20 



lllLAUY TIDE, 



JAN. 20. St. Fabian, pope and martyr, a.d. 250. 



St. Sebastian, martyr, a.d. 288. 



St. Euthymiiis, abbot, a.d. 473. 



St. Fechin, abbot. — Vigil of St. Agnes. 



Obs. St. Fabian succeeded St. Anselm as pope in 236, to which 

 office he was chosen, according to Eusebius, iu consequence of a 

 dove setthng on him while the people and clergy were electing a 

 successor to the pontifical chair. Pie died a martyr in the persecu- 

 tion of Decius in 250, as witnessed by St. Jerom and by St. 

 Cyprian. 



St. Sebastian was born at Narbonne, in Gaul, who, being im- 

 peached in 288 before Dioclesian, was sentenced to be shot to death 

 with arrows, but these not completely killing him, he was beat to 

 death with cudgels. 



St. Fabian's Nettle Lamiuni garganicum flowers. 



This plant is recorded today, but we have seldom seen it in 

 flower so soon : it blows all April in profusion. 



Eagles at this time of year, in mountainous countries, will often 

 descend into the plains, and seize on the newly-dropt lambs. 



The tawny Eagle seats his callow brood 



High on the cliff, and feasts his young with blood. 



On Snowdon's rocks, or Orkney's wide domain. 



Whose beetling cliffs o'erhang the western main, 



The royal bird his lonely kingdom forms 



Amid the gathering clouds and sullen storms : 



Throui^h the wide waste of air he darts his sight, 



And holds his sounding pinions poised for flight ; 



With cruel eye premeditates the war, 



And marks his destined victim from afar : 



Descending in a whirlwind to the ground. 



His pinion s like the rush of waters sound ; 



The fairest of the fold he bears away. 



And to his nest compels the struggling prey. 



Barbauld. 



