By all those stings

Of Love, sweet-bitter things,

Which these torn hands transcribed on thy true heart;

O teach mine, too, the art

To study Him so, till we mix
Wounds, and become one crucifix.

Oh, let me suck the wine
So long of this chaste Vine,

Till drunk of the dear wounds, I be

A lost thing to the world, as it to me.
O faithful friend

Of me and of my end;

Fold up my life in love; and lay't beneath
My dear Lord's vital death.

Lo, heart, thy hope's whole plea! her precious breath

Pour'd out in prayers for thee; thy Lord's in death.

THE TEAR

WHAT bright soft thing is this,

Sweet Mary, thy fair eyes' expense?

A moist spark it is,

A watery diamond, from whence
The very tearme,1 I think, was found,
The water of a diamond.

1 Term.

O, 'tis not a tear,

II

'Tis a star about to drop
From thine eye, its sphere;

The Sun will stoop and take it up.
Proud will his sister be to wear
This thine eye's jewel in her ear.

O, 'tis a tear,

III

Too true a tear; for no sad eyne,1
How sad soe'er,

Rain so true a tear as thine;
Each drop, leaving a place so dear,
Weeps for itself, is its own tear.

IV

Such a pearl as this is,

(Slipp'd from Aurora's 2 dewy breast)
The rosebud's sweet lip kisses;

And such the rose itself, that's vex'd
With ungentle flames, does shed,
Sweating in a too warm bed.3

V

Such the maiden gem

By the purpling vine put on,

2 Greek Eos ("Ews), the goddess of dawn.

8 Stanza iv. has two lines from stanza xxix. of "The

1 Eyes.

Weeper."

Peeps from her parent stem,

And blushes on the bridegroom Sun:
The watery blossom of thy eyne,
Ripe, will make the richer wine.

VI

Fair drop, why quak'st thou so?
'Cause thou straight must lay thy head
In the dust? O no;

The dust shall never be thy bed:
A pillow for thee will I bring,
Stuffed with down of angel's wing.

VII

Thus carried up on high,

(For to Heaven thou must go)

Sweetly shalt thou lie,

And in soft slumbers bathe thy woe;

Till the singing orbs 1 awake thee,

And one of their bright chorus make thee.

VIII

There thyself shalt be

An eye, but not a weeping one; Yet I doubt of thee,

Whether th' had'st rather there have

shone

An eye of Heaven; or still shine here
In the Heaven of Mary's eye, a tear.

1 Stars.

THE OFFICE OF THE HOLY CROSS

Tradidit semetipsum pro nobis oblationem et hostiam Deo in odorem suavitatis.-Ad Eph. v. 2.

THE HOURS

FOR THE HOUR OF MATINS 1

The Versicle

LORD, by Thy sweet and saving sign,2

The Responsory

Defend us from our foes and Thine. V. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, R. And my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. V. O God, make speed to save me. R. O Lord, make haste to help me. V. Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son,

and to the Holy Ghost.

R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

:

1 The "Hours" were usually said as follows:Matins, between nine at night and dawn. Prime, at six o'clock, morning.

Tierce, or the Third, at nine morning.

Sext, or the Sixth, at noon.

Nones, or the Ninth, at three afternoon.

Evensong, at six evening.

Compline, at nine evening,

but there was no rule.

? The Cross.

THE HYMN

The wakeful Matins haste to sing
The unknown sorrows of our King:
The Father's Word and Wisdom, made
Man for man, by man's betray'd;

The World's Price set to sale, and by the bold
Merchants of Death and Sin, is bought and sold:
Of His best friends (yea of Himself) forsaken;
By His worst foes (because He would) besieged
and taken.

The Antiphon

All hail, fair Tree
Whose fruit we be;

What song shall raise
Thy seemly praise,

Who brought'st to light

Life out of Death, Day out of Night?

The Versicle

Lo, we adore Thee,

Dread Lamb, and bow thus low before Thee.

The Responsory

'Cause by the covenant of Thy Cross Thou hast saved at once the whole World's loss.

The Prayer

O Lord JESU CHRIST, Son of the living God, interpose, I pray Thee, Thine Own precious Death, Thy Cross and Passion, betwixt my soul and Thy Judgment, now and in the hour of my death. And