (304) 

Love of the Sacred Heart 213 

Epitbalamium 216 (305) 

On Frugality and Long Life 217 (306) 

The Opening Century 225 (313) 

TheEveofChriMmas 231 

A Christmas EveBerery 235 

INSCRIPTIONS. 

Anne, Dangbter of Alei, Prosperi 241 (317) 

Gertrude Sterbini 243 (320) 

Palace of the Segnis 215 

Vicissiludee of our Mortal Life 2!it 

Insensate Love of Pleasore 251 

Pleasure, a Siren 253 

Concupiscence of the Eyes 255 

Boundless Craving for Wealth 267 

The Pride of Life 250 

The Same 261 

For the Best of My Mortal Life 263 

Forward, then, Leo 265 



WHEN, in 1897, Andrew Lang, the foTemoet man of 
letters in England, cabled to the New York 
World his exquisite translation of the Epittola ad Fbbri- 
Gtum Rufum, the general reading public was made aware 
of the poetical attainments of Leo XIII. The Ode on 
the Opming Century, which appeared three years later, 
was accordingly welcomed with the greatest interwt, 
and was translated into all the tongues of Europe, 
Andrew Lang and Francis Thompson figuring promi- 
nently amidst the host of its translators into English. 
The New York IndepeiideTil published a correct and 
vigorous version by its Editor, William Hayes Ward, 
as well 08 an editorial expressing deepest admiration at 
the extraordinary illustration furnished by the Ode, of 
the intellectual powers of a nonagenarian Pontiff. 

The Pope, however, had been writing Latin verses 
ever since the year 1822, and had covered well-nigh all 
the fields of poetic endeavor. Stately odes, sparkling 
jevx iTeepnt, charades, heroic hymns, familiar epigrams 
on and to his friends, quatrains, inscriptions — a wealth 
of outpourings of head and heart. Interesting as all 
these are because of the sublime dignity of the Author, 
they become, if possible, even more valuable aa mirror- 
ing the genial, cultured, affectionate, devout soul of the 
man and the priest. Among the many biographies 
already published, a volume of the Pope's verse, reveal- 



ing in his own words the inner heart of the great 
Pontiff, might well seem indispensable. 

To the educated man who still retains some interest 
in the classic rhythms of his collegiate study, such a 
volume should appeal with special force, as it furnishes 
a pleasant illustration of modern themes dressed out in 
the diction of Virgil and Horace. The Pope has used 
many metres— hexameters, pentameters, iambic di- 
meters, hendecasyllabics, Sapphics, Alcaics, the el^;iac 
couplet, and Ambrosian quantitative stanzas. 

The poems are arranged chronologically^ and thus 
become a versified commentary, sa delightful as it is 
authentic, on the marvel of the Pope's life and labors. 
The volume contains an ample Appendix of Notes—* 
historical, critical, exegetical. 

OVEBBltOOK, Ma^, 1902, 



XIV 



POEMS OF 

POPE LEO XIII 



CARMINA 



POEMS 



CABMINA 



AH. KDOOGZXn 



AD VINCENTIVM PAVANIVM 



E 8. I. 



Nomine, Vincenti, quo tu, Pavane, vocaris, 
ParvuluB atque infans Peccius ipse vocor.^ 

Quas es virtutes magnas, Pavane, sequutus 
utinam possim Peccius ipse sequi. 



^) Impodta aactori ad sacrum baptisma Aierant nomina loachlmo, Vin* 
eentio, Raphael!, Aloislo. Sed mater eius Vincentium appellari maluit ob 
honorem Vincentii Feireril, culua eztitit cultriz exlmla. Quod ille nomen 
aerlua com loacbimo commutaylt. 



POEMS 



TO VINCENZO PAVANI, S. J. 

(1822) 

1 HY very name, Pavani, Vincent styled, 
Was mine — a little child.* 

What mighty virtues thou didst well pursue, 
Would I might follow, too ! 



The author had received in baptism the names Joachim, Vincent, Raph- 
ael, Aloysitu. But his mother preferred that he should be called Vincent, in 
honor of Vincent Fener, towards whom she was very devout Later in life 
the author preferred to be called Joachim. 



CARMINA 



AN. MDOCGXXX 

DE INVALETVDINE SVA 

It UBER bis denos, loachim, vix creecis in annoe; 
Morborum heu quanta vi miser obrueris! 

luverit bos fando tristes memorare dolores, 
Et vitae aerumnafi dicere carminibus. 

Nocte vigil, tarda componis membra quiete: 
ViribuB efifetis eeca nee uUa levat 

Languentem stomach um; depresso lumine ocelli 
Caligant; ictum saepe dolore caput. 

Mox gelida arentes misere depascitur artus 
Febris edax, mox et torrida discruciat. 

lam macies vultu apparet, iam pectus anhelum est; 
Deficis en toto corpore languidulus! 

Quid tibi blandiris, longos quid prospicis annos ? 
Atropos horrendum mortis adurget iter. 

Tunc ego: **non trepida frangar formidine: mortem, 
Fortis, dum properat, laetus et opperiar. 

Kon me labentis pertentant gaudia vitae, 
Aetemis inhians nil peritura moror. 

Attingens patriam, felix est advena, felix 
Si valet ad portum ducere nauta ratem." 

4 



ON HIS SICKNESS 

(1830) 

A YOUTH of twenty years — how sickly and how spare 1 

Ah, to what natural shocks my flesh is heir I 

Haply to utter here my memorable grief, 

May bring, if not surcease, some Bad relief. 

Through sleeplees nights in vain I fretfully compose 
My weak and weary limbs to seek repose. 

My food no strength affords; my drooping lids complain 
Of light; and oft my bead is racked with pain. 

AooQ my parched limbs a wasting ague cbiUs, 
Anon with torrid beats of fever fills. 

Haggard and wan my face, and laboring is my breath: 
Languid I walk the way to dusty death. 

Wby shall I cheat my heart, and years a-plenty crave 
When Atropos compels the dreaded grave? 

Ratiier my soul will speak: "0 Death, where is thy 
With gladness I await thy triumphing! [sting? 

" The passing shows of life shall not disturb my peace, 
Who long to taste the joy that cannot cease. 

'* Happy the exile's feet to press the Fatherland ; 

Happy the storm-tossed bark to gain the strand 1 " 



CARMINA 



AK. MDCOCXXZI 

ROGERIVS A. C. 

ADOLEBOENS^ 
EFFRONTEM MVLIEREM DEPELLIT 

tlUID fucata genas, quid, vultu habituque proterva, 
Mente agitaa ? Procul hinc siste, Amarylli, pedem. 



Letiferum stillas meretricio ab ore venenum, 
Infandum venis, proh pudor, ulcus alls. 



* ) Auctori amicus et in studiis litt«rarum sociua. 



RUGGERO* REPEIJS THE WANTON 

(1881) 

W ITH red-flaming cheek, with gaudy array, 
What anare dost thou plan? Amaryllis, awayl 

For a poison of asps is under thy tongue, 
And a hideous ulcer thy bosom hath wrui^. 



') A Maud Mid reUow-rtodant of the Poet. 



LUDICRA 



CHARADES 

(18M) 



L UDICRA 



LAC-RIMA 

laSEPHO LOVATELLIO 
80DALI 

JlRIMUM, mi Lovatelle, cum bibissem 
Phthisi convalui ocius fugata. 

Cymbam, quae liquidis natabat undis, 
AUerum maris in profunda mereit. 

Quid totum, tibi nosse dant ocelli 
Turgentes, faciesque luctuosa, 
Et quae nescia comprimi aut domari 
Heu matre exanimi, intimas medullas 
Angit, excruciatque vis doloris. 

(Parafrasi italiana, ) 

Scamo era il volto, era aflfannoso e fioco 
II respiro, e un venen lento e sottile 
II mio frale struggeva a poco a poco. 
Bevvi il primier, o Lovatel gentile: 
Tosto nell'arse membra inaridita 
Tom6 piii bella a rifiorir la vita. 

Del mar nel seno ondoso agile e snello 
Dei remiganti fra il giulivo grido 
Veleggiando sen giva il mio burchiello, 
E gi^ toccava il sospirato lido: 
Quand'ecco, ahi dura sortel il mio secondo 
Del mar lo fea calar nelPimo fondo. 

Ben, il total qual sia, veggo in te stesso: 
Da che perdesti Tadorata madre 
]iO veggo sul tuo ciglio ognora espresso 
Nel volto, nelle gote umide ed adre; 
E in quel che si ti crucia e mente e core 
Acerbo, inconsolabile dolore. 

10 



I DRANK the first, my friend, 
And phthisis had an end. 

But with the next, my boat 
Must cease, at last, to float. 

The whole your eyes have known, 
Your pallid cheeks have shown; 
For oh ! the swelling tide 
No bravest heart could hide, 
When your dear mother died. 

( IVanslation of Italian paraphram. ) 
My face was gaunt, my breath was scant; 

A subtle poison stealing slowly 
"nirougb all my limbs did strength supplant 

With weakness and with melancholy: 
But when I drank my first, dear Lovatello, 
I felt renewed, and quite another fellow 1 

How lightly on the swelling deep 

My little boat was nimbly dancing, 

While voice and oar with rhythmic sweep 
Welcomed the shore so near advancing: 

60 near, and yet so far ! Alas, we reckoned 

Without our host — our bark had sprung a second ! 

I see my whole bedim your eye; 

For when you lost your dearest mother, 
Your dewy cheek could not belie 

The grief you vainly sought to smother. 
Ah, friend, it is the witness of a sorrow 
That from no human help surcease may borrow. 

') Lae >• milk ; Bima — teak \ Laaina — tear. 



LUDIGRA 



ARTI-GIANO 

JDl barbaro oppressor fatte ludibrio 
Lasciar Tamato nido 

Di Grecia un di le prime, abbiette e poveie 
Errar di lido in lido: 
Ma viste poi della ridente Ausonia 
Le spiaggie ed il bel seno, 
Sull'ospital terreno 
Si ricovraro alfin. 

(Arti) Ebber qui vanto, e qui belle rifulsero 

Dello splendor primiero. 
A noi Tantica gloria 
In van s'attenta I'invido straniero 
Rapir; tu pure, o Silvia, 
Di', se il presume indamo 
Or che d' Italia in sulle rive d'Amo 
Passeggi il bel giardin. 

Tenne VaUro qual re del Lazio il seggio 

Nella remota etade, 

Poi fu signor del? Umbria, e poi d'Etruria 

Domin6 le con trade: 

E Be fola non ^, se fosca istoria 

Al ver non eontradice, 

Fu lieto, fu felice 

II lungo suo regnar. 

12 



ARTI-GIANO ' 
1 HE sport of rude barbarian hordes, 

From (heir beloved nest 
In Greece, of old my first strayed far 

As exiles, sore distressed. 
Till dear Ausonia's laughing fields 

Beheld the wanderers come, 
And on her hospitable soil 

Build an enduring home. 
Here were uplift their graceful heads, 

Here shone their splendors old: 
Vainly the stranger sought to win 

The heritage we hold. 
But t«Il me; Silvia, if he still 

Search vainly, sa he roves 
Beside the Amo's classic stream 

In green Italian groves? 
My MCOTwf, King of Latium, held 

His throne long years ago: 
Next Umbria, then Etruria came 

His laws benign to know; 
For (if it be no mythic tale 

The ancient writers tell) 
A people happy, blithe, content, 

Wisely he ruled and well. 

' ) 4rtlglam •■ wtvknuui ; AM — the Aiti ; Oioixt — Juna 



L O DIOR A 



(^Oianoy L'ador6 nume di Quirino il popolo, 

Nume guerriero e forte 
Che dischiudea del formidato tempio 
Li sul Tarpeo le porte, 
E ad esso, in un pacifico 
Duce e patrono loro, 

I mercatanti nel romano foro 
Pill simulacri alzar,* 

Di bisso Don s'ainmanta non di porpora, 
Di saio vil ricopre 

II mio total le membra; ei nell'inopia 
Delle sue man coU'opre 

Sudate, industri, e colle veglie assidue 
Pensiero e cura ha sola 
AlPumil famigliuola 
Scarso fomire un pan. 

Ed h felice e fortunato: Tansia 
Di rea passion nol morde. 
In dolce pace, in armonia concorde 
Lieto trascorre i di. 



>) Historic! Bcripsere lanum regem autiquisfdmum Itallae Ailsse. Regna\it 
In Latlo ct In agro romano. In aliquibus libiis reperitur eum etiam In Bet- 
mxia regnaylsse et In Umbria.— lani templum aeneum cum aeneo dgno luxtA 
allquos scriptores erat apud Capltollum sen Tarpeiun montem In foro a 
Numa Pomplllo i>08itunL 

*) In portidbus romanl fori in quibus mercatores et foeneratores frequen- 
tissime habltabant, erat Ian us summus, medlus et Imus. Haeclanus summtu 
ad imum perdocet {Rot. 1, Ep. bi).—Po9tquam omnia rea mea lanum ad medium 
fracta est. (Ror. lib. n, i^at. 3). (Ex Forcellikio, verbo : lanua.) 

14 



CSABADES 

The Romans held him as a god,* 

Whose valor could unlock 
The portals of the dreaded shrine 

On the Tarpeian rock. 
Patron of peace, his images 

Were piously displayed' 
' Where money-lenders in the mart 

Securely plied their trade. 

In purple and fine linen clad ? 

Ah no I in homespun coarse 
My whole is found; in poverty 

He spends his vital force: 
He toils and sweats and watches long, 

And racks his weary head 
How he may win for wife and child 

A scanty loaf of hread. 

Yet is he happy; for no shapes 

Of guilt beset hi? way: 
In peace with God and man he toils, 

Singing the livelong day. 



■) Blftoriftni IiBT« dMcrlbed Janoa u the most ancient king of Hair- He 
reigned In Latlum ini] tbe Roman territory, and, ai certain booki faa*e it, 
alio In Stinrla and In Umbrla. According to >omeitTlten,tfuma Pomplllua 
placed In tbe forum, near the Capllollne or Tarpeian bill.abraien temple ol 
Jantu covering hli braien Image. 

■) In tbe porticoes ol the Roman fomm used lai^r by merebantt and 
ntoney-lenden. tbere «at an upper, middle and lower Janna [we note In 
Appendix]. 

Ttnapraidtci Uie Jbnan from Ua tipper to tie tourr Jama {"Ail otWall St.") 
—Hot. lib. I, Ep. I, M. Again: Afler mjibanlmipleg nt lie midaitJtmvt.— Hot. 
U. Sat. 111. (ForceUlnl, «. v. Anttt.} 

15 



LUDICRA 



CAN-ESTRO 

I. 

O DELLE donne italiche, 
Silvia, decoro e vanto, 
Cui crebbe fama e gloria 
D'un anglo vate il canto, 
Un fiorellin poetico 
Oso oflferirti anch'io, 
Colto pur mo' sul rio 
Che irrora il mio giardin. 



{Can) 



IL 

Ove del bosco Idalio 
Piii folte Bon le piante 
Va sulle sciolte redini 
Di corridor epumante 
CJol mio primier; le indomite 
Fere affatica al corso 
CoUa faretra al dorso 
Come Diana un d\. 



Id 



CHARADES 



CAN-ESTRO • 

I. 

Sylvia, the glory and the boast 

Of all Italia' B fairest, 
An Eoglieh bard thy beauty sang, 

And made thy fame the rarest. 
I, too, would offer thee a gift — 
A little rhymic flower 
Plucked in ita grassy bower 
Beside my garden-brook. 



II. 
Hie to the thick Idalian wood, 

And in its leafy tangle 
Follow the foamy Bleed whose reins 

In uselesa guidance dangle: 
Myfirxt is there. Diana-Uke, 
Pursue with heavy quiver 
And footsteps fleeting ever, 

The boar and bounding deer. 
Oanatro — bwket i Omit) - dog ; £Kra — dlvlnelalBatia. 



LUDICRA 



(Eetro) 



IIL 

Al tuo cantor di^ in copia 
L' dUro di Delo il nume, 
E il fe' volar del genio 
Sulle robuste piume; 
S' io pur P avesei, a 1' etera 
Farei con suon concorde 
Sulle toscane corde 
Un inno risonar. 



(^Oanestro) 



IV. 

Di giunchi intreccio e vimini 
E il mio toiale, umile 
Opra di man feminea ; 
Pur non averlo a vile, 
Di vaghi fior che olezzano 
Ve' colmo ha V ampio seno: 
Di poma V ho ripieno, 
L'accetta, o Silvia, in don. 



18 



III. 

To b&rdB of old the Delian god 

Gave richly of my second, 
And plumed theit pinionB for the flight 

Where fame and genius beckoned: 
Ah, could I share their plenteous gift, 

.Up to the ether winging 

A song more worth the einging 

Would leap from this poor lyre I 



IV. 
OsierB and rushes intertwined 

Make up my riddle wholly ; 
*T is humblest work of women's hands — 

Yet deem it not too lowly: 

Behold, its hollow I have filled 

With many a fruit and flower, 

To make it, for thy bower, 

Sylvia, a pleasant gift t 



LUDICRA 



(Sol) 



SOL-FANELLO 



ALLA MEDESIMA 



V E' gli astri omai rilucere 
Sulla celeste volta 
Ve' il mar, la terra awolta 
In tenebroso orror. 

Sorga il primierOj e il fulgido 
Suo raggio il monte indori, 
Sorga, e 1' erbette e i fiori 
Pinga di bei color. 



Vago augellin, che roseo 
E bigio spiega il manto, 
(Fandlo) E V altrOj inetto al canto, 

Sol uso a pigolar. 

A rischiarar le tenebre 
Prendi il totale a sera, 
(Solfanello) N'accendi la lumiera 

Gi^ il sol tuffossi in mar. 



20 



CBARABES 



SOL-FANELLO ' 

(Tti lite SatM.) 
Behold, the heaven glows 

With starry light, 
While earth and sea repose 

In shades of night. 

yij first ascends — each hill 
Is ridged with gold; 

The flowers new sweets distil, 
New charms unfold. 

My second then in gray 

And crimson clad, 
Offers an artless lay, 

A chirping glad. 

Again 't is evening dun: 

Strike on the head 
My wkoU, for now the sun 

Has gone to bed I 

' ) 3oifa>*tOo • match ; SoUe) — nm ; FanOto — Unnat. 



CARMINA 



AN. HDOCXXXXYin 

A MONSIGNOR ORFEI* 

SCHERZO POETICO 

ORFJteO, fama gii fu che la nemica 
Ira molcendo, attonite e sospese 
Traesti al sono della c^tra arnica 
Un di le fere ad ascoltarti intese. 

Forse il valore avito ancor nutrica 

E ad egual gloria i tuoi nepoti accese ? 
Trasfusa in lore tua virtude antica 
Rinnovellar pot^o le conte imprese ? 

Ben lo cred'io: del Sannio Irpin le selve 
Udir gli accenti d'un Orffeo novello, 
Uarmonia di sua cfetra udir le belve: 

E una colomba, dall' Adriaco lido 

Spiccando il vol, posd sul mio Castello, 
E co' suoi colombin vi fece il nido. 



') Mods. Orfei, suo antecessore nella Delegazione di Beneyento, aveva 
ceduto una parte del Palazzo Apostolico, detto il Castello, al Preddente del 
Tribunale, aw. Palomba, venuto da Loreto. 

22 



Air. moccxxzvni 

IDEM LATINE 

AuiXTLCEKE immites cithara, deduceie cantD, 

Orpheu, fama refert te potuisse feras. 

Prietina num virtus renovat portenta? nepotee 
Gloria Bollicitat DUmquid avita tuos? 

Crediderim: Samnt visuB dovus Orpheus oris 
Elicere arguta dulce melos cithara. 



Laevaque ab Adriaca advolitans regioDe columba 
NoBtro heu cutn pullis in lare nidificat 



CARMINA 



AN. HDCOCXXXVin 



IDEM LATINE 



JMLULCERE immites cithara, deducere cantu, 
Orpheu, fama refert te potuisse feras. 



Pristina num virtus renovat portenta? nepotes 
Gloria soUicitat numquid avita tuos ? 



Crediderim: Samni visus novus Orpheus oris 
Elicere arguta dulce melos cithara. 



Laevaque ab Adriaca advolitans regione columba 
Nostro heu cum pullis in lare nidificat. 



24 



TO MONSIGNOR ORPEI ' 

(1838) 

Orpheus, 'tis said, with meltlng lay 
Could soothe the beaete of prey, 

And lead them forth of brake and brier, 
Sequacious of the lyre. 

Does not his power again unfold 
The magic wrought of old? 

Does not his spirit still inflame 
The race that bears his name? 

Well might I credit such a thing, 

Hearing our Orpheus sing 
And launch from his resounding lyre 

Shafts of melodic fire! 

Alack! a silly dove hath flown 

Hither from Adria's zone; 
Why, in our chimney stands confessed 

His birdling's raucous nest ! 



*) Hon*. Orfd. the predecoBor of Uons. P«cci In the Legation of Bene- 
0, had UHlgncd K put of the Apostolic poUce, called the OultBo, to the 
)f the Court, Palomln, a lawyer from Loretlo. 



CARMINA 



AN. MDCCCXIil 



A FULVIO BELLELIO^ 

SCHERZO POETICO 

Aura splra da te di Paradise 

Che di grazia e beM tuo volto infiora: 
H dolce sguardo ed il gentil sorriso 
Soavemente i cor lega e innamora. 

Che se turbi la fronte, e d'improwiso 
E magnanimo sdegno ardi talora, 
Delia tua voce al suon ciascun conquiso 
Per la tema allibisce e trascolora. 

IJischiusa 6 a te d' ogni saver la via; 
Vate, sofo, orator da tuoi verd' anni; 
Sublime ingegno al ciel t' aderge e india. 

Dispiega a volo ognor piii ardito i vanni, 
N^ paventar di maldicenza ria, 
Di codardo livor Poltraggio e i danni. 

^) Bellello, yanitoflo, encomiaya soyente la propria bellezza, e teneyaai In 
conto di letterato, fllosofo ed oratore. 

26 



TO FULVIO BELLELIO* 
(1841) 

MeSEEHS a zepbjr, strayed from Paradise, 

Breathes from the roses blooming on your cheek ; 
Your winning emile, your courtesy antique, 

Bind every heart to you in loving ties. 



But when the lightning fiashes from your eyes, 
And angry clouds your enowy forehead seek. 
And from your mouth the red-lipped thunders 

How blanches every face in dread surmise I [speak — 



Thou oraclest what path the world should take, 

Bard, and Seer, and Orator of youth: 
Sorely such genius should the earth forsake I 



Spread then your pinions for the flight: good sooth, 

You will not fear the venom-spitting snake, 
The laughing mob, or mordant Envy's tooth. 



■) A eoDGclWd fellow who 



i 



CARMINA 



AN. MDOOCZXXXII 

IN MAEVIVM 

VIRVM CALLIDVM ET ABNORMEM 

JMAEVIUS abnormis, quern plebs f estiva Quiritom 
Ridet, et argutis vellicat usque iocis, 

Nudato capite, eflPusis per coUa capillis, 
Palliolo in teretes lene cadente humeros, 

Aestiva et tunica accinctus, per compita nuper 
Spectandus populo Maevius ibat ovans. 

Atqui iam horrescebat hyems, iam frigidus aer, 
Et contracta gelu flumina constiterant. 

Admirari omnes, resonare et sibila: euntem 

Densa humeris strepitu turba proterva premit 

Turn quidam mihi subridens: vulpecula mores 
Non mutat, vellus mutat at ilia suum. 

Callidior vulpes pol I Maevius: aspice, utrumque 
Is mavult, morem et vellus, utrumque tenet. 

28 



ECCENTRIC MAEVIUS 

(1842) 
A BUTT for jokes, and antic play 
Of idlers on their holiday, 
Eccentric Maeviua wends his way; 

His head unbonneted and bare, 

His neck concealed by tumbling hair, 

His cloaklet borne with jaunty air. 

Joyous he pushes through the swann, 
Clad in the garb of summer warm — 
Certes, a curious uniform ! 

Curious indeed; fornow, behold I 

The raging winter's icy cold 

Hath even the running streams controlled. 

Was ever such a sight as this? 

Be sure that Maeviua shall not miss 

The jostling elbow and the hiss I 

Said one to me, with knowing smile: 
"The little fox may change his style 
Of skin, but not his native guile; 

But MaeviuB is a craftier fox: 
Egad, he will not change his frocks 
More than his ways, whoever mocks I" 



CABMINA 



Oum easet Perusinorum EpiacopiLS, exceUentes aliquo 
genere aacerdotes carrainibus laudarCy item ex aacria vir- 
ginibua optimaa quaaque cdebrare conaueverat. Carminum 
quoddam vduti apecimen hoc loco proponitur. 



30 



WhUe Bishop of Perugia, the author uxu accustomed to 
edAraU in aong such prUeta ae were remarkable jor any 
Bpeciol excellence, and also the moat deserving amongst the 
Sistera in Seliffi^ Communitm. The JoUmdng poems 
may serve as a 



OARMINA 



AN. ICDOCCIiXIY 



IN NICOLA VM POMPILIVM^ 

IrASTOR in exemplum sollers, florentibus annis, 
SuflPecit tenero pascua laeta gregi. 

Rector in exemplum sapiens, succrescere pubem 
Sacris addictam, se duce, perdocuit 

Ad mores artesque bonas: laus inde superstes, 
Famaque Pompilivm non peritura manet. 

^) NicolaiiB Pompilius recti tenax, ad consilia prudens, curionis munere 
apud Prunetenses diu int^jeque gesto, Canonicus templi maximi Penudni 
factus est, sacroque Scminario regundo praefectus. 



32 



KIC0L6 POMPILI" 

(1864) 

Truly & shepherd l in Pnigneto'e fields 
His watchful care a plenteous pasture yields. 

Truly a Rector I He instructed yontii 
By his example how to follow truth 



And virtue. So his works the man survive, 
And fame forever keeps his name alive I 

') A rlghteoiu mi prudent mui, who after & long uid blunelea putonM 
Is Prugneto Iwcame a C&non ol tbe CaUicdrn] of Peruglk uul Rector ot tli« 
Seminvir. 



CAEMINA 



▲N. MDOOOLZIV 



IN PETRVM PENNA^ 

JP ORTUNATE senex, dulcis dum vita maneret, 
Te candore animi, te pietate, fide 



Aequabat nemo; laetis in rebus, in arctis 
Delicinm populi tu, bone pastor, eras. 



*) PetTus Penna, curio saDctisslml exempli, mira animi simplicitate, mul- 
torumque recte factonim memoria clams. 



34 



PIETRO PENNA' 
(18M] 
O WHITE-HAIRED Sage ! thy clemency, 
Thy faith, thy sweet Bimplicity, 

No equal had: ia woe or weal, 

Thy people found their pastor leal I 



IT his perfect ctmiloT anil t«al 



CARMINA 



AK. MDOOGLZIV 



IN SERAPHINVM PARADISIVM* 

iaCUAE subiecta oculis, vera est pastoris imago 
Divae Helenes, dulci pabulo alentis oves. 



Quae patria et nomen fuerit si forte requiras, 
Verius hoc referet picta tabella tibi. 



Nam patriam dicet Paradisi in sede beatam, 
Adscriptumque choris nomen in angelicis. 



>) Seraphinus Pamdisi, parocbuB In castro S. Hdena, Integer vitae et canu 
ublque modestia sua. 



36 



SERAFINO PARADISI' 

(1864) 

MeMEATH oar very eyes is placed the image meet — 
How a good shepherd feeds his flock in pastare sweet 

" Hia country and his name?" shoald you then chance 

to ask, 
This pictuie shall attempt, better than words, the task: 

'Twill say: "Why, Paradise the land that clumeth him; 
And you will find his name amidst the Seraphim I" 

■] PMkn kt Cutello dl S. Eleiu, loved of Ml for hi* bUmelcai life *ad 



CABMINA 



AN. MDOCCIiXy 



IN SANCTEM PETRAZZINIVM ' 

IaELLIGIO et Pietas titulum inscripsere sepulchro 
Effusae in lacrimas hunc, Petracine, tuo: 



** Curio bis denis pius et mitissimus annis, 
Parvum sollicito pavit amore gregem. 



'^ In plebem miserans hie, prodigus aeris, egenam 
Mirum I vel censu paupere fudit opes." 



*) Sanctes Petracdniiu, |>arocbu8 Eccleelae RamatleuMiB, pius in Deuro, 
benlgnui in egenos, amorem omnium yixtnte promeruit. 



38 



8ANTE PETRAZZINI' 



Dissolved in gnef, Religion, Piety, 
Thifl Title placed to thee: 

" For twenty years his flock he gently led 
And generouBly fed. 

" Wondiousl to help his needy flock, he poured 
Wealth from the scantiest board I " 



< 



CABMINA 



AN. MDOOCI«XXy 

IN HERMELINDAM MONTESPERELLI 

ANnSTITAM SACBARVM VIRGINVM CUSTEBdENSIVM * 

It ROGENIE illustris, verae et virtutis alumna 
Virgo, HsRBiELiNDA et nomine, sacra Deo; 



Coenobii custos vigil et fidissima, mater 
Provida consilio, propositique tenax. 



^) ICagistm Yiiginum Cisterdenslum ad Sanotae lulianae per annoB zxt, 
oarliatis prudentiaeqae laude iiuignlB. Obiit die iii lulil a. m dooclxi. 



40 



HERMELINDA MONTESPERELLI ' 



afV NOBLE birth, an honored name, 
Hermelinda, thou couldst claim; 
Bat brighter is thy virtue's fame! 

An ever-watchful sentinel, 
A gentle mother ruling well, 
Yet firm as rock-ribbed citadel I 



i 



CABMINA 



AH. Mixxx:iLzxy 



IN ROSALINDAM BASTIANI 

ANTISTITAM COENOBH AD 8. CATHABINAE * 

ViRTUTES celebrare tuas, praeclaxaque geeta 
Quis valeat, vel quod par erit ellogium ? 



Ellogium matris : sacra inter septa senescis 
Spectanda exemplis et pietate gravis. 



Acclamant matrem concordi voce sorores, 
Tu dux, tuque illis provida mater eras. 



Ereptam tends te mairem nunc quoque dicunt: 
Matrem cum lacrimis in sua vota vocant. 



*) Maglsteriuin coenobii tres et triginta annos contiiiuoe gcssit. Ob Bingn- 
larem animi bonitatem sacrae yiigines earn familiariter appellare consaeve- 
rant la nottra Inuma mamma. Obilt die xxvi Decembria mdccclxzi. 



42 



ROSALIND BASTIANI' 

(1876) 

1 celebrate thy deeda and virtues rare, 
What eulogy may tongue or pencil dare? 

A Mother's praise is thine, who grewest old 
No less in grace than years amid thy fold. 

The Bisters still a Mother thee acclaim, 
Whose tender care so merited the name. 



Death snatched thee from their midst; yet, as of yore, 
A Mother still their sighs and tears implorel 



CARMINA 



▲N. MDOOOLXVTI 



ARS PHOTOGRAPHICA 

EXPRESSA Bolis spicule 
Nitens imago, quam bene 
Frontis decus, vim luminum 
Refers, et oris gratiam. 



mira virtus ingeni, 

Novumque monstrum I Imaginem 
Naturae Apelles aemulus 
Non pulchriorem pingeret. 



44 



PHOTOGRAPHY 



SuN-WROUGHT with magic of the akiee, 
The image fair before me lies: 
Deep-vaalted brain and sparkling eyes 
And lip's fine cbiselling. 

miracle of human thought, 
art with newest marvels franght — 
Apelles, Nature's rival, wrought 
No fairer imaging I 



CABMINA 



▲N. MDOGCLXX 

IN GALLVM* 

8IBI LICENTIVS INDVLOENTEM 

(jrALLE, quid insanis? quid te torpere veterno, 
Diffluere illecebris deliciisque iuvat ? 

Puber adhuc, prima adspersus lanugine malas, 
Deperis incauto captus amore Chloen; 

Grandior ecce Bycen ardes, mollemque Corynnam, 
Inque dies vulnus saevior ignis alit. 

lamque senescentem, miseroque cupidine fractum 
Nunc premit indigno vafra Nigella iugo. 

Ecquis erit modus? E coeno caput exsere tandem: 
Tandem rumpe moras, excute corde luem. 

Cunctaris, veteresque amens sectaris amores ? 
lam spes heu misero nulla salutis adest. 

Praedam inhians rabidus lateri stat daemon, amara 
Te mors, te vindex Numinis ira manet. 

^) Yirum Penisinmii intellige, quern ad sanitatem reyocare EpiflCopUB diu 
■tudtdt. 



46 



TO GALLUS' 



W^HAT madnees, Gallus ! Ah, what profits it 
To drown in pleasure's bath thy saner wit? 

Scarce had the down of youth o'erspread thy cheek, 
Till Chloe's love thy sinful heart would seek. 

Then Byce, then Corynna, thy deaire; 

And daily smarts thy wound with deeper fire. 

Not even thy whitening hairs the passion cloak 
That flings thee groveling 'neath Nigella's yoke. 

Where shall it end ? Rise from the filthy mire, 
Break the sad chain, and cleanse thy foul attire. 

Thou dalliest, loving still thy cruel chains ? 
Alas I what hope of safety then remains? 



Lo I at thy side the Demon waits his prey. 
And Death is summoning to the Judgment Day I 



•D or r>nigl&, wbom the BUhop had b«eD long 



BTIhk to ivf orm. 



CABMINA 



AN. MDCOOLXX 
DAKNATOBVM AD INFEROS 

LAMENTABILIS VOX 

"0 « dareHr horaf* 

AUDITUS stygiis gemitus resonare sub antris: 
'* detur miseris, hinc procul, hora brevis ! " 



Quid facerent ? Imo elicerent e corde dolorem; 
Admissumque brevis tolleret hora nefas. 



48 



" O FOR ONE HOUR I " 



A CRY resounds through Stygian dungeons drear: 
" for a single hour away from here !" 

What would the Bpirits do in time bo brief? 
Purge their ein-laden eouIs with heartfelt grief t 



< 



CABMINA 



AK. MDCOCLXXI 

RICOBSO ALLA VERGINE 

NELLE TENTAZIONI ' 

(alUANDO impudico demone, 
D'ogni nequizia pieno, 
In te col 80ZZ0 anelito 
Sparge il suo rio veleno, 

E adombra gii dell'animo 
L'almo natio candore, 
Alia incorrotta Vergine 
Leva la mente e il core. 

Bagni pietosa lacrima 
II verecondo ciglio, 
E a Lei, che ^ madre, supplice 
Di' : son, Maria, tuo figliol 

Poi si converta il gemito 
In affannoso grido: 
Madre, deh Madre, campami, 
In tua virtii m' affido: 

Nato pel ciel, tra gli angeli, 
Dei gaudii eterni erede, 
Non sia giammai che immemore, 
Spergiuro alia mia fede, 

Ceda all'immondo Asmodeo: 
Vergine casta e pia, 
D' ogni pill lieve macola 
Preservami, Maria! 

1) Per un giovine seminarista. 
50 




RECOURSE TO THE VIRGIN 

m TEMPTATION ' 
(1871) 

When with purpose foul 

The malignant Devil 
Breathee upon thy soul 

Pestilential evil: 

And thy spirit fair 

Clouds of horror darken, 
To thy tenderest prayer 

Bid the Virgin hearken. 

On thy blushing cheek 

Let the tear-drop glisten; 

Say: " Mother meek, 
To thy client listen I " 

Let the suppliant sigh 

Swell to deeper wailing: 

" Mother sweet, I fly 

To thy love unfailing: 

"Heir am I of bliss 

And of glory deathless; 

Oh, remembering this, 

Let me not prove faithless: 

' ' Let me never yield 

To the shameless Devil: 

Mary, be my shield 

'Gainst the darts of evil ! " 

>] WrilWn for » yaUDg leminulBn. 



< 



CAEMINA 



AN. MDCOCLXXIII 

AD ALOISIUM ROTELLI CAN. 

OB liAYDATIOKEM 
IN FABENTALIBYS 

CARMELI PASCUCCI EPISCOPI PTOLEMAIDENSIB * 

HABITAM 

Si iucunda tibi mea vox, excudere et acri 
Forte tuo igniculos, docte Rotelle, novos 

Si potis ingenio; meritae cape munera laudis, 
Et cape Pastoris praescia vota tui. 

Carmelvm immiti celebras dum funere ademptum, 
Vi morbi infandae dum plus illacrimas, 

Spectandumque refers doctrinae fenore multo, 
Insignem mentis et pietate virum, 

Maiestate gravem et vultum, dum rite litanti 
Omaret niveas infula sacra comas; 

Atque itidem studia et mores animumque benignum, 
Os et suave senis, flexile et ingenium, 

») Vlr eximiae vlrtutls, praestans Ingenio et eloqulo, magni Lycei Perusim 
praeses: diro cruris ulcere misere consumptus a. MBCccLXxni. 

52 



TO CANON ALOYSIUS ROTELLI 

ON HI9 PANEQYBIC DELIVERED AT TEE FUNERAL 07 
CARMGLO PASCDCCI, BISHOP OF PTOLEMAIS' 

(1873) 

Or it my words should please, or if they serve, belike, 
From anvil of thy Boul Dew Bparks of fire to strike, 

Rotelli, pray accept my praise so merited — 
My wishes that presage new glories for thy head! 

Whilst thou dost mourn with tears Cabhelo'b fainting 
And tenderly bewail his uarelenting death; [breath, 

And then with learned art his splendid virtue scan, 
His piety, and all the merits of the man: — 

His grave, majestic port when at the Altar found. 
And the white, reverend hairs with mitred glory crowned ; 

And the dear soul benign, and the htgh-gift«d heart, 
And venerable face sweetened by grace and art: 

e, and Rector of tbe Uoi- 



i 



CARMINA 



Sic graphice pingis divina rhetoris arte, 
Illo ut sit praeeul nuUus amabilior; 

Plurima turba virtlm pendet dicentis ab ore, 
Et cupid& eloquii vim bibit aure tui. 

Ipse sed in primis blanda dulcedine tangor, 
Laetitiaque silens efferor, usque memor, 

Te puerum fovisse sinu, vitaeque recentis 
Afflaret roseas cum levis aura genas, 

Fulgidulosque micare oculos vultumque decorum, 
Membraque conspicerem nescia stare loco, 

Clamasse: eial adolesce, puer, felicibus ausis 
I, quo vivida te mens animusque rapit. 

Delapsa e caelo tibi Pieris una Sororum 
Frondis apollineae cingat honore caput: 

Te verbo Suadela potens, te abstrusa Mathesis 
Cultorem iactent invida quaeque suum. 

Post, ubi vemantes maturior egeris annos, 
Pleno haustu Sophiae sacra fluenta bibas; 

Qua duce, dura pati, moliri fortia discas, 

Tangere et excelso vertice summa poll. 

