(1884) A Christmas Faggot
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- Pages: 102
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THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Mi
r e\
^(i
'
y/M
-
.
BY THE
SAM/-.
AUTHOR.
THE VISION OF THE EUCHARIST \ND OTHER POEMS. Crown
London:
8vo. cloth,
s
v
-
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, & CO
A CHRISTMAS FAGGOT
c/>*^
A
^ yx^u^-c
CHRISTMAS FAGGOT
BY-
ALFRED GURNEY, VICAR OF
AUTHOR OF 'THE
'
VISION OF
S.
M.A.
BARNABAS', PIMLICO
THE EUCHARIST AND OTHER POEMS*
ETC.
The Darling of the world is come. And fit it is we finde a roome To welcome Him. The nobler part Of all the house here is the heart, Which we will give Him, and bequeath This hollie and this ivie wreath To do Him honour who 's our King. The Lord of all this revelling'
HERRICK.
A
Christmas Carol
LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, &
CO..
1884
i
PATERNOSTER SQUARE
(77ie rights
of translation
-ion
are >>,
Crt ft ro
AfF GODCHILDREN ETHEL,
ALBINIA,
CYRIL,
BASIL,
BERTRAM,
WILFRID,
LOUISE,
HELEN,
ARTHUR.
When
the Angel of the waters
With a gold and silver wing Gently stirred the wave baptismal. Heard ye not their carolling
Who
of old to Eastern shepherds
Heralded
To
their
King
?
the shepherds of His people those angel-voices tell
Still
How
God's
river feeds the fountain
Opened by Emmanuel, Yielding the baptismal waters
Of
salvation's well.
Children, you have passed those waters, Love-begotten from the dead ;
Will you
make
When my '
We
will trace life's lovely river
To Loch Leven
:
a gallant promise verses you have read
the Fountain-head'?
1884.
861872
—
PREFACE. Most the
'
of the following
Barnabas'
S.
and
godchildren
up
a
into
Parish
my
the
people
fires
For
Magazine.' I
in
in
my
have made them
bundle of sticks
little
faggot to feed
poems have appeared
—a
Christmas
the winter
palace of
our King. It
is
the
and song
Songs
all
is
Incarnation
that
justifies
the expression of joy.
celebrate
the
Great
all
joy,
The Gospel
Nativity.
Birth
vi
l'
ii
and
marriage arc
mirth and music
RE FACE
the
occasions
among men
;
most sacred
and
Christmas
at
once the Birthday and the Marriage
of
Humanity. Glad and thankful
mine should help love
in
happy
to
shall
fan
I
the
any Christian heart season.
be
if
to
is
Festival
any song of
flame of rejoicing at
this
holy
and
CONTENTS. PAGE
.1
YULE TIDE
THE MADONNA
DI SAN S1STO
.
.
...
BETHLEHEM GATE SAINT JOSEPH
II
.
.
A CRADLE SONG
.
A CRADLED CHILI)
.
AN EMPTY CRADLE
NEW
YEAR'S EVE
THE VICTIM
6
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
1
6
1
8
23
.26 28
30
THE DAYSMAN
^
THE PHYSICIAN
36
CONTENTS
x
PAGB
mi POET
•
40
THREE SISTERS
43
A CHRISTMAS PUZZLE
46
FOUR EPIPHANIES
4&
THE CHILDREN'S EUCHARIST
56
THE GOSPEL SONGS I.
Benedictus
59
II.
Magnificat
63
III.
NOTES
:
Nunc
Dimittis
....
66
69
YULE
TIDE.
'They bring me sorrow touched with
The merry merry
joy,
bells of Yule.'
Tennyson, In Memoriam.
THE
A And
Royal Birthday dawns again, stricken world to bless
sufferers forget their pain,
And
mourners
their distress.
Love sings to-day
With happy She
;
is
loo
too
;
her eyes so
tears are
humble
wet
fair
:
to despair,
faithful to forget.
B
YULE TIDE
Ilcr voice
very soft and sweet,
is
Her heart !
ier vassal,
is
I
brave and strong
would
Some fragments
A
Birthday-song Its
My
;
fain repeat
of her soul;.
my
heart would sin-
rapture to express
;
Father's son must be a king,
And
share
I
lis
consciousness.
Of God's Self-knowledge comes That
utters
all
His Thought
That Word made Flesh by
Who
the
Word
;
all is
seek as the}' arc sought.
heard
YULE TIDE
His seeking and His finding make
Our search an easy thing
He
sows good seed, and bids us take
The
joys of harvesting.
Yet must His children do
And what He
No
;
their part,
gives accept
;
heart can understand His Heart
That has not bled and wept.
All seasons, bring they bale or
His priceless treasures hold
The Winter's
And
silver all is
bliss.
;
His,
His the Summer's gold. -
YULE TIDE
Life's harvest
The
To
not reaped until
Christ within has
perfect
By
is
love
grown
manhood, and is
self-will
overthrown.
Such manhood gained concludes the
That makes the babe a boy 'T
thus the seed becomes a
is
The
The
becomes a
;
life,
joy.
eyes that weep are eyes that
And
Ah
life
!
swift arc pilgrim-feet
hope
at length
sweet.
se<
;
may come
Than memory more
strife
to
be
.
YULE TIDE
So keeping
With It
is
'T
festival to-day,
children's laughter near,
not hard to sing and pray, is
Father,
hard to doubt or
my
heart to
To Thee my song From Winter
fear.
Thee
I
bring,
address
pain and
toil
Grows Summer happiness.
;
of Spring
THE MADONNA DI SAN '
The Lord Himself
shall give
you a sign
;
S/STO.
1
behold, a Virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son.'
BEHOLD, by Raphael shown, Love's sacrament! Earth's curtains part, God's veil
There comes a Child,
To lli^
(
forth
rule the feast of
life,
;
Mis Bread and Cup,
purpose making plain with
man is
to sup.
the Sign,
Virgin-Mother clasps a Babe Divine.
1
up
from His Bosom sent
)ut-streams the light, accomplished
A
lifted
is
S
THE MADONNA DI SAN S1ST0
Her
lovely feet descend the cloudy
stair.
Great succour bringing to a world forlorn
On
either side a
A
common
Of
man and woman
rapture,
share
welcoming the dawn
God's new day, the everlasting morn
Of such
a
day
:
as shall from East to
—
West
Dispel the darkness, doing Love's behest.
