CHRISTMAS TIDE. 357 



DEC. 22. St. Ischyrion, martyr, a.d. 253. 

 SS. Cyril and Methodius, confessors, 881. 

 St. Cheromon. — Fr. Cal. ? 

 St. Flavica. — Flem. Cal. ? 



Obs. St. Ischyrion was in office under a certain Aegyptian magistrate, who, 

 though very low in life, and obliged to toil perpetually, was nevertheless an 

 erarnple of Christian vigilance and laliour. What Christian, says the histo- 

 rian, does not blush when he recollects Epictetus's Lamp and the Labour of 

 Cleanthes ? Prayer in those stations of life should not too much trespass on 

 labour ; bnt who cannot also pray at his work if rightly disposed to this holy 

 exercise? To remind labourers on the earth of their much greater interest in 

 heaven, and to preserve them in the duty of prayer, the short prayers of the 

 daily exercise are highly useful, as is the ringing of the Angelus Bell, and 

 other regular admonitions of periodical religious exercises and prayers. 



St. Cyril recorded today was originally named Constantine, who with his de 

 vout brother the monk Methodius extended the Catholic doctrine by means of 

 missionary travels. 



Pellucid Heath Erica pellucida still fl. 



We resume today our observations on the nightwatches and other periodical 

 and occasional Cockcrowings, which we promised yesterday. Who can ever 

 forget the nightwatches proclaimed by the Cock in that scene in Comus where 

 the two brothers, in search of their sister, are benighted in a forest: 



t'umufBe, ye faint Stars; and thou, fair Moon, 



That wont'st to love the traveller's benison. 



Stoop thy pale visage through an amber cloud. 



And disinherit Chaos, that reigns here 



In double night of darkness and of shades j 



Or, if your influence be quite dammed up 



With black usurping mists, some gentle taper. 



Though a rushcandle from the wicker hole 



Of some clay habitation, visit us 



With thy longlevelled rule of streaming light ; 



And thou shalt be our star of Arcady, 



Or Tyrian Cynosure. Or, if our eyes 



Be barred that happiness, might we but hear 



The folded flocks penned in their wattled cotes, 



Or sound of pastoral reed with oaten stops. 



Or whistle from the lodge, or village Cock 



Count the nightwatches to his feathery dames : 



Twould be some solace yet, some little cheering. 



In this close dungeon of innumerous boughs. 



We have noticed that during the still dark weather, which often happens 

 about the Brumal Solstice, Cocks often crow all day and night; and hence the 

 notion that they crow all night on the vigil of the Nativity. They begun to crow 

 during the darkness of the eclipse of (he Sun, Sept. A, \i'20. And it seems that 

 crepusculum is the sort of light in which they crow most. 



There is this remarkable circumstance about the crowing of Cocks, — they 

 seem to keep nightwatches or to have general crowingmatches at certain pe- 

 riods, as soon alter twelve, at two, and again at daybreak. These are the Alec- 

 trophones mentioned by St. John. To us these Cockcrowings do not appear 

 quite so regular in their times of occurrence, though they certainly observe 

 certain periods, when not interru[)ted by changes of the weather, which gene- 

 rally produce a great deal of crowing. Indeed the song of all birds is much in- 

 fluenced by the state of the air. 



The beautiful Hymn at Cockcrow written by Prudentius, and beginning 

 Ales Diet nwicius, is well known, and has been otherwhere noticed. 