54 



So doBt thoa picture him, with eloquence divine, 
As none more loved might be in all the priestly line. 



Enraptured, eveiy ear drioke in thy words of gold, 
And every eye is strained thy mag^c to behold I 



But me a sweeter thought, a blander joy enthralls, 
And all my heart leaps up, as memory recalls 



How soon within my heart thy love did entrance eeek, 
When springtime of thy life waked roses in thy cheek; 



And how twin gleaming stars lit up thy face so fair; 
And how thy nimble feet sought pleasance everywhere; 



And how with joy I said: "Advance to man's estate, 
And whither genius leads pursue, and challenge Fatel 

From the Pierian sky may the sweet Muse come down 
And with Apollo's wreath thy dearer forehead crownl 

Be thou the envious boast of both scholastic arts — 
The one that reckons space, the one that captures hearts : 

And when the flowing years maturer power bring, 
Drink deep and deeper draughts of Wisdom's plenteous 
spring : 

Learn from her ample store to suffer, dare, and die — 
And with exalted brow touch the remotest skyl " 



CARMINA 



AK. MDOCXIILXXyil 

AD ALOISIVM RVFVM 

ARCHIEPISCOPVM THEATINVM DESIGNATVM 

(J BONE Loisides, o Rufae nobile germen 

Gentis, quern dudum ad magna aluere Patnim 

Exempla et virtus'; effusos pectore ab imo 
Laetitiae sensus, omina fausta, libens 

Excipe: namque Pivs divini ductor ovilis 
Te modo Pontificum coetibus inseruit; 

Te iure imperitare sacro, teque ubere pleno, 
RvFE, Theatinas pascere iussit oves. 

Plaudite Sebeti colles, ubi parvulus infans 
Crevit, ubi et studiis lusit amabiliter. 

Tuque adeo imprimis plaude ac laetare Theate, 
Sertaque Pastori florea necte pio. 

Sed cave, sisque vigil': tacita nam mente volutat 
Nescia quid votis invida Parthenope. 



^) Nobilissiina Ruforam gens, quam ductam ferunt a Proconsule romano 
Rufo, oxnni aetate floruit viris ampliadmis in re civlli et sacra. 

*) Rumor per eos dies percTebuerat Aloisium Rufum ex Theatina Sede 
Ixreyi ad Neapolitanam provectum irl. 

56 



TO ALOISIO RUFFO 

ABCHBI9H0F-ELECT OF CHIETI 

(1877) 
AIy dearest Louis, scion of a. race 
Famous for noble deeds, who bear'et the trace 

Of mighty ancestry,' prythee receive 

The cordial prayers and greetings that I give. 

For Pius, Shepherd of the Fold, to thee 
Hath given a more exalted ministry: 

SkiJful in laws, and graced with many a gift, 
He bids thee now the shepherd's crozier lift. 

Rejoice, then, ye hills that saw his youth 
Grow strong in manliness and grace and truth! 

Rejoice, Chietil Yet more gladly thon 

Shalt weave a chaplet for thy shepherd's brow. 

But have a care, my friend! Parthenope' 

('T is said) doth cherish queer designs on theel 

■)Tb« noble house of ths BuIS, nld U 
FrocDiuul RnTiu, In evscr *«e gare m< 
Church uid Sote. 



CABMINA 



AN. MDCOCLXXIII 



GERTRVDI STERBINIAE 

VIBOnn BAUSSIANAE 
IVLIVS FRATER 

(jrERTRVDES, o sacra Deo castissima virgo, 
Grata, precor, Ivli vota dolentis habe. 

Fortunata soror, Superum quae vesceris aura, 
Nostri sollicitam te vetus urat amor. 

Usque tuis amor ille memor succurrere discat, 
Discat et infensis corda levare malis. 

Atque olim Ersiliam, natos, dulcesque parentes, 
Meque tibi in patria iungat adauctus amor. 



58 



THE PRAYER OF JULIUS' 

(1873) 

O GERTRUDE, Virgin chaste! sacred to the Lord, 
To weeping Julius' prayer a kindly ear accord. 

Thrice blessed though thou art in realms of heavenly rest, 
Thy olden love, I know, still warms thy faithful breast. 

From out thine azure sky a helping hand extend. 
And hearts so dear to thee from threatening ills defend. 

Sweet Ersily, my babes, our dearest parents, guide — 
And lead me on with them safe to thy loving side. 



' J To hit Hitter Oertiude, a Nun or Ibe VIsllaUoD Order. 



CABMINA 



AN. MDOCCLXZni 

GERTRVDI STERBINIAE 

VIBGINI SALESIAKAE 
rVXIVS FRATER 

(jrERTRVDES, o sacra Deo castissima virgo, 
Grata, precor, Ivli vota dolentis habe. 

Fortunata soror, Superum quae vesceris aura, 
Nostri soUicitam te vetus urat amor. 

Usque tuis amor ille memor succurrere discat, 
Discat et infensis corda levare malis. 

Atque olim Ersiliam, natos, dulcesque parentes, 
Meque tibi in patria iungat adauetus amor. 



60 



POEMS 



AN. MD0CX312Xin 



( Versione libera) 



YeRGIN Gertrude, a Dio diletta sposa, 
La prece del tuo Giulio odi pietosa. 

A me dolente, ai genitori, ai figli, 
A Ersilia mia volgi amorosa i cigli. 

Beata in ciel, del ciel nello splendore, 
Suora, non obliar Tantico amore. 

E teco un di, deposto Tuman velo, 

Piii acceso amor ne rieongiunga in cielo. 



01 



CARMINA 



AN. MDOOCLXXni 

IDEM SORORIS OPEM IMPLORAT 

8VB ALLEGORIA NAVIS 

JtlEU mare sollicitum spumantibus aestuat undis: 
Nox heu nimbosum* contegit atra polum, 

Quaflsatur ventis, pelago iactatur in alto, 
Et iam fracta ratis gurgitis ima petit. 

Horremus trepidi, quatit aeger anhelitus artus: 
Mors instat, iam iam nos yorat unda maris. 

Flet genitor, resoluta comas loca questubus implet 
Coniux; cum natis anxius ipse gemens, 

** soror, inclamo, portu iam tuta beato, 
Eia adsis, nostras et miserata vices, 

Fluctibus in mediis affulge sidus amicum, 
Per vada, per syrtes, o bona, tende man us: 

Ocius affer opem, pontique e gurgite raptos 
Insere sidereis ipsa benigna plagis; 

Detur ubi amplexus iterare, et iungere dextras, 

Aeternum detur solvere vota Deo! *' 

62 



TO THE SAME ' 

(1873) 

With foaming cresta the troubled eea 
Leaps to its cloud-girt canopy. 

Wind-buffeted, with broken mast, 
The tossing vessel sinks at last. 

A palsied fear each heart englaTCS, 
Whilst Death waits in the ravening waves. 

My father weeps; my wife, with hair 
Dishevelled, beats the darkening air; 

I clasp my young ones: "HelpI" I cry, 
■ " Help, sister, from thy harboring sky: 

"Shine through the storm, beacon-star; 
O'er the vast deep stretch forth afar 

"Thy hand to snatch us from the sea 
And lift our sinking hearts to thee, 

" In sweet embraces, as of yore, 
To praise the Lord forevermorel " 
>) Jnllni emploji th« allegory or a ihip In hli pnyer to bli ilMei Gertmde. 



CARMINA 



AN. HDCOCLXXYI 



AD lOSEPHVM FRATREM 

DE 8E IPSO ^ 

CjUAM felix flore in primo, quam laeta Lepinia 
Orta iugis, patrio sub lare, vita fuiti * 

Altrix te puenim Vetulonia suscipit ulnis, 
Atque in Loyolaea excolit aede pium.' 

Mutia dein Romae tenuere palatia; Romae 
Florentem studiis docta palaestra tenet; * 

Tempore quo, meminisse iuvat, Maneray Patrumque 
Ingenio et fama nobilis ilia cohors 

Mentem alit, et puro latices de fonte recludens, 
Te Sophiae atque Dei scita verenda docet.* 

>) Piaecipua ante Pontificatum vitae facta commemorat. 

*) Ortus Carplneti die 2 Martii a. 1810 ex coniiig:ibus Ludovico Peccio et 
Anna Prosperia, ad octavum aetatis annum in domo patcma moratur. 
Carplnetum est oppidum in Volscis prope Signiam in sinu montium quos 
Lepinos vocant. 

*) A. 1818 cum losepho fVatre Viterbium mittitur, et Sodalibus e Societate 
lesu instituendus traditur. 

*) DefUncta matre a. 1824, apud avuuculum Romae diversatur in palatio 
Marchionum Muti, ac deinde in Academia Nobilium Ecclesiasticorum. 

•) P. Franclscus Manera S. I., vir ingenio et doctrina praestantissimus, 
aliique Patres clarissimi, quos in Lyceo Gregoriano Philosophiae et Theo- 
logiae ma^stros habuit, Andreas Carafa, I. B. Pianciani, Antonius Fer- 
rarini, loannes Perrone, loseph Rizzi, loannes Curi, Antonius Kohlmann, 
etc. 

64 



HIS LIFE AND FORTUNES ' 

(1876) 

rV CHILD — what happiness thy bosom fills 
Beneath thy father's roof, 'mid Lepine hillsl* 

A boy — in Vetulonia next, the art 
Loyola left, instructs thy mind and heart.' 

A youth — the Roman College bida thee come. 
And Muti's palace offers thee a home.' 

Manera — he of wondrous gifts — and all 
The fathers there ('t is pleasant to recall) 

Unlocked the fountains hidden in the sod, 
And taught the paths to Wisdom and to Qod.* 

>) He DUTS tee tbe principal facU orbls lire before hl£ Pontificate. 

•) Bora M Carplnelo on the 2nd of Uarcb, 1810. he remained at boma until 
bl* elghtb year. Carplneto la a (own In the terrltoT)- ot ibe VoUcl, near 
Segnj, In the heart of the Leplnl mouDtaloi. 

■) la the jear 181S he wai wnt with hli brother Joeepb to Viterho. and 
enrolled among the atudenli of the Jesuit Falhen. [Vetnloula f> retained 
In the Engllah venton In ordet to rignallie the Holy Fathei'i ilen that It li 
to be fdeutlfled with VlCerbo. Archsologlila have dlObred widely In udgn- 



■) JLDtODg hie teacben of Phllonphy and Tbeolosy In the Oregorlan Unl- 
venlty were F, Fiuicenco Manets, a nun of reiy notable talents and learn- 
Inc, and other eminent fathen, nich ai Andres Caiafa, a. B. planclant, 
Antonio Ferrarinl, Qlovannl Peirone, Gloieppe Rlul, Giovanni Ciyl, Anton 



CABMINA 



Praemia laudis habes: victrici praemia fronti 
Parta labore comas laurea condecorat. 

Addit mox aminos et vires Sola secundas, 
Princeps romano murice conspicuus; 

Auspice quo cursum moliris, mente volutans 
Usque tua tanti dicta diserta senis.^ 

Dulcis Parthenope, Beneventum dein tenet, aequa 
XJt lege Hirpinos imperioque regas. 

Te gremio laeta excipiens Turrena* salutat; 

Rectorem atque ducem vividus Umber habet.* 

Sed maiora manent: sacro nam chrismate inunctus, 
Pontificis nutu, Belgica regna petis, 

Atque tenes, adserturus sanctissima Petri 
Romanae et fidei credita iura tibi.* 

Redditus at patriae, brumali e littore iussus 
Ausoniae laetas et remeare plagas; 



>)Io6eph Antoniiu Sala Cardinalis peculiari benevolentia adolescentexn 
complectitor, et sapientibus moDltis et coDsiliis plurimum iuvat. 

*) Perusia a turribus, quibus muniebatur, dicta est TiureDa. 

*) Laurea doctoral! Insignitus, post susceptum sacerdotium, a Gregorio 
XVI P. M. Inter antistites urbanos domus PoDtificalis adsciscitur a. 1837, ac 
poBtea provinciarum Beneventanae et Perusinae gubcmator constltuitur. 

f) In sacro Concistorio habito die 27 lanuarii a. 1843, Archiepiscopufl 
Damiat^Kuds eligitur, et Apostolicae Sedis Nuntius ad Bclgas mittitur. 

66 



A priest — the Holy Victim offereet thou; 
Then jurist laurels crown tb; studious brow. 



Great Sala, though in Roman purple clad, 
For thee how man; a kindly feeling had I 



Auspicious was his care; his counsel, wise; 
His prudent zeal, a lesson for thine eyes.* 



Naples receives thee; Benevento sees 
Thy Hirpine rule observe all equities. 



Perugia ' next received thy genUe care, 
And welcomed thee to rule a r^on ' fair. 



But, greater gift, the Chrism anoints thy bead: 
To Belgium next tbe Papal mandate led. 



There must thou all tbe rights of Peter plead. 
And guard the treasure of the Roman creed.' 



Anon, from that drear clime a sweet command 
Bade thee return to dear Italia' s land. 



') Perngls li stfled tbe Clt; of Towen beuuw o( Cho many towers that 
fOfmod pajt of lU HJllltUT AeTenrta. 

') H*TlDg reeelTed tbe Doctor'! cap after prlotbood. Id 183T he wai mada 
aDonuaUo Prelate by Gregory XVl.,aiidwajafteTwaiiliai9iolnted goTemor 
Ot BvnereDto, and tben of PeruglB. 

'Ilna lacred ContlitoTy held Jao. 27, IMS. he wu named Archblihop of 
Damlatta and aeiit aa NudcIo to Belgium (Bnmela). 
67 



CARMINA 



Umbros en iterum fines, urbemque revisis, 
Quam tibi divino flamine iungit amor. 

lure sacro imperitas ter denos amplius annos, 
Et pleno saturas ubere Pastor oves.* 

Romano incedis Princeps spectandus in ostro' 
Belgarumque equitum torquis honore nites.* 

Te pia turba, Deo pubes devota, Sacerdos 
OflSciis certant demeruisse suis. 

Verum quid fluxos memoras, quid prodis honores ? 
Una hominem virtus ditat et una beat. 

Scilicet banc unam, aevo iam labente, sequaris, 
Ad Superos tutum quae tibi pandat iter: 

Aetema donee compostus pace quiescas, 
Sidereae ingressus regna beata domus. 

Ah I miserans adsit Deus, eventusque secundet: 
Aspiret votis Virgo benigna tuis. 

*) A. 1846 a Gregorio XVI P. M., in sacro Concistorio die 19 lanuarii habito, 
ad Sedem Penisinam provehitur. 

*) A. 1853, in sacro Consistorio habito die 19 Decembrls, a Pio IX P. M., 
S. R. E. Presbyter Cardinalis renuntiatur titulo 8. Crysogoni. 

■) Belgica Legatione perftinctus, a Leopoldo I Belganun Rege inter equites 
torquatOB Ordinis Leopoldiani adlectus est. 

68 



Perugia, new-espouBed ' to thee of God, 
Thou seest again, and Umbria's grateful sod. 

By sacred right, full thirty years and more 
The Shepherd feeds his flock from ample store. 

Then Rome as Cardinal * saluteth thee, 

And Belgic knighthood* crowns Uiy ministry. 

Ah mel so loyal is thy people's love. 

Thou scarce canst hope a guerdon from abovel 

But why recall the Seeting shows of earth? 
One only wisdom hath petennial worth: 

" Passeth the figure of this world away " — 
Follow the path that leads to endless Day, 

Until eternal peace be thy reward 

Safe in the starlit mansions of the Lord! 

may that pitying Lord the crown prepare, 
And the sweet Virgin list thy lowly prayert 

id by OneoTj XVL to 



CARMINA 



AK. MDOOCLXXYI 



AD lEREMIAM BRVNELLI 



RHETOBEM 



JDUM Senae Adriacis, Cancri sub sidere, in undis 
Mersor, caerulei mulcet et aura freti, 

Me salvere iubes, et pignus mittis amoris, 
Vota, affert Ioachim quae mihi sacra dies. 

Quae sit par dono, dulci iucunda poetae, 
Quae, Brvnelli, animo gratia digna tuo ? 

Carmina carminibus, votis et vota rependam: 
Te bonus incolumem sospitet usque Deus. 

>) Com Senlgalliae yaletudlnis causa moraretur. 



70 



TO GEREMIA BRUNELLI 

(Professor of Rhetoric) 

(1876) ' 

Whilst I at Sena, 'neath a blazing sky 
With Adria'i wind and wave the Crab defy, 

A greeting and a pledge of love you send — 
Prayers that your Joachim to heaven commend. 

For such a gift, to such a poet sweet, 

What kind of thanks, Brunelli, should be meet? 



I'll answer song with song and prayer with prayer: 
" May God forever keep you in His carel " 



CARMINA 



AN. MDOOCLXXXYI 



AD lOANNEM ARNOLFVM SERVANZI 



EX KOBELI COHOBTE 



8TIPAT0RVM PONTIFICIS MAXIMI 

Anne anceps aervare fidem Servantivs? anne 
Priscus honorato e pectore cessit amor? 



Nil dubita: illecebrae- tentent artesque dolosae: 
Pontifici immotam servat at ille fidem. 



72 



TO JOHN ARNULF SERVANZI 

OF THE NOBLB QTJARD 

(1S86) 

And does SEBVAMTnm atill preterve 

HiB olden love and loyalty ? 

doubt it noti He shall not swerve 
From servwx of the Holy See. 



< 



CARMINA 



S. HERCVLANVS 

H.ERCULANUS, insigni sanctUaie vir, Penmnorum 
Epiacopatum ea tempestate gerebaij cum Oothorum copiae 
Penmam obaiderent. Oivitate capta, capite caesus est, De- 
moHui corpus extra muros proiectum humaniores quidam vin 
honesta sepuUura affecerunt. Qy^d quadraginta post diebus 
cum reduces in urbem cives effodissent, in aede Petri Prin- 
cipis Apostolorum sanctiore loco composituri, integrum atque 
omni parte incorruptum invenerunt, sic praeterea con- 
glviincUa ad coUum cervice, ut vestigia indsionis nvUa 
apparerent.^ Hunc Perusini Patronum caelestem sakUarem 
venerarUur et colunU cuius Jionori aedem a solo aedificcUam 
maiorum pietas dedicavU. 

>) Ex Ub. in Dial 8. Gregorii Magni. 



74 



ST. HERCULANU8 

(1874) 

TlERCULANUS, a man of remarkable sanctity, waa 
Bishop of Perugia at the time when the Goths were 
besi^Qg the city. Upon its capture, he was beheaded^ 
and his body, cast outside of the walls, was decently 
buried by some kindly hands. Forty days afterwards, 
the citizens returned to Perugia, and, desiring to give 
the body a holier resting-place in the church of S. 
Peter, Prince of the Apostles, had it disinterred. It 
was found to be whole and incorrupt in every part, the 
head and neck being joined so thoroughly that no trace 
of the incision could be found. The people of Perugia 
venerate him as their heavenly Patron, while the piety 
of their ancestors built and dedicated a church in his 
honor. 



i 



CARMINA 



AK. MDOOCLXXIY 



IN HONORBM 



S. HERCULANI 

1 UTELA praesens patriae 
Salve, Hercvlane: filiis 
Adsie, precamur, annuo 
Qui te canunt praeconio. 



Furens Geiharum ab algidis 
Devectus oris Totila, 
Turres Perusi et moenia 
Ope obsidebat barbara. 



lamque ingruebat arcibus 
Glades suprema: angustiie 
Urbs pressa ubique: civium 
Ubique luctus personal. 



At Pastor invictus, vigil 
Stas, Herculane; et anxio 
Pavore fracta pectora 

Metu et soluta roboras. 
76 



SAINT HERCULANUS 
(IW4) 

O MIGHTY Guardian of this land, 
Hail, HerculanuB, holy Prieetl 

Stretch forth to us a helping hand, 
Who Bing thy yearly Feast 



Forth of the bleak Getheean shore 
The furious Totila bad hurst, 

And fair Perugia's walls no more 
Withstood his horde aocuret 



For lot its bulwarked citadel 
Is sore beset and blood -besprent, 

And all the streets the chorus swell 
Of grief and loud lament. 



Sut Thou, unmoved amid the shock 
And din of war, a Shepherd still, 

Dear watch and ward keep'st o'er thy flock 
To save from threatened ill. 



i 



CARMINA 



Ardens et ore: '^ pro fide 
Pugnate avita, filii; 
Dux ipse vester; Numini 
Servate templa et patriam." 



Hac voce genti reddita 
Insueta virtus et vigor; 
Mens una cunctis, praelio 
Certare forti et vincere. 



Septem vel annos, te duce,^ 
Urbem stetisse est proditum, 
Et barbarorum copias 
Caesas, retusos impetus. 

Praecurris omnes; occidis 
Spectandus invicta fide, 
Virtute frangi nescia, 
Et glorioso funere. 

Namque urbe subiecta dolo, 
Non vi, occupatis moenibus, 
Dulci pro ovili sanguinem 
Vitamque laetus fundere, 



')Hiilti8 spatium obddionis historlci recentiores haud longius septem 
moisibUB pioducunt Quam Bententiam ncc afilrmare, nee refellere in 
animoest 

78 



POEMS 

Thy words are shafts of fire: " The sword 
Must save the Faith I your foes withstand I 

Stribe for the altars of the Lord, 
Strike for the fatherland! " 

Thy voice endues each nerveless arm 
With strength and power as from on high: 

They tear no more the loud alarm, 
But fight to win— or die. 

Long seven years (the story runs) ' — 

Thy leadership the city saved; 
The throning hosts of Dacia's sons 

In vain their banners waved. 

Alack, the fatal day when Thou, ■ 
Foremost in faith and love arrayed, 

Laid'st in the dust thy priestly brow. 
Not conquered, but betrayed. 

'T is guile, not prowess, conquerethi 
The foe is swarmii^ o'er the walls: 

For thy dear flock Thou greetest death 
As one who gladly falls. 



( 



CARMINA 



Desaevientis Totilae 

lussu, sub ictum cuspidis 
Procumbis insons victima, 
Auctus corona martyrum. 



Et nunc beata caelitum 

Regnans in aula, patriam 
Pastor, Patronus et Parens 
Felix bonusque sospitas. 



Laetare Etrusca civitas * 
Tanta refulgens gloria; 
Attolle centum gestiens 
Caput decorum turribus. 



Novo petita praelio 

Tu vim repellas impiam, 
Et usque fac refulgeas 
Fide Herculani pulcrior. 



^) Perusia, yeteri itallcanim regionum descriptione, Etnuiae finibus con- 
tinebatur, cum EtruBcorum gens Tyrrheno mari et Apennino, Macra et 
Tiberl fluviis terminaretur. 



80 



POEMS 

When Totila the inercileBS 

Decrees for Thee'the severing sword, 
Thou diest — but thy people bless 

A Martyr of the LordI 



And now, in mansions of the blest, 
Thou reignest 'mid the heavenly band, 

As ''Shepherd, Father" still addressed. 
To save thy fatherland! 



thou Etruscan city fair, 

Rejoice, such glory thou hast found; 
lift up thy head beyond compare. 

With hundred turrets crowned! 



Though now by falser foes beset, 
Fight still the battle of the free — 

The Faith thy Patron kept, be yet 
More beautiful in thee! 



81 



S. CONSTANTIVS 

CONSTANTIVS Pemmu cknAianit parenlibug natu$, 
virtuU atbitem antegreasue, Epucopna patriae suae factm 
etL. h propter stadium chri^ani jwrninii miUta dicta 
gravia, perpeseu aepera invido anirrw pertulit. Nam 
primum pugnU contundi ivtme, deinde in thermie mdudi 
Kpfupb vehemerUiiu acccnaia; sed aquie Dei nutu rtptnUe 
tepefactig, e mmmo discrtmine evagU incolumia. Max 
prunarum cmciatu forlisaime perfunctug, coniicitur in cus- 
todiam: unde christianonim opera ertractum saUlliUg 
imperaiorii eomprehendunt, et vi wlnerum prope confidv/nL 
Oontimu) twnen iUe divinUua convaluU: tunc Asaiaium in 
carcerem rapitur. PauUo post illinc educUis, cum quamlibet 
eam^icmam subire maUet, quam a proposUo disseminandae 
calholicae rdigionia deeistere, iddrco in trivio apud Pid- 
ffinium nobUe .marlyrium fecU, Marco Aurelio Vero Im- 
percUore, Sotere Ponlifice maximo. Sacrum dua corpus 
inhumatum proiectum Letnanua, magna pirate vir, domo 
f\dginio, ab Angelo m aomnis admonitus, venerahundits 
feretro compomtit. Quod cum Pentmom deduceretur, ea res 
miractUo fuit, quod sacrarum rdiquiarum vectores r^enle 
liancii ocuiorum, quo antea card>anl, recgiere. Marlyrem 
fortissimum Perunni summa religione colunt, eiusque me- 
moriam, Umplo extrudo, consecrarunt. 



ST. CONSTANTTOS 

GONSTANTIUS was bom in Perugia, of Chrifitian 
parente. Achieving a virtue that outran hia years, he 
waa elected Biehop of tiie fatherland. He was perse- 
cuted because of his zeal for Christianity, and endured 
with unflinching courage much grievous suSering. 
First of all he was ordered to be beaten, then to be shut 
up in the baths, which were heated sevenfold more 
than usual. God willed, however, that the water 
should suddenly become lukewarm ; and thus be 
escaped unharmed. Forced to walk over live coals, he 
bore the torment with the greatest fortitude, and waa 
then cast into prison. Thanks to the efforts of some 
Christians, he escaped, only to fall again into the 
hands of the Emperor's satellites, who wounded him 
nigh unto death. By divine help, however, he im- 
mediately recovered, and was then hurried ofE to Assisi 
and again cast into prison. Shortly afterwards he was 
led forth to trial; but declaring that he preferred to 
suffer any kind of death rather than give up his pur- 
pose of spreading the Catholic religion, he achieved a 
noble martyrdom at the cross-roads of Foligno, during 
the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius Verus and the 
pontificate of Soter. His body, which had been cast 
forth unburied, was reverently placed on a bier by Levi- 
anus of Foligno, a man of great piety, who had received 
in sleep an angelic admonition to that effect While the 
body was being carried back to Perugia, a wonderful 
thing happened. The bearers of the sacred relics, who 
were blind, auddenlj' received their sight. The people 
of Perugia entertain the greatest reverence for the mighty 
Martyr, and have dedicated a church to his memory. 



( 



CABMINA 



IN HOMOREM 

S. CONSTANTII 

AN. MDOOCLXXyni 

I 

FaVETE linguis; hinc procul 
Eete, o profani; crastinus * 
Solemnibus Constanth 
Sacer dies est martyris. 

Dive, praesens o tuae 
Salufl decusque patriae! 
Redi auspicatus, iam redi 
Umbris colendus gentibus. 

Te heroa, te fortissimum 
Eflferre caelo Martyrem, 
Oblita laudes Caesarum, 
Turrena gestit canticis. 

Hyems rigescit,* aspens 
Monies pruinis albicant, 
Solisque crines frigido 
Irrorat imbre Aquarius. 

>) ScilptuB est hymnus ob praeludimn dlei festi. 

*) Sftcra soUemnia ob memoriAm 8. Constantii aguntur IV Kal. Febr. 

84 



SAINT CONSTANTIUS 



GeaSE, babbling tongues 1 Whom earth de- 
Begonel for 't is the holy eve ' [lights, 

Of the great Feast that shall receive 
A Martyr's solemn rites. 

mighty Patron saint, who art 
The guardian glory of this land, 
Auspicious view the honors planned 
By Umbria's faithful heart. 

It leaps with joy to lift thy name, 
Heroic Martyr, to the skies. 
Pointful of the tarnished prize 
That crowns a Caesar's fame. 



Now snowy whiteness heaped upon 
Each mountain-peak, the Winter' views; 
Aquarius with frozen dews 

Drenches the hright-haired sun. 



CABMINA 



At bruma non desaeviens, 
Non atra caeli nubila 
Gives morantur annuis 
Rite exsilire gaudiis. 

Nox en propinquat: cemeres 
Fervere turbis compita, 
Late per umbram cemeres 
Ardere coUes ignibus; * 

Urbisque ferri ad moenia 
Incessu et ore supplici 
Senes, viros, cum matribus 
Longo puellas agmine. 

Ut ventum, ubi ara Martyris 
Corusca lychnis emicat, 
Festiva turba civium 
Irrumpit ardens, clamitat: 

*' Pastor, e caelo, o Parens 
CoNSTANTi, adesto filiis: " 
Pressis sepulcro et dulcia 
Figit labellis oscula. 



*)Mo0 anUquiaslixms Peruaiae Aiit, ut quotannis piidie natalis S. Con- 
Btantli solemnis pompa ad pomerlum vesper! duceretur, viris comitantibus 
ac dona ferentibus; quae "Bupplicatio luminum" idcirco appellata est, 
quod urbs tota fltcibus cereisque, suburbium ignibus ad laetitiam per uoctem 
eoUuoeret. Pulcra extant de ea supplicatione legum municipalium decreta. 

86 



POEMS 



Nor Winter, raging o'er the earth, 
Nor heaven's cloudy coronal, 
Delays the yearly festival 
Or chills the holy mirth. 

The twilight deepens into night; 
Yet fills each street a thronging host: 
And through the gloom the hills are crossed 
With myriad-gleaming light.' 

Behold, in prayerful guise arrayed, 
March to the walls with reverent joy. 
The gray-haired sage, the guileless boy. 
The matron and the maid. 

There on the holy Martyr's tomb 
The gleaming lights a splendor shed; 
While thousand chanting voices spread 
A glory through the gloom: 

"Thy children. Father, deign to hear: 
Thy flock, Shepherd, deign to bless ! " 
Anon a thousand lips caress 
The ancient sepulchre. 



*) Every year on the Ere of the Feast of St. Constantiiu, the FemglaiiB, 
following an ancient custom, march in solemn procession outside the walls, 
bearing offerings. This is known as the " Feast of Lights," as the whola 
city is ablaze with torches and tapers, and the suburbs with joyous bonflrea. 
Many beautiful municipal decrees deal with this festivity. 

87 



rAR}ff\A 



AX. MDOOCIiZZIX 

II 

"ANDITUR templum; facibus renidet 
Ara CoMSTANTi: celebrate nomen 
Dulce Pastoris, memoresque fastoa 

Dicite cantu. 

Impios ritus et inane f ulmen 

Risit indignans lovis et Quirini; 
Obtulit ferro iuvenile pectus, 

Obtulit igni. 

Aestuant thermae saliente flamma: 

Densa plebs circum stat anhela: Praetor 
Clamat: ^4, lictor, calida rebellem 

Merge sub unda." 

Mergitur: plantas simul unda tinxit, 
FrigiduB ceu fons per amoena florum 
Defluens, blando recreata mulcet 

Membra lavacro. 

VulgUB immoto stupet ore; Praetor 
Frendet elusus; scelerum ministris 
Mandat, obstrictum manicis recondant 

Carceris antro. 
88 



(18T») 

X HE temple-gat«8 at length uncloee; 
With myriad lights the altar glows: 
joj^iul greet your Martyr's oame 
With loud acclaim I 

Against the pagan rites he strove, 
And mocked the thunderbolts of Jove: 
Fearless he viewed the torments dire 
Of sword and fire. 

The caldron feels the leaping fiames: 
Amidst the breathless crowd proclaims 
The praetor: "Lol the waters crave 
The rebel slave!" 

A marvell 'Neath the Martyr's feet 
The seething caldroD seems as sweet 
As a cool fount that sparkling leads 
Through flowery meads. 

Abashed, the crowds in wonder gaze; 
And cries the praetor in amaze: 
" Bind him, and let the noisome cell 
His magic quelll" 



CARMINA 



Vinda nil terrent; Fidei Magister 
Liber effaris; Vigilum docendo 
Pectora emollis; stygiusque cedit 

Mentibus error. 

Saevior contra rabies tyranni 

Flagrat; insontem lacerat flagellis, 
Sauciat ferro, rigidaque plantas 

Compede torquet. 

Nee datum immani sat adhuc furori; 
Hostiam diris agit, et Deonim 
Numini spreto vovet immolandam 

Caede omenta. 

Corpus in limo iacet interemptum: 
At plus forti celebrandus auso, 
Luce pallenti, vigilans ad umbram 

Carceris, ima 

Septa pervadit Levianus; artus 

Colligit sparsos; caput ense truncum 
Rite componens fovet, et beata 

Condit in uma. 

Grande portentumi sacra membra in urbem 
Quattuor latis humeris reportant 
Lucis expertes, subitoque visus 

Munere gaudent 
90 



But chains nor dungeon can control 
The saving utterance of the sonl: 
His gaarda the Word of Truth receive, 
Hear, and believe! 

Mew storms of rage the tyrant urge: 
The guiltless flesh is torn with scourge 
And eword; while iron shackles greet 
The guileless feet. 

Nor these the praetor's wrath appease, 
Who to bis slighted deities 
The Saint as victim offereth 
In bloody death. 

The corpse is cast into the mire: 
At daybreak Levian draweth nigher 
From out the friendly shadowing veil 
That marks the gaol. 

He comes to seek, with reverent tread, 
The scattered limbs, the severed head: 
At length the sacred urn contains 
The blest remains. 

Four sightless carriers are found 
To bear it to Perugia's bound; 
They touch the um : prodigy 
Of grace — they see! 
ei 



Bedditur Pastor patriae, refolgena 
Aureis vittia et honore palmae, 
Septus aetoma saperum corona 
Bedditur heros. 

Dive, quern tempUs TeDeramur Umbris, 
Umbiiae fines placido rerisenB 
Lumine, ezoptata redac opimae 
Gaudia pacis. 

Dive, Pastorem tua in urbe quondam 
Intula cinctum, socium et laborum, 
Quern piuB tutum per iter eupema 
Luce regebas, 

Nunc Petri cymbam tumidum per aequor 
Ducere, et pugnae per acuta cemis 
Spe bona certoque levare in altos 
Lumina montes. 



Poeait o tandem, domitis proceUis, 
Visere optatis Leo victor oras; 
Occupet tandem vaga cymba portum 



Bo comes the Shepherd back, in calm 
Of laurel-wreath and martyr-palm: 
CrowDed with the glory of the skies 
The Hero liesl 

Revisit ua, Patron grand — 
This flock of thine, this Umbrian land; 
And bring with Thee a rich increase 
Of heavenly peacel 

A mitred pastor, once of old 
I Bhared thy labors, watched thy fold: 
Me didet thou kindly guide aright 
With thy dear light: 

Now Peter's bark through troubled seas 
I guide, and 'gainst the storm-fraught breeze 
With hope assured I lift mine eyes 
Up to Thy skies: 

when the storms of life are o'er, 
May Leo gain the peaceful shore, 
And to his shallop frail be given 
The port of Heaven I 



S. FELICIANVS 

rELICIANUS Fulginid oriundus, epwcopua avUnu 
«uts a S. Vidore Pont. Max. datuB, Euangdii lumen per 
Umbros et ficenoi magna labore propagavU. Christiani 
nominia caused, a L. Flavio, Assiaii Praefedo, inmrits et 
veri>aHbits caesus; ddnde a Dedo Imperatore, cum, Persia 
MedUque devictxa, per Umbriae fina Her faceret, carcere et 
vario cruciatuum genere torgueri extrema iam senectute 
iv38us, ad caeUstia martyr migravil. Ewm FidgincUes 
adiectum siin Patronum caeUstan colunt pietale v 



ST. FELICIAN 

FeLICIAN, appointed by Pope SL Victor to be 
bishop of Foligno, of which he was a native, zealously 
carried the light of the Gospel to the inhabitants of 
Umbria and Picennm. L. Flavins, Prefect of Assifli, 
ordered him to be beaten; and the Emperor Dedns, 
victorious over the Persians and Medes, whilst trav- 
eling through Umbria, ordered him, although in 
extreme old age, to be cast into prison and to suffer 
various kinds of torture; until, a glorious martyr, he 
ascended to his heavenly fatherland. The Folignese 
have chosen him for their Patron and worship him with 
the greatest devotion. 






AH. lococzcn 

AD SANCTVM FELICIANVM EPISCOPVM 
MAETYREM 

'HYUNV8 

ViVAX in a«vum gloria Martyium 
Feucuni Domen in aetbera 

Attollat, aramque et sepulcrum 
Ueque novie decoret coronis. 

Fulginatum maxime Praeaulum, 
Patrem Balutat laeta precantium 
Te tiuba, patronumque avilo 
Geetit ovana celebrare cuUu. 



Haec namque sedes, bic tibi credita 
Te plebs recepit 8ed pia caritaa 
Ui^et, neo in septis morantem 
Te patrii tfinaere fines. 

Recti tenacem non labor arduuB, 
Non bella teirent aepera, dum Crucis 
Inferre Picenis et Umbria 
Pacificum properas tropaeum. 



TO SAINT FELICIAN, BISHOP AND 
MARTYR 

(1892) 

FeLICIAN ! let a martyr'B fame 
Exalt forevermore thy name; 
Thy sepulchre and altar strew 
With garlands ever new I 

Foligno's mighty Prelate I see 
Thy thronging client* honor thee, 
Father and Patron, as of yore 

With love's unceasing store 1 



This was thy See; and here thy fold 
A welcome' gave, but could not hold 
A Shepherd long, whose charity 
Sought wider ministry. 



No labors could thy spirit break, 
Nor War's alarm thy fears awake; 
Thus Umbria and Picenum see 
The Croee's victory I 



Per te refolget vivida mentibuB 
Lux alma veri; dinita nummom 
Delubra: proculcat ruinas 
Relligio sine clade victiiz. 



Ardens in iras TartaruB intremit, 
Aetuque versat multiplici dolos, 
Si qua sscerdotis molestaB 
Forte queat tenuare vires. 



At dira pasBue, praeeide Flavio, 
Feucianvs fortior evenit; 

Kon probra, qoq irae minaceB 
Intrepidi vim aoimi refringunt. 



Quin ad Bupremae munera laureae 
Festinat heroB, quern senio gravem, 
LoDgfi. fatigatumque pugnS, 
Dius Amor renovat iuventft. 



Through thee, the Truth in glory shines 
On broken altars, falling shrines: 
Thus Faith the crown of triumph wore, 
A bloodless Conqueror. 



Hell launches myriad angry darts 
And proves a hundred subtle arts 
The fruits of victory to steal 

And quench thy tireless zeal. 



Let Flavins work his tyrant will — 
Thou only standeat firmer still; 
Nor taunts, nor threats, nor chains c 
Thy free and fearless mind. 



Yea, rather, to his laurel-wreath 
The Hero hastens, while his breath, 
Feeble with a^e and battling long. 

The loving Lord makes strong. 



i 



Te chriatiani nomiiua impetit 
CruentoB hostis; caesarea feroz 
Lanro, trinmpbatJBque Pereis, 
Vincere te DeciuB laborat. 