He
turns a face
Enamoured of She
to the
all
radiant to the Sun,
the sight he looks upon
end of what
is
;
now begun
Downgazes, stooping, shadowed by the throne
Made by
a Maiden's arms, maternal
grown
;
THE MADONXA PI SAX
SIS TO
Than
ivory most
fair,
than purest gold,
More
pure,
more
fair,
and stronger to uphold.
On
cherubs twain,
A
spell has
whom
watching has made wise,
fallen— a prophetic dream
;
Their upward-gazing and far-seeing ey< Like stars reflected
To A
in
a tranquil stream,
look beyond the Child and Mother seem
twisted thorn-branch
Are manifest
— His
and a cross to them
throne and diadem.
High heaven open stands, and there a crowd If
worshippers with
love-lit
eyes appear,
Like stars down-gazing through a fleecy cloud,
;
THE MADONNA DI SAN SISTO
Dimly discerned
as
Spreading a radiant
g
morning draweth near upon
pall
night's bier.
blessed thing the Sign doth signify
The
They
partly know, and are
more
But
Mother
the
made
knows,
glad thereby.
more
and
she
sees
Than Her
soaring angel or than climbing saint
heart familiar
Of
own
God's
;
grown with mysteries working
under
love's
con-
straint,
The remedy
The
clouds are
The
light of
she all
life,
knows
for
man's complaint.
beneath her, and above
the radiancy of love.
THE MADONNA
io
And Is
The
He,
Whom
SAN SISTO
Lord of love and
life
we
on her bosom borne, a blossom
fair
her
veil
pentecostal breath that
Has fanned His
And
all
lifts
hail,
;
royal brow, and stirred His hair,
kissed His lips just parted for a prayer.
That spirit-wind Till
/>/
shall blow, that
Face
shall shine.
His brothers know their Father's Sign,
Dresden
:
1883.
II
BETHLEHEM A Picture
Of
by
GATE.
Dante Gabriel
Rossetti.
old through grates that closed on
Two
exiles
An Eden
is
them
went with eyes downcast
The Present now God's Eden
1
in
retrieves the Past,
Bethlehem.
that no walls enclose
By Mary's arms encompassed,
A A
living shrine, a
'
house of bread,'
very haven of repose. 1
See Note B, page 7
1
.
;
BETHLEHEM GATE
i2
Behold the Prince of Peace! around
His cradle angry tempests rage
He
An
And
needs must go on pilgrimage.
exile,
yet,
homeless and discrowned.
His Rank to designate,
The unquenched
Star of Bethlehem
Shines forth, a radiant diadem
While Angels on His footsteps
E'en
A
;
now
;
wait.
the Father's Face the}- see,
triumph-song e'en now they
And, wondering and worshippil Attend His Pilgrim-Family.
sin-,
BETHLEHEM GATE
Two
guard the frowning gateway
:
Is of a
solemn countenance
To him
a rapid backward glance
one
;
Reveals a massacre begun.
The
other, forward gazing, sees
The
glory of the age to come,
The
fruitfulness of
Of deaths
O
martyrdom,
that are nativities.
weeping mothers, dry your tears
The Mother whom Nor
An
fears,
this canvass
!
shows
nor weeps, although she knows
anguish deeper than your
fears.
i
BETHLEHEM GATE
4
She knows a comfort deeper For
By
God
all
who
fare
still
on pilgrimage
;
suffering from age to age seals the vassals of
Her Burden
His Will.
upholding her
is
;
And, guided by the Holy Dove. She sees the victory of Love-
Beyond
To
the Cross and Sepulchre.
shield her, Joseph stands:
The shadow
How Of
his
cue
of God's Providence.
fragrant
is
the frankincen
their uninterrupted prayer!
BETHLEHEM GATE
Through ever-open gates they
A
new and
living
So gain they the
A
garden
A
flight
It
is
way they true
'
press,
tread,
House of
for a wilderness.
it
seems to us
;
to
them
a going forth to win
The world from Satan and from
And
build the
Lord Christ
Thou
Bread,'
art
!
New
for
Loch Leven
:
Jerusalem.
every seeking soul
Thyself the Door, the
All, all shall find
Thy Heart
Way
one coming day
their everlasting goal
1884.
sin,
!
;
1
S.
A
6
JOSEPH.
CLOISTERED garden was
Where Mary
the place
grew, God's perfect flower
;
One, only one, discerned her grace,
And
visited her bower.
God's choice was his
To
No
;
by love made strong
guard the Mother of the King;
heart, save hers,
So sweet
had
e'er a
as his to sing.
song
S.
Yet
God's
i
on the sacred page
lives there
No
JOSEPH
record of a word from him
Ark he
;
guards, a silent sage,
Pure as the Cherubim.
But sweeter than the sweetest word
Recorded of the wise and eood. His silence
On
high,
Blessed are
Amid
is
a music heard
and understood.
all
who
take their part
the carol-singing throng
Thrice blest the meditative heart
Whose Ballachulish
silence
:
1884.
is
a song.
;
7
lS
A CRADLE SOXG.
Sing, ye winds, and sing, ye waters.
May Silence
the music of your song all
the dark forebodings
That have plagued the world too long I
Ie
who made your
Comes
Warble Lift
to right
voices tuneful
the wrong.
on, ye feathered songsters,
your praises loud and high,
;
A CRADLE SONG
Merry
lark,
19
and thrush, and blackbird,
In the grove and in the sky
Make your Till
shame our dumbness,
music,
we make
reply.
Children's laughter
is
a music
Flowing from a hidden spring,
Which, though men misdoubt Well
is
worth discovering
its
virtue,
;
Slowly dies the heart that knows not
How
to laugh
and
Hark, a cradle-song Is the
!
sing.
the Singer
Heart of God Most High
;
<
2
A CRADLE SO
All sweet voices arc the echoes
That
To
in
varied tones reply
that Voice which through the ages
Sings earth's lullaby.
Oftentimes a sleepless infant
For a season
frets
and
cries
:
All at once an unseen finger
Curtains up the
So the cradled
God
Ili>
will
little
child
e\
lie nurses
tranquillisc.
the all-enfolding Presence;
Oh, what tutelage
it
brinj
A CRADLE SONG
To
the
little
21
lives that ripen
'Neath the shelter of
its
wings
;
God's delays are no denials,
As He
waits
He
sings
!
The)- alone are seers and singers
Who
invalidate despair
the lofty hopes they cherish,
By
By By
the gallant deeds they dare,
the ceaseless aspirations
Of
a
life
of prayer.
Brothers, sisters,
May
lift
your voices,
the rapture of your song
A CRADLE SONG
Put to flight the sad misgivings
That have vexed the world too long
God would have That
LOl
II
us share the triumph
shall right the
I.AGGAN
:
1SS4.
wrong.
