CIRCLE OF THE HOURS. 391 



made Laudes immediately follow Matins. The following hymn at 

 this hour of first Cockcrow, and in summer of approaching light, is 

 very appropriate ; the line declaring the restoration of health to the 

 sick will often be remembered when the light and refreshing sleep 

 above described follows a night of sickness and morbid night- 

 watching. 



Hymnus ad II. A.M. vel ad Gatlicantum Primum. 



Aeterne renim Conditor, 

 Nocteni diemque qui regis, 

 Et teniporum das tempora, 

 Vt aileves fastidium." 

 Nocturna Inx viantibus, 

 A node noctem sesregans, . 

 Praeco diei jam sonat, 

 .Jubarque Solis evocat. 

 Hoc excitatus Lucifer 

 Solvit polum caligine, 

 Hoc oinnis Errouuin cohors 

 Viam nocendi deserit. 

 Hoc nauta vires colliijit, 

 Politique initescuiit freta: 

 Hoc, ipsa Petra Ecclesiae 

 Canente, culpam diluit. 

 Siirttanius ereo strenu^, 

 Gallusjacentes excitat, 

 Et soninolentos increpat, 

 Gallus negaiites arguit. 

 Gallo canente spes redit, 

 Aegiis salus refunditur, 

 Mucro latronis conditur, 

 Lapsis fides revertitur. 

 lesu labentes respice, 

 Et uos videndo corrige : 

 Si respicis, labes cadunt, 

 Fletuque culpa solvitur. 

 Tu lux refulge sensibus, 

 • Mentisque somnuin discute: 

 Te nostra vox priniilm sonet, 

 Et votasolvamus tibi. 

 Deo Patri sit gloria, 

 Ejusque soli Filio, 

 Cum Spiritu Paiaclito, 

 Nunc, & per omue saeculuin. 



«««%»«<V«V%^'«1/ 



III. O'CLOCK A.M. LAUDES. 



Obs. The hours iii. vi. ix. and xii., both before and after noon, 

 may be considered as canonical ; they were formerly devoted by 

 certain religious Orders to regular or canonical Offices of the Church. 

 And we may observe that in most church steeples where there are 

 chimes played by clockwork, these are the usual hours at which 

 they play, which is a remnant of the ages we allude to. The word 

 Tierce orTerza comes from Tertia, the Latin for the third hour ; and 

 the reason why this office is recited in the ninth instead of the third ' 

 hour is, that the canonical hours being established in Italy, where 

 the day begins at sunrise ; six o'clock, which is the average time of 



6 