Sed quid voluntas efFera Caesaris, 
Aut imniineDtiB carnificia furor 
PoBBint? Deua te nil paventem 
PraeBidio potiore firmat. 



Devota ChriBto victima concidis; 
Caeli coniscans regia panditur, 
FeetAque praecinctum coronfl 
Ezcipiunt Superum cohortee. 



Ceu SiduB istinc usque renideas 
0mbris amicum gentibus aurea 
Cum luce, caligantis aevi 
Per dubios radiante cufbub. 



Victorious o'er the PersiaD host, 

Yet hating Christ's de&r Name the most, 

Crowned with imperial dignity, 

Decius would conquer Thbe I 



And yet, what power in Gaesar'B will, 
Or in hie hangman's threatening skill? 
Unto his servant Qod shall yield 
A still more potent shield. 



Chbist'b victim falleat thou — behold, 
The gates of Paradise unfold I 
Midst heavenly armies thou art found 
With festal garlands crowned ! 



Shine forth from out thy heaven afar, 
O'er Umbria's fields, O friendly Star; 
The blind earth gropes thro' devious ways — 
Send forth thy golden rays I 



i 



IN SACRAM FAMILIAM 
lESVM MARIAM lOSEPH 

HYMNS IN HONOR 

OF THE 

HOLY FAMILY 



i 



IN SACRAM FAMILIAM 
lESVM MARIAM lOSEPH 



O LUX beata caelitum 

Et aumma epes mortalium, 
lesu, o cui domestica 
Arrisit orto caritas: 

Maria, dives gratia, 

sola quae caeto potes 
Fovere lesum pectore, 
Cum lacte donans oscula: 

Tuque ei vetustia patribus, 
Delecte custos Virginia, 
Diilci patris quern nomine 
Divina Prolea invocat: 



De atirpe lease nobili 

Nati in ealutem gentium, 
Audite noa qui supplicee 
Veetras ad aras aiatimus. 



THE HOLY FAMILY 



TZaPEB HTHN 

cIeSUS, the Light of realme above, 

Sole Hope to mortals given, 
Whose Childhood crowned domestic love 

With glories caught from heaven : 

Ave Maria, full of grace. 

Above archangels blest 
To hold thy Son in sweet embrace 

And feed Him from thy breast : 

Joseph, of patriarchs alone 

The Virgin's chosen gaide, 
Whose heart the joy supreme hath known 

When Jesus ' ' Father ' ' cried : — 

Springing from Jesse's noble root 

To share a Work divine, 
Prosper your clients' lowly suit 

Uttered before your shrine. 
106 



Dum Bol reduz ad vesperum 
Rebus nitorem detrahit, 
Nofi hie manentes intimo 
"Ex corde vota fundlmus. 



Qua vestra sedes floruit 
Virtutis omniB gratia, 
Hanc detur in domesticis 
Referre pos^e moribuB. 



Now aeeka the sun bia western bed, 
And fades tbe splendorous day: 

Behold, we bow a reverent bead 
And heartfelt homage pay. 



What grace and power of love made sweet 

The House of Nazareth — 
Such may our hearts and homes repeat 

In birth, and life, and death I 



II 

!l)ACBA iam splendent decorata lychnis 
Templa, iam eertis redimitur ara, 
Et pio fumant redolentqae acerrae 
Thuris hoQore. 

Num iuvet summo Geniti Parente 
Begios ortus celebrare cantu ? 
Num domus David decora et vetustae 
Nomina gentis? 

GratiuB nobiB memorare parvum 

Nazaiae tectum tenuemque cultum ; 
Gratius lesu tacitam referre 

Carmine vitam. 

Nil! ab extremis peregrinus oris, 
Angeli ductu, propere remigrat 
Multa perpesBUB Puer, et paterno 

Limine soBpes, 

Arte, qua loseph, humili excolendus 
Abdito lesUB iuveneecit aevo, 
Seque fabrilis Bocium laboris 

Adiicit ultro. 



HATW HYMN 

A THOUSAND lights their glory shed 
On Bhrines and altars garlanded; 
While swinging censers dusk the air 
With perfumed prayer. 

And shall we eing the ancestry 
Of Jeans, Son of God most High ? 
Or the heroic names retrace 
Of David's race? 

Sweeter is lowly Nazareth, 
Where Jesns drew His childish breath — 
Sweeter the singing that endears 
His bidden years I 

An Angel leads the pilgrim band 
From Egypt to their native land. 
Where Jesus clings to Joseph's arm, 
Secure from harm. 

" And the Child grew in wisdom's ken 
And years and grace with God and men; " ' 
And in His father's humble art 
Took share and part. 

■) LaG.tl.,Ea. 

109 



CARMINA 



*' Irriget sudor mea membra, dixit, 

'^ Antequam sparso madeant cruore: 
'' Haec quoque humano generi expiando 

** Poena luatur." 



Aseddet Nato pia Mater almo, 

Assidet Sponso bona nupta; felix 
Si potest curas relevare fessis 

Munere amico. 

0, neque expertes operae et laboris, 
Nee mali ignari, miseros iuvate, 
Quos reluctantes per acuta rerum 

Urget egestas: 

Demite his fastus, quibus ampla splendet 
Faustitas, mentem date rebus aequam: 
Quotquot implorant columen, benigno 

Cemite vultu. 



110 



"With toil," ealth He, " my limbs are wet, 
Prefiguring the Bloody Sweat: " 
Ah I how He beare our chaetifiemeat 
With Bweet content ! 

At Joseph's bench, at Jesus' side. 
The Mother sitB, the Virgin-bride; 
Happy, if she may cheer their hearts 
With loving arte. 

Blessed Three I who felt the sting 
Of want and toil and sufCering, 
Pity the needy and obscure 
Lot of the poor: 

Banish the " pride of life " from all 
Whom ampler wealth and joys befall: 
Be every heart with love repaid 
That seeks your aid I 



( 



Ill 

O GENTE telix hospita, 
AuguBta Bedes Nazarae, 
Quae fovit alma Ecclesiae 
Et protulit primordia. 

Sol qui pererrat aureo 

Terraa iacent^s lumine, 
Nil gratius per Baecula 
Hac vidit aede aut sanctius. 

Ad banc frequentes convolant 
Caeleetis aulae nuntii, 
Virtu tie hoc Bacrarium 
Viaunt, revlBunt, excolunt 

Qua mente lesus, qua manu 
Optata patris perficit I 
Quo Virgo gestit gaudio 
Matema obire munera ! 

Adest amoris particepB 

Curaeque Joseph coniugi, 
Quos mille iuugit nexibua 
Virtutia auctor gratia. 



HTHN AT LACD8 

HOUSE of Nazareth the blest, 

Fair hostess of the Lord, 
The Church was nurtured at thy breast 

And shared thy scanty hoard. 

Id all the spreading lands of earth 
The wandering sun may see 

No dearer spot, no ampler worth 
Than eret was found in theel 

We know thy humble tenement 

Was heaven's hermitage; 
Celestial heralds came and went 

In endless embassage. 

There, whatsoever Joseph asks 

Christ hastens to fulfill; 
While Mary loves the household tasks 

That wait her joyous will. 

There, Joseph toileth at her side 
Her joys and griefs to share, 

With thousand ties knit to his bride. 

Of love and work and prayer. 

113 



( 



CABMZNA 



Hi diligentes inyicem 

In lesu amorem confluunt. 
Utrique lesus mutuae 
Dat caritatis praemia. 

Sic fiat, ut DOS caritas 

lungat perenni foedere, 
Pacemque alens domesticam 
Amara vitae temperet I 



114 



Yet how their bosoms constant bum 

And deeper ardors prove 
In love of Christ, whose eyes return 

Tokens of mutual lovet 

then, in all the homes of earth. 
Be Love the bond of life: 

May it enthrone at every hearth 
The peace that husheth strife! 



( 



CARMINA 



▲H. mxxxrr.Txnii 

AD FLORVM 

t LORE puer, vesana diu te febris adurit: 
Inficit immundo mollia membra situ 

Dira lues; cupidis stygio respersa veneno, 
Nee pudor est, labiis pocula plena bibis. 

Pocula sunt Circes: apparent ora ferarum; 
Vel canis immundus, sus vel arnica luto. 

Si sapis, tandem miser expergiscere, tandem, 
UUa tuae si te cur?, salutis habet, 

Heu fuge Sirenum cantus, fuge litus avarum, 
Et te Carihu8% Flore, reconde sinu. 

Certa erit inde salusj CarthuA e fontibus hausta* 
Continue sordes proluet unda tuas. 

*) AdmiBSUS nuper est ad Pontiflcem maximum Leonem XIII quidam 
Dobili genere adolescens, decimum sextum aetatis annum vix supeiigjessus 
Idemque macilento ore et extenuatis viiibus. Quod cum ipse licentions 
▼itae intern perantla factum non dissimularet, et dolcnter ferre yid^retur- 
admonitus est, prospiceret saluti suae opportuneque in asceterium ali, 
quandiu secederet, eluendis animi sordibus unlce vacaturus. Id quo facilius 
aasequeretur, suasit adolescenti Pontifex ut, qua maxima posset attentioiie, 
perlegeret aureum ilium de qnatuor HominU Nwtsiimia librum, scilicet 
auctore Dionysio Carthusiano, qui copia et sanctitate doctrinae divini nomen 
iuYenit. Eam Pontifex rem his verslbus complexus est. 

*) Ex coDSideiatione scilicet renim, quae sunt homini novimimae. 

116 



TO FLORUS' 

(1883) 
IXONG hath a sickly fever-flame 
CooBUraed thee, Florae; and thy shame 
Speaks from thy wasted frame. 

Ah mel the chalice at thy lips, 

Whereof thy eager passion sipa, 

With Stygian poison drips. 

'Tis Circe's cupl the sorceress queen 
Transforms her guests to dogs undean 
And swinish herd obscene. 

then, if thou wouldst yet be wise. 
And gain thy heavenly Paradise, 
From the foul banquet rise ! 

Fly siren-song and hungry shore 
That wait to wreck thy bark; implore 
Help from Carthusian lore:' 

Drink deeply of that fount divine; 
The filthy lees of Circe's wine 
Wash from that soul of thine t 

') A roung DobleiDftn, XMrcelr put bli dzteentli jear, but tbiD uid 
timaclMeJ, gained kudlence, receDtly. of Iba Soprana PontllT. Leo xnL 
He did Dot conco^. bul mlhcc ■oiroKfDlly admlKed the fkd, that U» pbjA- 
cal condition WM due to hifl Ucendoui Toanner of life ; aad he vbi acconl- 
Initlr warned to coniult for hig ulvatloTi by entering a Honw of Balieat, 
when he ihould spend wme lime in the talk of puiJI^nghlaiouL Tonie- 
eeed the better, the Pontiff eonnielled him lo read wilh the gnateat atten- 
tion that golden book on the Four Lut Thingi, written bj Dcnli the 
Carthiulin, who, because of his wide learning and holincaa, vaa 
the Diritte. The poem doUa with tbli Incident 

■] Namely, by a conilderatloii of the I^it&id of Man. 
117 



CABMINA 



AH. MDOOCLXXXV 



AD EVMDEM 



NE 8E VOLVPTATVM ILLECEBRIS CAPI PATIATVR 

r^HANTASIA, illecebris effingens lubrica menti, 
Vere est tartarei, qui latet, anguis opus. 

Exitiale opus hoc; astusque, artesque dolosas 
Excutere assiduus sit tibi, Flore, labor. 

Eia age: certantem te lumine spectat amico, 
Certantem auxilio roborat ipse Deus. 

lamque fugit, rabidusque et pugna elusus inani 
Mersat se stygia luridus aoguis aqua. 



118 



TO THE SAME 



(1886) 



I HE flowery meads through which yoa pass 
In fancy, are bnt Hell's morass — 
A Serpent bideth in the grass I 



This deadly field hath Satan sown: 
Do thou hia crafty arts disown, 
' And hate the pleasures thou hast known. 

Courage and earnest work be thine; 
The Lord looks on with eye benign, 
And nerves thy will with strength divine. 



Already, see, by Grace o'erbome, 
The baffled Serpent flies the mom, 
And hides in Stygian caves forlorn I 



CARMINA 



AN. MDCXXSLXXZni ^ 



lUSTITIAM colui; certamina longa, labores, 
Ludibria, insidias, aspera quaeque tuli; 



At fidei vindex non flectar; pro grege Christi 
Dulce pati, ipsoque in carcere dulce morL 

*) iDscripsit sub imaglDe sua, cum S. Oregorii VII. dicta meminisset: DOexi 
iuttiUam et odivi iniquitatem, propterea morior in exilio. 



120 



1 HAVE loved justice, therefore have I home 
Conflict and labor, plot and biting scorn. 



Guardian of Faith, for Christ's dear flock would I 
Suffer with gladness, and in prison diet 

■) Unca WTltten muter bli oira portimlt, u he i«eill«d tbe nrlnx ot St. 
QrcgorrVII.; "I b«rc loved Jiutlceuid haled Inlqalty: thmfora I die la 
tzUa." 



( 



CARMINA 



AN. MDOCCLZXZY 
FRVSTRATA IMPIORVM 8PE 

PONTIFICVM ROMANORVM SERIES 

NON INTERMITTITVR 

(JCCIDIT inclamant, solio deiectus, in ipso 
Carcere, in acrumnis occidit ecce Leo. 



Spes insana: Leo alter adest, qui sacra volentes 
lura dat in populos, imperiumque tenet. 



122 



(_Va-tume libera) 

O ODE un grido : nel career d&l soglio, 
Nelle ambaace si spense Leon. 



Orido insano : gi& impera dal soglio 
PreQce e Padre un oovello Leon. 



CABMINA 



AX. MDOOCLXZXY 
FRUSTRATA IMPIORUM 8PE 

PONTIFICVM ROMANORVM SERIES 

NON INTERMITTITVR 

(JCCIDIT, inclamant, solio delectus, in ipso 
Carcere, in aerumnis occidit ecce Leo. 



Spes insana: Leo alter adest, qui sacra volentes 
lura dat in populos, imperiumque tenet. 



124 



" EVEN TO THE CONSUMMATION OF THE 
WORLD " 



UEO is fallen! " — List the clamorouB cry: 
" Broken with cares, in prison shall he diel " 



Vain is the hope: another Leo wields 

The sceptre, and his fiock from error shields) 



A3*. UDCCCLXXXV 
ECCLE8IAB 

AVSPICATVS TRIVMPHVS 
ET IN COMMVNE BONVM EE6TITVTA PAX 

rVUGUROR: ecce, video', crebrie micat ignibus aether; 
Nimboso apparent signa coruBca polo. 

Continuo effugiunt, Bubitoque extenita visu 
Tartareos repetunt horrida monstra lacufi. 

Gena inimica Deo portentum invita fateri, 
Fletuque admissum visa piare ecelus. 

Tunc veterea cecidere irae, tunc pugna quievit; 
lam que fera emollit pectora dulcis amor; 

Quin et priaca redire audet neglectaque virtus, 
Intemerata fides, et sine fraude pudor. 

Mox olea praecincta comas Pax educat artes; 
Uberi et alma sinu Copia fundit opea. 

lUuatrat vetus ilia Italas Sapientia montesi 
LongiuB errorum pulea proterva cohere. 

laeta Ausoniae tellusl o clara triumpho! 
Et cultu et patria relligione potens. 



AN AUGURY OF TRIUMPH 

JVllNE eye prophetic ecaos the darkling heaven 
With dawn's bright arrows riven: 

ForthwiUi the horrid crew of bellifih error 
Flies to the Stygian pool in terror! 

God's enemies, compelled to view the vision, 
Confess with tears their long misprision. 

The centuried hates, the olden strifes are ended: 
Victorious Love hath all amended I 

Now exiled Virtue seeks again her dwelling. 
Of stainless faith and candor telling; 



Peace, olive-wreathed, bids art and science flourish. 
And Plenty's horn is here to nourish: 



In vain shall Hell its myriad errors muster- 
Here Wisdom shines with olden lustre. 



blessed Italyl wondrous gloryl 

Faith enshrined in art and storyl 



CARMINA 



SANCTVS lOANNES BAPTISTA 

PRAECVBSOB 
I 

JDeSERTAS ludaeae oras Baptibta pererrans, 
Tegmen cui corium, mella, locusta cibus, 

O V08, errorum mereae caligine caeca, 
Audite, o gentes, verba salutis, ait. 

Instat Bumma dies; venturam ludicis iram 
ESugite: o tandem poeniteat scelerum; 

Delete haec gemitu et lacrimis, Numenque piate: 
Sic tutum ad caeli regna paratur iter. 



128 



ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST 

THE PSECDRSOS 

(1886) 

I 

In the JudeoD Bolitade, 

Clad in the Bkins of beasts he stood — 

Locusts and honey wild, his food. 

He crieUi in the wilderness: 

ye whom clouds of error press, 

Hear me, and all your sins confess I 

The awful Day of God is nigh; 
From His tremendous judgments fly; 
With sorrowing tears beseech the sky: 

Wash out your sins with sigh and groan, 
And for your wicked past atone — 
The way to Heaven is this alone I 



CABMINA 



II 

NON aliena licet, rex impie, frangere iura; 
Non licet uxorem fratris habere tuam. 



Hac olim impavidus clamabat voce Ioannes: 
Vox eadem e vultu reddita clamat adhuc. 



Utrumque epigramma Pontifcx insculpi lussit in theca ma^a elegantioxis 
operls, quam novissinie ad cufitodiendum sanctis&imi Praecursoris Caput re- 
fecit, et in privato sacrario suo collocavit. 



130 



OACRED are others' rights, impious King: 
Unlawful 't is to have your brother's wife ! " 



The voice that erst so fearlessly did ring 

Still speaks from out this casket as in life t 



The Pontiff had [hew epigruni engrkved OD ft itige nllqiury of elegmnt 
workiniiuhip, nhlch had been recently repftlied for (be purpuae of encloa- 
\Bg the Head of the moM bolf Precunor. tad which the PontllF placed In 
hii private lieaimry orucied artlciM. 



IN lEfiVM CHRISTVM 

A 8ANCT0 lOANNE PHAECVRSORE 



AlONTANA Galilaeae olim regions relict&, 
Arida lordanJa qua vagus arva rigat, 

BapUsta advenit, divino uumine ductus, 
Lustrali gentes Bpargere iussus aqua. 

Certatim ad flumen properat plebB agmine denso ; 
Tingitur; affuso sanctior imbre redit. 

Ecce autem e turba (cupide mirantur euntem 
Obtutu tacito) magna Dei Soboles, 

Progreditur Iesvb, maiestatisque verendae 
DemisEO celat vultu habituque iubar. 

Insons eanctueque adspergi fluvialibus undis 
Supplieiter, sontis more oiodoque, petit, 

') Tunc eitlBl ad eum Icrosolyms. ct rMunls ludaea, ct onmis n^o circa 
lordHnem; e( bnplizsbaDtur Bb co In lordane . . . Tunc vonk lesue a 
(ialiUea In Tortlaucm ad loonnem, ul bapiluretur abeo, loanncB autcm 
problbebnt eum, diccrs: Ega a U debco bapliiarl.ct tn rcnia ad me?. . . 
BaptlmluB autcm ICEua, confciilim nscendil d* aqua: et eoce apeni sunt ei 
caell ; el vidil i^pfriluni Dei de«rendentcm flcut columbani, ct Tenienlcm 
super K. a. ecce \oi dc cselle dlcene : Uic ptt IIIUib meue dlJec1u«, In quo 
mihl eomplacnl. ( m*tih. ill.) 

132 



THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST' 



Forth of the hiUy GalUean land, 
Unto the Jordan's mystic strand, 

The Baptist came, led by the hand of God, 
To wash the nations in its flood. 

Hither the pressing multitudes have hied 
To be baptized and sanctified. 

And here they see Him press the sacred sod — 
Jesus, the mighty Son of God, 

Hiding, with downcast eye and modest grace, 
The lightning splendors of His Face. 

The lustral Sign for guilty sinners meant 
He hnmbly craves — the Innocent. 



> ) Tben went out to him JeruMlem uid til Judei, anil Kll tbe coontiy 
aboul Jocdui ; mi were Isptlied by him In thg Jonlan . . . Then cometb 
Jenu from Oalllee lo the lorCaa, unto John, to be bkptlnd by him. But 
Johnslayed him, nylng: I ought to be bkptlwd by thee,uHl comeit thou 
to meT . . . ADd J««u b«lng bapdied, forthwith c*me ont ot the water ; 
and lo I the hcsTeni were opened to him : and he nw the Spirit of God de- 
KoidlDg u a dore, and coming upon him. ADdbeholdaTolMftom h«aT«n 
urlng: Thli li my belored Bon, In whom I am well pliaaed. (Uitt. ni). 



( 



CABMINA 



Persensit numen Baptista; et, rwn ego te, inquit, 
Me ine, ddmm, tu me tinge^ Magiater, aqua, 

Paruit imperio tamen et mandata facessit: 
Divinumque fluens imbuit unda caput. 

Panditur interea radianti lumine caelum, 
Ipsaque lordanis ripa corusca micat. 

Continue nive candidior descendere ab alto 
Praepetibus pennis visa Columba polo. 

En Deus, ipse Deus, fulgente per aera tractu, 
Alitis in forma conspiciendus erat. 

Leniter adlabens Christum super adstitit; auras 
Turn vox insonuit fusa per aetherias: 

FiUiis hie mens est ; audite, audite docentem, 

Qxietn genuij aetemus quern mihi iungit amor, 

Audiit, et sese tibi, Iesv, maximus orbis 
Subdidit Eoo e litore ad occiduum; 

Teque in vota vocat, tibi iussos reddit honores, 
Tu lux vera homini, tu via, vita, salus. 



134 



But John perceives the Godhead: Itfundd be 
Baptized by Thee, not Thou by me! 



Yet be obeys, yielding to God' a design, 
And bathes the awful Brow divine. 



And lol the heavens are rent, and glory bright 
Floods the baptismal sward with light: 



And from the shining vault descends a Dove, 
And rests the sacred Head above. 



'T was God, 't was very God descended then, 
Dove-like unto the eyes of men ; 



And as It softly rested on His bead, 

Came from the sky a Voice that said: 



7 am weil pleated with my bdaved Son : 
Him shail ye hear I — Holy One, 



Jesus, thou Son of God, the world hath heard 
And bowed submissive to that Word; 



And to thy Name doth holiest homage pay, 
Who art the Truth, the Life, the Way. 



IN ILLUD PSALMI XIII. 

ContrUio et infdicitas in vtU eorum, et viam pada no 

cognoverunt. 

Jr ROLABI in vetitum, turpi sordescere culpa 
Si quern contingat, poena repente comes 

Peccantem sequitur; pavor occupat, anxia tristem 
Mordet cura animum, soUicitumqiie tenet. 



Ezciuciat scelus admissum, ingeminatque dolorem 
Impendens capiti vindicis ira Dei. 



ON THE WORDS OF PSALM XIII. : 

Deetmetion atid U7tkappine«s are in tkar ways, and the way 
of peace they have not known. 

(1887) 
W HOSO pursues an evil course, 
Hath made a comrade of Remorse: 

Hia soul at once is made aware 
Of anxious fear and gnawing care; 

For Sin is Sorrow I and the Lord 
Holds o'er his head the avenging sword I 



\ 



CARMINA 



IN ILLUD ECCL. XXXIV. 16 : 

Qui timet Dominumj nihil trepidabity et rum pavebitr 

qaxmiam ipse est spes eius, 

WlT iusto tranquilla quies: ceu lenis aquae fons 
Decurrens moUi in gramme, vita fluit 



Nescia curarum. Tacitus mortalia spectat, 
Et vitae in partem librat utramque vices. 



Vis inimica premat; vultus fortuna superbos 
Terrore, insidiis mutet ad arbitrium: 



Fortem non tangunt animum, contemnere suetum 
Et terere invicto cuncta caduca pede. 



Quern paveat ? virtus non expugnabile scutum, 
Rebusque in trepidis praesidium ipse Deus. 



138 



ON ECCL. XXXIV. 16: 

He thnt feareth the Lord shaU tremble al nothing, and shall 
■not be afraid : for he is his hope. 

cjUT to the just IB peace: no strife 
Disturbs the gentle stream of life. 

Fearless he looks on Death, nor broods 
Anxious o'er life's vicissitudes. 



Though buffeted by atorm and stress 
Of Fortune's wanton changefulness, 



Fate can not touch the soul sublime 
Taught to despise the things of Time. 



Whom should he fear? he can not yield, 
With Crod Himself for sword and shield I 



CARMINA 



Leo XIII p. M. vd ez eo tempore^ quo Efpiscopatum 
Perumnum Cardinalia gerAat^ Carpinetensibus mis aquae 
penuria lahorantihua cum succurrere impensd sua constitu- 
issety rivum uberem ex monte proximo adducendum curaviL 
Qui tameriy propter agri naturam dUabentihus scatebrisy 
coepit sensim decrescere ita vJt iam prope intermissus vider- 
etur. Opus iteraid providentid aggressus est, fdiciusque 
absolvit anno MDCCCLXXXVIIIy aqua ab alio capite 
derivatay ac salienlibvs binis commoditati ciuium cxcitatis, 
ipsis Kalendis lanuariiSy quo die ob memoriam sacerdotii 
EiuSy ante annos quinquaginta su^cepti, solemnia agebantur. 



140 



It waa a favorite project of the Pope, when he was 
Bishop of Perugia, to relieve at his own expense the 
scarcity of water from which the citizens of Caipineto 
Buffered, and he accordingly had an abundant supply 
led down from the nearest mountain. On account of 
the nature of tiie soil, however, the springs began to 
fail and the supply gradually lessened until it seemed 
to have entirely ceased. He therefore sought another 
source, and the work was successfully completed on 
January Ist, 1888 — the day on which he celebrated the 
Golden Jubilee of his first Mass. 



CABMINA 



In platea maiore prvpe Templum princepi. 
LEO. XIII. P. M. 

AQVAM . SALVBERRIMI . HAVSTV8 

E . MONTIBVS . LEPINIS 

PERDVCENDAM . CVRAVIT 

AN . SAC . PRINC . X . 

JF ONS ego decurrens, nitidis argenteus undis, 
Quern cupide irriguum florea prata bibant. 



At non prata bibent, cives, me florea; vestras 
Gratius est largo spargere rore domos. 



142 



SONG OF THE TWO FOUNTAINS. 

I 

In the great Square of the Oaihedrai. 

I AM a silvery fountain, at whose brink 
The flowery meadows love to drink. 



And yet they shall not ! It belongs to yon, 
Ye cita, — my widely-scattering dew I 



CARMINA 



II 



In parte Oppidi mperiore prope avitas Pecdorum nedes. 

DiFFICILEM cursum, longosque emensa viarum 
Tractus, Carpineis hue feror unda iugis. 



Namque Leo, Petri regali in Sede Sacerdos, 
Christiadum toto, qua patet, orbe parens, 



Tempore quo dubii commoto murraure belli \ 
Suspensa haererent pectora pulsa metu. 



Incolumis post lustra decern cum scanderet aras, 
Pacis sollicita cum prece dona petens, 



Cumque soli, primum dulces ubi luminis auras 
Ille hausit, vivax corda teneret amor, 



') Sub exitum an. mdccclxxxviii non defuere belli per Europam sufipid- 
ones. 

144 



In Upper Penigia, near the Ancient Manmon of the Peeeie. 

After & joumey long and drear, 

Ye Carpinetans, I am here, 

A fount unfailing, cool and clear. 

For Leo, who on Peter's throne 
As Shepherd of his flock is known 
And loved in every Christian zone — 

What time to fair Italia's shore 
The trembling wings of Rumor bore ' 
Rumblings of European war — 

Praying with deep solicitude 

For peace, before the altar stood 

The Priest whom lustres ten had viewed: 

His heart had never yet outworn 
Love for the spot where he was bom, 
And balmy airs of life's young mom: 



'J Toward) the ^loteof tb« TcarlSSS, Europe mi diitnrbtd b; tntnof » 



CARMINA 



Me monte ex imo excussam, me calle recluso 
Ad yo8, o cives, carpere iussit iter. 



lamque hue per caecos plumbo ducente meatus 
Advectam, nitido me capit uma sinu. 



Candida, splendidior vitro, blandoque susurro 
Alta e rupe scatens leniter unda fluo. 



Expectata diu, atque hospes gratissima veni, 
En veni, vestra ad commoda, dives opum. 



Munditiae, charisin, vitae usibus, apta saluti, 
Omine felici munera plena fero. 



Hue ergo properate: libens ben ef acta Leonis 
Usque egomet, rivo dulce strepente, loquar. 



146 



'Twas then, ye Carpioetan folk, 
He bade me come to yon, and broke 
Gently my immemorial yoke. 

And taught my dancing feet to epum 
The heedless hill-top, and sojourn 
For your sake, in this chiseled urn: 

Clearer than crystal to the view, 
From the high rocks I scatter dew. 
And sing the livelong day for youl 

Ye suffered long in fruitless quest 
Until I came — a welcome gueet — 
With amplest largess in my breast. 

And who shall all my usee tell ? 
Here in your very midst I dwell, 
For poor and rich, for sick and well. 

Come, then, ye cits, and freely take, 
WHiile I perpetual music make 
Of thanks to Leo for your sake! 



i 



CARMINA 



AD BEATAM VIRGINEM MARIAM 



PRECATI0NE8 



( Own paraphragi itaiiea. ) 



I 



ArDET pugna ferox; Lucifer ipse, viden', 
Horrida monstra furens ex Acheronte vomit. 
Ocius, alma Parens, ocius afiFer opem. 
Tu mihi virtutem, robur et adde novum. 
Contere virgineo monstra inimica pede. 
Te duce, Virgo, libens aspera bella genim : 
Diflfugient hostes; te duce, victor ero. 



148 



POEMS 



I 

( VerBwne libera) 

JVlOSSA d' averno, arde feroce pugna; 
Satana, ve', terribilmente adugna 

Le incaute prede, e le tartaree squadre 

Volge a sua posta. Mi soccorri, o Madre, 

Nel fier cimento; il trepidante core 

Francheggia e infiamma di celeste ardore. 

Se nell' aspra teozon tua man mi guida, 
Vano h il furor della masnada iufida. 

Tu de' rei mostri la superba testa 

Col virgineo tuo piS premi e calpesta. 

Teco saro; ma sol la tua virtude . 
Fia che Satan ricacci alia palude. 

K san\ tua mercfe, sari tua gloria 
Suir oste doma la final vittoria. 



149 



{ 



CARMINA 



AD BEATAM VIRGINEM MARIAM 



PRECATIONES 



ARDET pugna ferox; Lucifer ipse, viden', 
Horrida monstra furens ex Acheronte vomit. 
Ocius, alma Parens, ocius affer opem. 
Tu mihi virtutem, robur et adde novum. 
Contere virgineo monstra inimica pede. 
Te duce, Virgo, libens aspera bella geram: 
Diffugient hostes; te duce, victor ero. 



150 



POEMS 



A SIGH 

OF THE TRUSTFUL SOUL 

Furious rages the fray: 
Lucifer, watching intent 
For the uncertain event, 

Marshals his hellish array. 

Help me, Mother, this day; 
List to thy client's lament: 
Lo! I am weak and o'erspent, 

Moulded of spirit and clay. 

Under thy virginal heel 

Crushing the serpent of old. 

Ah! to thy servant reveal 

Power the prophets foretold: 

Then shall my spirit, tho' weak. 
Only of victory speak ! 



151 



CABMINA 



II 

AURI dulce melos, dicere, Mater ave: 
Dicere dulce melos, o pia Mater, ave. 
Tu mihi deliciae, spes bona, castus amor, 
Rebus in adversis tu mihi praesidium. 
Si mens soUicitis icta cupidinibus, 
Tristitiae et luctus anxia sentit onus: 
Si natum aerumnis videris usque premi, 
Matemo refove, Virgo, benigna sinu. 
At celeri heu properat iam pede summa dies. 
Detruso stygii daemone ad ima lacus, 
Adsis, o Mater; languiduloque seni 
Lumina fessa manu molliter ipsa tege, 
Et fugientem animam tu bona redde Deo. 



162 



POEMS 



II 

( Versione libera) 

(JUANTO air orecchio niio suona Boave 
A te, Madre Maria, ripeter ave. 

Ripeter ave e dirti, o Madre pia, 
E a me dolce, ioeffabile armonia. 

Delizia, casto amor, buona speranza, 
Tale tu se', ch'ogni desire avanza. 

Quando spirto m' assal maligno e immondo, 
Quando d' ambascie pid m' opprime il pondo, 

E r affanno del cor si fa piii crudo, 
Tu mio conforto, mia difesa e scudo. 

Se a me tuo figlio apri il matemo seno, 
Fugge ogni nube, il ciel si fa sereno. 

Ma gid morte s' appressa: d6h! in quell' ora, 
Madre, m' aita: lene lene allora 

Quando 1' ultimo di ne disfaville, 

Colle man chiudi le Blanche pupille; 

E conquiBO il demon che intomo rugge 
Cupidamente, all' anima che fugge 

Tu pietosa, o Maria, 1' ala distendi, 
Ratio la leva al cielo, a Dio la rendi. 



153 



CABMINA 



II 

AURI dulce melos, dicere, Mater ave: 
Dicere dulce melos, o pia Mater, ave. 
Tu mihi deliciae, spes bona, castiis amor, 
Rebus in adversis tu mihi praesidium. 
Si mens sollicitis iota cupidinibus, 
Tristitiae et luctus anxia sentit onus: 
Si natum aerumnis videris usque premi, 
Matemo refove, Virgo, benigna, sinu. 
At celeri heu properat iam pede summa dies. 
Detruso stygii daemone ad ima lacus, 
Adsis, o Mater; languiduloque seni 
Lumina fessa manu molliter ipsa tege, 
Et fugientem animam tu bona redde Deo. 



154 



POEMS 



SUPPLICATION OF THE LOVING SOUL 

Hail, mother I the enchanted ear 
* * Hail^ dearest Mother I ' ' loves to hear. 
My love, my hope, my heart's delight. 
In storm-rent seas my beacon-light: 
When sinful pleasures woo my heart, 
And thousand fears within me start. 
Thy child with poignant cares opprest 
Take, Virgin Mother, to thy breast. 
When hastes my dying hour, repel 
The demon to his deepest hell: 
Be thou with me in heavenly guise. 
Close gently my age-wearied eyes, 
And lead my soul to Paradise. 



155 



CABMINA 



AN. MDCOCXCV 

PRAESIDIVM DIVINAE MATRIS 

ACCEPnSSIMA ROSARI PRECE EXORANDVM 

Paraphrases 

I 

tlAC prece, magna Parens, flore hoc bene olente 
rosarum 
Te populi unanimes in sua vota vocant. 

At tu laeta libens vota audis, provida comples: 
Divinasque manu divite fundis opes. 

II 

Sistimus ante aras: placido nos respice vultu, 
Accepta et nostri pignora amoris habe. 

GenmiA auroque alii cumulent altaria: floruni 
Haec tenui in calatho nos tibi serta damns. 

Sunt humiles violae, tibi sunt gratissima, Virgo, 
Candida purpureis lilia mixta rosis. 



Ill 

Dum roseas manibus tractamus rite corollas, 
Quam dulce est nomen, Virgo, iterare tuunil 

156 



POEMS 



OUR LADY'S ROSARY 

A PRAYER FOR HELP 

Interpretations * 

(1895) 

I 

With one accord, Mother fair, 
Thy children offer as a prayer 
The scented bloom of roses rare. 

The prayer is heard and answered; we 
Receive from thy dear hand the free 
Mercies thy Lord commits to thee I 

II 

We kneel before thy shrines to prove 
A Mother's care: from Heaven above 
Accept the pledges of our love. 

No gems we bring to thee, nor gold; 

Our little baskets only hold 

The wreathed flowers of field and wold: 

The lowly violet's penury, 
The snowy lily's chastity, 
The purple rose's agony! 

Ill 
And while our loving bands would frame 
A worthy chaplet, we proclaim 
Again and yet again thy Name. 

* ) Of the word lto«iry~tli»t ** most acceptable prayer for the protection of 

the Mother of God.'* 

167 



CABMINA 



Praesens o faveas: tu dux fidissima vitae, 
Tu certa extremo sis in agone salus. 



IV 

Quam bene Gusmanus, tua soilers iussa facessens, 
Texere nos docuit serta revincta rosis. 



Gratum opus in terris sanctumque; at gratius olim. 
Si superum sedes scandere contigerit, 

Serta tibi laudum nova texere; gratius ore 
Laetari aeternum, Virgo beata, tuo. 



Sumite quae vobis tradit pia serta rosarum, 
Assiduaque manu nectite; Virgo iubet. 

Mandata exequimur; sed qua niercede? rogamus 
Filioli, o Matri fidite munificae! 

Fidite; namque suis caelo Ipsa insignia servat 
Praemia; pro roseis aurea serta dabit. 



158 



POEMS 



Be thou our favoring Patron here; 
Be thou our Guide in deserts drear; 
Be thou our Help when death is nearl 

IV 

How well thy client Gusman wrought 
Thy will in every deed and thought — 
The weaving of thy Rosary taught I 

On earth, a grateful task and sweet I 
But oh, more grateful, should our feet 
But gain at last the heavenly seati 

Then sweeter far H will be to raise 
To thee a wreathed song of praise^ 
Virgin blest, through endless days. 



Take to your hearts the roses rare 
Your Mother giveth to your care. 
And joyous weave the chaplet fair. 

I^! we obey the high command: 
What then shall be the guerdon grand ? 
trust the issue to her hand I 

Yes, trust in her who shall unfold 
In Heaven her great reward — behold. 
For wreathing roses, crowns of gold! 



159 



CARMINA 



AN. MDCOCXCV 



ADIUTRICI CHRISTIANORUM 

ELEGIA 

• At nunc, Virgo potens, victrices te auspice palmas 
Maiori plectro concinuisse iuvat. 

Per te namque almae victoria nuncia pacis 
Plus semel ad veteres risit arnica patres. 

Gallia, tu testis: metuendas arte maligna 
Vis inferna tibi struxerat insidias. 

Tuque, olim virtute, fide splendescere visa, 
Heu priscum misere iam decus exueras ! 

Immunda late errorum vitiique scatebas 
Illuvie, gentes depopulante tuas. 

Adfuit at Virgo: meritis, pietate verendum 
Finibus hispanis advocat ipsa Virum; 

Cui roseas blando cum traderet ore coronas 
Haec, ait, hacc Gallis arma salutis erunt. 

Hisce armis pugnae occurrit Gusmanius heros, 
Hac arte enisus clara tropaea tulit. 