;
A CRADLED CHILD. (To E. A. G.)
Behold The
the world's inheritance,
!
treasure-trove of
Whereby
A
happy homes
;
the poorest hut becomes
fairy-palace of romance.
A cradle Two
the mother's shrine
lamps o'erhang
Whose
On
is
love-light
it
falls,
:
— her sweet eyes, Madonna-wise,
sleeping infancy divine.
A CRADLI'.D CHILD
The presence of
a 'hoi)- thing,'
Madonna-wise, her heart discerns,
And
like a fragrant censer burns,
O'ershadowed by an angel's wing.
1
ler
A
brooding motherhood
is
strong
trembling joy her bosom
Her thoughts
stirs,
are white-robed worshippers,
'
Magnificat'
;
is all
her song.
'Mid angels whispering 'all-hails'
The waking moment she
The opening The
lifting of
awaits,
of two pearly gates,
two silken
veils.
A CRADLED CHILD
Ah
!
what words can
then,
The
the
tell
bliss.
rapture of the fond embrace,
When
mother's lips on baby's face,
Feast and are feasted with a kiss
And who
can
tell
?
of hands and feet
The dimpled wonders, hidden charms, The dainty
curves of legs and arms,
So sweet and
This
is
The
soft,
so soft
and sweet
the world's possession treasure- trove of
Whereby
TVXTESFIELD
:
still,
wedded
hearts,
a Father's love imparts
His joy, their gladness to
1884.
?
fulfil.
26
ALL empty
A
AN EMPTY
CRADLE.
stands a
cradle-bed,
little
mother's falling tears the only sound
;
Hut not of earth her thoughts, nor underground
;
Up-gazing she discerns the Fountain-head
Of '
life
;
the living Voice she hears that said
Fear not
'
to
weeping women who had found
An empty tomb, and
Who
asked
'
Why
angels watching round,
seek the living with the dead
'
?
AN EMPTY CRADLE
So weeps our Mother Church
— her
27
tears outshine
Sun-smitten dewdrops on a summer's morn
;
God's rainbow girdles her, Hope's lovely sign,
Whereby born
she
knows
that smiles
;
Fulfilled of life herself, she
Her
children
Carlisle
:
of tears
all
18S4.
would assure
of death's discomfiture.
are
NEW God
grant through coming years and days
Our beating
The harps
Who
No
YEAR'S EVE.
hearts
may be
that celebrate
loves eternally
!
ache can be without
When Love
His praise
relief
Himself draws near;
No cup can empty Embitter God's
stand,
no grief
New Year
NEW
YEAR'S EVE
29
Time's footsteps quickly die away,
Soon emptied
We
is
his glass
wait for an oncoming
Which nevermore
Old hopes
revive,
Day
shall pass.
new hopes
The coming months
And
;
are born,
to cheer
;
phantom-fears and griefs outworn
Die with the dying year.
Oh,
all
the years and
Our waiting
all
the days
hearts shall be
Harps tremulous with His dear
Whose S. BARis' abas'
is
:
Eternity
!
December 31, 1S85.
praise
?o
THE
VICTIM.
For the Feast of the Circumcision
The
that great
When
lUood was
New in
Year's Day,
the cradle shed
Where Mary's Darling
lay.
lark, uprising with the sun.
Was The
Year's Day,
sun methinks rose rosy-red
On
The
New
:
silent
on the wing
nightingale,
;
when day was done,
Forgot her song to
sing.
THE VICTIM
A
holy silence reigned around,
Arid hushed was every voice,
When
in the crib the
The
Cross was found,
Infant- Victim's choice.
As moonbeam on The Mother's Her eyes were Gave
a mountain-mere
face
stars,
was white
;
and every tear
lustre to their light.
Methinks a blushing moon looked dowr
Upon
that manger-bed,
And wove
a mystic glory-crown
Around the
Sleeper's head.
THE VICTIM
The It
silence issui
rises
and
it
s
in
a song,
swells
;
E'en than the lark's more blithe and strong,
Sweeter than Philomel's, His Church's anthem loud and
The
Victim's triumph
tells.
loi
33
THE DAYSMAN.
IN boyhood's sorrow-shadowed days.
Which memory In
recalls to-day,
many moods and many
My
yearning heart would pray.
'T was holy ground where'er
My But
ways,
feet,
this
Christ
I
is
I
set
God's shrine was everywhere scarcely
knew
as yet
—
His FatJiers Prayer}
!
See
Note C, page
72.
D
;
THE DAYSMAN
34
God
ever seeks His children's to
Appeals
The music
them
and, rightly heard,
;
of creation
The echo
of His
is
Word.
But when the child has learnt
The echo
A
is
bliss,
his part.
an answer strong
;
prayer up-springing from the heart
That blossoms
Christ
His
is
in
the Living
a song.
Word
of God,
Poem and His Prophecy
The homeward way His Mankind must
;
Feet have trod
travel by.
THE DAYSMAN
And Is
35
every man, God's child and
priest,
pledged to ministry divine,
Who
sees the Ruler of
Turn water
Who
into wine
feast
;
hears the Father's voice above,
The
Who
life's
Spirit's
whispering within
knows the Messenger of
The Conqueror
of
Responsive to God's
;
love
sin.
call,
our Prayer
Art Thou, dear Lord, whene'er we pray
;
So always now, and everywhere,
My
heart keeps holiday.
On the Danube Feast of the
:
Holy Name, 18S3.
d
2
36
THE PHYSICIAN.
[S
life
sad for lost love's sake,
Falls a blight
upon thy
bliss,
Smiles no more their sunshine make,
Lips estranged withhold their kiss
For thy consolation take
Some
Shine on
such song as this
us,
O
Morning Star
Help our weeping eyes Never
may we deem
What
to us they
!
to sec;
things are
seem
to
be;
?
THE PHYSICIAN
Rise,
Thou Dayspring, and
Bid the shadows
Jesu,
Thou
flee
yj
afar
!
art swift to bless,
Strong to comfort, skilled to heal Failure
Woe
is
with Thee success,
the forerunner of weal
Every stroke
Every
Master,
From
i
S.
John
xi.
;
is
;
a caress,
crust a meal.
Thou
canst raise the dead
the grave, the bed, the bier,
43
;
S. Matt. ix. 25
;
S.
Luke
vii.
14.
1
THE PHYSICIAN
Souls astray, forlorn, misled, Buffeted
by doubt and
fear,
Cannot but be comforted
When Thou
drawest near.
