Unissons-nous aux choeurs des anges,
    Pour mieux celebrer sa beaute. 
  Et puissent nos chants de louanges
    Retentir dans l’eternite. 
  O Vierge sainte! o notre Mere! 
    Veillez sur nous du haut des cieux;
  Et de ce sejour de misere,
    Quand nous vous presentons nos voeux,
  O douce, o divine Marie! 
    Pretez l’oreille a nos soupirs;—­
  Et faites qu’apres cette vie,
    Nous goutions d’immortels plaisirs.

  —­“Cantiques a l’usage des Confreries.”  Paris, 1839, p. 175.]

In the course of the present work I have already suggested the propriety of trying the real import, {353} the true intent, and meaning and force of an address to a Saint, by substituting the holiest name ever uttered on earth, for the name of the Saint to whom such address is offered; and if the same words, without any change, form a prayer fit to be offered by us sinners to the Saviour of the world, then to ask ourselves, Can this be right?  I would earnestly recommend the application of the same test here; and in many other of the prayers now offered (for many such there are now offered) by Roman Catholics to the Virgin.  Suppose, instead of offering these songs of praise and prayer, and self-devotion to Mary in the month of May, we were to offer them, on the day of his nativity, to our blessed Lord, would they not form an act of faith in Him as our Saviour and our God?

  “Around the altar of Jesus,
  Let us, his children, press;
  To that Saviour so endeared
  Let us address the sweetest prayers. {354}
  Let a lively and holy mirth
  Animate us in this holy day: 
  There exists no sadness
  For a heart full of his love. 
  Let the holy name of Jesus
  Be for us a name of salvation! 
  Let our softened soul
  Ever pay to HIM a sweet tribute of love. 
  O holy Jesus!  O our Saviour! 
  Watch over us from the height of heaven;
  And when from this sojourning of misery,
  We present our prayers to Thee;
  O sweet, O divine Redeemer,
  Lend an ear to our sighs; and after this life,
  Make Thou us to taste of immortal pleasures.”

* * * * *

SECTION III.—­BONAVENTURA.

I will now briefly call your attention to the devotional works of the celebrated Bonaventura.  He is no ordinary man; and the circumstances under which his works were commended to the world are indeed remarkable.  I know not how a Church can give the impress of its own name and approval in a more full or unequivocal manner to the works of any human being, than the Church of Rome has stamped her authority on the works of this her saint.

In the “Acta Sanctorum”, [Antwerp, 1723, July 14, p. 811-823.] it is stated, that this celebrated man was born in 1221, and died in 1274.  He passed through all degrees of ecclesiastical dignities, {355} short only of the pontifical throne itself.  He was of the order of St. Francis, and refused the archbishopric of York, when it was offered to him by Pope Clement the Fourth, in 1265; whose successor, Gregory the Tenth, elevated him to the dignity of cardinal bishop.  His biographer expresses his astonishment, that such a man’s memory should have been so long buried with his body; but adds, that the tardiness of his honours was compensated by their splendour.