160 



POEMS 



TO THE " HELPER OF CHRISTIANS '' 



(1895) 



k5UT now the lyre, mighty Virgin, Bings 
Thy victories, with deeper-sounding strings. 

How oft thy power proclaimed a glad surcease 
Of War, with white- winged messengers of Peace I 

Be thou the witness, France! — ^When hellish snares 
Beset thy path of glory unawares; 

When thou, for faith and virtue once renowned, 
Didst cast thy ancient splendors to the ground; 

When vice and error ruled thy fairest sod. 
And slew with filthy breath the sons of God: 

Ah! then the Virgin brake thy hideous chain. 
Calling her champion from chivalric Spain, 

With but the Rosary for sword and shield: 

** To this alone," she cried, " the foe must yield I " 

Such was his weapon — Gusman thus begins 

Heroic battle, and the trophy wins; 

161 



CABMINA 



Occubuere hostes; rursumque effuldt avita 
Pulcrior in Gallis candidiorque fides. 

Tester et loniis quas cernis EchinadoB undis: 
Vivida adhuc facti fama per ora volat 

Stant ex adverso instructae longo ordine puppes, 
In saeva ardescunt praelia iam mere. 

Utraque fert acies signum; haec caeleste Mariae, 
Lunae triste minax ilia bicomis habet: 

Ut raucae sonuere tubae, concurritur; ingens 
Continue ad caeli tollitur astra fragor. 

Aera tenant, reboat litus, micat ignibus aequor; 
Impavidi hac iliac dant fera iussa duces. 

Confracto latere et remis non una dehiscit 
Navis, et immensi gurgitis ima petit. 

lactata horrisono merguntur corpora ponto, 
Humano spumans unda cruore rubet. 

Anceps stat fortuna: pari virtute peracta, 
Hinc inde eventu pugna iterata pari. 

lamque iterum tentanda acies, cum percita fate 
Nescio quo classis Turcica, sollicito 

Pulsa repente metu, refugit producere pugnam, 

Et quamvis multo milite praevalida, 

162 



POEMS 



Thu8, David-like, his tens of thousands slew, 
That France might once again her faith renew. 

A witness, next, from the Ionian seas — 
The far-famed battle of the Echinades, 

The warring vessels, ranged in battle Une, 
Fling to the breezes, each a various sign: 

Here is the banner of the V^irgin fair. 

And here the Crescent flaunts the fearful air: 

The trump resounds — the breathless hush is riven. 
And ceaseless clamor rends the vault of heaven; 

Flash the red lightnings, and the thunders roar 
In thousand echoings from the affrighted shore. 

"With shattered oars and timbers gaping wide, 
Sinks many a vessel in the expectant tide; 

While mangled corpses find a watery grave, 
And streaming life-blood reddens every wave. 

Doubtful the issue stands: with equal art 
Foe strives with foe — uncertain still they part: 

And yet again the crash and roar — when lo! 
(Who shall divine the cause?) the Turkish foe 

Whose mightier power but spoke of victory, 
Struck with a sudden terror, turn and flee, 

163 



CARMINA 



Odere visa loco, et sese, mirabile dictu I 
Ultro Christiadum dedere in arbitrium. 

IngemiDat tunc victor io, nomenque Mabiae 
Conclamat resonis undique litoribus: 

Conclamant populi portentum, Virginia almae 
Patratum dia bellipotentis ope; 

Romulidae imprimis, queis minim ex hoste triumphum 
Fatidico edixit praesciua ore Pivs. 

Inde quies et pax Europae adserta ruenti, 
Inde stetit patriae Relligionis honoe. 

Seraque posteritas (quid adhue ignava moratur?) 
Eia eventu dignum aggrediatur opus. 

Sublime attoUat pario de marmore templum 
Ad litus, memori gesta ubi pugna loco.* 

Hie Virgo templum teneat Regina, tumenti 
Hie praecincta rosis imperet ipsa mari. 



Cbrietianorum pietas templum Virgini a J2o»ario condere et dedicare 
parat in litore patrcDsi. 



164 



POEMS 



And to the Christians (wondrous to relate!) 
Inglorious yield the strenuous combat's fate. 

**A11 hail!" the victors cry, *Ho Mary's Name!'' 
And echoing shores prolong the grand acclaim. 

While in the triumph Christian Europe sees 
One of the mighty Virgin's Prodigies, 

More blest the Roman eyes that could behold 
A miracle, as Pius had foretold. 

Thenceforward peace to troubled Europe came, 
And Christian worship gained a noble fame. 

Let coming ages (why do they delay?) 
With just memorial celebrate the day; 

In snowy marble raise a temple grand 
To signalize the memorable strand,* 

And the rose-crowned Virgin Queen enshrine 
To rule the seas that saw her wondrous Sign ! 



*) Christian piety commemorates the triumph by the erection, at Patras, 
of a church dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. 



165 



IN OBITU 

JOSEPHI PECCI CARD. 

GERMANI FRATRIS 



ON THE DEATH 



OF HIS BROTHER 
CARD. JOSEPH PECCI 



CABMINA 



JOSEPH 

lUSTITIAE factum satis est, poenisque solutum ; " 
lam caeli me templa tenent stellantia: sed tu 
Cum tot sustineas, tam grandia munia, debes 
Tanto plura Deo, quanto maiora tulisti. 
Sume animum; fidens cymbam due aequor in 

altum: 
Sic tibi felices, largo sic fenore digni 
Sint initi sancta pro relligione laboresl 
Attamen ut valeas olim sublimia caeli, 
Vltrices fugiens flammas, attingere, prudens, 
Mortali, Ioachim, vitae dum vesceris aura, 
Et gemitu abluere et lacriniis admissa memento. 

IOACHIM 

DUM vivam, fessosque regat dum spiritus artus, 
Incensa ex imo ducens suspiria corde, 
Ploratu maculas delere enitar amaro. 
At tu, qui Superum securus luce bearis, 
Confectum aerumnis, devexa aetate labantem 
Erige, et usque memor de caelo respice fratrem. 
Quern turbo heul dudum premit horridus, 

horrida dudum 
Fluctibus in mediis commota procella fatigat. 

») losepho Peccl Card., vita functo vi. Id. Feb. mdccclxxxx, supplicatio- 
nlbus sacrisque perlitatum est tanto numero, ut Bperandum de eo non Im- 
merito videatur, ignis iam poena liberatum ad sempitemam in caelis paeem, 
Dei beniguitate, avolaviase.— Hinc sumptum carminls argumentum. 

168 



POEMS 



JOSEPH 

Justice is satisfied; the debt is paid;' 

The starry sky is mine at last — but thou 

Dost hold a mighty office, and to God 

Owest the more, the more He gives to thee. 

Courage! thy bark still pilot o'er the deep: 

Sweet is the toil and worthy great reward, 

Which thou dost undergo for holy Faith! 

Yet, that thou may'st the heights of heaven scale, 

Nor touch the burning pool, remember well, 

Joachim, amidst thy mortal life, 

To wash away thy sins with tears and sighs! 



JOACHIM 

Y EA, while the spirit rules these weary limbs, 
Shall I, with sighs heaved from my inmost heart, 
And bitter tears, strive to undo my guilt: 
But thou, secure and blest with heavenly light, 
Look on me, bowed with years, broken with cares; 
And from thy sky behold thy brother here, 
So long oppressed with tempest, ah! so long 
Wearied with storm and stress and battling waves! 



>) The poem is based on the pious hope that the soul of Cardinal Pecci 
<*{• Feb. 8, 1890) has been, th2x>iigh the tender mercy of God and the many 
prayers and masses offered in his behalf, already freed fh)m purgatorial 
flames and taken up into the heavenly rest 

169 



CABMINA 



IN MARIAM ELISAM BERNEZZO 

VIDVAM 
CAROLI CONESTABILE COBIITIS * 

GONIUGIS extincti crudeli funere, Elisa, 
Vidimus in somnis te immotam adstare sepulcro, 
Et siccis oculis premere altum corde dolorem: 
Quin etiam cupidam, atque erecta fronte decoram, 
Quo mens, et veteris quo vis urgebat amoris, 
Vidimus obtutu tacito te quaerere caelum. 
Vnde tibi haec virtus ? unde haec constantia menti ? 
Scilicet alma fides, aetemae pacis et auspex 
Spes bona nata Deo, te firmo robore praestant 
Invictam, tristemque iubent compescere luctum. 
Lux at Elisa, viden', rutilatnova, et aethera complet; 
Aurea templa poli tremulo fulgore coruscant. 
Coniugis extemplo ante oculos en dulcis imago 
Apparere tuos, medioque e lumine visa 
Annuere, aspectuque tibi adridere sereno. 
Laetitia exultas: incenso corde supremum 
Dicis ave; aeternum grata prece Numen adoras. 



*) Is fnit loannis Caroli Alius, e patrlcia Perusinonim nobilitate, Leoni 
XIII apprime cams; quern aetate non minus quam ingenio llttexisque flor- 
entem immatura mors praeripult. 



170 



"FOR LOVE IS STRONG AS DEATH I'" 

Death claimed him, and he met the common doom: 

In dreams I see you stand beside his tomb, 

And tearless press the swelling sorrow down — 

Say rather, ghmpse the fadeless laurel-crown; 

For with fair brow raised to the bending skies. 

Hopeful you look toward heaven with love-lit eyesi 

Ah! whence thy strength and constancy of mind? 

Faith nourished it; and Hope auspicious shrined 

God's promises within thy heart! and so 

Thou wouldst not yield thy soul to depths of woe. 

Anon you see a sudden splendor bright 

SuBuse the golden gates of heaven with lightl 

Open they swing; and lo! before your eyes 

Hia dear face smiles on you from Paradise. 

Ah me, with what a joy your heart must swelll 

Inflamed with love it bids the last "Farewell," 

And shall with endless praise besiege God's citadell 



') lJn» to MuJ& EllnBemeBo, widow orCouQl Carlo ConeatsUle. The 
count Has the ■□□ of QloTumi Carlo, o( the patrlcUn nohllltr of Peruglk, 
and wru very dear to Leo Xm. He died In the prime of lift and In tb« 
heiEbt of bis dlaliogulilied Uienuy career. 



CARMDfA 



DE S. PETRO CAELESTINO V. 



PONT. MAX. 



IrONERE tergeminam feetinas, Petre, coronani, 
Tota ardens uni mente vacare Deo.* 



te felicem! spernis mortalia regna, 
Caelicolum largo fenore regna tenes. 



*) Petms Caelestinus Aesemiae in Samnitibus natU8....in solitudinem 
seccssit — In Petri Cathcdram adscitua, cum yariis distentus curis, aesuetis 
incumbere meditatiouibus yiz posse cognosceret, oneri pariter et honori 
Toluntarie cessit. (Ex lect. Breviarii Rom. die xix Maii.) 



172 



ST. CELESTINE V. 

Y OU would lay down 
The triple crown ' 
To think of God alone? 



Dear Saint! you spurn 
Earth-ieatms, to earn 
An everlasting throne I 



') Peter Celeatlne, boni U iMmlKtD AiiQllk....wlthdieir tntoaoUtude.... 
Having been caUed to tlie Clitii of Peter, and flndlng that In tbe mldit of lo 
minj dtitnctliig c*Tea he Could •earce medlu(« m tolly m wu bl* wont, he 
voluntarily Tellnqulihed both the burden and the honor. {From the lewoni 
otthe Roman Bieriarr forllaf IVtb.) 



AD SOCIETATEM ROMANAM 

IVVEKTVTIS CATHOLICAE 
A B. PETBO APOSTOLO NVNGVPATAM' 

ILIA age, carpe alecrle, pubes Roniana, negatum 
Ignavis, virtutis iter; tlurare memento 

. Pectore magnanimo pro relligione laboree. 
Non nisi sudatae debetur laurea fronti. 



n llnleo plcln, qurnn Ipecniet 



"REMEMBER THY CREATOR IN THE 
DAYS OF THY YOUTH " 

JciNTER at once the " narrow path " ; 
No Open, Sesame! it hath: 
Long heata and burdens must you bear- 
Wet are the brows that laurels wearl ' 



*) 11m Pope oidered (hCM linn to be placed tmder hli porlnlt In oil, 
which hg proscnted, In th« real' 1SS8, to tb« Rom&D Society of CatboUo 

Voutb, named after (he Apostle St. Peter. 



( 



AD SODALES ARCADICOS 

ALTERO POST COLLEGIVM INSTITVTVM 
EXEVNTE SAECVLO 

NEANDER HERACLEVS 



NEANDER HERACLEUS 

TO HIS ARCADIAN COMRADES ON 
THE OCCASION OF THEIR 

BI-CENTENARY CELEBRATION 



OARMINA 



ARCADAS 



AD CANENDVM INVITAT 

Epigramma 

JCa VATICANA V08, Arcades, arce Nkander, 
Olim quern socium dulcis alebat amor 



Pieridum, salvere iubet, iuga laeta Heliconis 
Scandere, maeoniis ludere carminibus. 



Addit vota libens: in longum floreat aevum 
Nominis arcadici gloria, priscus honos. 



178 



SING, YE ARCADIANS 1 

NeANDER, from his citadel, 
Whom erst the jealous Husee did compel 
In grovea of Arcady to dwell, 



Sends greeting unto every one, 
And bids you scale the heights of Helicon, 
And play Maeonian strings upon. 

A parting wish his lips would frame: 
Perpetual glory to the Arcadian name, 
And amplest wealth of olden famel 



4 



CARMINA 



II 

NEANDER HERACLEVS 

ARCADIAE LAVDES 
COMMEMORAT 

EUgia 

UUI quondam graia dictus de gente Neander 
RuBtica deduxit carmina puber adhuc, 

Aoniae et vitreas Aganippes pastor ad undas, 
Et vaga Permessi flumina pavit oves; 

Nunc senior, premere excels! vos culmina Pindi, 
Concinere et versu nobiliore, iubet. 

Fronde nova redimit« comas; numerisque canoris 
Ingeminet longum tibia vestra melos. 

Expectata diu, post saecula bina renascens 
Littore ab eoo, Candida fausta dies 

Arcadiae natalis adest, accepta Camenis, 
Et memori vatum rite colenda choro. 

Principio arcadici nemoris dicatur origo, 
Mite solum, argolica nobilis arte locus. 

180 



POEMS 

II 

NEANDER HERACLEUS 

SINGS THE PRAISES OP ARCADIA 

Tl E who, in Grecian style, the name Neander bore, 
Full many a boyish ditty spun of yore; 

At Aganippe's brook his flock he shepherded, 
And by Permeseus' wandering waters fed. 

Older, be bids you mount Pindus, and joyful see 
Lifted to heaven the fame of Arcady. 

Circle with leafy green your Sowing locks; prolong 
On oaten atop the burden of your song! 

Awaited long, while years have silent slipped away, 
Propitious comes at length the natal day 

Of Arcady the blest, dear to the Sacred Nine, 
Worthy the mindful poets' frenzy fine. 

I fling how Arcady first drew each dreaming heart; 
How 'twaa ennobled by Ai^lic art; 



( 



CABMINA 



Pastorum coetus hue convenisse frequentes, 
Hue toto insignes qua patet orbe viros, 

Nescio qua laudis mentem dulcedine captos, 
Maturafi8e gradum, dicere ne pigeat; 

Quorum aliis lauri placuere et amoena vireta, 
Et grata in lueis otia maenaliis; 

Agresti calamo, frondentis ad ilicis umbram, 
Pastorum placuit more ciere sonos; 

Mox et lesbiaco modular! earmina pleetro 
Ad murmur plaeuit lene cadentis aquae. 

Hos inter memorem, et festiva fronde decorum 
Dicere amem merita laude Metastasium. 

Dulces quem Charites aluerunt ubere pleno, 
Et docuit faciles Musa benigna modos, 

Quemque levi mulcentem aures modulamine cantuR, 
Agnovit vatem Caesaris aula suum. 

Acrior ast alios incendit flamma, supemas 
Altius in nubes numinis aura levat, 

Quos nempe afflavit, rapuitque per ardua virgo 
Heroici cantus Calliopea potens. 

182 



And how the wandering bands of Bhepherds — ^men of 
worth, 
Illustrious names throughout the teeimng earth — 

How to Arcadia their spirits willing sped, 
I know not by what subtle sweetness ledl 

Some did the laurels please, and some the grassy plots, 
And some the darkling ease of Bacchic grots: 

Some from a rustic reed, beneath the shady oak 
Reclining, shepherd-music would evoke; 

Or on the twanging lyre in Lesbian numbers dream 

To the soft lullaby of lapsing stream. 

First, Metastasio, with festal garlands crowned, 
I love to name, and hia just praise to sound: 

From never-failing breasts fed by the Graces Three; 
Taught of the Muse untoilsome melody; 

Soothing the fretted ear with his mellifluous tone, — 
Him Austria's court imperial made its own. 

Some felt the sharper flame; and, soaring lightning- 
browed, 
Thundered majestic from the enveloping cloud: 

Them did Calliope compel to arduous ways — 
Strong singer of the old heroic days. 



I 



CARMINA 



Te ne ^o sublimi sileam metuende flagello, 
Carmine saepe ausum grandia pindarico? 

Patria, magne senex, te Insubria vidit ^entem: 
Vindex posteritas te super astra locat.* 

Neve tragoedorum, genuit quos itala tellus, 
decus et vatum maxime, te sileam. 

Namque cothumato incedis sublimis et acer, 
Et tuto calcas pulpita nostra pede, 

Spirans ore minas; Sophoclemque e littore graio 
Spectandum Ausoniis mente animoque refers.* 

Salvete, illustres animae, quels nobile in aevum, 
Et fato maius nomen Apollo dedit. 

Vos divae Aonides vultu adspexere sereno, 
Maeonii et doctos carminis arte, sacro 

Vertice vos Pindi, laurea cinxisse corona, 
Concilio et gaudent inseruisse suo. 

Gloria non mendax: victricis praemia frontis: 
Magnus ab arcadico nomine partus honos. 



^) losephus Parlnlus. *) Vlctorfus Alfieriiu. 

i84 



Parini, too, who scourged the follies of the time, 
Or scaled like Pindar the far height sublime: 



Careless the fatherland Insubrian saw his need 
Whom to the stars avenging Time shall leadl 



Nor him, Italia's son, my faithful song forget, 
Of all her tragic bards the coronet: 



For, singing mighty themes, Alfieri could be seen 
Treading with buskined foot Arcadia's green: 



His tragic musings wrought with finest Grecian art, 
Renewed the Sophoclean mind and heart. 



splendid band of bards! to whom Apollo gave 

A sacred name, and songs that bridge the grave! 

Skilled in Maeonian song, on you with kindly mien 
The Muses looked, and gracious brow serene. 



Your brows are wreathed with bays; forever ye belong 
To Fame, enrolled amid the heavenly throng. 



meed of toilsome ArtI undeceitful Famel 
glory bom of the Arcadian name! 



CARMINA 



Talia ne temere vulgus ridere profanum 
Ausit, neu livens mordeat invidia. 

Arcadiae at discat late splendescere sidus, 
Et fulgore suo templa tenere poll. 

Splendeat; inque dies radians lux in iuga Pindi, 
In nemora et colles largior usque fiuat. 

Haec sacra Pieridum sedes; hie rore perenni 
Castalii latices plenius arva rigant. 

Hos haurire datum Arcadibus; cantare periios 
Arcadas, edixit maxim us ore Maro.^ 

Hue properent, libeat seu grandia facta cothumo, 
Seu canere argute pascua, rura, chely. 

Pulchrior oh tandem vigeat divina Poesis, 
Ad decus et graiam reddita munditiemi 

Oh tandem ausonias misere devectus ad oras, 
Fallax, harharicus dispereat numerus I 

Haec HERACLEA dictus de gente Neander 

Nuncupat Arcadibus vota suprema senex. 

') cantabitis, Arcades, inquit, 

Montibus haec vestris, soli cantare periti 
Arcades— 

(ViRG. Ed. X. V. 81, 82). 

186 



Let not the foolish mob dispute their honors high, 
Nor green-eyed Envy raise a jealous ciy: 



Let them the pinnacle of templing heaven see 
Blaze with the glowing Star of Arcadyl 



may it evermore in grander orbits move — 
Pindus illume, and every hill and grove! 



Here shall the Muses rest; here with perennial dew 
Caetalian founts the fainting earth renew. 



Here the Arcadians drink — Arcadiana eUnUed in songi 
Hither did Maro bid the adventurous throng 



Who would with swelling port majestic themes rehearse, 
Or tilth and meadow sing in mellower verse. 



Poesy divine! may thy delights increase, 
Clad in the fairest draperies of Greece! 



May the harbaru: art of numbers, to the shore 
Ausonian brought, be banished evermorel 



To the Arcadians, Neander (now grown old) 
These last and dearest wishes doth unfold! 



i 



CABMINA 



AD GVILELMVM MASSAIA ' 

CARDINALEM 

EX LEGATIONE AETHIOPICA 

REDYCEM 

i^AELESTI eloquio Aethiopum fera pectora frangis; 
Mox, bonus ut pastor, Christi ad ovile trahis. 

Quid, lateant tua facta, rogas?' vulgare labores 
Pro sancta exhaustos relligione, iuvat. 

DiflBciles pugnas, rtiagnalia prod ere Christi, 
Vexilloque crucis parta tropaea, iuvat. 

Fare, age; gesta libens memori concrede papyro: 
Et tua late hominum fama per ora volet, 

Excutiatque alios, mireque incendat eaindem 
Carpere magnanimos, te praeeunte, viam. 

*)G. MA88AIA CardJnalls legatione Apostolica ad Aetiopas an. xxxv felic- 
iter functus, ne rerum gestarum memoria intercideret, hortante in primis 
Leone XIII Pont. Max., commentarios conscripsit et evulgavit. 

*) Ncsciri cupidus, diu haesit ancepe antequam ad scribendum animum 
induceret. 



188 



TO GUGLIELMO CARD. MASSAIA> 

W ITH staff of heavenly truth you etruck their hearts 
of rock; 
Then, a good Shepherd, led them to Christ's flock. 

"My life, my works, be hid!"' your modest spirit 
pleads: 
Ah, but the world should know such zealous deeds, 

Such combats waged with hell, such wondrous works of 
God, 
And the Croee planted deep in Ethiop sod. 

The unforgetful page awaits thy bashful pen: 
Come, let thy fame be sweet to lips of men. 

That other hands may reap a glorious aftermath, 
And follow bravely where you blazed a path. 

') CardlD&l UiSKla, al the ipedKl requeat of Fope Leo Xm,. wioU uid 
publlahed, on hl« return to It^r. "^ >iMorlc>l nunm&cy of hli vork during 
tventr-llve yuan u Legate to tbe AbyealnUiu. 



{ 



CARMINA 



AN. MDOOCXCV 



VIRGINE FAVENTE 

FIAT VNVM OVILE 

AUSPICIUM felixl Orientis personat oras 
Vox missa e caelo, personat occiduas: 

— Una fides Christi, Pastor regat unus Ovile, 
Dispersas gentes colligat unus amor! — 

Virgo, fave: errantes tu luniine mater amico 
Respice, et Unigenae iunge benigna tuo. 



190 



THROUGH THE VIRGIN'S HELP 

LET THERE BE ONE FOLD 

(1895) 

A HAPPY Signl In EaBtem land ia heard 
The heaven-descended word: 

*' One Faith of Christ, one Shepherd be, one Fold 
One Love the nations hold! " 



Mary, with friendly Ught the wandereiB guide 
Unto the Saviour's side! 



OARMBfA 



AV. MDOOOXOy 



SVB EFFIGIE 



VIRGINI8 GVADALVPANAE 



AFVD ICEXICANOfl 



JVIeXICUS heic populus mira sub imagine gaudet 
Te colere, alma Parens, praesidioque fnii. 



Per te sic vigeat felix, teque auspice, avitam 
Sic teneat Petri firmior usque fidemi 



192 



POEMS 



THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE' 

(1896) 

1 HE Mexic people, 'neath this image fair, 
Utters its heart in prayer. 



may it prosper, and the Faith of old 
Yet more securely hold! 

s) Unei written under her picture. 



193 



IVLIVS ADOLESCENS 

DEIPARAH 
KATRSM A BOSO COltSILIO 



ASSUEVI a puero dulcem te dicere matrem, 
Te piece, te votis sollicitare piia. 

Moz pubeecenti pietaa deferbuit acvo: 
Mens stupet insanis icta cupidinibus. 



Asto, tu pueri memor, adsis, Virgo: vooaris 
Namque btmi Mater provida QmaUti. 



THE PRAYER OF JULIUS' 

(1W5) 

"Mother" I called thee from my childhood hour, 
With prayer and hymn besought thy power. 



A youth, I felt, alas I the oldeu fires 
Cool in the midst of rash desires. 



But thou art faithful: help thy erring child, 
Thou " Mother of Good Counsel " styled ! 



<) To the Uother of Qod. n 



ta of" Mother of Qood Ootuuel." 



AN. MDOCX^XCVt 

OB MEMORIAM AVSPICATISSIMI EVENTV8 

QVVM FRANCORVM NATIO 

PRAEEVNTE CLODOVEO REGE 

SE CHRISTO ADDIXIT 



Vivat Chrislua 
Qai diligit Ftbucob. 

Gentium cuatos Deus est. Repente 
Stemit ineigneB humileeque promit: 
Exitua rerum tenet, atque nutu 

Temperat aequo. 

Teutonum pressus Clodoveus armiB, 
Ut 8U08 vidit trepidoa pericli, 
Fertur has voces iterasse, ad astra 
Lumina tendens: 

Dive, quern supplez mea saepe coniux 
Nnncupat lesum, mihi dexter adeU 
Si iuves promptus validusque, totum 
Me tibi dedam. 

Illico excussus pavor: acriores 
Excitat virtue animos; resurgit 
Francus in pugnam ; ruit, etcruentos 
Disiicit hostes. 



" PRAISED BE CHRIST, WHO LOVES 
THE FRANKS!"' 

(1896) 

1 HERE is a God who rules the earth, and rends 
The lofty mountain, sparee the lowly hill: 
" There's a Divinity that shapes our ends, 
Rough hew them how we will ! " 

Clovis, they say, at length on God relies. 
Viewing the Teuton hoBte with anxious brow; 
Then lifteth up to heaven his kingly eyes, 
Breathing a solemn vow: 

" Help me, God, to whom my dearest spouse 
So oft hath offered prayer and praise divine; 
If Thou our faltering courage wilt arouse, 
I am forever Thine I " 

And lol a sudden courage seizes all 
The Frankish host; fear and dismay have Bed: 
With ardor new upon the foe they fall, 
And strew the earth with dead. 



Written for the fourteenth centenaiy ot the btpUam of Clorli, to com 
the Mupldooi eveat when tbe whole Dktlon of the Fnnki, foUow- 
hli eiunple, gftTs llwlf to Chrln. 



< 



CABMINA 



Victor i, voti Clodovee compos, 
Sub iugo Christi caput obligatum 
Pone; te Remis manet infulata 

Fronte sacerdos. 

Ludor? en signis positis ad aram 
Ipse rex sacris renovatur undis, 
Et cohors omnis populusque dio 

Tingitur amne. 

Roma ter felix, caput o renatae 
Stirpis humanae, tua pande r^na: 
Namque victrices tibi sponte lauros 

Francia defert. 

Te colet matrem; tua maior esse 
Gestiet natu: potiore vita 
Crescet, ac summo benefida Petro 

Clara feretur. 

Ut mihi longum libet intueri 
Agmen heroumi Domitor ferocis 
Fulget Astolfi, pius ille sacri 

luris amator, 

Remque romanam populantis ultor: 

Bis per abruptas metuendus alpes 

Irruit, summoque Petro volentes 

Asserit urbes. 
198 



POEMS 

Clovifl, thy prayer is heard. Thy favored head 
Beneath the yoke of Christ thou needs must bor: 
At Rheims awaits thy coming, heaven-led, 
The priest with mitred brow. 

Dream I? for lo! each banner, spear and helm 
Cast at the altar's foot where lowly kneel 
Clovis, his cohorts, and the Frankish realm, 
Baptismal floods tti feel I 

Thrice-happy Rome, thine the inheritance 
Of the redeeming grace of Christ the King: 
How willingly to thy dear hands doth France 
Her conquering laurels bring ! 

Dear mother Rome, how gladly France declares 
Herself thy " first-bom " — (title that endears !) — 
Placing a trustful hand in thine she fares 

All-prosperous through the years I 

How I rejoice to see the lengthening line 
Of Gallic Heroes! Him that gave to flight 
The furious Aistulf — how his glories shine, 
Lover of sacred right, 

Zealous avenger of the Roman state. 
Twice through the riven Alps a fearless way 
Threading, to place the rescued dties' fate 
'Neath Peter's gentle sway I 



CABMINA 



Laetus admiror Solymis potitas 
Vindices BancH Tamvli phalanges: 
Me palaestinis renovata campis 

Proelia tangunt. 

novum robur Celebris puellae 
Gastra perrumpens inimical turpem 
Galliae cladem repulit loanna 

Numine freta. 

quot illuBtres animae nefanda 
Monstra Calvini domuere, gentem 
Labe tarn dira prohibere fortes 

Sceptraque regnil 

Quo feror ? tempus redit auspicatum 
Prisca quo virtus animis calescat: 
Ecce, remensis ciet atque adurget 

Corda triuraphus. 

Gallicae gentes, iubaris vetusti 
Ne quid obscuret radios, cavete; 
Neve sufifundat malesuadus error 

Mentibus umbras. 

Vos regat Christus, sibi quos revinxit: 
Obsequi sectis pudeat probrosis; 
Occidat livor, sociasque in imum 

Cogite vires. 

200 



POEMS 

Gladly anon I see the warlike host 
Thronging to save Christ's Sepulchre from harm: 
Methinks again I view the sacred coast, 
And hear the loud alarm I 

And her — the sainUy Maid whose girlish hand 
Hordes of a vast beleaguering foe withstood, 
Saving from sword and iire her fatherland, 
Strong in the might of GodI 

And then the band of those illustrious ones 

Who conquered Calvin's wild extravagance, 

Strong to redeem from error's grasp the sons 

And sceptres of old France! 

Yet whither am I borne on glowing dreams? 
Again may we the ancient glories view: 
Behold how once again triumphal Rheime 
Bids us rejoice anew I 

Ye Gallic peoples, gloriously endowed, 
Let naught obscure the splendors ye have known; 
Let no misleading error cast a cloud 
Over your fertile zone. 

Be Christ your guide, who to Himself hath bound 
Your souls: to follow wicked sects be shame; 
Let discord flee, and every heart be found 
Loyal to one grand aim I 



< 



CARMINA 



Saecla bis septem calor actuoeae 
Perstitit vitae, renuens perire: 
Currite ad Veslam; ' novus aestuabit 

Pectore fervor. 

Diseitis floret magis usque terris 
Gallicum nomen: populis vel ipsis 
Adsit eois, Fideique sanctae 

Vota secundet. 

Nil Fide Christi prius: hac adempta 
Nil diu felix. Stetit unde priscae 
Summa laus genti, manet inde iugis 

Gloria Gallos. 



') Flumen allueDs Remos, ubi rei cbristianae apud Francos dedicata mmt 
nitla. 



202 



POEMS 

Twice Beven centuries hath faith imbued 
Your nerves with strength secure from Satan's arta: 
To the Veele ' hasten, and let taith renewed 
Infiame your zealous hearts. 

Unto remotest bounds of earth may France 
Be known and honored: in the Eastern land 
May she forever prosper, and advance 

What hopes her heart hath planned I 

The faith of Christ— be that her hi^est gain: 
Once lost, what can its happy days recall ? 
For 't was of old, and ever must remain, 
The glory of the Gaul. 

« Alnw), baeanw tli« 



AM. MDCCCXCVtl 

DEO ET VIRGINI MATRI 

EXTREUA ISOma VOTA 

ExTREMtJM radiat, pallenti involvitur umbra 
lam iam sol moriens; noz subit atra, Leo, 

Atra tibi: arescunt venae, nee vividua humor 
Perfluit; exhaueto corpore vita perit. 

Mors telum fatale iacit; velaraine amicta 
Funereo, gelidua contegit ossa lapis. 

Ast anima aufugiens excussis libera vinclis, 
Continue aetherias ardet anhela plagas; 

Hue celerat cursum; longarum haee meta viarum 
Expleat oh clemens anxia vota Deus! 

Oh caelum attingam! supremo raunere detur 
Divino aetemum lumine et ore frui. 

Teque, o Vii^, frui; matrem te parvulua inlaiis 
Dilexi, flagrans in sene crevit amor, 

Excipe me caelo; caeli de civibus unus, 
Auspice te, dicam, praemia tanta tuli. 



JLIEL sol cadeote e che si aeconde omai 
Splendon, Leon, bu te gU ultimi rai: 

Nelle liarse vene inaridita, 

Lenta lenta si Bpegne omai la vita. 

Vibra Morte lo etral; le fredde Bpoglie 

Chiuse in funereo vel la tomba accoglie; 

Ma fuor di sua prigion lo spirto anelo * 
Ratto dispiega il vol, ricerca il cielo. 



D'aspro lungo cammio questa la meta: 

Deb, SigQor mio, la santa voglia acqueta; 



S ee di tanto, tua merc^, fia degno, 
Lo spirto accc^li nel beato r^^ot 



Tu pur, Maria, m' accogli; mio conforto 
Tu fosti, e guida al desi'ato porto. 



In ciel mi evela tua belUL divina, 

Vergine Madre, alma del ciel Regina. 



CABMINA 



DEO ET VIRGINI 

INSTANTE MOBTE 
VOTA 

tiXTREMUM radiat, pallenti involvitur umbra 
lam iam sol moriens; nox subit atra, Lbo, 

Atra tibi: arescunt venae, nee vividus humor 
Perfluit; exhausto corpore vita pent. 

Mors telum fatale iacit; velamine amicta 
FUnereo, gelidus contegit ossa lapis. 

Ast anima aufugiens excussis libera vinclis, 
Continuo aetherias ardet anhela plagas; 

Hue celerat cursum; longarum haec meta viarum: 
Expleat oh clemens anxia vota Deus! 

Oh caelum attingam! supremo munere detur 
Divino aetemum lumine et ore frui. 

Teque, Maria, fruar, mundi Regina, per hostes 
Infensos trepido quae benefida viam 

Pandisti ad patriam. Caeli de civibus unus, 
To duce, iam dicam, pracmia tanta tuli. 



206 



1 HE westering sun draws near his cloady bed, 
Leo, and gradual darkness veils thy head: 

The sluggish life-blood in thy withered veins 
More slowly runs its course — what then remains? 

Lol Death is brandishing his fatal dart, 

And the grave yearns to shroud thy mortal part: 

But from its prison freed, the soul expands 
Exulting pinions to the enfranchised lands. 

My weary race is run — I touch the goal: 
Hear, Lord, the feeble pantinga of my soul; 

If it be worthy, Lord, thy pitying breast 
Welcome it unto everlasting resti 

May I behold thee, Queen of earth and sky, 
Whose love enchained the demons lurking D^h 

The path to heavenj and freely shall I own 

'T was thy sweet care that gained my blissful crownl 



CABMINA 



AS. XDcocxcyn 



IVLIO STERBINIO 



FAMILIARI 

lULI, munus habe, Cor Iesv:* manat abunde 
Inde, viden, iugis vena salubris aquae. 



Hunc alacer propera ad f on tern, hoc te merge lavacro: 
Continuo labe8 eluit unda tuas. 



Emergis nive candidior; defigere caelo 
Lumina iamque acie vividiore vales. 



Magna aude: discas mortalia spernere, discas 
Calcare intrepido cuncta caduca pede. 



^)Hunc einsque fAmiliam die xv Septembrls an. mdccczoyi Leo xm 
augusto lESY CoBDi pie dedicat. Rei testimonium vult ease depictam eiuB- 
dem diyinl Cordis tabulam, quam dono ei dat, simulque banc poeticam hor. 
tatlonem, et subsequentem filiis inscriptam. 

208 



TO HY FBIBND 

JULIUS STERBINI 

(1897) 
Julius, as gift to tbee, I send 

The Saviour's heart,' whence flow 
Life-giving Btreauie that have no end, 

To heal our every woe. 

haste thee to that fountain clear; 

Accept that healing baUi: 
In whiter raiment thou'lt appear 

Than e'en the SDOwflake hathi 

Thou comeet forth; lol cleansed of sin, 
Now canst thou fix thine eyes, 

With steadier gaze than erst had been, 
Upon the expectant skies. 

greatly darel securely learn 

How fearlessly thy feet 
Should earth's decaying splendor spurn 

To gain the heavenly seat. 

>}0n the IMh of September, 18H. Leo Zm kinwtlonkteir oonMcrated 
Julias ElerblDl uid hli tunlly to the uiguil Heart of Jam ; In teatlmonr 
wbereoT be prcaented tbem wltb aptetnieor tbe DlTlne Hurt, uid ucom- 
ftnita It with tbti «Dd the following poem. 



CAMMINA 



Sit pudor indigno flagrare cupidine; saecli 
. Sitque capi illecebris delidisque pudor. 



Unum Cob Iesv o sapias, lulil unaque lesus 
Sit tibi non mendax gloria et unus amor: 



Invictum robur dubia in certamina vitae, 

Fulgida lux signans tutum iter ad patriam! 



210 



Shame lurks in every earthly lust; 

Feat then each foul degire: 
Tread wantoD pleasure in the dust 

And quench the smouldering fire. 

Christ's HEART alone thy wisdom be, 
Thy strength, thy glory bleat, 

Thy Love, that ceaseless as the sea 
Beats in thy fiaming breast: 

A tower of strength that shall thy foes 
And all their darts withstand; 

A light that safe the pathway shows 
Unto the Fatherland ! 



CARMINA 



AN. MDOOCXCVII 

(idem) 
IVLII STERBINI 

FILII8 
I08EPHO ALPH0N80 NICOLAO 

1 MPERAT ipse Deus Iesvm redamemus amantem : 
Eia agite, o pueri, ad lesum properate volentes; 
Hue mens, hue animus; mortalia quaeque perosi 
Hoe unum eniti primis assuescite ab annis, 
Ardeat ut vestris divinus eordibus ignis. 
Exemplo en vobis mater praelucet, lulus 
En gcnitor; ealeare iuvat vestigia saneta. 
Nil sit dulee magis quam Cobde quiescere Iesv 
Divinoque sinu cupide magis usque reeondi I 
Hie fons ad vitam saliens; hine larga bonorum 
Copia, rebusque in trepidis eaeleste levamen; 
Hostibus in pugna domitis partoque triumpho, 
Hie tranquilla quies, praesens tutissima in aevum, 
Aetemae vobis felix praenuneia pacis. 