Sweeter than the Sunday-bells Banishing
all
week-day
cares.
Thine the gracious voice that
What
tells
a Father's love prepares,
Leading to
Up
God's
Lord,
Thou
And Thy
salvation's wells
altar-stairs.
art the
song
is
Master-sing a recall
;
THE PHYSICIAN
Many on
life's
Many by But Is
Tyrol
:
1882.
Thy a
pathway
life's
39
linger,
wayside
fall,
Heart, the comfort-bringer.
Home
for all
!
4o
THE POET.
The
poet
Who
is
the child of God,
with anointed eye
Discerns a sacrament of love In earth and sea and sky,
Ami
finds himself at love's behest
Constrained to prophesy.
Love
is
Love
of loveliness the root,
is
of
life
the
spring,
THE POET
Love
Of This
is
the sole interpreter
every lovely thing is
Well
A
:
the burden of his song,
may
the poet sing
!
joy-inspired song he sings
Because
A
41
far off
he hears
whisper silencing the storm,
A
laughter through the tears,
The music
of eternity
Beyond the dying
His song
is
years.
rapture, for he sees
God's loveliness, and we,
THE POET
42
When
with his insight \vc arc blest,
Shall share his ecstasy
Oh, come the day when
As
Lord
Thou
all
Thou
art the
art the Poet true
All,
all
Whose
PlTZ
Thy works
learn shall
Ortlkr
King of Love,
vision share
to do,
have the singing heart
feet
:
sing
;
The men who would Thy Must
shall
song as he!
blithe a
Christ,
;
1882.
Thy
steps pursue
!
43
THREE
THREE
SISTERS.
1
fountains clear as crystal spring
In one secluded garden-plot
;
In shade and shelter of one cot
Three sister-doves are harbouring.
Adown one pathway hand Three Sister-Graces wend I
I
shall not
hand
their
soon forget the day
met with them
1
in
in
fairy land.
See Note D, page 74.
way
;
111 REE
44
They dawned,
A Of
know not how
or
whereby transfigured
each,
know
the
hill
of frankincense.
not whence or how, they bloomed
Each sweeter than the sweetest That
one
is
the bush
And one
still
like a rising
When dewy Morn
And
rose
the haunted garden grows
in
Where burns
And
whence
halo circling round the head
They clomb
I
I
SISTERS
is
as
unconsumed.
sun
unveils her eyes;
Minerva wise
very lily-like
is
one.
;
THREE SISTERS
And
all
are dear.
The weaving
To '
I
seem
45
to see
of a threefold cord
—
hear a softly whispered word,
Love makes a unity of
three.'
46
A CHRISTMAS PUZZLE. (For Grown-up Children.)
Children know
the things
Though they know I
know
should
That
I
know
I
know
not that they
not, should love
not
it
is
so.
Shallow waters overflow not, is
doomed
unless
it
know
grow
Flowers feebly rooted blow not,
Love
not,
grow.
not,
A CHRISTMAS PUZZLE
who
Fools
think to reap and sow not
Growing love Churls
will
who say 'We
overthrow
who
Who
;
go' and go not
Love's rebuke must undergo All
love's insignia
show
;
not,
on love themselves bestow
Love,
47
full
not,
grown, shall lay them low.
4s
FOUR EPIPHANIES?
The
Pilgrim-Kings their King have found,
The Wise Men Their royal
He
(
gives
gifts
kneel at Wisdom's shrine,
His Crib surround,
them bread and wine.
)ne Star has pointed to the Sun,
That men may see and understand
The
witness borne by
Who
holds
in
1
all
to One,
His Right Hand,
See Note E, page 77.
FOUR EPIPHANIES
Like lamps that round an All lights that shine,
Crowned
are the
all
altar burn,
worlds that be
men whose
Their King's Epiphany.
hearts discern
49
FOUR EPIPHANIES
5o
II.
THE To
Child obedient sets His face
seek His Father's House of Prayer,
With other children takes
And
Two
is
I
lis
place,
a learner there.
worlds there arc
;
the child to each
Belongs, God's prophet, born to bless
Hut not by action, nor by speech.
Simply by winsomeness.
;
FOUR EPIPHANIES
For, like the Child of Bethlehem,
Babes bring Enriching
all
their blessing
who
By being what
from
afar,
wait on them
they
are.
E 2
FOUR EPIPHANIES
III.
A VOICE Heard
from heaven spake aloud. clearly
by the Bridegroom's
When, shadowed by
He saw
the
One Voice has
all
the glory-cloud,
Dove descend.
heralded the Word,
Thai listening
What mean
friend
men may
truly
know
voices they have heard
Above, around, below
—
FOUR EPIPHANIES
55
Soft whisperings and laughters loud,
The song
of birds, the insects'
Storm-music of the thunder-cloud
And
be no longer dumb.
hum,
—
FOUR EPIPHANIES
54
IV.
That
jubilance of bridal mirth.
Cana, has not ceased
First felt at
Christ's Presence
Still
glorifies
The Ruler Still
still
regales the earth,
the feast.
of the feast of
life
with a sacramental sign
Confirms the love of
And makes
;
man and
the water wine.
wife,
FOUR EPIPHANIES
And
His the glory
When
still
lovers plight
The Church
to
revealed
and keep
Himself the Bridegroom
55
Who
their
vows
has sealed
be His Spouse.
;
56
THE CHILDREN'S EUCHARIST.
THE
children's star-crowned
The
children's 'house of bread,
Where
Jesus'
arms encircle them,
With milk and honey Such
Bethlehem,
is
the Church,
fed
:
—
whose altar-gates
Stand ever open, when
The board
To
feast
is
furnished where
the hearts of men.
He
waits
THE CHILDREN'S EUCHARIST
A
Babe (It is
And
He came His cradle
Child
who do His
He
children's voices
His praise
'
Forbid them
The words Still
To
make
will
;
trod the Temple-floor,
By Mary Mother By
still),
evermore her blessedness
Is theirs
A
one heart to bless
is
led
;
evermore
perfected.
not,'
He
said of old
so stern and sweet
believing mothers bold
gather at His Feet,
:
57
THE CHI LI) REX'S EUCHARIST
58
And
bring their babes oh, that others
(And
How
would
happy
motherhood.
their
Home
where children pray,
With milk and honey
Whose
is
Her
Of
all
The
fed,
altar-hearth burns bright alway,
Whose board Such
!)
mother-like His Heart must yearn
Who made
A
their hearts discern
;
is
richly spread :—
the Church little
;
and sweet the song
children sing,
who round His
Altar thronsr
dearest to our King.
