184 



DOG DAYS. 



JULY 2. VISITATION of our Lady. 



SS. Processus and Martinian, martyrs, 1st cent. 

 St. Otho, bishop and confessor, 12th cent. 

 St. ]\Ionegi)iides, recluse, 570. 

 St. Oudoceus, of Llandaif, 6th cent. 



04.«. The Aneel Gabriel, in tlie niystery of the Annunciation, infornieil the 

 motlicr of God thitt her cousin Klizub'tli tiad miraculously conceived; bcinir 

 inspired by the Holy Ghost witli the resolution to i.'0 and congratulate the 

 mother of the Baptist, Mary arose, saitli St. Luke, and went to visit St. Eliza- 

 beth. In this journey what lessons of humility does the holy Virgin irive us ; 

 she had been just saluted mother ot Gnd, yet, far from beiig elated with her 

 incomprehensible rtisiiiiy, she appears the more humble by it. The mother of 

 God pays a visit to the niotherot her son's servant : what a subject of conftision 

 is this to the pride of lire children of the world, who, not content with the 

 rules of respect which the laws of subordination requires, carry their vanity to 

 an excess of cereniouiousness contrary even to good manners and to the free- 

 dom of co^ver^ation. 



Our Lady's Lily Lilium candidum fl. 

 Evening Primrose Oenothera biemiis fl. 

 Scarlet Turkscap Lilium Chalcedonicum full fl. 



The White Lily or Lily of oar Lady is one of the oldest inhabitants of our 

 srardens. Planted in batches it has a beautiful effe t, especially when rows of 

 them in the solstitial border are placed in .i line. Their white flowers may be 

 seen the whole of the long Mid-ummer nights of twilight, when other flowers 

 are indistinguishable. See July the 6th. 



The festival celebrated today reminds us of the following lines, which were 

 written in the fifteenth century by Pero Lopez de Ayala, while in prison in 

 England, and of which we give a translation by some poet : 

 To the Blessed P^irf(in Mary. 

 Virgin ! star of brightest ray, 



Which this worl t"of darkness guides, 

 Li!;ht thy pilcrini on his way, 

 For his soul in thee confides ! 



Thou art like the fragrant bough 



Of the beauteous i assiaTree; 

 Like the orient Myrrh art thou. 



Whose sweet bre iih is worthy thee. 

 Lady! when the sufferer mourns, 



'Tis to thee he bends his eye; 

 >ris to thee the sinner turns, 



\"ir^in of the cloudless sky! 



Thee has Wisdom's 'on compared 



To the towering Cedar Tiees; 

 And thy church, which thou dost guard. 



To RIouiit Sion's Cypresses. 

 Thou are like the Palm Trees green, 



\\ liicli the richest fruits have given. 

 Thou the Lilv, radiant queen ! 



Blooming in the smiles of heaven. 



Brightest planet of the sea, 



Oazzliiiir gate in heaven's abode ; 

 Virgin iii tlie agony. 



Mother, daulrhter, spouse of God. 

 Thoui:h the curse that Kve had brouJ'lit 



O'er h-r children threat'ning stood. 

 All the evil that she wrought. 



Lady ! thou hast turued'to good. 