212 



A SONNET ON LOVE 



SACRED HEART 



(1807) 

\>0D bids ne love His ever-loving Son: 

Hasten, children, to the Saviour's side; 

There only may your hearts and minds abide; 
Through all the years to come, be thia your one 
Perpetual work, in tenderest youth b^un — 

To nourish love for Jesus Crucified 1 

Father and mother shall your footsteps guide, 
And teach how sweetly God's sweet will is done. 
Ah, what more blessed refuge in the strife 

May wearied spirits find, than Jesus' heart? 
That Fountain springing up to endless Life, 

And scattering dewy balsam on each smart; 
That Pledge of peace, where stormy war is rife, 

Making the very earth heaven's counterpart I 



CABMINA 



AK. MDCCXJXCVU 

OB NVPTIAS 

ALPHONSI 8TERBINI £T IVLIAE PIZZIBANI 

GONCORDI flagrant Alphonsus lulia amore, 
Incenso a pueris: unde amor iste? rogas. 

Scilicet et simile ingenium, parilisque volmitas; 
Amborum inde ardens pectora cepit amor. 

Relligio et pietas aluere probataque virtus, 
Ingenuusque animi candor et alma fides. 

Vota ambo ingeminant; affulget sidus amicum, 
E Pompeiana Virgine adauctus amor.' 

Quid iam plura petis ? lectos, dignosque iugali 

Foedere sanctus amor quos bene iungat, babes. 



*) Deiyioram Virgincm Pompeianam imploraverant nuptiis feliciter in- 
cundis. 



214 



POEMS 



EPITHALAMIUM ' 

(1897) 

1 WO hearts — twin altars — claim 
A single love-lit flame: 
You ask me whence it came ? 

Kindred in heart and soul- 
Love silent on them stole 
And gained complete control I 

Sweeter its victory, 
When virtue's laws decree 
Inviolate loyalty! 

At Mary's shrine they bow, 
A mutual troth to vow 
In love made holier now. 

What more ? I end my lay, 
Heaven's choicest gifts to pray 
On this, their wedding day! 

> ) On the nuptials of AlpboDBUS Sterbini and Julia Pizsirani. 



215 



I 



CARMINA 



AS. MDOOCXCVn 

TENVI VICTV CONTENTVS INGLWIEM 

FVGE 

AD FABRICIVM RVFVM 
EPIBTOLA 

lalUO victu immunem morbis, et robore vitam 
Ducere florentem possis, sermone diserto 
Sedulus Hippocratis cultor rigidusque eatelles 
Haec nuper praecepta bonus tradebat Ofellus; 
Multa et de tristi ingluvie gravis ore locutus. 

Munditiae imprimis studeas; sine divite cultu 

Mensa tibi, nitidae lances et Candida mappa. — 

Apponi in mensa iubeas purissima vina; 

Et vacuus curis, grato praecordia potu 

Demulce et recrea, convivas inter amicos. 

Sobrius at caveas, nimium ne crede lyaeo, 

Neu crebra pigeat calices perfundere lympha. — 

Candida lympha I datum vix quidquam hoc munere 

maius, 

Vix quidquam varios vitae magis utile in usus. — 

E munda cerere atque excoctos delige panes. — 

Quas gallina dapes aut bos agnusve pararint 

Sume libens; toto nam firmant corpore vires; 

At mollire prius cames, et fercula cures 

216 



POEMS 



ON FRUGALITY AND LONG LIFE 

EPISTLE TO FA^RICIUS RUFUS 
(1897) 

1 HAT meat and drink might health and strength 
confer, 
And happy life, Ofellus, follower 
And careful student of Hippocrates, 
Was wont to frame such thoughtful rules as these — 
(Pointing the moral with men's gluttonies): 

Seek neatness first: although thy board be spare, 

Be every dish and napkin bright and fair; 

And be thy vintage purest of the pure, 

To warm the heart and prove a pleasant lure 

That shall both friends and wholesome mirth ensure. 

Be frugal here, however; nor decline 

To put a frequent water to your wine. 

crystal drops that heaven from ocean lifts 

To shower on earth the best of nature's gifts I 

Select for home-made bread the choicest wheat, 

And have in plenty all the goodly meat 

Of fowl, and lamb, and ox (but first be sure 

They're tender!) ; nor with plenteous garniture 

217 



CARMINA 



Ne siser inficiat, ne faecula coa vel alec. — 
Nunc age; provideafi tereti defusa catino, 
Ne desit mensae spumantis copia lactis. 
Nil vitale magis, nil lacte salubrius; infans 
Qui lac suxisti, senior bene lacte valebis. — 
Degustanda simul prefer dulcissima mella; 
Attamen hyblaeo parens de nectare liba. — 
Turn laudata tibi sint ova recentia, succum 
Leni igne aut libeat modicis siccare patellis, 
Sugere seu mollem pleno sit gratius ore; 
Utcumque absumas erit utilis esca saluti. — 
Culta suburbano, riguoque virentia in horto 
Adde olera et pubens decusso fiore legumen. 
Adde novos quos laeta refert tibi vinea fructus, 
Dulces pampinea decerptos vite racemes, 
Pruna admixta pyris, imprimis mitia poma, 
Quae pulcre in cistis mensam rubicunda coronent. 
Postremo e tostis succedat potio baccis, 
Quas tibi Moka ferax e littore mittit eoo: 
Nigrantem laticem sensim summisque labellis 
Sorbilla; dulcis stomachum bene moUiet haustus. 
De tenui victu haec teneas, his utere tutus, 
Ad seram ut valeas sanus vegetusque senectam. 

At contra (haec sapiens argute addebat Ofellus) 
Nectere nata dolos, homines et perdere nata 
Vitanda Ingluvies, crudelis et improba siren. 

Principio haec illi sellers et sedula cura, 

Instruere omatu mensas cultuque decoras. 

218 



POEMS 



Of spice and pickle play the epicure! 

Next, have the beakers foaming to the brim 

With milk no thrifty maid hath dared to skim: 

No draught than this more wholesome shall assuage 

The thirst of childhood or declining age. 

Let golden honey be thy daintier fare; 

Of Hybla's nectar take a scantier share. 

Be thy fresh eggs the talk of all the town — 

Hard-boiled or soft, or fried to savory brown, 

Or poached, or dropped, or sipped raw from the sheU, 

Or done in ways too numerous to tell. 

Add herbs and salads to the feast — whatso 

May in suburban gardens freely grow. 

Bring forth the clustered fruitage of the vine, 

Plucked where the clambering tendrils intertwine. 

Have plums and pears — the bursting panniers crown 

With red-cheeked apples laughing gaily down. 

And, last, delicious fragrance of the EastI 

With cups of steaming Mocha close the feast; 

But taste the amber with a lingering lip — 

No hasty draught! — 't was made for gods to sip! 

Now if you diet thus, why, I'll engage, 

You've found the secret of a green old age. 

But Gluttony, Ofellus argues well. 

Can quickly lay her snare, and cast her spell. 
And lead to shipwreck like the siren shell. 

This only is her dream: The festive board 

Must groan with all that wealth and art afford. 

219 



CARMINA 



Explicat ipsa, viden', tonsis mantelia villis; 
Grandia disponit longo ordine pocula, lances, 
Caelatas auro pateras, argentea vasa; 
Mensa thymo atque apio redolet florumque corollis. 
His laute instructis, simulata voce locuta 
Con vivas trahit incautos; succedere tecto, 
Et lectis blanda invitat discumbere ebumis; 
Continuoque reposta cadis lectissima vina 
Caecuba depromit, coumque vetusque falemum; 
Quin exquisita stillatos arte liquores 
E musto et pomis, ultro potantibus ofifert. 
Convivae humectant certatim guttura, et un& 
Succosas avido degustant ore placentas. 
Ecce autem lucanus aper, perfusus abunde 
Mordaci pipere atque oleo, profertur edendus, 
Et leporum pingues armi, et iecur anseris albi, 
Assique in verubus turdi, niveique columbi. 
Camibus admixti pisces; cum murice rhombi, 
Ostrea, et educti Miseno e gurgite echini. 
Hos super, immanis patina porrecta nitenti, 
Apparet squillas inter muraena natantes. — 
Attonitis inhiant oculis; saturantur opime; 
Cuncta vorant usque ad fastidia; iamque lyaco 
Inflati venas nimio, dapibusque gravati 
Surgunt convivae, temere bacchantur in aula, 
Insana et pugiles inter se iurgia miscent, 
Defessi donee lymphata mente quiescunt. 
Laeta dolum ingluvies ridet, iam facta suorum 

220 



POEMS 



She spreads her costly napkins, meant for show, 

'Twixt plates and glasses in a gleaming row: 

Silver and gold the hooded lights illume, 

While the air reeks with Araby's perfume. 

Her table set, with hospitable air 

She draws the thoughtless to her hidden snare; 

On ivory couches bids their limbs recline, 

And taps forthwith her cask of choicest wine 

Sleeping old summers in the Falemian vine; 

Cordials she offers next, and fine liqueurs 

By patent arts distilled (for all are hers I) : 

The guests drink eagerly with envious haste, 

And gorge themselves with cake and juicy paste. 

Then grosser dishes: a Lucanian boar 

With oil, and spice, and pepper covered o'er; 

Liver of duck, and leg of fatling hare. 

Plover and squab, and all such gourmet-fare. 

And what's not fiesh is fish: turbots and clams. 

Oysters, and what-not, caught in streams and dams. 

A hugh murena fills the shining dish, 

And swims amidst a shoal of smaller fish. 

The guests look on with hungry eyes: in fine, 

With stomachs gorged, and veins afire with wine, 

They rise to dance, where they have come to dine: 

They rise to dance— each crazy bacchanal, 

Band3dng threats and blows, around the hall 

Stumbles, till drunken stupors silence all. 

But Gluttony looks on the rout, and smiles 

221 



CABMINA 



Compos votorum, et gaudet, memor artis iniquae^ 
Ceu nautas tumida pereiintes aequoris unda, 
Mergere convivae miseros sub gurgite tanto. 
Nam subito exsudant praecordia, et excita bills 
E lecore In stomachum larga afflult, Ilia torquet, 
Immanemque ciet commoto ventre tumultum; 
Membra labant incerta, stupent pallentia et ora. 
Corpore sic misere exhausto fractoque, quid ultra 
Audeat ingluvies ? Ipsum, proh dedecusi ipsum 
Figere humo, ac (tantum si fas) extinguere malit 
Immortalem animum, divinae particulam aurae. 



222 



POEMS 



To see the outcome of her patient wiles: 

How Circe's guests have sunk to shameful sleep, 

As sailors perish in the yawning deep; 

And how anon the tortured liver wakes 

To sudden protest; how the stomach aches, 

While steaming sweat bedews the trembling limbs, 

And a thick mist the bloodshot vision dims. 

With the wrecked body brought to such a pass, 

Shall Gluttony essay beyond? Alas! 

Her arts would seek to bury in the sod 

Even the soul — spark of the breath of God I 






CARMINA 



AX, CHRIBTI MDOOOC 
PBIDIE KAIJCNDA8 UJSTVABIAB 

A lESV CHRISTO 

INEVNTIS 8ABCVLI AV8PICIA 

OULTRIX bonarum nobilis artium 
Decedit aetas; publica commoda, 
Viresque naturae retectas, 

Quisquis avet, memoret canendo. 

Saecli occidentis me vehementiue 
Admissa tangunt; haec doleo et fremo. 
Proh! quot, retrorsum conspicatus, 
Dedecorum monumenta cerno. 

Querarne caedes, sceptraque diruta, 
An pervagantis monstra licentiae? 
An dirum in arcem Vaticanam 
Mille dolis initum duellum. 

Quo cessit Urbis, principis urbium, 
Nullo impeditum Bervitio decus ? 
Quam saecla, quam gentes avitae 
Pontificum coluere sedem. 

224 



POEMS 



THE OPENING CENTURY 

LINES WRITTEN ON NEW YEAR* 8 EVE 

(1900) 

A NOBLE nurse of all the arts, 

The Age departs: 
Let who will sing the truths it taught, 

The marvels wrought: 

Me rather shall its sinful years 

But move to tears, 
As in a backward glance I see 

Its infamy. 

Shall blood of men be my lament. 

Or sceptres rent. 
Or Vatican's dear citadel 

Besieged of hell ? 



The glory, Rome, that crowned thy brow, 

Where is it now ? 
Of old, all nations loved in thee 

Thy Pontiff's See. 

225 



CABMINA 



Vae sQgregatis Numine l^busl 
Quae lex honesti, quae superest fides ? 
Nutant, semel submota ab ariB, 
Atque ruunt labefacta iura. 

Auditis ? effort impia conscius 
Insanientis grex sapientiae; 
Brutaeque naturae supremum 
Nititur asseruisse numen. 

Nostrae supremam gentis originem 
Fastidit excors; dissociabilem, 
Umbras inanes mente captans, 

Stirpem hominum pecudumque miscet 

Heu quam probroso gurgite volvitur 
Vis impotentis caeca superbiae, 
Servate, mortales, in omne 
lussa Dei metuenda tempus. 

Qui vita solus, certaque Veritas^ 
Qui recta et una est ad Superos ma. 
Is reddere ad votum fluentes 
Terrigenis valet unus annos. 

Nuper sacratos ad cineres Petri 
Turbas piorum sancta petentium 
Is ipse duxit; non inane 
Auspicium pietas renascens. 

226 



POEMS 



godless laws, count up your gains : 

What truth remains ? 
A shrineless Justice, lol it stands 

On shifting sands. 

Hark ye the new hierophant 

Of Science, chant 
His song to Nature's soulless clod 

As to a god I 

And yet Man's birthright from on high 

He will deny, 
And search to find a single root 

For Man and Brute. » 

to what hideous depth is hurled 
The proud, proud world ! 

Kneel, then, mortal man, to God, 
And kiss His rod. 

Him only. Truth, and Life, and Way, 

Learn to obey, 
Who only, through the fleeting years. 

Can dry thy tears. 

The pilgrim hosts to Peter's shrine 

His Hand divine 
But now hath led — a portent viewed 

Of Faith renewed. 

227 



CARMINA 



leBV, futuri temporis arbiter, 
Suigentis aevi cursibus annue: 
Virtute divina rebelles 
Coge sequi meliora gentes. 

Tu pacis almae semina provehe; 
Irae, tumultus, bellaqua tristia 
Tandem residant: improborum 
In tenebrosa age regna fraudes. 

Mens una reges, te duce, temperet, 
Tuis ut instent legibus obsequi: 
Sitque unum Ovile et Pastor unus, 
Una Fides moderetur orbem. 

Cursum peregi, lustraque bis novem, 
Te dante, vixi. Tu cumulum adiice; 
Fac, quaeso, ne incassum precantis 
Vota tui recidant Leonis. 



228 



POEMS 



Jesus, Who on Thy throne sublime 

Shalt judge all time, 
Make the rebellious will obey 

Thy sovereign sway: 

Scatter the seeds of gentle peace 

Till war shall cease; 
And to their native hell exile 

Tumult and guile: 

One dream let hearts of kings pursue — 

Thy Will to do; 
One Shepherd let the earth behold, 

One Faith, one Fold. 

Long ninety years my course is run — 

Thy Will be done: 
My prayers the crowning grace to gain, 

Be not in vain! 



229 



CARMINA 



AK. MDOOCXI 

IN PRAELVDIO NATALIS lESV CHRISTI 

DOMINI NOSTRI 

Annua nascentls Iesu Bollemnia iamiam 
Exoriens revehit rite colenda dies. 

At DOD laetitiae praelucet Candida ut olim 
Nuncia, nee pacis munera grata refert. 

Humanae heu! genti turba undique dira malorum 
Instat flebiliter, flebiliora parat. 

Numinis en oblita, indigne oblita parentum, 
Succrescens aetas exciitit omne iugum. 

Scindit in advereas cives discordia partes, 
Ardetque immitis facta cruenta, neces. 

lura verenda iacent; cessere fidesque pudorque; 
Omne impune audet caeca cupido nefas: — 

Adsis, sancte Puer, saeclo succurre ruenti: 
Ne pereat misere, Tu Deus una salus. 

230 



POEMS 



THE EVE OF CHRISTMAS 

(1901) 

GOMETH the yearly Feast, the wondroufl Holy Night, 
Worthy of sacred hymn and solemn rite. 

No harbingers of joy the olden message sing, 
Nor gifts of Peace to waiting mortals bring. 

Alone the thronging hosts of evil men I hear, 
And see the anxious brow and falling tear. 

The Age will bear no yoke; forgets the God above, 
Nor duteous payment yields to parents' love. 

Suspicious Discord rends the peaceful State in twain. 
And busy Murder follows in her train. 

Gone are the loyal faith, the rights revered of old — 
Reigns but a blind and cruel lust of Gold! 



come, Thou holy Child I Pity the fallen world, 
Lest it should perish, into darkness hurled. 

231 



CARMINA 



Auspice te, terris floreecat mitior aetas, 
Emersa e tantis int^ra flagitiis. 

Per te felici colluBtret lumine mentes 
Divinae priscus RelUgionis honoe. 

Ardeecant per te Fidei certamina; per te 
Victrices palmae, firacta inimica cohors; 

Disiectae erronim nubes, iraeque minaces 
Restinctae, populis reddita arnica quies. 

Sic optata diu terras pax alma revisat, 
Pectora fratemo foedere iungat amor. 



232 



P0EM8 



Out of the laboring Night grant it a newer birth, 
And a New Age to bloom o'er all the earth. 

Circle with splendors old the brow of Faith divine; 
Let her full glory on the nations shine. 

Nerve her to battlings new; palsy her foes with dread; 
Place the victorious laurel on her head. 

Be Error's mist dissolved, and ancient feuds repressed, 
Till Earth at last find quietude and rest. 

gentle Peace, return, nor evermore depart; 

And link us hand in hand and heart to heart! 



23S 



i 



CARMINA 



▲H. MDOCOCI 



IN PRAELVDIO NATALIS lESV CHRISTI 

DOMINI NOSTRI 

Annua nascentis Iesu soUenmia ianiiain 
Exoriens revehit rite colenda dies. 



At non laetitiae praelucet Candida ut olim 
Nuncia, nee pacis munera grata refert. 



Humanae heu! genti turba undique dira malorum 
Instat flebiliter, flebiliora parat. 



Numinis en oblita, indigne oblita parentum, 
Succrescens aetas excutit omne iugum. 



Scindit in adversas cives discordia partes, 
Ardetque immitis facta cruenta, neces. 



lura verenda iacent; cessere fidesque pudorque; 
Omne impune audet caeca cupido nefas: — 



234 



POEMS 



(Free TrandaUmi) 

A CHRISTMAS EVE REVERY 

(1901) 

With solemn rite and sacred mirth 
Greet ye the ever-blessed mom, 

When to the long-expectant earth 
A Child was bom: 

But ah I not now, with splendor swift, 
The darkling heaven shaU glow again; 

Nor Angel-heralds bring the gift 
Of peace to men I 

Alone the hosts of hellish wrath 

Reaping its children, earth may hear; 

Alone the garnered aftermath 
Of groan and tear. 

God's law the growing Age hath broke, 
On parents' tender love hath trod: 

The world can bear no more the yoke 
Of man or God I 

Foul Discord rends the State in twain; 

Old Friendship scowls in hostile bands; 
Red Slaughter wields her sword amain 

With dripping hands. 

Rights venerable from of old 

Dragged in the dust; Truth overthrown; 
Honor forgot — blind lust of Gold 

Reigneth alone. 

235 



i 



CABMINA 



Adsis, sancte Pueb, saeclo succurre nienti: 
Ne pereat misere, Tu Deus una Balus. 



Auspice te, terns floreecat mitior aetas, 
Emersa e tantis Integra flagitiis. 



Per te felici collustret lumine mentes 
Divinae priscus Relligionis honos. 



Ardescant per te Fidei certamina; per te 
Victrices palmae, fracta inimica cohors; 



Disiectae errorum nubes, iraeque minaces 
Restinctae, populis reddita arnica quies. 



Sic optata diu terras pax alma revisat, 
Pectora fratemo foedere iungat amor. 



236 



POEMS 



Come, come, Thou heayen-descended Child I 
Old earth is hastening to its faU: 

Save it, and still the tumult wild, 
Saviour of all! 

Listen auspicious to my prayer: 

Scatter the arid wastes with dew. 

Until they bloom with fruitage fair. 
And harvests new. 

Through Thee may olden godliness 

Brightly illume the darkened mind, 

And tongues instruct to curse, but bless 
The Truth divined. 

Through Thee may Faith new laurels win. 
New battles wage, new victory speak; 

Through Thee, the scattered hosts of sin 
Hell-covert seek! 

Dissolved be Error's misty dream. 

And ancient hatreds melt in mirth. 

And friendly Quiet reign supreme 
Through all the earth. 

long-desired of every land. 

Come, Peace, and nevermore depart: 
Come, Love, and join us hand to hand, 

And heart to heart I 



237 






1 • 



I:- 



INSCRIPTION ES 



INSCRIPTIONS 



INSCRIPTI0NE8 



JLNVO MDoocxziy^ 



X 



ANNA. ALEX. F. PROSPERIA 



EGENORVM . ALTRIX . FILIORVM . AMANTISSIMA 



DOMO . CORA 



FEMINA . VETERIS . 8ANCTITATIS 



FRVGI . MVNIFICA 



H. S* £• 



QVAE . OMNI . MATRI8 . FAMILIA8 . MVNERE 



NITIDE . ET . IN . EXEMPLVM . PERFVNCTA 



DECESSIT . CUM . LVCTV . BONORVM 



NON . AVG . ANNO . MDCCCXXIV 



VIX . DVLCI88 . CVM . 8VIS . ANN . LI . M. VH . D. XI 
LVD0VICV8 . PECCIV8 . CONIVX . CVM . LIBERIS . M0ERENTIBV8 



MVLIERI . RARISSIMAE . INCOMPARABILI 



M. P. 



AVE . ANIMA . CANDIDI8SIMA 
TE . IN . PACE 

^) In obitu matris carissimac. Extat monumentum Romae ad sacronim 
Francifici AssiaienBis Stigmutum. 



240 



INSCRIPTIONS 



(1824) 



X 



HERE LIES 



ANNE, DAUGHTER OF ALEX. PROSPERI, 

OF CORI : 

A MOTHER TO THE POOR,' 



MOST DEVOTED TO HER CHILDREN 



7 



A MATRON OF THE OLDEN PIETY, 
A MODEL OF DOMESTIC VIRTUE, 



PROVIDENT AND GENEROUS I 



MOURNED BY ALL GOOD PEOPLE, 



SHE DEPARTED THIS LIFE 



AUG. 6TH, 1824, 
AGED 61 YEARS, 7 MONTHS, H DAYS. 
TO THIS DEAR AND INCOMPARABLE WOMAN, 



HER HUSBAND LUIGI PEOCI 



AND HER WEEPING CHILDREN 



HAVE ERECTED THIS MONUMENT. 



FAREWELL, THOU PUREST SOUL! 



REST IN PEACE! 

^) At the death of his dearest mother. The monument is set up in the 
Chorch of the Sacred Stigmata of Francis of Assisi. 

241 



nrSCRIPTIONES 



AK. MDOOOLZXIII 



GERTRVDI STERBINIAE 



VIRGINI . 8ALE8IANAB 



INNOCENnSSDCAE 



QVAE 



Vn . CHRIBTO . lESV . PLA.CEBET 



ASPERA . MVLTA . FORTITER . TVLIT 



EADEM 



RIGIDIORVM . ALVMNA . ET . CVLTRIX . VIRTVTVM 
MVNERIBV8 . LABORIBVS . Q\rE . SANCTE . PERFVNCTA 



MATURA . CAELO 



LAETA . LIBENS 



IN . PACE . CHRISTI . CONQVIEVIT 



III. NON. FEBR. AN. MDCCCLXXIII. 



ANN08 . NATA . XLIII . M . I . D . XXVI. 



IVLIVS . FRATER 



SORORI . INCOMPARABILI 



SE . SVOS . QVE . COMMENDAT 



242 



TXSrRTPTFOyS 



(1873) 



TO 



GERTRUDE STERBINI 



A SALESIAN^ NUN 



OF MOST BLAMELESS LIFE, 



WHO, 



THAT SHE MIGHT BE PLEASING 



TO CHRIST JESUS, 



BORE WITH FORTITUDE MANY TRIALS 



AND CULTIVATED AND EXEMPLIFIED 



THE MOST RIGID VIRTUES. 



HAVING PERFORMED HOLILY HER DUTIES AND LABORS, 

BEING RIPE FOR HEAVEN, 

HAPPY AND RESIGNED 



SHE SLEPT IN THE PEACE OF CHRIST, 



FEB. 3D, 1873, 
AGED 43 YEARS, 1 MONTH, 26 DAYS. 



TO THIS INCOMPARABLE SISTER 



HER BROTHER GIULIO COMMENDS 



HIM AND HIS. 



*) i. e., a Nun of the Order of the VUtation founded under the direction 
of St. Frmncls de Sales. 

243 



1 



mSCRIPTIONES 



AN. 



LEO XIII. P. M. 



AEDE8 . VETERES 



DYNA8TARVM . 8IGNIEN8IVM 



AERE . 8V0 . C0EMPTA8 . REFECTAS 



PVERI8 . PVELLI8QVE 



AD . RELIGIONEM 



AD . HVMANITATEM . ERVDIEXDI8 



DESTINAVIT 



AN. MDCCCLXXXVII 



BLASIO . 8IBILIA . EPI8C0P0 



244 



INSCRIPTIONS 



(1887) 



LEO XIII. P. M. 



HAS DEVOTED 



THIS ANCIENT PALACE 



OF THE LORDS OF SEGNI, 



WHICH HE PURCHASED AND REPAIBBD 



AT HIS OWN EXPENSE 



J 



TO THE EDUCATION 



OF BOYS AND GIRLS 



IN KNOWLEDGE AND PIETY : 



IN THE YEAR 1887, 



DURING THE EPISCOPATE OF 



BLASIO SIBILIA. 



245 



■ I 

[ 
i' 

I * 

i' 

r 

i 
•I"- • 



,1- 

I- ' 

r;. 



MORALIA 



4 



MORALIA 



AV. MDGOCLZXXYI 



RERVM . MORTALIVM . VICES 



VIRTVTE . RELICTA 



MISERAE . ET . LAMENTABILES 



248 



MORALIA 



(1886) 



THE VICISSITUDES OF OUR MORTAL LIFE, 



ONCE VIRTUE IS LEFT BEHIND, 



ARE INDEED FULL OF MISERY AND MOURNING. 



240 



MORALIA 



Omne quod in mundo est, concupisoentia camis eeX^ et 
concupiscentia oculorum, et superbia vitae.* 

{loan. Ep. I, c. n, v. 16.) 



AS, MDOCCLXXXYI 



(hMupiKentia camis 



I. 



IN8ANA . VOLVPTATVM . CVPIDITAB 



INIMICA . RATIONI 



HULTORVM . 8CELERVM . ABOHINATA 



PARENS 



HOMINVM . GENERI 



DEDECVS . ET . IGNOMINIAM 



INVRIT 



M ConieliujB a Lapide in hunc locum: "quidquid spectabili hoc mundo 
"continetur, aut camis cupidinibus, aut illecebris animum emollit et in- 
"quinat, aut opum cupiditate accendit, aut superbia et fastu extoUit: quae 
** omnia sunt a Deo Patre eiusque amore aliena, atque ad haec caduca 
" mundi bona, vel potius bonorum umbras et simulacra pertinent" 



260 



MORALIA 



All that is in the world is the concupiscence of the 

flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the 

pride of life." 

(John, Ep. I, c. n, v. 16.) 

(1886) 



Concupiscence of the flesh 



I. 



INSENSATE LOVE OF PLEASURE, 



AN ENEMY TO REASON, 



AN ACCURSED PARENT OF MANY SINS 



> 



BRANDS MANKIND 



WITH SHAME AND DISGRACE. 



>) CornelioB a Lapide, commenting on this text, says: " Whateyer thia 
visible world contains, either weakens and stains the sonl through the lusts 
and allurements of the flesh, or inflames it with the desire of riches, or exalts 
it with pride and arrogance ; but all this is foreign to God the Father and to 
His love, and belongs to the transitory goods— or rather shadows and phan- 
toms of good things— of this world." 



251 



MORALIA 



II. 



V0LVPTA8 



INVERECVNDA . ET . IMPROBA . SIREN 



CANTV . BLANDirnS 



HVMANA . PECTORA . EMOLLIT 



FASCINAT 



CIRCAEO . POCVLO 



AD . EXmVM . ET . NECEM 



ADDVCIT 



252 



MORALIA 



II. 



PLEASURE 



IS A LEWD AND SHAMELESS SIREN: 



WITH SONGS AND CARESSES 



SHE ENERVATES THE HEART: 



BEWITCHING 



WITH HER CIRCEAN DRAUGHT, 



SHE LEADS THE WAY TO RUIN 



AND DEATH. 



263 



\ 



MOBALIA 



AX, MDOOCLXXXVI. 



Ckmcupiscentia oculorum 



I. 



EXLEX . DIVITIARVM . AMOR 



PE8SIMVM . GENVS . SERVITVTIS 



AD . TERRAM . AFFIGIT . IMMORTALES 



ANIMOS 



CONSECTARI . INEXPLEBILI . AVIDITATE . C0ACT08 



VMBRAM . ET . IMAGINES 



BREVI . DILAPSVRAS 



254 



MORALIA 



(1886) 



OoncupiBcence of the eyes 



I. 



LAWLESS LOVB OF RICHES, 



THE MEANEST OF SLAVERIES, 



BINDS CLOSE TO EARTH IMMORTAL 



SOULS, 



WHO ARE FORCED 



BY AN INSATIABLE CRAVING 



TO PURSUE DREAMS AND SHADOWS 



THAT SOON FADE AWAY. 



2^5 



MORALIA 



II. 



PECVNIAM . INFINITE . CONCVPIBCENS 



FA8TIDIT . HOMO 



MANSVRA . ANIMI . BONA 



REBVSQVE . ADHAERESCEN8 



INCERTI8 . ET . FLVXI8 



HVMILI . METV . HVMILIORE . SPE 



LVDITVR . INVICEM 



256 



WHO HATH BOtlNDLESB CBAVINO FOR WEALTH 



THE I.A8niia TREASURES OF THE 60UL ; 



CLEAVES TO THE UNSTABLE AND PERISHABLE ; 



BECOUES THE BPORT BY TURNS 



OF A UEAN FEAR 



AND A STILL MORE lONOBLE HOPE. 



MOBALIA 



AX, XSOOCLZXXYI 



Superbiamtae 



AMBITIO 



8IMVLTATVM . CONTENTIONVMQVE 



ACERRIMA . INSTIQATRIX 



IVSTITIA . P08THABITA . PAJ.LACIA . COMITE 



AD . PRAEMIA . AVDACTER . NITITVR 



VIRTVTI . DEBITA 



258 



MORALIA 



(1886) 



The 'pride of life 



AMBITION, 



THE FIERCEST SPUR 



TO HIDDEN HATE AND OPEN WAR, 



TURNS ITS BACK ON JUSTICE, 



AND, MAKING DECEIT ITS COMPANION, 



STRIVES BRAZENLY FOR THE REWARDS 



DUE TO VIRTUE. 



259 



MOBALIA 



II 



TVMENS . ANIMVS . SVPERBIA 



IN . SE . VNO . PONIT . OMNIA 



CORRVPTOQVE . IVDICIO . VERI 



GRANDIA . AGITANS . INANIA . CAFTANS 



ERRORE . VARIO 



AD . PEIORA . DELABITVR 



260 



MORALIA 



II 



THE SOUL PUFFED UP WITH PRIDE 



CENTERS ALL THINGS IN HERSELF; 



AND, BY HER CORRUPT ESTIMATE OF TRUTH, 



SCHEMING GREAT DEEDS, 



SEIZES BUT SHADOWS ; 



AND THROUGH VARIOUS ERRORS 



FALLS FROM BAD TO WORSE. 



261 



MORA LI A 



▲N. MDOCXXXXXUl 



De roHone vUae in pcmtificatu degmdae 



IN . MORTALI . VITA . QVAE . 8VPERE8T 



DECRETVM . EST 



OBLATA . QVOTIDIE . PIACVLARI . HOSTIA 



ARCTIVS . DEO . ADHAERERE 



CVRANDAEQVE . HOMINUM . SALVTI . SEMPITERNAK 



8TVDIOSIV8 . IN . DIES 



VIGILANTI . ANIMO 



ADLABORARE. 



262 



MORALIA 



(1883) 



On the life he shall lead in hie pontificate 



FOR THE REST OF MY MORTAL LIFE 



I AM FIRMLY RESOLVED, 



BY OFFERING DAILY 



THE VICTIM OF PROPITIATION, 



TO CLEAVE MORE CLOSELY TO GOD; 



AND, WITH WATCHFUL 



AND EVER-GROWING ZEAL, 



TO LABOR 



FOR THE ETERNAL SALVATION 



OF THE SOULS OF MEN. 



263 



MOEALIA 



II 



AGE . lAM 



ENITERE . ENITERE . O . LEO 



ABDVA . QVAEQVE . FIDENTEB . If OLIRI 



DVRA . FORTITER . PATI 



NE . REFORMIDES 



DEVEZA . lAM . AETATE . EMEN80QVE . PROPEMODVM 



VITAE . CrV'RSV 



REBVS . CADVCIS . ABDICAT18 . CONTEMPTIS 



ALTIORA . APPETENS . ANIMO 



AD . CAELBSTEM . PATRIAM 



CONSTANTER . ADSPIRA. 



264 



MOBALIA 



II 



FORWARD, THEN, LEO! 
STRIVE, STRIVE 



TO SURMOUNT WITH COURAGE 



WHATSOEVER OBSTACLES; 



TO ENDURE WITH PATIENCE 



WHATSOEVER TRIALS; 



FEAR not: 



YOUR LIFE IS NEARLY ENDED, 



YOUR RACE IS NEARLY RUN: 



RENOUNCE AND SPURN 



ALL THAT IS PERISHABLE; 
ASPIRE TO THE HEIGHTS; 



PRESS FORWARD 



WITH CONSTANT LONGING 



TOWARDS THY HEAVENLY 



FATHERLAND. 



2(55 



• J 



i 



T 



NOTES 

AD VINCENTIUM PAVANroM (p. 2). 

'' Ever since the school-boy of Viterbo has become the teacher of 
the Christian world, European and American scholars have been 
able to admire and praise the classic taste and exquisite finish of the 
productions of his pen, in prose and verse. He gave early promise 
of uncommon literary distinction. Just as he had completed his 
twelfth year^ a college festival was got up to welcome the Provincial 
of the Jesuits. Father Vincent Pavani. This gave to Vincent Pecci 
the first recorded opportunity of showing his proficiency in LAtin 
verse, as well as his admiration for the character of the venerable 
man who honored the name of Vincent.'' (O'Reilly's Life^ p. 55.) 

'' n est int^ressant de retrouver dans 1' enfance des grands hommes 
les premiers germes des qualites qui se d^'velopperont dans le coura 
de lenr vie. A ce titre, on pent citer une ^pigramme latine, fedte, lb 
r ^poque dont nous parlous, par le jeune Pecci. ... On y reconnaSt 
d^ja la pure et classique latinit^ qu' on admire dans tout ce qui sort 
de la phune du pontife rdgnant" (Mgr. de PSerclaes: Le Pope 
Leon XIII, Vol. I, p. 35. ) And Brunelli, in his monograph ( Vita 
leUeraria di Leone XIII), calls these distichs ** quel primi suoi versi 
cosi ingegnosi ed elegantL" 

DE INVALETUDINE SUA (p. 4). 

The poem was written when the author was but twenty years of 
age. Over seventy years have passed since then — years, all of them, 
filled with the daily and hourly labors of a most active public career. 
Some hints as to the details of that life are given in the author's 
poem Ad Josephum Fratrem, But when we read the fuller narratives 
of Keller, O'Beilly, McCarthy, De T'Serclaes and other biographersy 
we can understand better the physical miracle of the Pope's life — 
that tremendouH burden of work borne so adequately by an attenu- 
ated frame, which one writer has compared to a translucent vase of 
alabaster. I quote from O'Keilly: ** Leo XIII is an early riser. His 
valet awakes him at a stated and early hour. The aged priest has 

267 



NOTES 



not changed the simple habits of a lifetime because he is Pope. He 
is soon dressed in his cassock of pare white, and spends a few mo- 
ments in adoration at the altar of his private chapeL Then there ia 
a half hoar spent in meditation or mental prayer on some of the 
great Gospel truths or mysteries. This over, one of his chaplains 
recites with him Prime, Terce and Sext — ^the three first morning 
' Hoars' of the canonical office — and the Holy Father is ready for 
Mass. ... At length the Mass is over, and the Pope and all pres- 
ent have heard a second Mass of thanksgiving. . . . They bring an 
arm-chair . . ■ and all present come once more in sucoession to 
kneel at his feet . . Family groups are introduced. . . . Quite 
near the little chapel is the Pope's breakfast-room. It is simple 
enough in all conscience. And what is the breakfast? A cap of 
black coffee with a small roll of bread. Nothing more. And now 
the breakfast is ended and the Pope withdraws to his private study, 
where his enormouK correspondence and liis secretaries are waiting 
for him. Everj' day in the week and every hour in each day has its 
own ap(K)inteii labor. The congregations or standing committees of 
cardinals, among whom are divided all the matters connected with 
the vast administration of a C'liurch numbering 200.000,000, report 
regularly to the Holy Father. Some of them have the Pope for 
president, and hold their sittings in hLs presence. . . . Innumerable 
congregations and conmiissions besides have their special work to do, 
and to report regularly. . . .His memory and his all-grasping in- 
tellect seem to be equal to the most astounding labor. . . . And 
then tliere is the Cardinal S<»cretary of State and the terribly difficult 
and incredibly delicate work of dealing with the foreign govern- 
ments. Look over the entire political and diplomatic field, and 
think of the hard and long battles the Holy See has to fight, not 
only with non-Catholic courts, but with those that we call Catholic 
All this is a matter of daily, sometimes of hourly, concern and labor 
for the Holy Father. He has to receive ambassadors, archbishops, 
bishops, pilgrims, deputations, addresses from the numerous Catholic 
unions and committees, and from Catholic congresses. You look at 
the PontifTs own face and form, and wonder how the lamp of life is 
fed or does not go out in such a frail vessel. . . - The Breviary 
Office is recited with one of his chaplains. The utter weariness be- 
gotten by the terrible round of official duties is lightened or dispelled 
by the pleasure the Pope finds in i)rayer, in the recitation of the 
inspired Psalms of ' the sweet Singer of Israel,' in the lessons of Holy 

268 



NOTES 



Scripture and the brief record of the life of the saint of the day. 
After examination of conscience and night prayers, the aged Pope is 
supposed to retire and to rest. . . . But does he never break in upon 
his rest? Too frequently, they say. His magnificent encyclicals, 
his consistorial allocutions, his addresses to pilgrims, deputations 
and societies, his most important bulls or constitutions, like those on 
the restoration of the Scotch hierarchy, . . . are written or cor- 
rected or finished in the quiet of the night.'' (Chap. XXXIV. ) 

What a marvellous commentary on the poem De Invaletudine Sua/ 
Since it was written, its august Author has rounded out more years 
than the patriarchal three-score-and-ten. By what is little short of 
a physical miracle, the gloomy forecast has been dissipated thor- 
oughly by a glorious fact 

ROGERIUS A. C. EFFRONTEM MULIEREM DEPELLIT 

(p. 6). 
The epigram was written while Joachim Pecci was residing at the 
Muti palace with his uncle Antonio Pecci, and pursuing a course as 
a day-scholar at the Roman College. The verses put on the lips of 
the pseudonymous Ruggero are the only ones quoted by De T'Ser- 
claes (Vol. I., p. 43). They illustrate ** how chaste and how ardent 
was the muse of the Carpinetan," and how it recalls the holy anger 
of Thomas Aquinas '^chassant loin de lui, un tison enflamm^ a la 
main, la malhonrense qui venait tenter son innocence." Of this 
period of his life the biographer remarks: ^^ Sa vie ^tait retiree et 

solitaire comme ceUe d'un moine £t cependant cet austdre 

^tudiant ^tait un poete de race. Ses vers coulaient de source avec 
une verve sans parcille. Ajoutons que c'^taient des vers latins." 