Ballachulish
:
1SS4.
59
THE GOSPEL SONGS} I.
BENEDICTUS.
Can
priestly lips, long silenced, raise
A
strain so lofty
and so strong,
Making our matin hymn of
As
Yes
:
Of To
jubilant as evensong
?
not the lips alone, the eyes
Zacharias were unsealed,
see
To
praise
and sing the mysteries
love and penitence revealed. 1
See Note F, page 78.
THE GOSPEL SO
Go
With keen prevision of the I
[e
\
seer
sings of a redemption wrought,
Whereby, released from
Men
are to
filial
slavish fear,
freedom brought.
Three things immutable and
sure,
His promise, covenant, and oath, Reveal
God
YVhate'cr
man needs
The promise
Was
purpose, and secure
s
for life
to the fathers
seen and
at
made
known — th' Incarnate Word
The Cross His covenant His oath
and growth.
displayed,
Pentecost was heard.
;
THE GOSPEL SONGS
Well
this father's heart rejoice,
may
And
61
with prophetic rapture sing
His song a prelude
to that
'
Voice
;
'
'
Predestined to proclaim the King.
His joy a foretaste of that mirth
Which
W hen T
shall the hearts of all possess,
o'er a recreated earth
Christ's sceptre reigns in righteousness.
Of
light
he sings
For wandering Tells
how
the
for
darkened eyes,
feet the
Day spring
And shadows
flee
1
S.
way
of peace,
shall arise,
and sorrows
John
i.
23.
cease.
THE GOSPEL SONGS
62
And
the Church's children raise
still
That
strain so lofty
Which makes
As
their
and so strong.
matin
hymn
jubilant as evensong.
Loch Laggan
:
1SS4.
of praise
THE GOSPEL SONGS
65
II.
MAGNIFICAT.
Earth's
noise God's music supersedes,
Sin's discord
It
tells
And
It
tells
The
us of a of a
it
excludes,
Lamb
Dove
that bleeds,
that broods.
us of a Child
Who
brings
help that sets us free
;
The song His Maiden-Mother Of saved Humanity.
sings
THE GOSPEL SONGS
64
The Mother's and She plays
Of
;
the Sister's part
she leads the choir
those whose purity of heart
Is passionate desire.
Above
the blood-cncrimsoned sea,
Dispelling'
With her
doubt and
celestial
fear
minstrelsy,
Our Miriam doth cheer
The men whose homeward-going hearts
Are
When
loyal to their all
Then
King
;
from her have learnt
shall
creation sing
!
their parts,
THE GOSPEL SONGS
The
sweetest of the Gospel songs,
To
To
the Saints so dear,
all
every eventide belongs
Throughout the changeful
sanctifies the vesper
It
When summer It
Ecstatic
That
Pinzoi.o
hour
smiles serene
;
winter blasts are keen.
soul doth
My
'
year.
a joy-constraining power
is
When
1
65
the voice
sings of Paradise restored—
My :
is
magnify the Lord
spirit
18S2.
doth rejoice
' !
'-
THE GOSPEL SONGS
III.
M 1
<
>
NC DIMITTIS.
cradle Mary's Child his heart
An
old
man opens wide
Behold him
And
in
in
God's peace depart,
God's peace abide
lie sings the very
Song
Responsive to the llis
:
of Peace,
Word
;
lullaby shall never (rase
To make
its
music heard
THE GOSPEL SONGS
For
the children of the Bride,
all
The
67
subjects of the King,
With each returning eventide 1
Have
He
learnt his
sings of
song to
sing.
peace,'
'
'
'
'
salvation,'
light
:
His lovely words we take
For consolation night by night, Until God's morning break.
Then, when our dazzled eyes grow dim, Breathed with our parting breath
The
old man's sweet, heart-soothing
Glad welcome gives
hymn
to death.
1-
2
THE GOSPEL SONGS
too what Simeon saw
We
The Mother (
undefined,
)ur hearts enfold
The
Tyrol
:
as blissfully
Everlasting Child
18S2.
may
!
see
NOTES.
Note
A.
The Madonna di San
Sisto.
world-famous picture of the Mother and her Divine
Raffaelle"s
Child in the Gallery at Dresden
from prints and photographs. significant beauty of
can conceive,
is
As
measure known to almost
in a
all
to the colour of the picture, the
which none who have not seen the
original
should be remembered that the parted curtains are
it
Mother comes forth, as green (the earth-colour), and the Virgin whose were, from the white bosom of a stooping heaven, distances, dimly
seen, fade
into a blue firmament peopled
it
far
with
angelic faces.
Many have
— passioned to fascination
felt
this
picture— at once so serene and so im-
be a revelation.
As we
yield
and search further and further into
that Faber's
words
justify
themselves
' :
its
ourselves
depths,
to
we
its
feel
Christian Art, rightly con-
NOTES
7o
sidered, its
is
at
once a theology and a worship
own method
of teaching,
devout discoveries,
.
Ii
Art
.
is
is
;
theology which
.1
of representation, all
varying opinions,
a merciful disclosure to
men
God which
own
its
of which are beau-
mind
of the
and a mighty power
a revelation from heaven,
brings out things in p.
own ways
so long as they are in subordination to the
tiful
.
its
own
its
Church. for
I
rod.
of Mis more hidden beauty.
lie
It
too deep for words.' {Bethlehem,
240.) It
was a
satisfaction to find
picture powerfully endorsed
reading of this incomparable
by one who, more perhaps than any
made good
living writer, has
my
his claim
ritual
old.
I
bringing forth
kingdom,
regarded with the
to be
reverence that belongs to a scribe instructed
the things of the
in
from his treasure things new and
quote the following passage from Canon Westcott's weighty
contribution to the discussion of a subject second to none in interest
and importance— The Relation of Christianity '
Madonna
di
San
Sisto Raffaelle has rendered th
motherhood and Divine Sonship in
ion
of
in
the
the
individual face
of
him too the curtain fellowship of earth
is
with
35 s -)
intelligible
the
;
to
he
look
feels
heaven and of heaven
meaning of
forms.
intense,
beholder
drawn aside
f
The tremulous
Mother, the
the attendant Saints
of this double P-
in
figures.
the
the Child, constrain
lerstands the
Art:' 'In
to
communion.
