14 HILARY TIDE. 



JAN. 14. St. Hilary, bishop, a.d. 368. 

 St. Felix, of Nota, r.c. and others mm. 



Obs. St. Hilary was born at Poictiers, and brought up in idolatry. 

 His mind was deeply metaphysical, and he was found soon to 

 renounce polytheism. He afterwards step by step became con- 

 vinced of the truth of Catholic doctrine, and at length was noted 

 for controversy, and was styled by St. Jerome The Trumpet of the 

 Latins against the Ariaits. His conversion was a remarkable 

 instance of a great mind, who, having gone as far as reason could 

 go in the discovery of truth, brought his mind to a state of humility, 

 and accepted as matter of faith the truth of doctrines to which 

 experimental philosophy could not lead him. As a child climbs a 

 ladder step by step that leads into a tree of delicious fruit, but, 

 getting to the last step, finds the bouahs still far above his reach, 

 calls to Pomona, who is seated at the top of the stem, and says, 

 "As I believe you can, I hope you will, and I ask in charity that 

 you do, give me a helping hand into those delicious boughs, that I 

 may taste of the fruit, which by a nearer approach seems so much 

 the fairer. So should a learned Christian, who has scaled the 

 ladder of philosophy, but yet feels himself far from truth, though 

 more ardent to obtain it, implore the Virgin Mother of Mercies to 

 helpe him into the true tree of knowledge, that he may reap the fruits 

 of eternal satisfaction."* — Florilegium. 



St. Hilary is the author of a splendid hymn, sent to his daughter 

 Apra, to dissuade her from marriage, it begins Lucis largitor splen- 

 dide, &c. He herein exhorts her to perpetual virginity. 



St. Felix was native of Nota. He is recorded by Tillemont to 

 have wrought some remarkable miracles. He lived and died in 

 the third age. 



Fruitless Strawberry Frayaria sterilis flower. 



Today is on an average almost the coldest of the year, and in 

 the following night in 1820 the thermometer in some parts of Sussex 

 fell to 10° below zero. 



* To metaphysicians who, like St. Hilary, are verging towards 

 Christianity, we recommend a work entitled Cause and Effect, and 

 another On External and Continuous Existence, said to be from the 

 pen of an English lady of quality, Lond. 1827. This work is the best 

 introduction to the study of the Fathers of the Catholic Church to 

 those who have previously wandered in the bewildering mazes of 

 the bad philosophy of Hume, and the visionary and imperfect sys- 

 tem of Berkley. This work is strictly logical, its demonstrations 

 demand only the admission of axioms the most self evident, and the 

 ' conclusions are not drawn hastily. It possesses the merit of not pro- 

 fessing to prove the truth of any particular religion, while it lays the 

 foundation for the belief in any which may exhibit sufficient proofs 

 of its truth, by establishing on a solid basis the doctrine of an intel- 

 ligent final Cause. 



