LAMMAS TIDE. 213 



JULY 31. St. Ignatius of Layola, c. a.d. 1556. 

 St. John Colombini, 1367. 

 St. Helen of Sweden, martyr, 1160. 



Obs. St. Ignatius was born in 1491. He was generous even 

 towards enemies, but addicted to gallantry and full of the maxims 

 of worldly honour and pleasures. At length, convinced of the vanity 

 of his pursuits, he prostrated himself befo:e an image of the Blessed 

 Virgin Mary, and under her patronage consecrated himself to the 

 service of his Redeemer. He left his home, and repaired to i\Iont- 

 serrat, where, after making a general confession to an experienced 

 monk, he made a vow of perpetual chastity. St. Ignatius was the 

 founder of the Society of Jesus. Pope Paul II. approved of it un- 

 der that title by a bull dated the 27th of September, 1540. In 1546 

 the Jesuits first opened their schools in Europe. Ignatius often met 

 with violent persecution, but overcame them by meekness and pa- 

 tience. He gave up his happy soul into the hands of his Creator on 

 the last day of July, in the year 1556, the sixty fifth of his age. 



The history of the Society of Jesus, and of the numberless men 

 eminent for learning, piety, and active benevolence, who have be- 

 longed to that order, could not be abridged so as to afford the reader 

 of this little work even the knowledge of their names. Suffice it to 

 say that there never existed on the face of the earth a larger body of 

 persons of any order whatever who have exhibited such activity and 

 zeal in. the cause of the Christian religion. They are a living exam- 

 ple of practical Christianity as well as of prodigious learning. Our 

 best works have been edited by them, the most important discove- 

 ries in foreign parts of the world made by them, and civilization has 

 been wider extende 1 by them than bv any other body of men. It is 

 to be lamented that interference in politics has, thnugli without 

 justice, been charged on some of their zealous members: taking 

 them and their works as a wliole, they are a wonderful exam- 

 ple of the religion, virtue, patience, humility, perseverance, and 

 perpetual benevolence of which human nature, frail and corrupt as 

 it is, may be made capable by the excellent discipline and rules of 

 their order. See Butler's Lives of the Saints, under today. 



Great Mullein Verbuscum vigatum full fl. 



Autumnal Helenium Heletiium Autumnale fl. 



The early Red Plum, the Apricot, early Peaches, and Pears, are 

 beginning now to be plentiful. 