'
I
the
»ivine
No
one
fulness of
far-reaching
beyond.
that
there
with earth,
who
I
is
01
a
and
express the
{Epistles of S. John,
NOTES
only add some beautiful words of Mrs. Jameson, which
I will
had not seen when
also
I
seen
my own
Raffaelle
ideal once,
— inspired
before
space
71
Madonna
di
woman — at
if
verses
my
were written
and only once, attained
ever painter was inspired
him
that
San
Sisto
wonderful ;
for
creation
she
there
where
there,
which we
— the
have
I
— projected
stands
once completely human and
:
' :
on the
style
the
transfigured
completely divine, an
abstraction of power, purity, and love, poised on the empurpled
and requiring no other support
air,
loving mouth,
choly,
looking out with her melan-
;
her slightly dilated,
sibylline
eyes,
through the universe, to the end and consummation of sad, as
if
she beheld afar off the visionary sword that
her heart through
Him, now
resting as enthroned
yet already exalted through the tions
who were
Madonna
:
to
salute
homage of
her
as
the
Blessed.'
all
was
quite
things
;
to reach
on that heart
:
redeemed genera{Legends
of
tin
Introduction, p. 44.)
Note
B.
Bethlehem Gate. I
extract
pictures
the following from
by Rossetti exhibited
some unpublished notes on the at
Burlington House two
years
NOTES '
ago
:
parable.
'•
Bethlehem Gate
On
the world, in
the
whose
enacted, since life
left
God's
"
is
name
the
cruel habitations the
On
of a lovely
little
pictured
see the massacre of innocents, representing
all sin is in
into jeopardy.
forth
we
same outrage
the right the Heavenly
elect children, the
the land of righteousness.
is
ever being
truth the sin of blood-guiltiness, bringing
Dove
Holy Family, the
is
seen leading
infant
The Maiden-Mother,
Church, to
with the Divine
Innocent enthroned on her bosom, attended and protected by a
backward looking and a forward-looking angel, and escorted by S.
Joseph, passes the gate of the City of David.
her feet is
becomes the holy
land.
Thus with
1
the Church's pilgrimage through
all
the world,
Kgypt beneath ceremonial
fitting
through
the ages,
inaugurated.'
Note
C.
The Day swan.
'The Word became Flesh and tabernacled among the
supreme and august Verity which dominates
the children of the
Kingdom.
all
us'
that
is
the though!
Their eyes are fixed on the Life
that the Scripture-record contains
rather than on the record
See Isaiah xix. 19-25.
itself.
NOTES To them discern
the
Word Himself which
in
indeed
are
and growth of the
life
for
is
it
embodied, and the Mystery,
is
Flesh
all-revealing,
is
ble to man.
By
man God's
He
is
this language,
In
thought.
the
Prayer both of
a living, abid-
That Word, eternally
made
common
God became man's
of
thought
is
of God, was in the Incarnation uttered (so
another language, and
in
to speak)
Sacrament.
all-sufficing
Whose Manhood
a Divine Person,
Mouth
upon the
characters
the one all-comprehending
and
ever-energising Mediatorial Agency.
uttered by the
on*;
spiritual
no unwritten
truth
in
is
by the Holy Ghost Himself, the Finger all things are Divine words variously
Word made
the eternal,
That Word ing,
pupils
It
in
inscribed
fleshy tables of the heart
To His
Spirit-
consciousness of the real Presence of Christ
her and in her Scriptures alike.
of God.
but Christ the
reading them by the light of the great Tradition
;
Church— the
Tradition,
because they
living,
words about Christ,
not certain
and grows with the
lives
bearing
God
of
oracles
therein
73
God and man,
and
the Mediating
Him,
Atonement.
thought,
audible and intelligito
And
the thought
Word, they
being the Word,
God and man, whose
expression
is
He
the of
are at is
the
the enduring
evidence of that Atonement, the ceaseless occupation and satisfaction of those is
not
a
who
in
Him
mediator of one, but
ment of the Christianity
mystery the
;
and
Psalmist
'
are atoned and united.
of
God this
is
one,'
is
S.
A
mediator
Paul's state-
characteristic doctrine
of
had already caught a glimpse when,
NOTES
in
exercise
the
a
of
prophetical
gift,
ks
I
Christ
"I
as
Prayer.* It is iol
needless to aiKl that the sanctuary of the Eucharist
which
in
this truth
is
the
most eloquently taught and effectually
is
learnt.
Mote
1
>.
Three Sisters.
The its
first
it
:
stories
difficull to
are (I) 'Is
The two
true? 'and (2)
Questioned as
difficull
my
to '
without hesitation,
more
of those
then
P aim
'What dues
it
poem,
cix. 4
:
I
am
.
ihey
who of
i
it
tell
them
mean?'
reply to
musl say
the
first
question
But the second question
:
is
insisted
—
more wonderful than anything
is
pray< r" is
it
however, an answer
If,
I
I
true.'
is all
what
no end;
story has
question
questions which recur most frequently
to deal with. is
many
for
little
Yes,
on, something like this
God's
the sake
for
children no less than
to
sing
must be prepared
answer. it
retained
\\h>>
—
Those who
is
is
appearance,
wi [corned
them
poem on
following interpretation, which accompanied the
I
trail
latton.
K w.
A'OTES
wonderland can show
lovelier than the loveliest thing said or
;
of fairyland.
The Gospel and
and with
our
garden
this
— paradise
poem
little
regained
observable in
unity,
75
all
—a
sung
the Creed are a part of that story
concerned.
is
renewed earth, wherein a testifies
things,
of
;
speaks of God's
It
trinity in
a shadow cast
Him,
from above.
we take
Shall
Verse
the verses in order
one
altar-throne) feed
below,
is
garden, of
and
to
say,
from
seen
the whole earth,
God's
That garden contains the
fertilised.
tree
wherein three doves have one nest.
life,
Verse itself,
encircled
strange
river
this
from beneath one
issue forth
river (which,
and by
four-fold),
is
?
Three fountains (which
I.
But the
2.
when taken
fuller revelation
looking
at
relations,
daughter, spouse, mother
phenomenal
existence.
Verse
Out of
3.
is
elect
lady,
from one point of view, looking
is
essential characteristics,
place of meeting, that
The
fellowship with God.
into
representative of humanity,
fundamental
comes out of human nature
hope,
faith,
dawning consciousness,
this fairyland
humanity
is
;
and is
at
from another, love.
The
the fairyland of
led
forward and
upward by the path of sacrifice, until the summit of the crosscrowned mountain of light
which, like
from within.
life is
that
gained
;
and
all
heads are aureoled by a
of the Transfiguration,
This cannot be
till
we have
dawns and deepens
ceased to be self-centred,
and have become Christ-centred. Verse
4.
