Dies Fræ, Dies Flla :

THE HYMN OF THE CHURCH, IN MEDITATION OF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.

I.

Hear'st thou, my soul, what serious things
Both the Psalm and SybiDsings

Of a sure Judge, from Whose sharp ray
The World in flames shall fly away.

II.

fire.

O that fire! before whose face
Heaven and Earth shall find no place.
O those eyes! Whose angry light
Must be the day of that dread night.

III.

music

O that trump! whose blast shall run
An even round with the circling sun,
And urge the murmuring graves to bring
Pale mankind forth to meet his King.

IV.

Horror of Nature, Hell, and Death!
When a deep groan from beneath
Shall cry, 'We come, we come,' and all

The caves of Night answer one call.

V.

O that Book! whose leaves so bright
Will set the World in severe light.
O that Judge! Whose hand, Whose eye
None can endure; yet none can fly.

VI.

Ah then, poor soul, what wilt thou say?
And to what patron choose to pray?
When stars themselves shall stagger, and
The most firm foot no more then stand.

VII.

But Thou givest leave (dread Lord!) that we Take shelter from Thyself in Thee;

And with the wings of Thine Own dove

Fly to Thy sceptre of soft love.

VIII.

Dear, remember in that Day

Who was the cause Thou cam'st this way.

Thy sheep was stray'd; and Thou would'st be Even lost Thyself in seeking me.

IX.

Shall all that labour, all that cost

Of love, and even that loss, be lost?

And this loved soul, judged worth no less

Than all that way and weariness?

X.

Just mercy, then, Thy reck'ning be
With my Price, and not with me;
'Twas paid at first with too much pain,
To be paid twice; or once, in vain.

XI.

Mercy (my Judge), mercy I cry
With blushing cheek and bleeding eye:
The conscious colours of my sin

Are red without and pale within.

XII.

O let Thine Own soft bowels pay
Thyself, and so discharge that day.
If Sin can sigh, Love can forgive :
O say the word, my soul shall live!

XIII.

Those mercies which Thy Mary found,
Or who Thy cross confess'd and crown'd,
Hope tells my heart, the same loves be
Still alive, and still for me.

XIV.

Though both my prayers and tears combine,

Both worthless are; for they are mine.
But Thou Thy bounteous Self still be;

And show Thou art, by saving me.

XV.

O when Thy last frown shall proclaim
The flocks of goats to folds of flame,
And all Thy lost sheep found shall be;
Let, 'Come, ye blessed,' then call me.

XVI.

When the dread 'Ite' shall divide
Those limbs of death from Thy left side;
Let those life-speaking lips command
That I inherit Thy right hand.

XVII.

O hear a suppliant heart, all crusht
And crumbled into contrite dust.

My hope, my fear, my Judge, my Friend!
Take charge of me, and of my end.

-:0:

S. Maria Major.

Dilectus meus mihi, et ego illi, qui pascitur inter lilia.—Cant. ii.

THE HYMN, O GLORIOSA DOMINA.

Hail, most high, most humble one!
Above the world, below thy Son;
Whose blush the moon beauteously mars,
And stains the timorous light of stars.
He that made all things had not done

Till He had made Himself thy Son.

The whole World's host would be thy guest,

And board Himself at thy rich breast.

O boundless hospitality!

The Feast of all things feeds on thee.
The first Eve, mother of our Fall,

Ere she bore any one, slew all.
Of her unkind gift might we have
Th' inheritance of a hasty grave:
Quick buried in the wanton tomb
Of one forbidden bit,

Had not a better fruit forbidden it.

Had not thy healthful womb

The World's new eastern window been, And given us heaven again in giving Him. Thine was the rosy dawn that sprung the day, Which renders all the stars she stole away.

Let then the aged World be wise, and all Prove nobly here unnatural:

'Tis gratitude to forget that other,

And call the maiden Eve their mother.

Ye redeem'd nations far and near,
Applaud your happy selves in her;
(All you to whom this love belongs)
And keep 't alive with lasting songs.

Let hearts and lips speak loud and say,
Hail, door of life, and source of Day!
The door was shut, the fountain seal'd,