278 nOSARY TIDE. 



OCT. 4. St. Francis of Assisium, conf. a.d. 1226. 



SS. Marcus, Marcian, &c. martyrs. 



St. Petronius, bishop and confessor, 430. 



St. Ammon, hermit, 308. 



St. Aurea, virgin and abbess, 666. 



St. Edwin, king: find martyr, 633. 



The martyrs of Triers. 



Obs. The life of the glorious St. Francis was a miracle of humi- 

 lity : from this humility it was that he would not be ordained priest, 

 but always remained in the degree of deacon. St. Francis was 

 favoured with the familiar presence of his Lord under the figure of a 

 seraph ; after a secret and intimate conversation the vision disap- 

 peared, and the body of St. Francis appeared to have the image of 

 the crucifix, his hands and feet seemed bored through in the middle 

 with four wounds, there was also in his right side a red wound, as if 

 made by the piercmg of a lance, and this often threw out blood. 

 These miraculous wounds were seen by several during the two 

 years which he survived from 1224 to 1226, and by great multitudes 

 after his death — From Butler. 



St. Francis of Assisium was the founder of the Order of Friar 

 Minors early in the thirteenth century. His glorious life is said by 

 the historian to have been a miracle of humility, of which virtue he 

 was one of the most illustrious examples that the Catholic church 

 can boast of, and of which he set an example worthy the imitation 

 of all of his profession. St. Francis was born at Assisium in Um- 

 bria in 1182. His father's names were Peter Bernardon, and that 

 of his mother's was Pica ; both his parents are said to have been per- 

 sons of good property. In reading his life, elaborately described by 

 Butler, we are struck with this fact, that his habits, profession, and 

 humble character, combined with stupendous Christian energies, 

 resulted not from education or the example of company, but from 

 an original activity in the superior sentiments of his mind, being, as 

 it were, fitted by organization for his vocation in a way which is 

 scripturally expressed by a large measure of talents : for of every 

 man it shnll be expected urcording as it is measured unto him, St. 

 Francis of Assisium is to be di^tinguished from another illustrious 

 saint who bears this name, St. Francis of Sales, also a confessor, 

 celebrated January 29th ; and St. Francis de Xavier, the renowned 

 worker of miracles and apostle of the east, December 3d, which 

 the reader may refer to 

 St. Amnion wns hermit of Nitria, and the cultivator of the Balsam Tree. 

 St. Aurea was a virgin and aiibess at Paris, and lier reliques were formerly 

 held ill high veneration. She foretold liei- death and that of her nuns, ItKI of 

 whom were swept otf with her in the pestilence of Oct. 666. 



Southernwood Artemetia Abrotanum still in fl. 



This plant, vulgarly calleil Old Man, Poor Man, Slirub of St. Francis, or 

 Friars Minors Tree, has been long cultivated. Slips of it easily take root, and 

 its growth being rapid, its encrease is prodiiiious. It seems to have been called 

 by its name of Friars Minors Tree in reference to the prodigiously rapid encrease 

 of that Or ler, religious houses or br.inches whereof were rapidly planted and 

 flourished in every country of Europe. 