All growth
is
very secret and mysterious, part of the
NOTES
76
mystery of
The development
life.
indicated in the
narrative of creation;
vegetation, sunshine befon
nation
all is
of humanity follows the ordei
recovered
;
must come before
light
In the garden of the Incar-
Rowers.
the wilderness blossoms as a rose, and the
poor bush of the desert becomes a garden-tree,
a plant of
unconsumed because permanently enkindled with divine
Every flower
5.
an
to
beauty
a
is
after
effort
sun, and shines forth,
little
conformity
the
to
likeness
cherisher, not without the succour of gracious dews.
And by
ministers to hope.
wisdom
And
(with which
love, being
face of the
Verse
and
of a
it
is
hearts.
of
it-
sunshine
old-world homage rendered to
faith the
really one)
is
one with purity, looks
All
men,
Thus
shall
justified
and
transfigured.
at us out of the sweet white
like
these sister-graces, must join hands
be woven a threefold cord, divinely strong
and the testimony, reiterated by the
;
voice of a Divine Whisperer, realised
Its
owing
lily.
6.
and unbreakable
is
renown,
lire
life.
Verse its
the
in
all
' :
be accepted by
shall
Love makes
a
unity
of
three
still
all, '
;
small
because
and
'
Cod
lm '
ask.
Is that '
what the poem means
Yes, that
is
a little of
what
'
?
it
I
think
means
I
hear
— only a
my
questioner
little.'
NOTES
Note
77
E.
Four Epiphanies. Nothing perhaps more clearly demonstrates the Divine
Like the Creed, whose truths
and the arrangement of her year. teaches and enforces,
it
grew up gradually
embodiment of her devotional Manifestation, was one of the
commemoration embracing
six
;
He
it
outcome and
as the
The Epiphany,
life.
first
or Feast of
observed of her days of solemn
and the day came
Sunday?.
that in all that
instinct
Church than the construction of her Calendar
that resides in the
to
be prolonged into a season
She would have her children understand
did and said our Lord was manifesting forth His
— glory, and justifying His great announcement
'
am
I
the Light of
the world.'
The Four Epiphanies Scriptures appointed for
The
Sundays.
first
senting the inspired
to
which the poem
the
was made
Day
itself
to the
refers
and the
belong to the
two following
Wise Men of the
wisdom of the Gentile world
;
East, repre-
the second to
the Doctors of the Temple, representing the Bible-taught the Jews
;
Prophet-heralds of the Incarnation
;
and Bride and the wedding guests ing Humanity, of which the family type.
wisdom of
the third to the Forerunner, the last and greatest of the the fourth to the Bridegroom at is
Cana of
Galilee, represent-
the appointed and abiding
N0T1
78
The
!
Church by her methods, no
ic
l
raments, her Scriptures, and her Ci I
rotesl against the limitations
are
She
disfigured.
Ilim
Who
is
by which
merely human
all
ever bearing her impassioned witness to
'the Light that lighteth every
is
This
the world.'
than by her
less
ever maintaining her
man
Cometh
that
into
the real significance of the solemnities that
is
accompany her Epiphany observance.
Note
F.
The Gospel Songs.
The Tree roots support
blossom and
of Life
is
Babe, the Darling of
irangelists
'Lo
place.
found
it
its
God Mid for
!
we heard of
The Gospel
underwoven
the canopy of the
'The
of man.
medicine
speak of the crib as a
in tin- \\
Its
branches, overarching with
a cluster, form
many
meat, the leaf thereof I
the real Christmas Tree.
the cradle;
the
same
'
;
'
fruit
many
thereof
is
for
mindful of which the h
monger? at
that
is
a
Heavenly
1\
the feeding
(Bethlehem) Ephrata, and
ood.'
songs express the joy with which by the humble
and simple am' pure-hearted
this
l'lant
of
Renown
is
discovered
;
NOTES this
who
House is
a mother, of
prophet.
They come from an ancient who is a child,
of Bread visited.
When
79
the lips of a maiden
of a priest
who
is
a
such fountains of song are unsealed, the music
belongs rather to heaven than to earth.
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AND
:
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THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Mi
r e\
^(i
'
y/M
-
.
BY THE
SAM/-.
AUTHOR.
THE VISION OF THE EUCHARIST \ND OTHER POEMS. Crown
London:
8vo. cloth,
s
v
-
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, & CO
A CHRISTMAS FAGGOT
c/>*^
A
^ yx^u^-c
CHRISTMAS FAGGOT
BY-
ALFRED GURNEY, VICAR OF
AUTHOR OF 'THE
'
VISION OF
S.
M.A.
BARNABAS', PIMLICO
THE EUCHARIST AND OTHER POEMS*
ETC.
The Darling of the world is come. And fit it is we finde a roome To welcome Him. The nobler part Of all the house here is the heart, Which we will give Him, and bequeath This hollie and this ivie wreath To do Him honour who 's our King. The Lord of all this revelling'
HERRICK.
A
Christmas Carol
LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, &
CO..
1884
i
PATERNOSTER SQUARE
(77ie rights
of translation
-ion
are >>,
Crt ft ro
AfF GODCHILDREN ETHEL,
ALBINIA,
CYRIL,
BASIL,
BERTRAM,
WILFRID,
LOUISE,
HELEN,
ARTHUR.
When
the Angel of the waters
With a gold and silver wing Gently stirred the wave baptismal. Heard ye not their carolling
Who
of old to Eastern shepherds
Heralded
To
their
King
?
the shepherds of His people those angel-voices tell
Still
How
God's
river feeds the fountain
Opened by Emmanuel, Yielding the baptismal waters
Of
salvation's well.
Children, you have passed those waters, Love-begotten from the dead ;
Will you
make
When my '
We
will trace life's lovely river
To Loch Leven
:
a gallant promise verses you have read
the Fountain-head'?
1884.
861872
—
PREFACE. Most the
'
of the following
Barnabas'
S.
and
godchildren
up
a
into
Parish
my
the
people
fires
For
Magazine.' I
in
in
my
have made them
bundle of sticks
little
faggot to feed
poems have appeared
—a
Christmas
the winter
palace of
our King. It
is
the
and song
Songs
all
is
Incarnation
that
justifies
the expression of joy.
celebrate
the
Great
all
joy,
The Gospel
Nativity.
Birth
vi
l'
ii
and
marriage arc
mirth and music
RE FACE
the
occasions
among men
;
most sacred
and
Christmas
at
once the Birthday and the Marriage
of
Humanity. Glad and thankful
mine should help love
in
happy
to
shall
fan
I
the
any Christian heart season.
be
if
to
is
Festival
any song of
flame of rejoicing at
this
holy
and
CONTENTS. PAGE
.1
YULE TIDE
THE MADONNA
DI SAN S1STO
.
