CIRCLE OF THE HOURS. 399 



Hymnus ad X7. A.M. 



Jam solis adscendit rota 

 Excelsius per coerula, 

 Ardorque coeli maxiinis 

 Plantus perustat ignibus 

 Urabrosa quaeremus loca 

 Libata Claris sacrata fontibus 

 Deniis defensa froiidibus 

 Pictis decora floribus 

 Quo, cum resultant caiitica 

 Volucris alto in arbore 

 Per hunc silentiam Dei 

 Ipsi canamus gloriam 

 Deo Patri sit gloria, 

 Ejusque soli filio. 

 Cum Spirito Paraclyto, 

 In seculorum secala. 



XII. O'CLOCK A.M. SEXT, commonly called Nom. 



XXIV. of Astronomical Time. 



06s. The office of Sext was sung at midday, being the sixth 

 hour of the calculation from the average sunrise. Besides Sext, the 

 religious also said the Angelus Domini or Triple Angelical Salu- 

 tation at the ringing of the Angelas Bell, a custom still preserved, 

 and which little daily office was ordered by a Bull of Pope 

 Urban II. and is as follows : 



-|-Angelus Domini nunciavit Marias et concepit de Spirito Sancto. Ave 

 Maria, &c. 

 Ecce Ancilla Domini siat mihi secundum Verbnm tuum. Ave Maria, &e. 

 Et Verbum cara factum est et regnavit in nobis. Ave Maria, &c. 



The bell rings three times aday for this office, but it was not un- 

 customary for persons to say it at morning and evening with their 

 daily prayers. 



The natural phenomena of noontide are various, when Inclinuie 



meridiem sentis, ac veluti stet volucris dies : 



Purple Goatsbeard Tragopoffon porixfolitis closes. 

 Yellow Goatsbeard Tragopogon pratensis closes. 



Hymnus ad Sextant. 



Rector potens, verax Dens, 

 Qui temperas rerum vices, 

 Splendore mane illnminas, 

 Et ignibus meridiem 

 Extingue flammas litium, 

 Aufer calorem noxium, 

 Confer salutem corporum, 

 Veraraque pacem cordium. 

 Praesta, Pater piissime, 

 Patrique conipar Vnice, 

 Cum Spiriiu Paraclito 

 Kegnaos per omue saecnlum. 



