PRESENTATION TIDE. 325 



NOV. 20. St. Edmund, king and martyr, a.d. 870. 

 St. Humbert, bishop of the East Angles, m. 855. 

 St. Felix of Valois, confessor, 1212. 

 St. Bernward, bishop and confessor, 1021. 

 St. Maxentia of Ireland, virgin and martyr, 7tb cent. 



Obs. St. Edmund, king of the East Angles, having been attacked 

 by the Danes in 370, and, unable to resist them, heroically offered 

 to surrender himself a prisoner provided they would spare his sub- 

 jects. The Danes, however, having seized him, used their utmost 

 endeavours to induce Edmund to renounce his religion ; but, he re- 

 fusing to comply, they first beat him with clubs, then scourged him 

 with whips, and afterwards, binding him to a stake, killed him with 

 their arrows. His body was buried in a town where Sigebert, one 

 of his predecessors, had built a church, and where afterwards, in 

 honour of his name, a more spacious building was erected, which, 

 together with the town, was named St. Edmundsbury, but it is now 

 called Bury St. Edmunds. 



Red Stapelia Stapelia rufa fl. 



The genus Stapelia is very numerous, but all this ?)iecies are rather culti- 

 vated for their singularity ot appearance tlian for their beauty. 



In the Epiiemeris, today is called Olii^nhonorn, from there being now but a 

 very little daylight. The days, however, have not quite, thousjh nearly, got 

 to the shortness of the winter solstice; the true brumal season beginning 

 about the feast of the Conception, 8th of December. 



The reader will finil a particular account of the seasons in a small work, 

 entitled "Pocket Encyclopaedia," published by NichoUs and Son, London 

 )8'J7. The best division is the following : Early Spring begins at ('andlemas, 

 late Spring at Elm's Tide ; early Sumner at Barnaby Tide, late Summer at 

 St. Swithin ; early Autumn at >t. Banlemy'sTide, late Autumn at Michaelmas; 

 early Winter at Conception Tide, late Winter at New Year's Tide. 



The fo^s of November are at this time often changed for boisterous winds, 

 which sweep off the last of the decayed leaves, and leave the trees quite 

 bare. 



The Saxons called November Tfintmonat ox Windmonth, on account of the 

 prevalence of high winds in this month. For the same reasons the Germans 

 call it ff'interrnoiilJi, the word winter having the ^ame root as wind. 



This being the eve of the Presentation of Our Lady, we subjoin the follow- 

 ing Morning Hymn, addressed to her, to be recited tomorrow before 

 daybreak: 



Morning Hymn to tJi" Flrgin, 



The watchful Cock, rathe herald of the morn. 



With lively din doth sound Ins clarion shrill; 

 The soft and stealthy light breaks o'er the lawn, 



And purples each dark peak of yonder hill. 

 Hail, Holy Virgin, kindest Moilier still. 



Fair Star of Morning beaming o'er the main. 

 Again in votive strains soft numbersshrill, 



Thy Palmer seeks ihy fostering aid again. 

 Lily of Virgins, pure as orient light. 



Sweet as the drops from Cassia's fragrant bough. 

 When first Aurora fires the brow ot Night, 



And Zephyr fans the scented branch, art thou! 

 Bright Rav of .-olace in Heaven's arduous way. 

 Grant me tin succour for another dav. 



Ff 