ARTIGIANO (p. 12). 

In placing the little shrine of Janus on the Tarpeian or Capitoline 
hill (ml TarpeiOf apud Oapitolium seu Tarpeum monism) the author 
of the Charade (written, says Prof. Brunelli, in 1834) has for com- 
panion no less an authority than Mommsen, who in 1844 published 
in the Annali dtW Instituto an essay De Comitio ItomanOy in which 
he maintains that the temple of Janus was on the Tarpeian hill (in 
ipso monte)f and endeavors to support his thesis by quotations from 
Tacitus, Festus, Ovid, Martial, and Servius. Perhaps these are the 
aliqui scriptorea referred to in the foot-note to the Charade. But 
Dyer, in his excellent article on Rome (Smith's Diet, of Or, and 

269 



I 



£nin. Greg. ), bIiowb cleartj how far MomnuwD erred in bU interpr^J 
lalion. The Bncelliim of Janus probsbl/ lay bclween the FonUR I 
RoUBniUD and the Forum Jolii. The X^ngluh tmulalioa folr I 
Diplicaiian, or rather slatemeDt, of | 
s been relegated t< 



Ihe Italian original; and the 

The Chanidu also oioumet; thai 1 
ferred lo by Horace, sIbIheb of the j 
lish Iranthilion of the Charade folio 
origitiHl, althuuKb the more recent 
nifiiias and imw lo three arclies r 
would lend one to infer tliat Ilie 



I the tbrue srcndea or Jaai re- 
ad had been set up. The Eny 
s the implication of the Italian 
Tien Tcfent the Jaa 
ac the Fonim. The Cbande 
'piii simulacri" was based o 



Forcellini. who is given as an authorily in the foot-note. Fnrcelliai, 
liuneTer, considers Jnnus to be the name of a street, bo called either 
becQune of a temple or image of the god, or of tlirce arcades it pa»- 
suftK'd \iribvi Jaaii prrviii). He then continues: IMma hujiu vici 
|«ir5, i]bi pecuniri feimri dalmlor. "imi'iio Jonw, iilliina imuB, mcxiia 
mei/iiu Jainu vocabatar. And b« addnoea the lllustrationi liom 
Horace in support of this interpretation. 

CANESTRO (p. 16). 

The charade is addressed to Bilria. In the opening words of 

Shakespeare's Bong (■' Two Gentlemen of Verona," Act IV., Be. II), 

we ma J ask : 

Wlio Is 8l]Tlar wliat In (he, 

Thai all our iwnlni commeud her? 

Thai Shakespeare's Silvia is meant might readily be inferred from 
the similarity of the praiitea awarded her by the Charade: 



which accord well with the third st 



a of Shakespeare's Song: 



Then to Bllvia let iii sing, 

That gilvU is excelling: 
She eicels each niortat Ibing 

Upon the dull eortb dwelling; 
To her lei ua gailnnili bring. 

As the "anglo vat«" hasolTered garlandb to her, t£e joung anthor 
will modestly tender but ''un fiorellin poetico" culled in his little 



NOTES 



Or does Silyia sjrmbolize Florence? The first four lines of the 

Charade seem to be hot an Italian translation of Rogers ('* Italy/' 

I, XX): 

Of all the fairest cities of the earth 
None are so fair as Florence. 

Or^ lastly^ does she typify Borne? Silvia, the mother of Romulus 
in the old myth, might very well be chosen as Rome personified. 
And the preeminence of Rome would make the declaration that she 
is the '^ decore e vanto'' of all Italians queenly cities nothing more 
than a literal statement of a historical fact; for what Shakespeare 
sings of his Silvia may be said as well of Rome: 

Holy, fair and wise is she, 

The heaven such grace did lend her. 
That she might admired be. 

Is, then, the ^'anglo vate" Shakespeare? or is it, perchanoe, 
Byron that is referred to? From the preceding Charade on ** Arti- 
giano,'' wherein Silvia is addressed in similar fashion, a reader 
might well conclude that Silvia is Rome, and from the present 
Charade on "Can-estro," that the English bard is Byron. 

A MONSIGNOR ORFEI (p. 22). 

Many biographers of the Pope (^ us of the really romantic con- 
tests waged by the young man of twenty-seven who, as Delegate 
Apostolic in Benevento, found himself confronted with a well- 
entrenched brigandage. But despite a severe sickness from which 
he suffered at the outset of his official life there, and despite the har- 
assing cares besetting a reformer in civil life, he seems to have re- 
tained a fine sense of the ludicrous. Tliis sense of humor is, in the 
opinion of Father Faber, a saving grace. We find it charmingly 
displayed in this poem (written first in Italian and subsequently 
translated by its autlior into Latin elegiacs). It is dedicated to 
Mons. Orfei, the author^s predecessor in office, who had assigned a 
part of the Apostolic palace, called the Cwttello^ to the President of 
the Court, a certain atrocato recently arrived from Loretto. The 
lawyer's name was Palomba, which is good Italian for ^^ ring-dove'' 
or *' wood-pigeon." lie came with lils wife and children to take up 
his residence in a house whose demure quiet had been broken only 
by the lyric accomplishments of Mons. Orfei. We can easily fancy 
the jarring of nerves consequent on such an invasion by noisy chil- 

271 



NOTES 



dreQ and, perhapB, crying babies. At all eyents, the antithesis Auv 
nished by two soch names as Orfei and PaUmba was too good to 
escape appropriate recognition. 

The similarity of the thought of the first stanza to that of Dryden's 
Ode has led the present translator to borrow one line from the Eng- 
lish bard: ''Sequacious of the lyre.'' He has not felt called upon 
in this and similar instances of appropriation (e. g. , the Macbethian 
" way to dusty death " in De Inwdetudine Sua^ and the Scriptural 
'^ poison of asps is under their tongue" in Bogeritu A, C, IjfraiUem 
Mulierem DepdLU^ etc. ), to credit the stolen phrases to their several 
obvious sources. 

IN MAEVIUM (p. 28). 

The poem ''In Maevium " is a pretty piece of writing, and not 
without an obvious humor — although the allusion is not clear. Was 
this modem Maevius a wretched poet like him of old on whose luck- 
less head Horace, throughout his tenth Epode, calls down a choice 
collection of maledictions? and whom Virgil scores in his Third 
Eclogue: 

Qui Bavium noii edit, amet tua carmlna, Maevi ; 
Atque idem iungat vulpes et mulgeat hircos. 

Or was he merely an eccentric ** sharper" with "method in his 
madness ?" However it be, the poem Ls full of life and movement, 
the portraiture is vivid, and the whisper of the bystander — " Calli- 
dior vulpes pol ! Maevius" — is refreshingly true to nature. The 
full title of the poem Ls: "In Maevium, Virum Callidum et Ab- 
normem." 

IN SERAPIIINUM PARADISIUM (p. 36). 

Whilst Archbishop of Perugia, Cardinal Pecci was wont to have 
recourse to verse, both as a solace amidst the cares of his office and 
as a means of testifying to his affectionate remembrance of certain 
excellent priests who had toiled faithfully and gone to their reward. 
The verses in honor of one Serafino Paradisi, parish-priest of S. 
Elena, in playing delicately on the words of his name, make use of 
what is ordinarily a dangerous experiment; for where such word- 
play happens to escape banality, it meets the danger either of un- 
pleasant criticism or of uncritical flattery. Happily, the Bishop's 
poem is free from all these complications; for a note appended to it 

272 



NOTES 



asBures as that it has chosen for praise a man who was '* integer 
▼itae et cams obique modestia soa.'' 

ARS PHOTOGRAPHICA (p. 44). 

Cardinal Pecci, while Archbishop of Pemgia, found some slight 
leisure in the midst of the many grave perplexities and laborious 
undertakings of that period of his life, to cultivate the muse with 
his old ardor. The only poem cited by De TSerclaes (I., p. 151) 
is the Ars Photographiea^ which certainly deserves the comment: 
''Citons de lui quel ques vers charmants, qui traitent a la v^rit^ un 
sujet profane, mais avec quel charmel la difficult^ ^tait d'autant 
plus grande qu'il s'agissait de c^l^brer en latin une chose essentielle- 
ment modeme: la photographic.'' 

IN GALLUM (p. 46). 

Doubtless Virgil's Tenth Eclogue suggested the name to the 
Bishop: 

.... Eollicitos Gain dicamus amoies (I. 6). 

But Virgil condoles with his Gallus, while the Bishop condemns 

h%$ Gallus. And although the opening line of the poem commences 

with the same words {Oalle, quid insania) as the 22nd line of the 

Eclogue, the *' insanity" assumes different complexions in the two 

cases. A further correspondence of the two poems is found in the 

words: 

Ecquis erit modus, 

which commence the 28th line of the Eel. and the 9th line of the 
Bishop's poem. 

AD JOSEPHUM FRATREM (p. 64). 

I. 

Quam felix flore in prime, quam laeta Lepinis 
Orta Jugis, patrlo sub lare, vita fuiti 

^^ Our Carpineto is a populous little town of ^ve thousand 

inhabitants, situated in a cleft of the Monti Lepini, a portion of the 
Volscian range nearest to Velletri. It is an eagle's nest, placed for 
security high above the plain, between two gigantic rocks. (Such 
was the picturesque expression used by the venerable Cardinal 
Joseph Pecci in describing to the author the mountain-home of his 
family)."— O'Reilly's Life. 

273 



NOTES 

The Lepini moantains were recently (Aug. 29, 1901) the enlject 
of a triple emhoflBage: 

"The croa of the Solemn Homage on the Leo XIIL peak of 
Mount Gapreo at Carpineto has been inaogorated with great pomp. 
The ceremony over, at half-past 8 on August 29 carrier pigeons 
were de^tatched to the Vatican. The first reached the dovecot in 
the Papal gardens at ten minutes past 10, bearing the greeting: 

Vlctriz nunc Christi Capreo Crux fulget ob alto: 
En tibl« Magne Leo, noncia grata fero. 

E.Santenrte. 

The signature was that of the parish priest. 
At half-past 10 a second pigeon arrived with: 

PimepetibuB pennis agros emenaa latinos 
Nuntia sisto: Crucis stant monnmenta Lea 

At a quarter to 11 a third arrived with: 

Te Texilla Crucis Capreo dc monte salutant: 
Te, Leo, nunc plausu, saxa lepina sonant.*' 

Doubtless tlie three distichs were suggested as an appropriate 
metrical form by this poem De Se Ipso. They might be rendered 
into English as follows: 

The Cross of Christ shines forth A*om Capreo's mount: 
And I, great Leo, bear the glad account. 

With pinion swift I cloTe the Latin sky 

To bear the news: The Cross is raised on high! 

IjCO, behold the Cross of victory, 
Wtnle the Lepini echo praise to thee ! 

It was a happy thought to raise on the native hills of Leo the 
standard of Him to whom Leo, in his majestic Carmen Saeculare, had 
dedicated the New Century. 

II. 

Altrix te puerum Vetulouia susclpit ulnis, 
Atque in Loyolae ezcolit acde pium. 

The young Pecci remained six years (1818-1824) at Viterbo. 
Here it wari that lie wrote, in his twelfth year, the two distichs in 
honor of the Provincial of the Jesuits— his earliest recorded poem. 
Here it was, too, that a ' * very serious sickness, which he had during 

274 



NOTES 



the college sessions of 1821 ^ impaired not a little the robust health 
nourished in the bracing air of his native Volscian hills. . . . He 
never afterward enjoyed the physical vigor of his early boyhood.*' 
(O'Reilly.) 

III. 

The next eight distichs may be considered luider one paragraph. 
''When, in 1825, the Roman College solemnly inaugurated its 
courses of ecclesiastical and secular teaching, its halls were at once 
fiUed by fourteen hundred students. Among these was Vincent 
Pecci. . . ■ More remarkable still was his success in LAtin verse. 
The rule for all who contended here for the prize of excellence was 
that they should, within tlie space of six hours, and without any 
external aid whatever, write a certain number of Latin hexameters 
on a specified subject. This subject happened to be the Feast of Bel- 
shazzar. Young Pecci [then 15 years old] produced one hundred 
and twenty verses of sucli unquestionable excellence that the prize 
was unanimously awarded to him by the judges. This, however, was 
not his only success: to him were also awarded the first honors in 
Greek." (O'Reilly.) In 1830, he was matriculated among the 
Divinity students of the Gregorian University, his Alma Mater. 
Father Manera, mentioned so lovingly in the poem, was Prefect of 
Studies, and had founded an Academia for the theological students. 
*' To give this academy a firm standing in the public opinion of the 
university, two solemn disputations were held in the university halL 
. . . The person chosen on both occasions to expose the doctrines 
of Revelation and to detect and refute all possible objections was 
Pecci." After his course in the university, he studied law and 
diplomacy at the Academy of Noble Ecclesiastics. Cardinal Sala, 
who is referred to with such great afiTection in the poem, was a ven- 
erable man ''who had been associated with Cardinal Caprara in the 
disastrous legation to Paris in 1808, and whose soul had been tried, 
like that of Pius VIl himself, by the six terrible years that fol- 
lowed." He had *' conceived a warm attachment for Pecci. In 
their intercourse the young and inexperienced churchman learned, 
from one who had been thrice purified in the furnace, many lessons 
which were soon to be of priceless service to himself in governing 
men and dealing with governments." (O'Reilly). 

But here the limitations of space give waniing that the remaining 
lines of the poem may not be illustrated even in the sketchy way of 

275 



NOTES 

the preceding pmngraph. Anything approaching an adequate com- 
mentarj would constitute little short of a volame of biography. 
While we may not venture on such an undertaking, the poem 
surely invites to a closer and fuller knowledge of the Pope^s life and 
wonderftilly fruitful activity. That life does not lack romantic as 
well as instructive details. In illustration, we quote from the LifB 
of Leo the Thirteenth, edited by John Oldcastle (Wilfred Meynell). 
The incident quoted may serve as a part of the abundant commen- 
tary on the lines of the poem: 

Dulcis Parthenope, Beneventum deiii tenet, aeque 
Ut lege Hirpinos imperioque rcgma. 

** The first public post assigned to Monsignor Pecci by Gregory 
XVI. was the governorship of the Province of Benevento. Brigan- 
dage was rife in the district, with other disorders — the result in part 
of the French invasion and of the long imprisonment of the Sover- 
eign Pontifl*. Class was divided against class. The tillers of the 
soil, subject to cruel exactions, were yet unable to form combinations 
for their mutual protection and support. Such was the account of 
tbings sent by agents of the peasantry to the Pope King — an ac- 
count which was of course impugned by the nobles, who retorted by 
vaguely but vehemently charging the people with laziness and a love 
of impracticable politics. The Delegate began his work of pacifica- 
tion in his own way. 'lie went amongst the peasantry/ says a 
careful writer (O* Byrne's Lives 0/ the Cardinalfy in The Oeeotian); 
he visited them in their homes; he questioned and cross-questioned 
them about their affairs, and all this with such gentleness of man- 
ner and such deep sympathy for their hard lot, that they took cour- 
age; whereas, before, they had been full of fears . . . [now] they 
boldly told the history of their sufferings and wrongs. The nobles 
and officials next came under the Delegate's notice, their accounts 
were overhauled and their administration subjected to a searching 
examination. They were compelled to meet every precise charge 
that any of the peasantry chose to make against them. The ac- 
cuser and the accused were brought face to face and their evidence 
taken by the Delegate in person. ... he was too alert to be hood- 
winked and too firm to be terrified. In a short time it became easy 
to see in what direction the judgment and sympathies of the Dele- 
gate were tending. The officials and nobles began to grow alarmed. 
Recourse was had to intrigue. An impeachment was carrietl to 

276 



NOTES 



Rome of the Del^fate's manner of procedure . . . But Pope Greg- 
017 refused to move or to interfere in any way. He had deliber- 
ately and with open eyes chosen his man and was determined to 
trust him . . . Consequently the Delegate was left with a free hand 
to work out the problem in his own way.' A number of stories, 
more or less to the point, are told to illustrate the energy and the 
impartiality with which he carried out his operations against the 
brigands, who seem to have terrorized the population and to have 
secured for themselves friends in high places. A certain noble, on 
whose movements invidious watch had been kept, came one day to 
the Delegate in a fit of injured innocence, threatening to go to Rome 
to bring his complaints before a higher tribunal: 

' Have you given the matter enough thought ? ' asked the Dele- 
gate quietly. 

^Certainly/ said the Marquis. 

^ I don't agree with you,' replied Monsignor. * In these matters 
one cannot reflect too much, and you will therefore favor me by re- 
maining here as my prisoner.' 

That night the noble's castle was surrounded, and twenty-eight 
brigands who enjoyed its protection were either slain or secured." 

All of the above illustrates prettily the rather dry statement of the 
poem: 

" Benevento sees 
Thy Hirpine rule observe all eqaitiesi " 

AD lEREMIAM BRUNELLI RHETOREM (p. 70). 

Geromia Brunelli was professor of Literature in the seminary of 
Perugia when Cardinal Pecci waa Archbishop of that city. Ecclesi- 
astical seminaries have a curriculum usually of ten years, and are 
divided into two institutions — the Preparatory or " little" and the 
Higher or ''great" seminary. In Italy, however, the compara- 
tively small dioceses do not permit of such a division; as Mgr. de 
T'Serclaes remarks (Vol. I., p. 150), they are usually under the 
necessity '** de concentrer dans un seul ^tablissement le cours complet 
des Etudes litt^raires, philosophiques et th^ologiques. Cette res 
marque ^tait n4ccssaire pour faire comprendre le joli trait que nou- 
allons rapporter d' apres 1' ablkS J^r^mie Brunelli, professenr de 
belles-lettres au s^minaire de P^rouse, qui y joua le rdle qn' on va 
voir." The anecdote referred to, which is of sufficient interest to 
justify quotation in this connection, is told by Brunelli himself in 

277 



I 



NOTES 



his edition of the Osrmtiia trmslated into Italian, and iaraed iu 
1883 (PrduBUme, pp. 77-8): *'It happened one day (what the 
reaaon was I recaU not) that I was late in getting to my class of 
literatare. Knowing that I might chance to meet the Cardinal, 
who was watchful over the bilence and order of the place, in the 
corridors of the seminary, I reached the door of my class-room with 
some haste and anxiety, as you may well imagina What ¥ras my 
surprise, on entering the room with great briskness and assurance, 
to see the Cardinal , whose presence I did not suspect, seated in my 
chair and translating to my delighted pupils a passage of Cicero's 
Oratio pro MUone^ and expounding with the greatest elegance and 
taste the beauties hidden in the tongue of the Roman orator. Yon 
can imagine, gentlemen, my bewilderment. Collecting my wits, I 
sat down on the benches with my pupils, and begged the Cardinal 
to continue the letison he had begun. But leaving the chair, he 
courteously invited me to SFcend, and commended to me the ad- 
vancement of my pupils in literary studies. At the Rame time 1 was 
able to reco^ize, in his always dignified smile, a gentle and quiet 
rebuke " This graceful anecdote discovers (as our French biogra- 
pher remarks- in the austere prelate, the man of letters and taste, 
and the enthusiastic lover of whatever adorns humanity. 

Bnmelli is the author of the Vita Leiieraria di Leone XIIL 
(40 pp.)^ which serves as a preface to tlie latest edition of the Car- 
mina et Imcriptiones (Udine, 1893). 

IIYMNUS IN S. HERCULAXUM (p. 76.) 

The hymn has been very highly praised by several comjH*tent 
critics. Taking as its subject a Patron of Perugia, a martyred 
Bishop of the early ages of Christianity, it appealed with 6i>ecial 
force to the interest and admiration of Cardinal Pecci's diocese. 
Perhaps its greatest admirer was Bit^hop Rotelli, to whom one of the 
longer poems in this collection (p. 52) is dedicated. From his ap- 
preciative criticism ( written in 1881 ) we learn that he considers the 
three poems in honor of St. Ilerculanus and St. Constantius (**miei 
santi vescovi e martiri perugini*' ) '' three magnificent |)oem8, truly 
worthy of the dignity of the Pope." He "read and re-read them, 
analyzed them, elaborated them into prose, subjected them to a hun- 
dred searching tests," and found them so untouched by the severest 
criticism as to lead him to the conclusion that their author was 
"veramente un innografo sommo." They recall the golden age of 

i>78 



NOTES 



Leo X., and will brook comparison, he thinks, with bat two hymns 
of that age, those by Sannazzaro in honor of St. Gaadloens and St 
Nazarias. He quotes for special comment the stanza: 

Furenfl Oethanim ab algidis 
DeTectiu oris Totila 
Turres Perusi et moenia 
Ho(»te obeidebat barbaro, 

comparing the admirable portraiture ( " pennelleggiato a merayig- 
lia" ) of Totila with that of Herculanus, framed in these rapid and 
energetic iambics : 

Ardensetore: "pro fide 
Pugnate avita. filii : 
Dux ipse vester: Numini 
Servate templa et patriam. 

lie quotes with approbation the penultimate stanza: 

Laetare Etrusca ciyitas 
Tanta refulgens gloria: 
Attolle centum gestlens 
Caput decorum turiibus I 

In a brief but admirably written estimate of the Pope's muse, 
Father Valle, S. J., spends not a little effort in analyzing the three 
poems. We give in full his treatment of this hymn: *^ Hymnua a. 
Herculani est natura historicus, yehemens, mira yarietate contextus, 
sive cum ob oculos ponit furores crudelissimi Totilae obsidentis Pem- 
siam, terroremque popularium ab imminenti urbis excidio; sive cum 
Herculanum describit animo impavidum, et ruentes in arma elves, 
quos ad patriae tutelam Herculani vox excitaverit Hinc diversi 
animonim motus; qnonim alii anxia quadem trcpidatione lectorem 
comprimunt, alii erigunt spe optatissimi exitus. qui egregiam civium 
audaciam et constantiam secundet. Nisi quod tristi eventu subit 
hinc Perusiae casus, quam non hostium virtus prostravit sed dolus, 
hinc Herculani caedes, qui pro salute suorum barbari regis acinaci 
praecidendam cervicem obtulit. At vero ab hoc lugubri ac miser- 
ando rerum adspcctu raptim (ut lyricorum mos est) animum extollit 
vates, oculosque in Herculanum intend! t iam sempitemi aevi beati- 
tate potitnm; quos inde ad Perusiam declinat, caelitus beati noven- 
silis patrocinium illi gratulatur, hortaturque ne ab invictae fidei 
documentis, quae Herculanus praebuit, degeneret.'' 

279 



NOTES 



8. CONSTANTroS— HYMNU8 I (p. 84). 

Bishop Botelll comments on the fourth stania as follows: *'^HymmB 
rigttcU: i monti (il Subasio e le lontaoe montagne di Leonessa alF 
oriente di Peragta, gli appenini di Gabbio a tramontana) aono oop- 
erti di neve ; atperti Monies pruinis albieant: il sole stesso viene 
scientificamente descritto nella soa posizione zodiacale; SoU^que 
erinet frigido—IrronU itnbre aquariiu: ooi quale due elegantissimi 
▼ersi il Poeta evidentemente ha yoluto render latino I'ardito oonootio 
dell' Alighieri, la dove dice: 

Che '1 soJe i crin 1* Aqumrio tempra.*' 

Thej are indeed *' elegantissimi veni** whether borrowed from 
Dante or of universal appropriation: 

Sollsque crineB friffldo 
Irrorat imbre Aquarius. 

In translating them, we have borrowed the equally elegant phrase 
( ** the bright-haired sun ** ) of Collins' Ode to Evening. 

This hymn differs from the following one on the same theme (as 
well as from that on St. Ilerculanus), in that it is not historical in 
its treatment. It is a song of triumph, an lo triumphe. Father Valle 
thinks it should be rightly called ^'sacri epinicii exemplar abnolutis- 
simum." And he continues: ''Simplex porro est huius hymni pro- 
cessus ; festiva laetitiac pompaeque descriptio, quam in honorem 
caelestis Patroni incolae dccunt; florens denique imaginum species; 
atque hae (ut eminentia ex umbris in pictura) pulcrius renident ex 
tristi hyemis tcmpestate, quae graphice exprimitur hac strophe : 
Hyenu rigescitf asperia . . . Huius hymni lectione animus dulci 
quodem pietatis castae<|ue voluptatis scnsu perfunditur; quern sensum 
Auctor versiculis ipsis adeo fcliciter aflavit, ut quantum prioribus 
hymnis per maiestatem carminis grandia exaequat, tantum hoc altero 
modestioribus argumentis pcrpoliendis se natum ostendat.'' 

S. CONSTANTIUS— IIYMNUS II (p. 88). 

The second poem in honor of the Saint condenses into a few 
Sapphic stanzas the details of his suITerings and martyrdom. The 
sequence of the short narrative would easily lead one to infer that 
his trial was undergone at one place and time. The brief introduc- 
tion in prose, however, indicates the variety both in time and in 
place. The 8th and 10th stanzas ofier great difficulty in interpreta- 

280 



NOTES 



tion. They seem to declare that he was executed in prison, and 
that Levianus, hiding in the shadow of its walls, awaited a favorable 
opportunity to take the body away. 

The BoUandists (Acta SaneL, Jan., T. II.) have three lives of 
the Saint. All of these g^ve the highway as the place of his 
martyrdom, which resulted not from any legal process, but from the 
superstitious fears of the soldiery who were conducting him to 
Spoleto. He had been seized thrice, and now being led from prison 
in Assisi, passed with his guard through Spello (Hispellum). This 
town lies distant about three miles from Foligno. Somewhere be- 
tween the two places he was martyred. Here one of the soldiers 
said: *'*' Ne iste magus quern trahimus suis nos artibus interficiat in- 
terimatur . . . lUico vibrato gladio abstulerunt caput eius; oorpore 
vero dimisso in tramite qui dicitur Fulgineato'' {op, cit.^ p. 930). 
Another Vita has this: ** Venenint itaquc in trivio Fulgineato, non 
longe a civitate ipsa . . • et decollaverunt eum, et dereliquerunt 
corpus eius in ipso loco" (p. 928). A foot-note remarks: '^ Describit 
hunc locum Ludovicus lacobillius de S. Fulginatibus pag. 345; 
traditque agrum vicinum vocari etiamnum la Contrada di S. Con- 
stanzo).'' The third Vita has: ** Cum igitur ad trivium quoddam 
Fulgineatum quod vocant, non procul ab ipsa urbe Fulginea poei- 
tum, noctu pervenissent . . . strictis gladiis in hominis iugulnm 
invadunt" (p. 935). All of these accounts seem to imply not a 
prison but a highway. 

But the stanzas offer another difficulty. What is the meaning of 
lueepalUntif Is it the twilight of the dying, or of the beginning 
day ? Brunelli, one of the first translators, does not specify: 

Glace nel sangue esanime tua spoglla; 
Ma vigilando Levian pletoso, 
Dell oficuro tuo carcerc la soglla 
Di varcar 060, 

Per la queta raccoglic ombra nottuma 
La membra sparte. 

The *' queta ombra nottuma '' would serve either hypothesis, and 
can scarce be accounted a rendering of luce paUenti. But all the 
^'Lives'' speak of Levianus as having been warned in sleep by an 
angel. The twilight is therefore that of the dawning day. Bishop 
Rotelli, in his estimate of the poem, understands the wan light of 
the prison itself : ** la pallida e incerta luce del carcere nel quale entra 
il ooraggioso Leviano — Liice paUenti vigUans ad umbram,** 

281 



NOTES 



Part of the Bishop's estimate maj be quoted with interest: *^ La 
lingua e purissima: lo stile e Tibrato; espressivo Pepiteto, incbiya 
la fjrase, il verso spontaneo.'' 

AD SANCTUM FELiaANUM (p. 97). 

The poem appeared originally in the Paew, a journal of Pemgia,. 
and had 13 stanzas, the last two being as follows : 

Ilinc Bidiu O tu finibtw Umlnlae 
AflUge amicum! Fulginiam, pia 
In Tota te patrem vocantem 
Usqne suum, bonus O tuere! 

IntaminatA et sacrA ab aTis fide 
Til nostra clemens pectora roboia. 
Quae nulla vis insanientis 
Temporis, iiuddiacve frangant. 



In EngliKh : 

shine forth iYom out thy heaven afar, 
O'er Umbria's fields, O friendly Star; 
Foligno craves thy glory bright- 
Shine forth, O Beacon-light! 

Strengthen the stainless faith we hold 
From our ancestral saints of old : 
Xor ftrenzy wild, nor subtle snare, 
Its pristine Htrength impair! 

The two stanzas were subsequently condensed into the one which 
appears in our text. A French journal reproduced the poem with 
the comment that it is *' une tres belle po^sie que S. S. L^on XIIL 
a compos^e a 1' occasion de la solcnnitd de S. Felicien, ^veque de 
Foligno, dont la fSte vient d'etre c^l^brde le 24 Janvier. Nous 
sommes heureux de la rcproduire, car, en meme temps que Tex- 
pression de la plus haute piet^, il s'en d^gage un parfum classique 
qui sera, sans doute, un vrai n^gal pour lea connaisseurs.' 



n 



IX SACRAM FAMILIAM (p. 104). 

In 1893 the Holy See established a special Feast (the 3rd Sunday 
after Epiphany) in honor of the Hc»ly Family, the three hymns of 
the Breviary OflBce being contributed by Leo XIIL '* Les hymnes 
d'une haute et chr^tienne po<^sie qui iSgurent dans F office de cette 
solennit^, sont I'oeuvre de Sa Saintet^ elle-meme** (De T'Serclaes, 
Vol. II. , p. 548). 

The mind of the church in the institution of such a feast is well 

282 



NOTES 



illustrated both by the moral contained in each of these hymns, and 
bj the words of I^co XIII. wlien establishing a Pious Association in 
honor of the Holy Family. The special devotion is meant to meet 
a special need : *' Every one is aware/* says the Holy Father in his 
Apostolic Letter, '^ that the prosperity and happiness of public and 
private life depends most largely on the home. For the deeper the 
roots of virtue strike into that soil, and the more alert parents are, 
by word and deed, to inform the souls of the young with the pre- 
cepts of religion, the more plentiful are the fruits resulting to the 
good of society in general. It is of the highest importance, there- 
fore, not merely that domestic society should be constituted holily, 
but as well that it should be governed by holy rules; and that a 
religious spirit and a Christian life should be diligently and con- 
stantly nourished in it. Therefore it was that the merciful God, 
when He had decreed to perfect the work of Redemption which the 
ages had so long awaited, so ordered the work that its first begin- 
nings should exhibit an august model of a Family divinely consti- 
tuted, in which all men might see an exemplar of every virtue and 
holiness. Such a Family wos that at Nazareth, in which the Sun of 
Justice, ere He should shine with full radiance on all the nations, 
was first hidden; and this Family comprised Christ, the Lord God, 
together with His Virgin Mother, and her most holy spouse Joseph, 
who was to be the foster-father of Jesus • . . And so all fathers 
may see in Joseph a splendid norm of parental watchfulness and 
care ; mothers may perceive in the most holy Mother of God an 
admirable illustration of love, modesty, obedience and perfect faith- 
fulness; and children have in Jesus, Who 'was subject to them,' a 
divine model of obedience which they should admire, worship, and 
imitate.'' These lessons of domestic government are but an elabo- 
ration of the words of St. Paul (in his Epistle to the Colossians) 
which form a part of the '^ second Lesson" of the Office for this 
Feast: ^' Wives, be subject to your husbands, as it behooveth, in the 
Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not harsh towards them. 
Children, obey your parents in all things; for this b well pleasing 
to the Lord." 

These are the thoughts and principles inculcated by the Holy 
Father in the hymns. We can not pass by without special notice 
the beautiful moral contained in one of the last stanzas of the hymn 
for Matins: 



283 



NOTES 

Blened Three! who felt the stiDg 
Of want and toil and fuflfering, 
Pity the needy and ohecnre 
Lot of the poor. 

In his Apoetolic Letter, the Pope calls attention to the anrest of 
the workingmen of to-day. In an Encyclical dealing with this mat- 
ter, he has shown his deep sympathy with their cause; hut when, or 
in whateyer degree, an enlightened agitation fails of its purpose, he 
reminds them of the heavenly sanction given especially to their toils 
and needs: *'If workingmen/' he says in his letter from which I 
have been quoting, ^' and all those who, especially in our times, feel 
grievously afflicted at their humble condition and the straitened cii^ 
cumstances of those dependent on them, will but glance at the mem- 
bers of the Holy Family, there will not be wanting reasons why they 
should rather rejoice than be grieved at their lot. They share with 
that BEcred Family in toil and in the cares of daily life; Joseph was 
bound to provide for its subsistence from the wages of bis labor; nay, 
even the hands of the God-Man were exercised in a workshop." 

This is the lesson of contentment to be derived from a contempla- 
tion of the House of Nazareth. But another lesson may be found 
equally suitable for those who are blessed by fortune. The Holy 
Father prays the sacred Three to 

Banish the " pride of life " from all 
Whom ampler wealth and Joys befall. 

And this is but a poetical version of his own words in the Letter: 
^^ Qui nobiles nati sunt, discent a Familia regii sanguinis quomodo 
et in edita fortuna se temperent, ct in afflicta retineant dignitatem: 
qui dites noscent ab ea quantum sint virtutibus posthabendae divi- 
tiae." The noble are reminded of the royal blood of that lowly 
Household; and the wealthy, that virtue is to be preferred to riches. 
Thus this devotion to the Holy Family includes in its scope the ex- 
tremest stations of life — poverty and lowliness, wealth and nobility. 
These lessons are sorely needed in our times; and the hymns, like 
the Feast whose office they serve to adorn, wliile they are indeed ex- 
quisite in their Christian thought and classic phrase, possess even a 
higher value as prayers than as poems. 

r 

TWO FOUNTAINS (p. 142). 

While many a Pope has been literally a '* Pontifex Maximus," 
the long line of the Papacy has splendidly preserved the architec- 

284 



NOTES 



tural and engineering tastes of the older Empire of the Romans. 
Leo XIII. manifested thronghout his whole life a similar acUvitj, 
which might well have heen construed into a prophetic admonition 
of his future incumbency of the Chair of Peter. Apropos of these 
two poems, I extract from Mgr. T'Serclaes* " Le Pape Lion XI IV* 
(Vol. I. p. 17), an interesting account of his benefactions to his 
natal town of Carpineto: 

^* Jadis Carpineto soufTrait d'une disette d'eau presque habituelle. 
Aujourd'hui, cette calamity n'est plus a craindrc. Deja ^tant dv^ 
que de P^rouse, Joachim Pecci avait essaj^ de foumir Teau a son 
pays natal en faisant capter une source voisine, qui malheureusement 
se tarit bientdt. Devenu pape, L^on XIII. recommen9a Tentreprise 
sur nouveaux frais. L'ing^nieur Olivieri fut charge de ce travail. 
II amena a Carpineto les eaux de source du mont Carpino, situ^ au 
sud-est du bourg a une distance de cinq kilometres. La montagne, 
compos^e de roche calcaire fort dure, fut entam^ au moyen de la 
dynamite. On y creusa deux galeries, Tune de 400, T autre de 90 
metres. I^es travaux mirent au jour une caveme longue de 100 
metres oil Ton d^couvrit une nouvelle source. Les eaux de celle-ci 
et des sources connues anti^rieurement furent emmagasindes dans 
cinq grands reservoirs, ^chelonn^s Tun au-dessous de T autre et cap- 
ablcs de contenir environ 7,000 metres cubes d'eau. Une disposi- 
tion ing(5nieusc permet de r^gler le d^bit de Feau suivant sa plus ou 
moins grande abondance, si bien que, mime pendant les trois mois 
de grande s^cheresse, chaque famille de Carpineto pent compter sur 
une consommation joumaliire de cent onze litres, sans compter tout 
ce qui est utilisd pour les usages agricoles. Deux gracieuses fon- 
taines, Tune sur la place publique de Carpineto devant i'^glise ool- 
l^giale, P autre devant le palais Pccci, versent avec abondance leur 
eau saine et limpide aux habitans du pays. Elles dont d^cor^es 
d' inscriptions latincs composites par le Souverain-Pontife. Voici 
celle qu'on lit sur la fontainc de la place publique: 

" Fona ^o, decurrens, nitidis aigenteus undis 
Qaem cupidc irriguum florea prata bibant. 
At non prata bibent, cives, me florea ; vestras 
Gratius est largo upargere rore domos. —Leo XIII" 

For this long extract made apropos of a very brief poem, I must 
offer the same apology as that of the writer just quoted: **Nou8 
nous sommes ^tendus sur ces travaux hydrauliques, r^ellement re- 

285 



NOTES 



marquables d'ailleun, par ce qu'ils sont un immense bienfait de 
L^on XIII. enven sea oompatriotes." 
The second, and much longer poem: 

Diffldlem cunum, longosque emensa ylamm 
Tiactus, CarpineUi hue feror nnda iuglB . . . 

appears to be an emendation and elaboration of a shorter, bat very 
beautiful, poem on the same theme. It should prove interestiDg to 
give it here in its original form: 

FoKS LoQurruB. 

Leniter exiliens Pandulphi o coUe supemo, 
Hue e natiyiB dcfcror unda iugin. 

Nam qui romani loachimus PeeduB OBtri 
Primus natalc hoc auxit honore solum, 

Per csecos terrae, plumbo ducente, meatus 
Oblitam patriae me lubet ire viani. 

Improvisa qiiidem, ?ed gratior advena vobis 
UUro, municipcs, Candida, iiiempta fluo. 

