Rose-Mary, Sum of virtue virginal,
      Fresh Flower on whom the dew of heaven downfell;
     O Gem, conjoined in joy angelical,
      In whom rejoiced the Saviour was to dwell: 
      Of refuge Ark, of mercy Spring and Well,
     Of Ladies first, as is of letters A,
      Empress of heaven, of paradise and hell—­
     Mother of Christ, O Mary, hail, alway.

     O Star, that blindest Phoebus’ beams so bright,
      With course above the empyrean crystalline;
     Above the sphere of Saturn’s highest height,
      Surmounting all the angelic orders nine;
      O Lamp, that shin’st before the throne divine,
     Where sounds hosanna in cherubic lay,
      With drum and organ, harp and cymbeline—­
     Mother, of Christ, O Mary, hail, alway,

     O Cloister chaste of pure virginity,
      That Christ hath closed ‘gainst crime for evermo’;
     Triumphant Temple of the Trinity,
      That didst the eternal Tartarus o’erthrow;
      Princess of peace, imperial Palm, I trow,
     From thee our Samson sprang invict in fray;
      Who, with one buffet, Belial hath laid low—­
     Mother of Christ, O Mary, hail, alway,

     Thy blessed sides the mighty Champion bore,
      Who hath, with many a bleeding wound in fight,
     Victoriously o’erthrown the dragon hoar
      That ready was his flock to slay and smite;
      Nor all the gates of hell him succour might,
     Since he that robber’s rampart brake away,
      While all the demons trembled at the sight—­
     Mother of Christ, O Mary, hail, alway,

     O Maiden meek, chief Mediatrix for man,
     And Mother mild, full of humility,
     Pray to thy Son, with wounds that sanguine ran,
       Whereby for all our trespass slain was he. 
       And since he bled his blood upon a tree,
     ’Gainst Lucifer, our foe, to be our stay,
       That we in heaven may sing upon our knee—­
     Mother of Christ, O Mary, hail, alway,

     Hail, Pearl made pure; hail, Port of paradise;
       Hail, Ruby, redolent of rays to us;
     Hail, Crystal clear, Empress and Queen, hail thrice;
       Mother of God, hail, Maid exalted thus;
       O Gratia plena, tecum Dominus;
     With Gabriel that we may sing and say,
       Benedicta tu in mulieribus—­
     Mother of Christ, O Mary, hail, alway.

     William Dunbar,

     XV-XVI.  Cents.

PART TWO

CHAPTER XVI

HOLY WEEK I

Then all the disciples forsook him and fled.

S. Matt.  XXVI, 56.

Through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God, accept, O Lord, our prayers and save us.

May the Holy Mother of God and all the saints be our intercessors with the Heavenly Father, that He may deign to be merciful to us, and in pity save His creatures.  Lord God all-powerful! save us and have mercy upon us.