22 HILARY TIDE. 



JAN. 22. St. Vincent, martyr, a.d. 304. 

 St. Anastasius, martyr, a.d. 628. 



Obs. St. V'incent was born at Oscra, in Granada, and suffered 

 martyrdom during the time that Dacian was governor in Spain, in 

 the year 304. He is styled by Butler the most glorious martyr, 

 from his great fortitude, and the indifference with which he seemed 

 to suffer the tortures of the rack and the hot spiked gridiron, of 

 which an account will be found in the Lives of the Saints. 



St. Anastasius the Persian was styled a trophy of the Holy Cross, 

 when it was carried away into Persia by Chosroiis in 614. By 

 order of the same king he suffered martyrdom at Barsaloc, in 

 Assyria. 



Early Whitlow Grass Draba verna flowers. 



This small tetradynaraious plant may now be seen sparingly m 

 Hower on old walls and waste places ; through March and April it 

 is plentiful. 



Today is recorded as Sunbeam Day in the Natural Calendar, from 

 an old proverb that it bodes good luck if the sun-beams be seen 

 breaking out any time today. A Latin proverbial line has it — 

 Vincenti festo si Sol radict memor esto, which has been thus done 

 into English, and extended : 



Remember on St. Vincent's Day, 



If that the Sun his beams display. 



Be sure to mark the transient beam 



Which through the casement sheds a gleam ; 



For 'tis a token bright and clear 



Of prosperous weather all the year. 



In the Florilegium we may read : 



We may turn all habitude to profit; for even when we watch for 

 the sunbeams on St. Vincent's Day, and behold the innumerable 

 motes that therein sport and seem in motion, we may reflect how 

 like we are to these floting diminutives, sporting in the transient ray 

 of divine light, nor enquiring whence we derive our motion, nor 

 whither we shall fall when the light of our being is withdrawn. — 

 Flnr. Div. Asp. 22. 