Hue ergo, propcratc: adsum nam sacra saluti, 
^lunditiae, vitaequc usibus ct charisin. 

( Trandation.) 

The Fountain Speaks. 

A gushing stream, forth of my olden yoke 
On Pandulpb'8 hill I broke ; 

For Pecci, who in Roman piiri>le clod 
His natal soil mnkod glad. 

Hath led me hither, mindless of my birth, 
Through darkest ways of earth. 

^[ore welcome am I, cits, as unforeseen. 
Unpurchased, cool, and clean. 

Come ! I am dedicate to cleanly health, 
To i>overty, to wealth I 

It may well be doubted if the pleasant simplicity and directness 
of this previous poem have not disappeared somewhat in the pomp 
and circumstance of its elaborated emendation. It is, we think, an 
exquisite idea exquisitely carried out. The technique is worthy of 
the inspiration. A foot-note attuche<l to it (in the edition of the 
Carmina publLshcd in 1883) remarks: '* Aquam saluberrimi haustus 
Carpinetum adducendam curavit an. MDCCCLXIV." 

James Rusnell Lowell treated a similar theme in his '^ Ode Writ- 

286 



NOTES 



ten for the Celebration of the Introduction of the Cochitoate Water 
into the City of Boston.'' In several stanzas the thought and ex- 
pression run on parallel lines: 

Per caecos terrae, plumbo ducente, meatus 
Oblitam patriae me iubet ire yiam 

is not unlike Lowell's 

My name is Water : I have sped 
Throogh strange, dark ways, untried before ; 



while the last couplet: 

Hue ergo properate : adsum nam sacra saluti, 
Munditiae, vitaeque usibus et charitin, 

is quite the same thought as Lowell's 

For countless seryices I'm fit, 
Of use, of pleasure, and of gain. 

AD B. V. MARIAM PRECATIONES (p. 148). 

The text followed for both of these poems is that of the Udine edi- 
tion of 1893. In 1896 an edition de luxe of the Pope's (nine) poems 
in honor of the Blessed Virgin appeared from the press of Descl^, 
Lef^vre et Gie., Kome, with the title Leonis XIIL In Mariam Vir- 
ginem FlosculL The variations in the texts are here noted: 

I. 

Horrida monstra furens ex Acheronte vomit (1898) 
Horrida monstra furens evomit ex Erebo (1896). 

Tu mihi virtutem, robur et adde novum (1898) 
Tu mihi virtutem suffice magnanimam (1896). 

II. 

8i mens soUicitis icta cupidinibus (1893) 
Si mens sollicitis acta cupidinibus (1896). 

81 natum aerumnis videris usque preml (1898) 
Si natum aerumnis \ideris implicitiun (1896). 

Detruso stygii daemone ad ima lacus (1893) 
Detruso in sedes daemone tartareas (1896). 

Lumina fessa manu molliter ipsa tege (1893) 
Lumina conde pia molliter ipsa manu (1896). 

As a sort of preface to his Encyclical (1892) on the Marian Rot- 
ary, Leo XIII. confesses to the tender devotion which, in his very 

287 



NOTES 



infimcy, he had cherished towards the Blessed Viigin; and to the 
hjct that, as jean passed, he beheld more dearlj the love and honor 
which are due to her " whom God was the first to love and to fayor, 
yea, to love in sach wise that she was the one whcm, elevated above 
all the rest of creation and adorned with amplest ^fts, He chose to 
be His Mother." His words are so beautiM in themselves, and 
serve so well to introduce his poems entitled Floaculi C*' little flow- 
ers ''), that space is made here for a brief quotation: ^^ Magnae Bet 
Matris amorem et cultum quoties ex occasione liceat ezdtare in 
christiano populo et augere, toties Nos mirifica voluptate et laetitia 
perfundimur, tanquam de ea re qnae non solum per se ipsa praestan- 
tiasima est multisque modis frugifera, sed etiam cum intimo animi 
Nostri sensu suavissime concinit Sancta nimirum erga Mariam 
pietas, semel ut paene cum lacte suzimus, crescente aetate, suocrevit 
alacris valuitque in animo firmius: eo namque illustrius menti ap- 
parebat quanto ilia esset et amore et honore digna, quam Deus ipse 
aniavit et dilexit primus, atque ita dilexit, ut unam ex universitate 
rcrum sublimius evcctam amplissimisquc omalam muneribus sibi 
adjunxerit matrem.'* 

PARAPHRASES. 

Throughout the Paraphrases the Pope plays on the word 
** Rosary," comparing the devotion now to a basket of flowers 
offered at the shrine of the Blessed Virgin, now to a wreath of 
roses, a chaplet, a crown, etc., woven for the brow of the heavenly 
"Queen of the May." How the devotion came to be styled the 
** Rosary " is a matter of dispute amongst the learned. The Cath- 
olic Dictionary of Addis and Arnold remarks: "The original mean- 
ing is very doubtful. We think it most likely that the word was 
used in a mystical sense and meant Mary's rose-garden. (So the 
writer of the article Bosenkranz in Herzog, ' Encycl. fiir Protestant. 
Theol.*) " Not an unlikely hypothesis, whose mystical significance 
might have been further illustrated by the title of '* Rosa M^'stica" 
in the Litany of Loretto, and the ^'Rose of Sharon'' as a poetical 
appellation. The words with which Wisdom exalts herself are 
applied mystically to tlie Blessed Virgin: "I was exalted ... as 
a rose-plant in Jericho" (Eccl. xxiv. 18). In somewhat similar 
fashion, attribution is made of the glory of Simon the high-priest 
(i6. 1. 8): '* as the flower of roses Cflos rosarum) in the days of 
spring," and the praise of the just (ifc., xxxix. 17): "as the rose 
planted by the brooks of waters." 

288 



NOTES 



In the Paraphrases the Rosary is also called "sertom," ** rosea 
corolla." Anciently it was styled " Psalterinm Marianum," in 
imitation of the 150 Psalms. Alanus Bapensis assigns five reasons 
why it should be called Psalterium rather than Kosarinm, Corona, 
or Sertum. His second argument is : ^ ' Secundo, vocabula corona, 
ROSARIUM, SERTUM metaphorica sunt, ex similitudine dicta ; psal- 
terium yero a psallendis Deo laudibus nomen habens, proprie est 
oratio* (apud Ada Sanet,^ Aug., T. I., p. 423, where an elaborate 
historical treatment of the devotion is given, pp. 422-437). 

The first line of the fourth Paraphrase mentions the name of 
Gusman, t. e., St. Dominic, who, about the year 1208, is said to 
have introduced the Rosary in its present form. He was bom, in 
1170, at Callaruega (Calahorra, in Old Castile), of the powerful 
house of Gusman. 

In the following poem, '^Adiutrici Christianorum," he is re- 
ferred to : 

Adfuit at Virgo: meritis, pietate verendum 
Flnibus hispanis advocat ipea Virum. 

ADIUTRICI CIIRISTIANORUM— ELEGIA. 

The title *' Help of Christians" (Auxilium Christianorum) was 
inserted in the Litany of Loretto by St. Pius V., after the marvel-' 
ous victory of Lepanto. In his devotional and historical treatment 
of this Title, Barthe (Litanies^ etc., pp. 185-7) gives a number of 
illustrations of the heavenly protection afforded by the Blessed 
Virgin. Amongst them he cites that of Pius VII. over Napoleon, 
a moral victory which is commemorated by a special Feast ordered 
by that Pontiff to be celebrated on the 24th of May (the day of his 
entry into Rome), in honor of the Auxilium Christianorum, 

Leo XIII. cites in his poem two illustrious instances of the help 
of the Blessed Virgin, namely, the labors of St. Dominic in spread- 
ing the devotion of the Rosary among the Albigenses, and the 
splendid victory of the Christian fleet over the Turks near the 
Echinades islands. Lines 5-18 celebrate the former; lines 19-54 
the latter. 

Besides the vindication of St. Dominic made by Lacordaire, a 
very excellent biography by Archbishop Alemany tells with great 
clearness and moderation the part taken by him in the matter of the 
Albigenses. This is not, however, the place to enter upon hotly 
disputed mattej^; and the allusion to St. Dominic suggests merely 

289 



NOTES 



mn interesting quotation illustrative of the poem: *^ There remmins 
yet one more particular to be mentioned about the Albigenses . . . 
that the beautiful devotion of the Rosary began at this time, and 
owes its origin to this very heresy. The Bosary is, as you know, in 
an especial manner, a devotion in honor of our Lord's Incarnation; 
and I have already told you that the Albigenses denied this doctrine. 
They believed that our bodies and all matter were evil; th^ could 
not believe, therefore, that the Son of an all-good and all-holy God 
had taken upon himself a material body of flesh and blood like unto 
ours. They chose rather to say that He had taken only the semb- 
lance, or appearance, of a human body; so that He had not really 
been bom of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nor really died upon the 
Cross, nor really risen from the dead, nor really ascended into 
heaven. When, therefore, the holy St Dominic came to labor 
among these miserable heretics, and wished both to reclaim those 
who had been already deceived, aud to confirm in the true faith 
those souls that had not yet been corrupted, he instituted this form 
of prayer, in whicli the whole history of our Lord's life, passion, 
and resurrection, is brought before our minds, to be thought about 
and meuituttMl upon in pra3'er by means of what are called the joy- 
ful, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries. I do not mean to say but 
that the practices of frequently reciting Our Father and the Hail 
Mary, and of coimting the number of prayers by means of stones, 
beads, or other such marks, were far more ancient than the days of 
St. Dominic; but the imion of these two practices in that particular 
form which we still use, and which we call the Kosary, was certainly 
first made by him, aud for the purpose we have mentioned, via., 
deeply to impress upon the minds and hearts of the ];)eople the great 
fundamental truth of Christianity, * Qod made man,* It was, in 
fact, an abridgment of the whole Gospel historj' — the sum and sub- 
stance of the Gospel put into a short and simple form, which even 
the poorest and most ignorant could frequently repeat and easily re- 
member: nor can we doubt that it was by a special inspiration from 
heaven that St. Dominic was led to establish a devotion which has 
become so universal in the Church, and which has been so abund- 
antly blessed to the instruction and salvation of souls '* (^Points of 
History^ p. i)I)). 

It Ls but i)roper to say that the ascription to St Dominic of the 
institution of the Bosary, and of the practice of meditating on the 
Mysteries during its rwitation, have been questioned by Catholic 

290 



NOTES 



writers. A very elaborate discussion of these questions may be 
found in the Acta Sanctorum (Aug., T. I. ). In quoting as we have 
done, in order to illustrate the poems, we do not pretend to pass any 
judgment on the questions in dispute, but have endeavored merely 
to make the historical allusions clear. 

The second instance of the assistance rendered by the Blessed 
Virgin, namely, at the battle of Lepanto, is worthy of greater space 
than may be accorded it in our comments. The battle deserves to 
be ranked among the decisive battles of the world. It ^ ' arrested 
forever the danger of Mahometan invasion in the south of Europe,'* 
says Alison. St. Pius V., of whom Banke has left us such a glow- 
ing portrait, was then in the Chair of Peter (1571). ** It is not to 
be supposed," says Cai*dinal Newman (The Turks, iii, ? 6), ^* that 
a Saint on whom lay the 'solicitude of all the churches,' should 
neglect the tradition which his predecessors of so many centuries 
had bequeathed to him, of zeal and hostility against the Turkish 
power. He was only six years on the pontifical throne, and the 
achievement of which I am going to speak was among his last; he 
died the following year. At this time the Ottoman armies were 
continuing their course of victory; they had just taken Cyprus, with 
the active cooperation of the Greek population of the island, and 
were massacring the Latin nobility and clergy, and mutilating and 
flaying alive the Venetian governor. Yet the Saint found it im- 
possible to move Christendom to its own defence. How, indeed, 
was that to be done, when half Christendom had become Protestant, 
and secretly perhaps felt as the Greeks felt, that the Turk was its 
friend and ally ? In such a quarrel England. France and Germany, 
were out of the question. At length, however, with great efibrt he 
succeeded in foaming a holy league between himself, King Philip of 
Spain, and the Venetians . . . Meanwhile, the Ottomans were scour- 
ing the Gulf of Venice, blockading the ports, and terrifying the 
city itself. But the holy Pope was securing the success of his cause 
by arms of his own, which the Turks understood not. He had been 
appointing a Triduo of supplication at Home, and had taken part in 
the procession himself. He had proclaimed a jubilee to the whole 
Christian world for the happy issue of the war. He had been in- 
teresting the Holy Virgin in his cause. He presented to his ad- 
miral, after high mass in his chapel, a standard of red damask, 
embroidered with a crucifix, and with the figures of St. Peter and 
St. Paul, and the legend, ' In hoc signo vinces* . . . Accordingly, 

291 



NOTES 



a fast of three days was proclaimed for the fleet, beginning with the 
Natiyitj of oar Lady (Sept 8) • . At length, on the seventh of 
October, they found the Turkish fleet half way between Lepanto and 
the Echinades on the North, and Patras, in the Morea, on the South. 
. . . The night before the battle, and the day itself, aged as he 
was, and broken with a cruel malady, the Saint had passed in the 
Vatican in fasting and prayer. All through the Holy City the 
monasteries and the colleges were in prayer also. As the eyening 
advanced the pontifical treasurer asked an audience of the Soyereign 
Pontifl'on an important matter. Pius was in his bedroom, and be- 
gan to oonyerse with him, when suddenly he stopped the conversa- 
tion, left him, threw open the window and gazed up into heaven. 
Then closing it again, he looked gravely at his official, and said 
*• This is no time for business; go, return thanks to the Lord God. 
In this very hour our fleet has engaged the Turks, and is victorious.' 
As the treasurer went out, he saw bim fall on his knees before the 
altar in thankfulness and joy. And a most memorable victory it 
was: upwards of 30,000 Turks are said to have lost their lives in the 
engagement, and 3,500 were made prisoners. Almost their whole 
fleet was taken. I quote from Protestant authorities when I say 
that the Sultan, on the news of the calamity, neither ate, nor drank, 
nor showed himself, nor saw any one for three days; that it was the 
greatest blow which the Ottomans had had since Timour's victory 
over Bajazet, a century and a half before; nay, that it was the turn- 
ing-point in the Turkish history, and that, though the Sultans have 
had isolated successes since, yet from that day they undeniably and 
constantly declined; that they have lost their prestige and their self- 
confidence, and that the victories gained over them since are but the 
complements and reverberations of the overthrow at Lepanto.'* 

The Breviary, in the 5th Lesson of the Feast (Fest. SvS. Kosarii) 
associates this victory with the Rosary: " Nam cum ilia ipsa die 
victoria relata sit, qua die sanctissimi Bosarii sodalitates per univer- 
sum orbem consuetaa supplicationes peragerent, statutasque preces 
de more funderent, iis precibus baud immerito refertur accepta." 

The poem recalls the prophetic promise of victory, made by Pius 
to his admiral: 

Minim ex hoste triumphum 
Fatidico edixit pracscium ore Pius. 

Bohrbacher refers to this in his history (Vol. 12, p. 739): *'I1 
[8C, Pius v.] manda an gdn^ralissime que P unique moyen de salut 

292 



NOTES 



^tait une bataille ; il lui pr^disait la yictoire, mais en lui i-ecom- 
mandant de s'y preparer chr^tiennement et de renvoyer de son arm^e 
tons les gens de mauvaise vie.'' The vision of the triumph subse- 
quently vouchsafed to the Pope agreed with the event : " Tons en- 
semble not^rent le jour et Theure de la vision du Saint-P6re; 7 oc- 
tobre, cinquidme heure apres midi. C'^tait bien Theure ou triom- 
phait la croix dans le golf de Lepante " (16., p. 740). 

In his encyclical for October, 1895, the Pope speaks of the project 
of erecting at Patras, on the Gulf of Lepanto, a basilica in honor of 
Our Lady of Victory, to stand as a perpetual memorial of gratitude 
and veneration: ^^ Illud spectamus propositum • • . quod in per- 
nobili Conventu eucharistico, Hierosolymis acto, initium duxit, 
templi videlicet exaedificandi in honorem Reginae sacratissimi Bos- 
arii; idque Patrae in Achaia, non procul a locis ubi olim nomen 
christianum, ea auspice, eluxit. Ut enim a Consilio quod rei pro- 
vehendae curandoque operi, probantibus Nobis, constitutum est, 
perlibentes accepimus, iam plerique vestrum rogati, collaticiam sti- 
pem omni diligentia in id submiserunt; etiam polliciti, se deinceps 
non dissimiliter adfore usque ad operis perfectionem. Ex quo satis 
iam est consultum, ut ad molitionem quae amplitudini rei conveniat, 
aggredi liceat: factaque est a Nobis potestas ut propedicm auspicalls 
templi lapis sollemnibus cacremoniis ponatur. Stabit templum, 
nomine christiani populi, monumentum percnnis gratiae Adlutrici 
et Matri caelesti; quae ibi et latino et graeco ritu assidue invocabi- 
tur, et Vetera beneficia novis usque velit praesentior cumulare.*' 
His Eminence Cardinal Parocchi was placed at the head of the Com- 
mission having the work in charge. The basilica, with convents 
and schools attached, will be a noble memorial and monument. 

IN OBITU JOSEPIII PECCI. 

Cardinal Joseph Pecci, brother of the Pope, died in the year 1890. 
His life had been devoted to the study of philosophy. He taught 
this branch at the seminary of Perugia, until nominated by Pius IX. 
to the chair of philosophy in the Roman University. He took par^ 
in the work of several philosophical and theological Commissions 
which prepared matter for the deliberations of the Vatican Council. 
After the capture of Rome, he refused to take the oath of loyalty 
exacted by the new government from professors of the universities, 
and was in consequence compelled to resign. He contined, how- 
ever, to give lectures in philosophy at the Institute for Higher 

293 




NOTES 



Studies foonded by Pins IX. to replace the secolarixed Boman Uni- 
yexsity. Mgr. de TSerclaes (I., p. 522), from whom I have taken 
these details, adds a pathetic incident of the illness which shortly 
preceded his death. Experiencing in 1888 a first attack of apoplexy, 
he detached himself more and more from the things of the world. 
He ooUected an immense mass of manuscripts, the fruits of his long 
years of study, and commanded that they should be burnt. Seeing 
the flames devour in a moment the product of labors so prolonged, 
he was momentarily troubled, but immediately regained his cheer- 
fulness, and with his own hands fanned the flames. Some one re- 
proached him for having thus caused an irreparable loes to the study 
of Christian philosophy. '^I have formed disciples,'' he replied, 
" who will expound my views better than myself." Neveitheless, 
we cannot but regret (adds the writer I quote), the destruction of 
these manuscript**. They comprised very imi)ortant works; amongst 
otliei"j«, a critical history of tlie modem systems of philosophy. 

Cardinal Joseph Pecci died on the 8th of February, 1890, having 
received in perfect consciousness the sacraments of Holy Church. 

** Sa mort fut un coup douloureux pour Ldon XIII, qui nvait tou- 
jours portd k son frOre Joseph 1' affection la phis tendre. II exhala 
sa douleur dans une touciiante ^l^gic en vers latins. Les deux 
fr^res y sont repr^sent^s ^changeant par-delS, le tombeau les efliisions 
de leur sentiments affectueux. Joseph encourage Joachim du haut 
du ciel et 1' engage il se preparer Jl la mort en pleurant ses p^»h^s. 
Joachim, du sein des flots agit^s du monde, promet d'ob^ir il ses 
paroles et implore son sccours. Ce dialogue est un petit chef-d'oeuvre 
de po^sie mystique et de sentiment " {L c). 

The text is an emendation of a previous draft appearing in an 
Italian journal. It should be interesting to note the emendations: 



Joseph. 

lufititiae factum satis est; admissa piavi (Ist) 
luBtitiac factum satis est ; poenisque solutum (2d). 

Numinc propitio tibi sint cum feiiore multo 
Felices faiiti pro relligiouo labores (1st) 
i^ic tlbi fclices, largo sic fenore digiii 
Sint iiiiti sancta pro relligione labores (2d). 

Jo.vcuiM. 

Enitar gemitu lacrimls<iue abstergere culpas (Ist) 
Incensa ex imo diicens suspiria corde 
Ploratu maculas delere enitar amaro (2d). 

294 



NOTES 



Both poems are highly praised for their aficctionateness, brevity 
and classical finish. 

AD SODALES ARCADICOS. 

The ^^ Arcadia'' was founded in Rome in 1690. Tiraboschi 
(Sioria della Lett. Ital., T. VIII, lib. 1) notices the many " academ- 
ies" founded in Italy in the 17th century. Of those flourishing in 
Rome, he mentions some of greater or lesser prominence, passes 
over in silence those which left behind them no printed monuments 
other than their names, and comes down to speak at some length of 
the '^ Arcadia," of which, in after years, he himself became a mem- 
ber: **" Di pid distinta e pi(!l onorevol menzione sarebbe degna 
r Arcadia fondata in Roma nel 1690, perciocch^ il fine, che questa 
illustre adunanze si prefisse, basterebbe esso solo a rendeme memora- 
bile e glorioso il nome." The great purpose on which he compli- 
ments the Arcadia, was to wage war on the bad taste (il pessimo 
gusto) prevailing over nearly all of Italy, and to bring Poetry back 
to the path from which she had wandered far. With the great 
names connected with its foundation we have no present concern. 
It was made immortal afterwards by the names of Metastasio, Parini, 
Alfieri, mentioned or referred to by Leo XIII. in this poem. 

'* Arcadia" was a happy and significant name for the new society. 
Its pastoral simplicity challenged the other fantastic titles, *'come 
quelle de' Parteni, de' Malincolici, degli Intricati, degli Uniform!, 
de' Delfici, de' Fantastici, de* Negletti, degli Infecondi," etc. 

Virgil had made Arcady his own in the Bucolics, and Horace had 
delicately acknowledged the fact by the close connection he makes 
between the names (Od. iv, 12): 

Dicunt in tcnero gramine piiigiiiuni 
Custodes ovium cannina fistula, 
Delectantque deum, cni pecus et nigri 
Colles Arcadiae placent. 

" BeBide his full-fed sheep, the fm'ain 
In tender grass, indites the strain, 
And charms the god, that loves to sec 
The dusky hills of Arcady." — Gladtton€*$ trartsl. 

The muse was indeed to retuni to Arcadian simplicity; but the 
simplicity was to be ennobled by art and classicism. The Arcadeg 
ambo of Virgil did not mean, as we mistranslate it nowadays, '* both 
sweet innocents" or '* fools alike;" but 

295 



NOTES 



Et cantare pm, et reBpondere parati (EeLt Til); 
or as the Pope's poem quotes (Ed., x, 32): 

Soli cantare peritl 
Arcadfls. 

No special significance attaches, so far as I know, to the name 
Neander Heradeus^ which the yoang Peoci received on his admit- 
tance to the Academy in 1832. It was a relic of the older spirit of 
the Benaissance. Hausschein became Oeoolampadins; Schwarzerd, 
Melanchthon, etc, while Metastasio, in later times, covered over 
the humbler name of Trapassi. Sometimes the Greek name was 
not a translation of the vernacular, however, nor, as in the case of 
Metastasio, signified even the ^^ changing '' of one name into another. 
Before publishing his Arcadia^ Sannazaro had joined a literary 
society, and had changed his name into Azio Sincero. Had the 
fashion any connection with the pleasant identification which Virgil 
makes of himself with Tityrus in the Gth Eclogue? It is not, in- 
deed, likely; although the fanciful Arcadia of the poets had grown 
almost into a reality from the Arcadia of Sannazaro and that of Sir 
Philip Sidney, and the Arcada of Milton. 

Reminiscences of the P2clogues 8hine throughout the Pope's poem. 
It is, of course, unnecessary to give illustrations of this close inspira- 
tion. Tlie biographic details alluded to by the Pope may not, per- 
haps, be equally familiar to all the readers of the poem. Metastasio 
was made imperial laureate by Charles VI. : 

Agnovit vatem Caesaris aula suum. 

Parini was the greatest Italian satirist of his day — " scourged the 
follies of his time : " 

Tc ne ego sublimi sileam metuende flagcllo— 

and excelled also in lyric poetry: 

Carmine saepo ausum grandia pindarico. 

Although successful in lyric, satiric, and dramatic verse, and attain- 
ing to many honors — (he was elected to membership in many literary 
societies, such as the Tran^formati in Milan, the Arcadia in Rome; 
was professor of literature in two institutions; and was highly hon- 

296 



uro«l by tliu Emperor J^oop«»l(i and by JJonaimrte) — iieverlheles-^ lie 
was as poor at the end of Iiis cjirecr as at its commencement: 

Patria, magnc scnex, te Insubria vidit egentem— 

but his renown has snrvived his death, and is being more and more 
vindicated by tlie cooler judgment of to-day. The Pope is quite 
within the bounds of accuracy: 

Vindex i>ostcritas te supra astra locat. 

Alfieri created a new era of tragedy in Italy; and after discovering 
his talent, labored most energetically, producing fourteen tragedies 
in seven years. He also translated some plays of Aeschylus, Sopho- 
cles and Euripides: 

Visas, qui tragicum spiralis, c littore graio 
AusouiLs Sophoclen raeiite animoque refers. 

The I/ondon Tablei (Jan. 13, 1900) contained this comment on 
Parinit without mention of Metastasio or Alfieri: 

*^The following distichs have been composed by His Holiness 
quite recently in memory of Giuseppe Parini: 

Te ne ego RuT>Iimi silenm inetuende flagello 
Carmlnu Kaei)e aiisuin graudia piudarico? 

Patria. magiie scnex, te Insubria vidlt egentem 
Vindcx posterIta.s te super astra Uwat. 

"The temi>erament of Parini ditfcred widely from that of Leo 

XII[ ; his was acrid, violent, unsimring; the Pope's is exactly the 

reverse. But both arc shown to have many points of resemblance 

when we remember that, leaving the poets of North Europe oat of 

count for the sake of argument, Parini was probably the greatest 

satirist since the days of Juvenal, though possessed of qualities which 

made him resemble both Virgil and Horace, as the Cardinal Vice- 

Chancellor has shown in an eloquent discourse. In a double way, 

therefore, he resembles the poet- Pope, who has celebrated him in 

verse. 

Patria, magnc senex, te Insubria vidit egentem, 

sings Leo XIII. 

La miii povera madre non ha pane 
Le non da me, ed io non ho danaro 
Da mantenerla almcno per domane," 

sings Parini himself. 

297 



NOTES 

Vlndex posterltu te sapni astn locst, 

stngB the Pope, aa Mcmti sang : 

Cor di Dante e del suo duca il canto! 

comparing the poet-priest to Virgil. The Consultore Peod saved 
Parini after the death of the Goant Fermian and the poet's refusal 
to yersify in honor of Maria Teresa, and the verses of Leo XIII are 
likely to be as well remembered as the friendship of the Ck>nsaltoie. 
About the same time that he set himself to celebrate Parini, and thus 
to rob civil Italy of the honor of paying due honor to its eighteenth- 
century poet on the centenary of his death, Leo XIII turned the 
following sonnet of Professor £. Frontini into flowing verses, illoe- 
trated the original poem with an Italian note, and signed his own 
dear academic name of Neander Heracleus.'' 
Then follows the Sonnetto with its version into Latin elegiacs: 

80NNETT0. 

Dal poggio occidental dcirAppennino * 
Disccndi, o linfa di pcrenne vena, 
E, abbandonato il natural cammino, 
Iliguadagna la cima cntro Turrena. 

Qui accolta neirampissimo bacino, 
Dove Tartc motttrO sua maggior leua, 
Al gramo c aH'opulento clttadino 
Vieni a far lieta e salutor la cena. 

SuItc, o flgiiuola dolla pia Natura, 
Acqua, ristoro aH'aniinal famiglia, 
Che da rei mordl teco Ki afisicura. 

E tu, Balve, deiruom provvido Ingegno, 
Che or con una or con altra meraviglia 
D'lg^a propaghi 11 benedetto rei:no. 

—G. Prof. FrtmHni. 

") Dalle roccie dell'ApiJeniiino Umbro, a nagnara presso Nocera, sgorga 
Tacqua che i>eriti iugegneri idraulicl, i^uperando le non lievi difficoItA del 
hingo caramiuo, ban no condotto a Perugia. Deeliiiando a det>tra del Sub- 
asio, essa percorre Te^tesa pianura di A^^sic>i, e rlguadngiia la cima a Monte 
RipiUo, cleYatissimo colle che domina la vestusta Turrena. LaM>i1 ft raccolta 
in un vasto bacino, appositamcnte or costniito, stupeiwla opera d'arte per 
8olidiU\ ed eleganza dc stile ; e di lA scendc c diramasi in citt A per diversi 
canali, uno de'quali va ad alimentare la monumeutale fontanadi piazza del 
Duomo.— The Pope't note, 

298 



NOTES 



PAKAPHRA8I8. 

£ colle occiduo, qua nubifer Appcnninus 
Attollit frontein, Candida lympha, veDl. 

Oblita aerei montis praenipta vagari 
Per saxa inlVenis praecipitesqne vias. 

Hue iam flectc iter, hue propcra tranquilla per Umbram 
Laberc substructo fomice planiticm ; 

Mox celerans cursum, regalia moenia et arces * 
Fortls Turrenae scande et amoena iuga. 

Turn subito e latcbra erumpens, decurrc peramplum 
In labnim, excellens nobilis artis opus; 

8ubicetaeque urbi iugi ac praedivite vena 
Provida defer opes, Candida lympha, tuas, 

Inque domes dedueta, patrumque humilisque popelli 
Perge salutifero rore hilarare dapes. 

Prodesse o cunctis assueta animantibus, o quae 
Frigid ula et dulcis lauguida membra leyas, 

Pepellis morbos, prohibes contagia dira, 
Salve naturae filia lympha piae I 

Tuque o mens hominum salve, quae icnis Hygeae 
Mlris usque modis provehis imperlnm I 

—Neander Heracleus, 

VI VAT CHRISTUS QUI DILIGIT FRANCOS (p. 196). 

This poem was sent bj His Holiness to Cardinal Lang^nieux, 
Archbishop of Bheims, apropos of the proposed celebration at 
Bheimsy of the 14th centenary of the conversion of Clovis. The 
commemoration seems to have moved the heart of the Pope very 
powerfully, for besides two letters which he sent to the Cardinal ap- 
proving the proposed celebration, and filled with affection for the 
French people, he subsequently wrote a congratulatory letter, dated 
Oct. 28, 1896, on the outpouring of religious zeal manifested during 
this *• Jubilee year " of the French nation. From these letters as 
well as from the Pastoral of Card. Lang^nieux announcing the Papal 
approbation and special favors granted, it will be interesting to ex- 
tract some passages illustrating the poem. 

After the noble prelude of the first stanza, the Pope recalls the 
occasion that led to the conversion of Clovis. To understand some- 

>) NonnuUa Imperii romani numismata titulum praeferunt Ptrusiat 
auguftae. 

299 



NOTES 



thing of the enthusiastic view of this event taken bj all Catholics, 
and especially by all Catholic French hearts, we must leave the 
desiccated narratives of modem historians and hie us back to St. 
Gregory of Tours, to Alcuin and to Hincraar. Guizot (Memoirea 
8ur FHistoire de France^ T. I., p. viii) remarks that: *'De tous les 
monumens qu'il nous a transmis sur cc long et sombre chaos, le plus 
important est, k coup sAr, Vhlstoire ecclesiati^ue dea Francs de 
Gr^goire de Tours; titre singulier et qui r^v^le le secret de T^tat 
social k cette ^poque. C« n'est pas Thistoire distincte de FEglise, 
ce n'est pas non plus I'histoire civile et politique seule qu'a voiilu 
retracer I'^crivain; I'une et 1' autre se sont offertes en m^me temps ^ 
sa pens^e, et tellement unies qu'il n'a pas cm pouvoir les s^parer. 
Le clerg^ et les Francs, c*^tait alors en effet toute la soci^t^, la seule 
du moins qui prit part vraiement aux ^v^nemens et pdt pr^tendre ^ 
une histoire.'^ Guizot seems to find fault with this treatment, since 
he continues: *' Le reste de la population vivait et mourait miserable, 
inactif, ignord." I shall not pause to quarrel with his implied criti- 
cism, but shall merely call attention to tlie fact which he signalizes, 
namely, that to St. Gregory's mind, France and its religion were to 
be inseparable companions; that, to the French mind, Gesta Dei per 
Francos was not merely a chronicle, but as well a symbolism; and 
that, for its war-cry, France took the words Nnel f Noel! and thus 
recalled the Christmas night of the year 476, when France, in the 
baptism of Clovis, became the " eldest daughter of the Church." A 
nation was boni on the natal day of Christ the Saviour. Tlie oldest 
narratives of the baptism of Clovis are redolent of this interfusion of 
religious and national aspirations. And it is not strange that the 
14th centenary of the event should have moved the Pope to write a 
poem summarizing the grand story of France into a condensed 
Gesta Dei. 

Teutonum pressiLs Clodovcu^ amiis. — ^^ The queen," says Gregory 
(lib. ii), "ceased not to implore the king to acknowledge the true 
God and to give up his idols; but he could not be prevailed on to do 
this until, in a war with the AUemanni, he was forced by necessity 
to confess what until then he had wished to deny. It came to pass 
that in an engagement marked by great slaughter [in 49G, at Tol- 
biac (?) now Ziilpich, near Cologne], Clovis, perceiving that his 
army was being cut to pieces, raised his hands towards heaven, and 
exclaimed with tears: * Jesus Christ, whom Clothilde declares to be 
the Son of the living God, who art said to help them that are in 

300 



NOTES 



danger, and to grant victory to them that hope in Thee, I devoutly 
invoke Thy help; if Thou wilt grant me victory over my enemies, 
if I experience that power of which the people consecrated to Thy 
name declare they have received so many proofs, I will believe in 

Thee and be baptized in Thy name " This long prayer is 

summarized in the third stanza of the poem. Hincmar, in his Life 
of St. Bemigius (c. 24), introduces Aurelian as speaking to the king 
in almost the same words as the poem: ^^ Domine mi rex, crede 
modo Deum coeli quem domina mea regina praedicat, et dabit tibi 
ipse rex regum et Deus coeli atque terrae victoriam.'' 

lUico excu88us pavory etc. — Gregory: '^ As he said Xhese words, the 
Allemanni turned and fled; and seeing that their king was dead, sur- 
rendered to Clovis." 

Remis te manet in/ulata/ronte sacerdos. — At the request of Clotilda, 
St. Bemigius (R<^mi), bishop of Bheims, began to instruct Clovis in 
Christianity. Several bishops, including those of Chartres and 
Soissons, together with many priests, joined in this apostolate which 
had for its catechumens a whole army. Finally the great day of 
baptismal regeneration was at hand (Christmas, 496). St. Gregory 
of Tours and Hincmar have left us glowing descriptions of the cere- 
mony, which have been pleasingly condensed by Darras (Eng. 
transl. ): **The baptismal fonts of St. Martin's, the great church of 
Bheims, were magnificently adorned; the nave was decorated with 
white hangings; the same emblematic color also appeared in the 
dress of Clovis and the other catechumens chosen from among the 
flower of the Salians. On Christmas night (A. D. 476), all the 
streets were tapestried from the king's palace to the basilica; the 
church blazed witli a thousand fires shed from richly perfumed 
tapers. The procession moved on towards the basilica, preceded by 
the Cross and the book of Gospels borne in state. St. Bemigius led 
the king by the hand ; they were followed by queen Clotilda, and 
the two prinoesses Albofleda and Lantilda, sisters of Clovis. Up- 
ward of three thousand officers and nobles of the court, all dressed 
in white ornaments, were going to receive baptism with their king." 
These details are more summarily given in the first two paragraphs 
of the letter containing the papal grant of a Jubilee (dated Jan. 8, 
1896). The Pope next remarks that the union of the scattered ter- 
ritories of the Frankish realm was brought about rather by divine 
assistance than by the civil or military exploits of Clovis; and that 
France began thenceforward to flourish and to merit well of Catho- 

301 



\ 



NOTES 



licitj; and draws the conclusion stated in the poem {Et eohon omnis 
populusque dio tingitur amne)'. *'Non igitur sine causa affirmant, in 
eo ipso commemorabili Baptismate totam simul Gralliam fuisse quo- 
dammodo renovatam, consecutaeque peramplae eius claritudinis inde 
extitisse primordisu'' 

Te [R&mam] eol^ matrem; iua maiar esse gestiet ncUu. — St. Anas- 
tasius II, in his Letter to Clevis, utters the same thought: "Glorious 
son, your entrance into the Christian fold coincides with the begin- 
ning of our pontificate. . . . May you become our crown; and may 
the Church, your Mother, applaud the progress of the great king she 
has brought forth unto God. Be the joy of your mother." This 
letter, printed by d^Achery in his Spicilegium, and subsequently 
reprinted by him and by others, is considered spurious by Julien 
Havet (Questwns MerovingienneSf II., Les Decouvertes de Jerome 
Vignier. Paris, 1885.; France has always rejoiced in the title of 
*' eldest daughter of the Church." The Pope recalls this title in his 
second letter (Oct. 28, 1896) to Card. Lang^nieux : **Mai8 ce qui 
nous a surtout rejoui et console, c'est la tres noble ardeur que vous 
deployez pour amener vos concitoyens h r^pondre, comme le lirent 
leui*N aVeux. k Notre toute particuliere affection pour la Fille ain^e 
de I'Eglise." 

Domitor fcrocis fulyet AstoJfi. — Pepin le Bref. Singularly enough, 
the CivUta CuUolica. commenting very briefly on the poem, mentions 
Charlemagne and omits Pepin. 

Sociasque in unum cogite vires. — " Cette commc^moration nous a et^ 
d' autaiit plus agr^able qu'elle off'rait an peuple franyais uueoccaiiion 
plus excelleiile de puiser des (Energies nouvelles pour ranimer, accro- 
itre m^nie les gloires de la foi des ancCtres et de renouvelcr ... les 
engagements pris jadis an jour du bapt^me." (Letter of Pope I.<eo 
Xni. to Card. Langdnieux, Oct. 28, 1806.) 

Nil Fide Christi prius. — This last Ptanza recalls the prophecy of 
St. Remigius to (lovis, on the eve of his baptism: *' Your posterity 
shall nobly govern this kingdom, bring glory to Holy Church, and 
inherit the empire of the Romans. As long as it follows the path of 
truth and virtue, it will not cease to prosper. But its fall will follow 
the invasion of vice and corrupt morals." Darnis (Vol. 14-, p. 36) 
remarks: *'La prophetic de 1' (^vCque de Reims au berceau de la 
monarchic fran9aiye s'est (-galement r^alis^e au pied de la lettre. 
Plus la France s'^cartera des voies de la x6rh^ et de la vertu. plus 
elle precipitera sa prop re ruine." 

