CANDLEMAS TIDE. 39 



FEB. 8. St. John of Matha, found, of Trinitarians 

 A.D. 1213. 



St. Stephen of Grammont, abbot. 



St. Paul of Verdun. 



St. Cuthbert of England. 



Obs. St. John of Matha was born at Faucon on the borders of 

 Provence, of respectable parents, on St. John the Baptist's Day 

 in 1169, and was hence baptized by the name of John. His mother 

 dedicated him to God by a vow from his infancy, as Butler relates 

 in his Lives of the Saints, On the day of his first mass he came to 

 a resolution of ransoming Christian slaves from their bondage to 

 infidel masters, and he together with his companion St. Felix Valois 

 are recorded to have redeemed 186 Christian slaves in their first 

 voyage to Morocco. They founded, under the sanction of Pope 

 Innocent III., the religious Order of the Holy Trinity, whose monks 

 wore a white habit with a red and blue cross. The example of St. 

 John of Matha in charitable acts is said to have suggested to St. 

 Peter Nolasco the idea of founding the Order of Our Lady of 

 Mercy. 



Narrow Spring Moss Mnium Androgynum fructifies. 



We find this plant recorded as if in fructification about this time, 

 but in fact it is to be found all the early spring. 



In early seasons the Raven is now employed about the reparation 

 of her nest : 



On antient oak or elm, whose topmast boughs 

 Begin to fail, the Raven's twigformed house 

 Is built ; and many a year the self same tree 

 The aged solitary pair frequent. 

 But distant is their range ; for oft at morn 

 They take their flight, and not till twilight grey 

 Their slow returning cry hoarse meets the ear, 



Grahame. 



It is said to be a rare thing to see a real Crow ; most of the large 

 black birds we see about being Ravens, Rooks, or Daws, 