302 



NOTES 



I can not forbear to translate a part of the admirable Pastoral of 
Card. Lang^nieux: ^'The year 1896 brings the fourteen hundredth 
anniversary of a providential event, which has already fixed the his- 
toric and religious destinies of the French nation, and which remains 
the glory of our city of Bheims. For indeed it was not merely a 
barbarian leader, but a whole people whom St Bemi baptized on 
Christmas day of the year 496; and this memorable date makes an 
epoch in the history of modem times. The effects of the conversion 
of Clovis were felt in the very confines of the people of Gaul; and it 
loses nothing when placed in comparison with the conversion, so 
important for the Church, of Constantine, in a preceding age. It 
really inaugurated in the West a new order of things; and, by as- 
suring definitely to the Franks a predominance amongst the king- 
doms started in the fifth century by the invading barbarians, it gave 
to the Holy See that support which was humanly indispensable if it 
was to survive the destruction of the Empire and upon its ruins 
build up, out of other materials, the Christian civilization which we 
now enjoy. The baptistery of Kheims has become, therefore, the 
cradle of this Christian France, the first-bom daughter of the 
Church. She has received from Christ a special mission of devotion 
to the Papacy; above all things is she honored by her service in the 
apostolate of Qod amongst the nations. And now, my dear breth- 
ren, when a nation has for fourteen centuries lived on such an act of 
faith; when it has carried in its bosom, as a clear privilege, that 
original compact which became the law of its history; when it has 
been able to demonstrate, by the material evidence of facts, that the 
interests of its own policy as a state have been always inseparably 
blended in the world with the very interests of God; and that, fol- 
lowing the example of the elect race of biblical times, it has seen its 
prosperity, with all its glories, increase or decrease in proportion as 
it has been faithful or faithless to its mission; it is proper, if it 
should find opportunity, to recall, by prayer, thanksgiving and re- 
pentance, the far-off memory of its first days; it is proper that it 
should silence, for a time, the tumult of current afifairs; that it 
should look up to God, and, confronting its own image the better to 
know itself, should read again, in the truth and splendor of its his- 
tory, the divine bond that unites it to Christ.'' Concerning the 
Letters sent by His Holiness, the Cardinal says: The Sovereign 
PontiflT ' * conjures the France of Clovis not to depart from its provi- 
dential pathway; * to remain faithful to its genius and its Christian 

303 



NOTES 



destinieB;' to reawaken in its bosom *" the active and militant fiuth of 
past ages;' and to continae still to be in the hands of GM 'a mightj 
weapon for the defense of the Charch, and for the spreading of the 
social kingdom of Christ apon earth.' He invites all 'the sons of 
the French fiitherland' to tarn their eyes and hearts towards our 
ancient national baptistery and the glorious tomb of St Bemi. . . . 
He reminds them that * the abandonment of the principles consti- 
tuting their power till now, will infallibly lead to their decay, and 
will hand them over defenceless to the enemies of property, of the 
family, and of society.' He uiges them to banish evety'germ of 
political dissension and to be united in truth, justice and charity, as 
children of the same Father, in order to proclaim in a national act 
of faith, above all lassitudes and divisions, the idee fraw^aUe; that 
is to say, the eternal design which God has had for our comitry." 
This IB almost a perfect summary of the Pope's Ode. 

DEO ET VIRGINI INSTANTE MORTE VOTA (p. 206). 

The poem appears to have been written by His Holiness origi- 
nally in Italian, and comprise<l only the first twelve lines as found 
in our text. It was sent by him to Cesare Cantii, "the Prince of 
Church historians/' and appeared in an Italian journal together 
with a Risposta by the avvocato Giov. Sinistri and a translation into 
Latin elegiacs by ** Vn Sacerdote." This Latin version is given 
below. 

Jam prope dcciduus sc sol abscondit, ct aurea 

Luce tibi iusporgit tcrapora cana, Leo. 
Exustae venae ; sensimque extingruitur arcns 

Vita ; suum torqiict pallida more iaculiim. 
Frigida fimereo mox membra teguntur amictu, 

Uniaque mortales colligit exuvias. 
At rapidus, vineliH abniptls, explicat alas 

Hpiiitus in coelum : sldera anhelus avet 
Hoc opuA, hie labor, haec longanim meta viarum : 

Sancta haec care, precor, perflce vota, Deus. 
Et si quid menii, da animam banc in regna beata, 

Namque tuus favor est, scandere Teque fnii. 

JULIO STERBINIO FAMILIARI (p. 208). 

The poem appears in the text much changed from the following, 
which was probably the original draft: 

304 



NOTES 



IVLIO STERBINIO. 

FAMILIARI. 

lull munus babe, Cot lesT: * manat abunde 
Inde salutifersD vena perennis aqiise. 

Quern lesu de Corde flucns lustraverit unda, 
Abstergi labes sentiet ille suas. 

Tu quoque iam propera ad fontem, hoc te merge lavacro ; 
Pulchrior evenles et nive candldior— 

Mergerls : en sublto detersus lucida cselo 
Figere ylvidius lamina mnnda vales ; 

Quftrere nee caelum cessas ; Insana cupido 
Si quando illecebris uigeat in yetitum, 

Reiicis indignans : animum tenet una voluptas 
Divinis mentem pascere deliciis. 

Atque, imo qus corde latent, arcana recludens 
Ad Jesum perhibes te magis usque trahi 

Vi dulci et grata ; benefacta et dona recenses 
Quae tibi muniflca contulit Ipse manu— 

Sic tua sit semper virtus, tua gloria lesus ! 
Et iuus incenso pectore iugis amor : 

Invictum robur dura in certamina vitce, 

Fulgida lux signans tutum iter ad patriam ! 



-Leo XIII. 

OB NUPTIAS ALPHONSI STERBI^^I ET JULIAE 

PIZZIRANI(p. 214). 

Written as late as the year 1897, this pretty EpUhahmium is a 
convincing proof that, with some hearts, the sympathies of life only 
grow mellower with age. The venerable Pontiff had not merely 
attained the proverbial three-score years and ten, but had exceeded 
that limit by more than three added lusters; and still his heart could 
enter into the joyous forecastings of youth. Which of his themes 
should be considered more ^^ humanizing'' than this? His verse is 
not, however, full of airy nothings about Cupid and Hymen. He 
sees in that ^ ' world-without-end bargain" (as the Princess styles it 
in Lov^s Labor's Lost), a great Christian sacrament, to be placed 
under the protecting wing of the Virgin of Pompeii, and to be ren- 
dered more and more holy by the continued blessings of heaven. It 

•An. MDCCCXCVII. Leo XIII. depictam divini Cordis lesu tabulam lulio 
Bterbinio eiusque fllils dono dedit. 

305 



NOTES 

18 iDtemtiDg to note that the Pope uuwen his own qaeiy: '^Whenoe 
this love? ( Unde amor iaUf)'* hy a Latin yerse which is the eqaiT»- 
knt of 

Two souls with but a single thoogfat, 
Two hearts that beat as one. 

SeiUoetf he says, simile ingenium; that is, two sonls with bat a sing^ 
thought: and he assigns as a second reason, parilia vobmtaa; that is, 
two hearts that beat as one. We scarce coold escape — nor, indeed, 
wished to do so— the inflaence which the old thought and the old 
jingle exercised in shaping the suggestion of the first stanaa of the 
translation. 

AD FABRICTOM EUFDM {p. 216). 

The text giyen in this volume is a reyision of the Epistle as it 
originally appeared. Some lines have been added, many have been 
altered, and the succession of topics has been slightly introverted. 
Altogether, the text has been so changed as to render Interesting the 
following conii>arison of the two drafts of the poem. The first seven 
lines are identical in both poems. The original text: 

Albaiia c eel la iiibeas purissima vina 

Apponi ; exhilarant animos corasque resolvunt 

appears revised as follows: 

Apponi in mensa lubeas purissima vina ; 
£t vacuus curls, grato praecordia potu 
Dcmulce et rccrea, convivas inter amicoK. 

After the next two lines the revision inserts: 

Cnndida lympha! datum vlx quidquom hoc munere maius, 
Vix quldquam varios vitae magis utile in usus. 

The next two lines remain unchanged, except that ^'dapes et,'' 
appears as ** dapes aut." 
The next line: 

Sunie llbens, firmandis viribus utllis esca 
appears revised as: 

Sume llbens ; toto nam firmant corpore vires. 

306 



NOTES 



The next two lines: 



Sint tenerae cames ; iustructaque fercula spissum 
Non ius vel siscr inficiat, non fercula coa, 

are revised into: 

At mollire prius earner, et fercula cures 
Ne sifler inficiat, ne faecula coa vel alec. 

''Eggs*' is the topic next introduced in the original, while the 
introversion in the revision brings up immediately that of ** milk 
and honey." We shall indicate the original text by the letters (O. 
T.), and the revision by (R. T.). 

Lento igne aut libeat mcdlcis giccare patellis, 

Sugere scu moUcm plcno Fit gratiuA ore ; 

Atque alios sunt ova tibi pereommoda iu ubus. (O. T.) 

Leni igne aut libeat modicis fdcoarc patellis, 

Sugere seu mollcm pleuo sit gratius ore; 

Utcumqne a^fsumos erit utilis csca saluti. (R. T.) 

Neve accepta minus spumantis copia lactis: 

Nutriit infantem ; senior bene lacte valebis. 

Nunc age. et aerei mellis raelestia dona 

Profer, et hyblaeo parens de nectare liba. 

Adde suburbono tibi quod succrescit in horto 

Dulce olus, et pubens decusso flore legumen ; 

Adde et matures, quos fertilLs educat annus, 

Delectos fructns, imprimis mitia poma, 

Quae pulcre in cistis mensam rubicunda coronent. (O. T.) 

Nunc age; provideas tercti defusa catino, 

Ne desit mensae spumantis copia lactis. 

Nil vitale magis, nil lacte salubrius ; infans 

Qui lac suxisti, senior bene lacte valebis. 

Degustanda simul profer dulclHNima mella ; 

Attamen hyblaeo parcu8 de nectare liba. 

Tum laudata. etc. 

Culta suburbano, riguoquo virentia iu horto 

Adde olera et pubens decusso flore legumen. 

Adde novos quos loeta refert tibi ^inea fhictus, 

Dulces pampinea decerptos vite racemos, 

Pruna admixta pyris, imprimL<i mitia poma, 

Quae pulcre in cistis mensam rubicunda coronent. (R. T.) 

Pofitremo e tostis succedat potio baccis, 

Quas tibi Moka ferax, mittunt et littora eoa : 

Nigrantem laticem senslm sumniL«que labellis 

Sorbilla ; dulcis stomaehum bene molliet haustui. (O. T.) 

307 



\ 



■ ■ «l 



NOTES 



Poetremo e toeUs succedat potio baccifl, 

Quas tibi Moka ferax e littore mittit eoo : 

Nigrantcm, etc. (R. T.) 

The next three lines are unchanged. Then: t 

Principio hoc illi studium ; componere mensas 

Omatu vario, aulaeis ostroque nitentes. (O. T.) 

Principio haec illi sollers et sedula cura, 

Instruere omatu mensas cultuque decoras. (R. T.) 

The next line is unchanged. Then: 

Grandia stant circum longo ordine pocula, abeni 
Crateres, paterae, lances, argentea vasa: (O. T.) 

Qrandia disponit lougo ordine pocula, lances, 

Caelatas auro patera?, argentea vcusa ; (R. T.) 

The next three lines are unchanged. Then: 

MollibiLS et blanda invitat discumbero lectis: (O. T.) 

Et lecti:? blauda invitat discumbero eburnis ; (R. T.) 

The next ten lines arc unchanged. Then : 

Caniibus admixti pisces; conchylia rliombi, 

Mollia i)OCtlnibus iwitulis iuncta ostrea, et ampla 

In patera squillas inter muraena natautes. (O. T.) 

Caniibus adniixli iiisccs: cum murice rhombi, 

Ostrea, et educti Miseno c gurgitc echini. 

lies .super, immanis patina p^orrocta nitenti, 

Apparet squillas, etc. (R. T.) 

The remaining eighteen lines are uncliange<l. 

The extended comparison just made, besides affording a pleasant 
peep into the literary work-shop of the august author, serves to point 
the necessity for a new translation. No version made from the origi- 
nal draft could well be confronted with the revised poem, amended, 
enlarged and introverted as lliis is. The necessity under which we 
jay, of furnishing a new translation, affords us an opportunity of 
paying a tribute to the exquisite version made by Andrew Lang from 
the original text. We have followed his example in using the 
rhymed iambic pentameter couplet of Pope, but have been more 
careful to make the number of lines in the translation the same a& 

308 



NOTES 



in the Latin text, and — doubtless at the expense of smoothness and 
elegance — to translate as far as possible line for line. 

Andrew Lang's translation was cabled to the New York World. 
**The Pope's poem," he wrote bj way of introduction, "is on the 
model of the Epistles of Horace. From the reference to coffee, he 
seems to have modern manners in mind, but the * ban(][uet of greed 
reflects the intemperance of ancient Rome. The translation is neces- 
sarily in the manner of the eighteenth century." We are tempted 
to quote from the " £pistle to a Friend," written by the poet Rogers 
''in the manner of the eighteenth century," and, indeed, in the 
eighteenth century (it was published in 1798), the following perti- 
nent illustration : 

Vain is the blaze of wealth, the pomp of power! 

Lo, here, attendant on the shadowy hour, 

Thy cUM*et-8upper, served by hands unseen, 

Sheds, like the evening-star, its ray serene 

To hail our coming. Not a step profane 

Dares, with rude sound, the cheerful rite restrain ; 

And, while the frugal banquet glows reveal'd. 

Pure and unbought— the natives of my field ; 

While blushing fYults through scattered leaves invite, 

Still clad In bloom, and veil'd in azure light I 

With wiuc, as rich in years as Uorace sings, 

With water, clear as his own fountain flings, 

The shifting side-board plays its humbler part, 

Beyond the triumphs of a Loriot*s art. 

The thought and even the expression of the Pope are akin to the 
lines of Rogers and, like the ^^ Epistle" of that English poet, are 
designed ** to illustrate the virtue of True Taste, and to show how 
little she requires to secure, not only the comforts, but even the ele- 
gancies of life " (from the Preface of Rogers). 

It is inquiring rather closely into the poetical prescription of the 
Pope to make his suggestions the basis of an elaborate menu. But 
one eminent chef essayed such a task. '' I have read," he said, 
** Pope Leo's poem a dozen times this morning and found it — ah — 
sublime. His Uoliness has it right. Simple food, delicately pre- 
pared, gives health and years. I am a cook, an artist, and I endorse 
all that the Pope has written. . . . Give me but two hours and I 
will have a menu ready — a menu fit for a prince's stomach. Pooh, 
it will be easy." The result of his profound thinking was as 
follows: 

309 



I 



^mU 



NOTES 



Small clami. 
Soup. 



Madeleine. 



Olivee. 



Cream of artichoke. 

Relishes. 
Radishes. Almonds. 

Petites duchesses. 

Fish. 

Boiled brook trout, sauce Grenadine. 

Potatoes mousscliue. 

Entrees. 

Beef tenderloin lanled. Mercedes. 

Breast of chicken. Beaumanoix. 

New peas saute in butter. 

Sorbets Princesses. 

New com fritters. 

Game. 

Roast i>lover on canapes. 

Mixed salad. 

Dessert. 

Mousse of strawberrj'. imperial. 

Fancy cakes. Fruits. 

Cafe. 

The Epistle hums witli echoes of the Epistles and Satires of Hor- 
ace. Ofellus, the rustic philosopher, steered a course between osten- 
tation and meanness: ** Sordidis a tenui victu distabit, Ofello iudice" 
(Sat. II., ii, 53). The menu of the Pope follows his wise suggestion 
and compromises w^ell: 

Quae virtus et quanta, boni, sit vivere parvo 

(Nee meus hie seruio est, sed quae praecepit Ofellus 

Rusticus, abnormis sapiens, crassaque Minerva), 

Discite, non inter lances mcnsasque nitentes, 

Cum stui>et iiisanis acies fulgoribus et cum 

Acclinis falsis animus meliora rccusat, etc. (Ibid., 1-6.) 

The dire consequences of excess in eating and drinking are pointed 
out in similar fashion by both poets: 

*' Simul assis 
Miscucris elixa, simul conchylia turdis, 
Pulcia Fe in bilom vertent, stomacboque tumultum 
Lenta feret i»ituita. Vides ut pallidus omnis 
Cena desurgat dubia? Qiiin corpus onustum 
llesternis vitiis aninium quoque pergravat una, 
Atque ftfBgit humo divinae particulam aurae." (lb., 76-9.) 

The last phrase of the Pope's poem, borrowed from Horace, is, of 
course, endued with ** strength from on high" by its Christian sig- 

310 



NOTES 



nificance, and serves not alone to round out the poem with an ele- 
gant rhetorical finish, but as well to dignify the whole Epistle with 
a high ethical moral. The Horatian allusions or echoings of the 
Epistle need not be indicated here (Cf. Epp. I., v ; Satt II., iy). 

The manj changes indicated in the first part of this Note (pp. 
3(H>-8) will serve to illustrate how materially the revised text 
dififers from the original one from which Andrew Lang made his ex- 
cellent translation. " The eighteenth century style" was singularly 
well suited to the spirit of such a version. It remained, however, 
for a fellow-countryman of his to attempt the unique experiment 
of 'Moing" Lang's version into Scotch. The tang of the new 
idiom seems to add a spice-like flavor to the wise counsels of the 
Epistle. Mr. James D. Law (bom in Lumsden, Aberdeenshire, 
Scotland) had already published his '' Dreams o' Hame," "Colum- 
bia-Caledonia. '^ and many other poems on Scottish and American 
topics before essaying this task. Apart from the question of its ex- 
cellence — and it is wholly delightful and refreshing — his experiment 
should find a place here merely as a tribute to the original of the 
Pope and the version of Lang. Mr. Law has kindly permitted it to 
appear in this volume for the first time in print. 

POEM ON FRUGALITY AND LONG LIFE BY POPE LEO XIII. 
AUBO SHOWINO FORTH THE EVILS OF QREED AND GLUTTONY. 

Done into Scotch, 

BY JAMES D. LAW. 
I. 
Ofellufi good, who understood Hippocrates lauds' syne, 
In langruage plain and i>leasant vein has tauld us hoo to dine. 
And he has shown us not alone what evils to (ivoid, 
But Jotted doun in numbers roun* what things may be enjoyed: 
What gies us health far mair than wealth man's best and greatest prKe, 
And what befa's by Nature's laws to a' that gormandize. 
The glutton thus he scones for us in words he doesna spare 
And lat's us ken wi' ready pen the rules o' frugal fare. 

311 



IfOTES 



II. 

Noo first o' a' tho* bare or braw your table maun be neat, 

Your linen seen aye fresb and clean, your dishes bricht and sweet. 

Your grey-beard pig, if sma' or big, keep primed wi* mountain-dew, 

Nae foreign trash in which to splash, but Scotia's choicest brew! 

And bena sweir your he'rt to cheer wi* whiles a waught or twa 

Provided aye ye dinna try owre aft to drink it raw. 

Your hame-baked bread let it be made frae pure selected grain, 

And a' the meat that ye may eat be careAi' o' its strain. 

Fill up your plate wi' delicate and dairy-flavor'd roasts 

But shun wi' care the bill o' fare that spice profusely boasts. 

And as for eggs, if fresh, by fegs, prepare them as ye please 

And ye'll declare they'll brawly sair your hunger to appease. 

Of milk drink deep and ever keep ffweet heather-honey near 

As choice a boon as handed doun frae Heav'n to mortals here. 

Pease, lintels, beans, and crispy j^eeus in thick abundance use, 

Wi' wholesome roots and tasty fniits whene'er ye may them choose ; 

Forgettin' nae at least to bae what else ye can afford, 

Reid nipples ranked like roses banked to croon your rustic board; 

And last of a' a cnp (or twa, provided they are wee) 

O' Mocha fine, and thus yell dine frae aches and ailments free. 

in. 

By sic repasts ye'll bide the blasts o' mony a lang, lang year 
And greet auld age a healthy sage, nor lack for lots o' cheer. 

IV. 

But something mair as we're aware Ofelliis preaches still : 
The Path o' Greed that can but lead to ilka kind o' ill. 
Greed likes to wile wi' sang and smile the feet o' men astray 
A siren she that's kent to be aye watchin' for her prey, 
Wi' witchin' airt she plays her pairt and bids the table sJiine 
Wi' claith like snaw embroider'd braw and napkins just as fine. 
Pure gowdcn jugs and siller mugs in raws she ranges roun' 
The massy plate that in its state ootweighs a monarch's croon. 
Wi' scented sprays and sweet bouquets she lures her devotees 
The wines to pree, the meats to sec on couches at their ease: 
Then brings she oot frae neuks aboot the choicest drinks she owns, 
And Gluttony wi' honours high, she for the nonce enthrones. 
Like bacchanals at country balls her guests drink deep and lang, 

312 



NOTES 



And stuff and strive till like to rive their stammacks sae they pang, 
Still lures she on viV mair anon and finer aye the fare, 
'Mang oily bree, for instance see a spicy pig's the snare, 
Then maukins' legs and lav'rocks' eggs and livers torn fhie geese. 
And reed-birds rare and doos as fair as ony snaw-^hite fleece. 
In mony a dish flesh mixed wi' fltih and clam and oyster stews; 
And look! an eel she sets to swcel 'mang prawns wi' gapin' mou's. 
The gourmands stare and glut the mair, syne rage and fecht and drink, 
Till nae a man is flt to stan' or limp or lisp or wink! 

V. 

Syne Greed guffaws and croosely craws and in her fiendish glee 
The Aid arrests and droons her guests like sailors in the sea. 
Then brings them back to work them wrack by Indigestion's aid, 
And grins again to note their pain and hoo they've been betray 'd. 
But tho' they sweat and ft-ecze and fVet wi' fevers and wi' chills. 
And gripe and gini and curse their bim o' self-inflicted ills; 
Wi' faces pale and limbs as frail and feckless as can be 
The Dish and Cup still buoys them up while they can hear or sec; 
For Greed yet reigns in a' their brains and Ictsna up her sway 
Till they succumb, deaf blin' and dumb, insensate lumps o' clayl 

VI. 

What if the Soul greed could control and capture in her snarel 
But thank the Lord sic fate abhorr'd oor minds need never scare. 
For aifter death ha.<« btopped oor breath nae lust can huri or hairm, 
Or e'er molest whae'er may rest in God's protecting Ainn; 
And weel it's sae, for were it nae and Greeil could pass the Grave 
Oor pairts divine would perish syne l>eneath Oblivion's wave! 

THE OPENINCf CENTURY (p. 224). 

It is a curiosity of literature — this clashical Alcaic Ode in fourteen 
stanzas, written by u noDagenarian pontiir. Its virile thought finds 
poetic expression in the Greek form and the Latin phrase loved of 
Horace above all other verse. And our wonder grows when we re- 
flect that it is the utterance in poetry of the hard lessons of a long 
and most active life which has been comi)elled to spend its energies 
on the issues presented by a whole world and almost a century of its 
life. In addition to this, a pathetic interest attaches to it in the 
thought that it shall be one of the last songs of its august author. 

313 



NOTES 



It rapidly became a curiosity of literature for another reason. 
Two distinguished men of letters concentrated their best culture on 
its translation into English. Andrew Lang's version might well be 
an original song, so little does it smell of midnight oil. And 
Francis Thompson had almost poetized it into one of his own moods. 
Names of lesser note are in the lengthening list; a list which would 
doubtless be very formidable to print, were an accurate canvass to 
be made of the current literature of other tongues than English. I 
have not made it my concern to look up any versions but English 
ones; but a hint of their existence ha.s been furnished to me by an 
attempt to render the Ode into German Alcaics, which I find in the 
KathoUsehes KircheMatt of Dresden, a copy of which has been sent 
to me by a friend (and poet) residing in that city.* 

Despite such a long list, a writer who attempts a new version 
should really find some more cogent excuse than the goodliness of 
the company in whose midst he sins; neither may he fairly allege 
the attractiveness of the theme. Gladstone, it must be confessed, 
achieved a task requiring the fullest courage of his convictions when 
he ventured to publish his translations of the Odes of Horace. A 
long series of poets from the lordly Milton downwards had already 
essayed the high emprise. "Why," confessed the great statesman, 
'* why add to the number?'' Why, indeed? And Gladstone felt 
himself under a gentle compulsion to answer his own query at some 
length. His reasons must be those of the present writer, who also 
ventures to add to the English renderings of the Pope's Ode. But 
one of these reasons may be pleaded so justly in the present case, 
that a prefator}' account of it will not be inappropriate. 

Gladstone thought that in translations of the Horatian Odes the 
best faithfulness should lie in the direction of reproducing the 
crystalline sparkle of the original rather than its material bulk. I 
state his thought crudely, and I follow it but partly. It has seemed 
to me that the thought — the essential thought — of the Pope might 
be made to "pack more neatly" (to quote a critical phrase of 
Lowell's) in an English t-tanza of much shorter syllabic length than 
the original Alcaic. It may well be that Lang has done this suc- 
cessfully and once for all. None of the renderings is more com- 
pressed than his. And it may well be that the present attempt to 
lop off four of his twenty-eight syllables has resulted in a merejeu 

* Pustet has issued a collection of translations of the Ode into twelve dif- 
ferent tongues of Continental Europe. X 

.3)4 



NOTES 



de plume, Francis Thompson allows himself six syllables more than 
Lang, while most of the others go even beyond this large limit. 

It will perhaps prove interesting to compare with the Alcaic orig- 
inal of forty-one syllables the variously ranging lengths of the trans- 
lations. As the strength of a chain is the strength only of its weak- 
est link, the stanza chosen here for illustration is the fifth, which, 
has proved a veritable crux to the translators, and which has been 
both strongly and weakly ** done into English." 

In the original this runs: 

Vac oegregatis Numinc legibus ! 
Quae lex honestl, quae superest fides? 
?.'utant, semel Rubmota ab axis, 
Atquc niuut labefacta jura. 

It is a curious thing that in both of the prose translations pub- 
lished, larger syllabic limits arc found than in any of the versified 
renderings — an illustration of the truth that while prose may be a 
good way of saying a good thing, poetry is the best way of saying 
the best thing. The Daily Express^ London, used forty-eiz syl- 
lables: 

Woe I to all laws deprived of sacred sanction ; 

What law or decorum, or what seuse of bouor now remaiuB? 

All institutions nod and totter to their ruin 

When once remuvc<l from altars. 

A contributor to The Sun, New York, contents himself with three 
syllables less; but is not correct in translating ^* honesti" by "good 
man:'' "Alas for laws turned away from the Deity 1 What law, 
what faith is left for the good man ? As soon as they are removed 
from the altars, all laws totter and fall into ruin.'' 

In verse, the highest limits run but to forty syllables. The fol- 
lowing is by the Rev. Father Campbell, S. J. : 

III fare the laws from which God's name's erased I 
All honor perishes and mutual trust : 
The Rights of Man are trampled in the dust; 

The altar shattered— J ui^tice dies disgraced. 

The only woman who has published a translation, as far as I know^ 
is Fannie Fenton Bayne : 

Woe to all laws divorced from sacred right! 

Honor, decorum— who their bounds may tell? 

Far distant from the altar's hallowed spell 
All institutions rush to blackest night ! 

315 



NOTES 



Four syllables less are found in the version of Father Connican, 
S. J. , of Boston College : 

Woe, woe to laws divorced ftx)m God ! What vow 
Is kept, what rule of right is left us now? 
Exclude the Altar, and your laws 
Have shattered every sacred cause. 

Francis Thompson contented himself with two syllables less than 
thb last example : 

Alas for la>v8 dissociate firom Awe ! 
What rests of faith, or honorable law? 
Rights, from the altar disallied, 
Nod, and to ruin slide. 

William Hayes Ward, in the Independent, uses a three-lined stanza, 
of thirty syllables : 

Woe when man's law the law of God defies I 

What faith can stay, once from God's altar rent? 
Then justice faints and falls, and honor die*. 

Ten syllables have tlius far been retrenched. ^Vs the limit de- 
creases, the difficulty, of course, increases. Andrew Lang used but 
twenty-eight syllables and. with slight ambiguity of meaning, moved 
with evident freedom within this ** narrow plot of ground": 

Woe for a time of godless laws ! 

What faith, what loyalty abides? 
Torn from the shrines the ancient cause 

To ruin glides. 

Equal limits with these were observed by the Very Rev. William 
Byrne, V. G., of Boston, in what he styled a '• Free Translation ** : 

Alas for laws 
Dissevered from the base of law divine : 
What rights secure remain to me or mine. 

Or God's own Cause? 

The sequence of the above illustrations is logical, not chrono- 
logical. It is somewhat strange that Lang and Thompson, who were 
first in the field and who were content to move within narrow limits, 
achieving, withal, such notable success, should have been followed 
by so many wlio either repeated or exceeded their limits. Perhaps 
the desire for greater literalness was the motive. But ha.s not the 
Ode's pungency been lost in the dilution of the syllabic vehicle? It 

316 



NOTES 



should be remarked, nevertheless, that this fifth stanza, while it may 
properly be selected as typical of the difficulties encountered in trans- 
lation, can scarcely be considered, in the translations given above, as 
typical of the various successes achieved by the authors quoted. At 
least in one instance, this stanza misrepresents the real triumph of 
literalness found in one of the longer-limit versions. It may be dif- 
ficult to retain 

« 

'• With the flash of the gem its solidity too," 

as Tom Moore not seldom was able to do. And there is room for 
the two classes of translators; those who aim principally at a repro- 
duction of the thought in the most literal exposition possible to 
patience and idiom, and those whose first wish is to effect the best 
compromise between literalness and beauty. 

The present translation attempts to preserve the thought of the 
original in a still more limited stanza than that of Lang — four sylla- 
bles being lopped off. It can pretend to little more than an experi- 
ment in compression, and may scitc, perhaps, to illustrate the futil- 
ity of such experiments. 

INSCRIPTION TO HIS MOTHER (p. 240). 

The inscription is illustrated by the following biographical details, 
which we translate from De T'Serclaes : 

**0n his mother's side, Leo XIII. is connected with a family cel- 
ebrated in the history of Rome in the middle ages. Anne Prosperi 
was a descendant of the famous Cola da Rienzi. . . . After his 
death, his son Angelo fled to Cori and there founded a family under 
the name of Prosperi, as P. Sante Lauriente narrates in a chronicle 
of Cori dedicated in l{j'S^ to the guardians of Rome: ' Prosperi an- 
tiquitus vocabantur Rientii, ex Nicolao Rientio Rom. pop. tribuno' 
( Vita populare anedottica del Sommo Pontefice Leone XIIL , published 
by the Roman review, La Palestra del Clero). 

** Anne Prosperi, countess Pecci, was, in the fullest meaning of 
the phrase, a strong woman. Her portrait, preserved at Carpineto, 
represents her in an attitude at once dignified and attractive, and 
displays the regularity of her features and the grace of her whole 
person. Sweet and firm at the same time, she knew how to inspire 
her children with the virtue she herself practiced. Unceasingly oc- 
cupied with their education in the first years of their childhood, so 
important for all the remainder of life, she produced in their hearts 

317 



yOTES 



the deep sentimeDts of pietj and charity filling her own hreast 
They coold see their mother frequently visiting and consoling the 
poor of CarpinetO) and daring the years of scarcity afflicting the 
country at thb lime, giving food daily to forty of fifty needy poor; 
they could admire her unshaken confidence in God, her devotion to 
Mary and the Saints; and thus, side hy side with their love for their 
mother, was developed in them hoth a love for that God whom they 
saw so much beloved by their mother, and a love for the religion 
which constituted her happiness and strength. 

* * The piety of the Countess Pecci was neither high-minded nor 
narrow. She never allowed it to hinder her assiduous attention to 
household duties and to the temporal interests of her family. Thus, 
she introduced into Carpineto the breeding of silk-worms, and 
practiced on a grand scale this remunerative industry which after- 
wards attained to such vast proportions in Italy. 

'* Anne Pccci died at Rome on the fifth of Aup^nst. 1824. and M*as 
buried in the Church delle Sttmmate ..." (pp. 14 and 27). 

SUB EFFIGIE VIRGINIS GUADALUPAXAE APUD 

MEXICOS (p. 192). 

The verses were written for the coronation of " lloly Mary of 
Guadalupe," which took place on Saturday, October 12th, 1805. I 
am indebte<l for the following illustrations to the admirable work of 
the Rev. G. Lee, C. S. Sp. {Our Lady of America), published in 
1807: 

*' That American Catholics will gain much by an intelligent and 
afl^ectionate cherishing of Our Lady's American title, there can be no 
reason to doubt. . . . Nor should it escape our observation that if 
origin, length of time, nobility of record, can impart and interpret 
titular characteristics, then Our Lady's title of Guadalupe is both 
sacredly and distinctively American" (p 284). 

'* Within these three centuries not less than fifteen Popes have 
had occasion directly or indirectly to approve of the devotions 
founded on the Apparitions. ... It may be remarked also that it 
has been the Popes specially distinguished by liturgical, doctrinal, 
and historical research and decisiveness, who have naost favored the 
devotion to Holy Mary of Guadalupe. And among these the reign- 
ing Pontifl?" is prominent. He, more perhaps than any of his pre- 
decessors, has oflicially stamped authenticity on the living American 

318 



NOTES 



tradition, and more effectually sanctioned and encouraged the ven- 
eration of the Picture" (p. 16). 

*^ It is interesting to see such a Pope brought into contact with a 
manj-sided, delicately-venerable question like that of Guadalupe. 
Here was authorized doctrine, but not so general and well-defined as 
to bear all treatment; and devotion enthusiastic but jealously sensi- 
tive; and considerations of public and private fitness, as well as of 
racial and national partiality. It was never easy to legislate for 
Guadulupe, least of all since Benedict XIV. gave it so high an 
ecclesiastical standing. But the light, strong hand of Leo XIU. 
has magically touched the sacred subject, and has beautified what 
was already vejy beautiful" (p. o2). 

Pope Leo XIII. enriched with some special additions the Office 
granted by Benedict XIV. The Lessons of the Second Noctum give 
a concise but highly-interesting narrative of the historical side of the 
devotion. Father Lee furnishes a translation of these (pp. 37-30). 
The Pope also wrote a beautiful Letter (pp. 85-37) and approved 
the ceremony of the Coronation, for which he composed the Latin 
verses given in our text : 

''Leo XIII. had sent his polished Latin dlstichs, which the dean 
of the Mexican hierarchy, the renowned Archbishop of Guadalajara, 
though in the forty-fourth year of his episcopate, undertook to inter- 
pret in Spanish verse fVid. Tiempo Supl., Oct. 12, *95). The lines 
of these two most venerable men have such ecclesiastical, and will 
have such historic interest, that it may be well to give them here 
with a free English rendering. 

** These are the Pontiff* s lines: 

** Mexicus heic populus niira sub imagine gaudet 

Te colere, alma parens, praesidioque frui. 

Per te sic vigeat felix, teque auspice Christi 

Immutam i>ervet firmior uaque fidem. 

-Leo PP. XIII. 

(Imagini augustae Mariae D. N. Guadalupensis in Mexico sub- 
flcribendum.) 

Romae ex aedib. Viatic, die XXVI febr. an. MDcccvc. 
** Rendered by the Archbishop : 

" En admirable imdgen, 
Santa Maiire nnestra 
£1 pueblo Mcxicano 
Gozoso te venera, 

319 



NOTES 



Y tu gran patrocinio 

Con gozo y gratitud experimenta. 
Feliz y floreciente 
For ti asf permanesca 

Y mediante el aaxilio 
Que benigna le prestas 
La f^ de Jesucristo 

Fija conserve con tenaz flrmeza. 

fPedrOt Arzob. de Ouadalajara, 

••In thy portentous I*icture treasured here, 
The Mexic race, O Gracious Mother, joys 
To honor thee and reap the golden wealth 
Of thy unfailing aid. In happy strength 
Still make It grow, that blessed by thee it hold 
In ever tightening grasp the changeless Faith of Christ" (pp. 48, 49). 

The marvellons character of the Picture; the testimonies of Artists 
who scientifically examined the texture of the cloth; the vivid col- 
oring; the circumstances of the place, so highly unfavorahle to col- 
oring or texture; tlie remarkable state of preservation in which it 
still is — all these interesting inquiries are treated fully by Father Lee 
in Chapter VIII. I shall quote but one paragraph: 

**In the Brief of Benedict XIV. we find quoted these remarkable 
words: ^ In it there is nothing that is not wonderful: a Picture from 
flowers gathered in midwinter on a soil entirely sterile and fit to 
bear only thorns: on a cloth so thin that through it as through a 
lattice, iransennamj the temple lay easily open to the eyes : and that 
after two centuries the nitre of the neigliboring lake, which erodes 
silver, gold, and brass, has not in the least injured its supreme beauty, 
summam pulchritudinc^fny nor its most vivid colors' " (p. 115). 

GERTKUDI STERBINI^ (p. 242). 

The memory of this saintly rcligieuse is enshrined in two Latin 
elegies (the first of which appears also in an Italian version) and in 
a stately Inscription (p. 242). They formed the contents of a small 
but elegant volume issued by the Vatican press, and were reviewed 
in the Voee dclla Vcrita by Professor Farabulini, from whose critique 
the following details are taken. The Pope wrote them *' in the name 
of one of the most highly esteemed members of his court, the Com- 
mendatore Giulio Sterbini, and dedicated them to the memory of a 
dear sister of his named Barbara, who, on entering the Roman con- 
vent of the Visitation Order, received the name of Gertrude. No 

320 



A'OTJSS 



Hooner had Monsignore Pecci, on his return from the Belgian Apos- 
tolic Nunciatura, been made aware of the excellent dbpoeitions of 
the jonng Sister, than he perceived the saintly possibilities of such 
a soul, and began, after the example of St. Francis de Sales and St* 
Jane Frances de Chantal, to fashion it by wise counsel into an obe' 
dient instrument of the holy Will of God. . . . Happy this angelic 
soul to have such a panegyrist I She will still live in his verse as an 
example for those who shall come after her. Happy, too, her brother 
Giulio, his family and his descendants, to find such venerable hands 
busied in the erection of so lasting a memorial ! " 

The Professor considers the inscription worthy of Morcelli — ' ' e 
Morcelliana.'' And of the Latin elegiacs he says that they are 
"graceful poetry, rich with beautiful imagery and loving affection." 
He thinks the Italian hendecasyllabics both faithful to the thought 
of the original and elegant from the standpoint of vernacular poetry. 



Ebbatum cobbioe: Page 145, title should be ''In Upper Oar- 
pineio,'* instead of " In Upper Perugia." 



321 



<1AN 2 g 193B