.
...
BETHLEHEM GATE SAINT JOSEPH
II
.
.
A CRADLE SONG
.
A CRADLED CHILI)
.
AN EMPTY CRADLE
NEW
YEAR'S EVE
THE VICTIM
6
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
1
6
1
8
23
.26 28
30
THE DAYSMAN
^
THE PHYSICIAN
36
CONTENTS
x
PAGB
mi POET
•
40
THREE SISTERS
43
A CHRISTMAS PUZZLE
46
FOUR EPIPHANIES
4&
THE CHILDREN'S EUCHARIST
56
THE GOSPEL SONGS I.
Benedictus
59
II.
Magnificat
63
III.
NOTES
:
Nunc
Dimittis
....
66
69
YULE
TIDE.
'They bring me sorrow touched with
The merry merry
joy,
bells of Yule.'
Tennyson, In Memoriam.
THE
A And
Royal Birthday dawns again, stricken world to bless
sufferers forget their pain,
And
mourners
their distress.
Love sings to-day
With happy She
;
is
loo
too
;
her eyes so
tears are
humble
wet
fair
:
to despair,
faithful to forget.
B
YULE TIDE
Ilcr voice
very soft and sweet,
is
Her heart !
ier vassal,
is
I
brave and strong
would
Some fragments
A
Birthday-song Its
My
;
fain repeat
of her soul;.
my
heart would sin-
rapture to express
;
Father's son must be a king,
And
share
I
lis
consciousness.
Of God's Self-knowledge comes That
utters
all
His Thought
That Word made Flesh by
Who
the
Word
;
all is
seek as the}' arc sought.
heard
YULE TIDE
His seeking and His finding make
Our search an easy thing
He
sows good seed, and bids us take
The
joys of harvesting.
Yet must His children do
And what He
No
;
their part,
gives accept
;
heart can understand His Heart
That has not bled and wept.
All seasons, bring they bale or
His priceless treasures hold
The Winter's
And
silver all is
bliss.
;
His,
His the Summer's gold. -
YULE TIDE
Life's harvest
The
To
not reaped until
Christ within has
perfect
By
is
love
grown
manhood, and is
self-will
overthrown.
Such manhood gained concludes the
That makes the babe a boy 'T
thus the seed becomes a
is
The
The
becomes a
;
life,
joy.
eyes that weep are eyes that
And
Ah
life
!
swift arc pilgrim-feet
hope
at length
sweet.
se<
;
may come
Than memory more
strife
to
be
.
YULE TIDE
So keeping
With It
is
'T
festival to-day,
children's laughter near,
not hard to sing and pray, is
Father,
hard to doubt or
my
heart to
To Thee my song From Winter
fear.
Thee
I
bring,
address
pain and
toil
Grows Summer happiness.
;
of Spring
THE MADONNA DI SAN '
The Lord Himself
shall give
you a sign
;
S/STO.
1
behold, a Virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son.'
BEHOLD, by Raphael shown, Love's sacrament! Earth's curtains part, God's veil
There comes a Child,
To lli^
(
forth
rule the feast of
life,
;
Mis Bread and Cup,
purpose making plain with
man is
to sup.
the Sign,
Virgin-Mother clasps a Babe Divine.
1
up
from His Bosom sent
)ut-streams the light, accomplished
A
lifted
is
S
THE MADONNA DI SAN S1ST0
Her
lovely feet descend the cloudy
stair.
Great succour bringing to a world forlorn
On
either side a
A
common
Of
man and woman
rapture,
share
welcoming the dawn
God's new day, the everlasting morn
Of such
a
day
:
as shall from East to
—
West
Dispel the darkness, doing Love's behest.
He
turns a face
Enamoured of She
to the
all
radiant to the Sun,
the sight he looks upon
end of what
is
;
now begun
Downgazes, stooping, shadowed by the throne
Made by
a Maiden's arms, maternal
grown
;
THE MADONXA PI SAX
SIS TO
Than
ivory most
fair,
than purest gold,
More
pure,
more
fair,
and stronger to uphold.
On
cherubs twain,
A
spell has
whom
watching has made wise,
fallen— a prophetic dream
;
Their upward-gazing and far-seeing ey< Like stars reflected
To A
in
a tranquil stream,
look beyond the Child and Mother seem
twisted thorn-branch
Are manifest
— His
and a cross to them
throne and diadem.
High heaven open stands, and there a crowd If
worshippers with
love-lit
eyes appear,
Like stars down-gazing through a fleecy cloud,
;
THE MADONNA DI SAN SISTO
Dimly discerned
as
Spreading a radiant
g
morning draweth near upon
pall
night's bier.
blessed thing the Sign doth signify
The
They
partly know, and are
more
But
Mother
the
made
knows,
glad thereby.
more
and
she
sees
Than Her
soaring angel or than climbing saint
heart familiar
Of
own
God's
;
grown with mysteries working
under
love's
con-
straint,
The remedy
The
clouds are
The
light of
she all
life,
knows
for
man's complaint.
beneath her, and above
the radiancy of love.
THE MADONNA
io
And Is
The
He,
Whom
SAN SISTO
Lord of love and
life
we
on her bosom borne, a blossom
fair
her
veil
pentecostal breath that
Has fanned His
And
all
lifts
hail,
;
royal brow, and stirred His hair,
kissed His lips just parted for a prayer.
That spirit-wind Till
/>/
shall blow, that
Face
shall shine.
His brothers know their Father's Sign,
Dresden
:
1883.
II
BETHLEHEM A Picture
Of
by
GATE.
Dante Gabriel
Rossetti.
old through grates that closed on
Two
exiles
An Eden
is
them
went with eyes downcast
The Present now God's Eden
1
in
retrieves the Past,
Bethlehem.
that no walls enclose
By Mary's arms encompassed,
A A
living shrine, a
'
house of bread,'
very haven of repose. 1
See Note B, page 7
1
.
;
BETHLEHEM GATE
i2
Behold the Prince of Peace! around
His cradle angry tempests rage
He
An
And
needs must go on pilgrimage.
exile,
yet,
homeless and discrowned.
His Rank to designate,
The unquenched
Star of Bethlehem
Shines forth, a radiant diadem
While Angels on His footsteps
E'en
A
;
now
;
wait.
the Father's Face the}- see,
triumph-song e'en now they
And, wondering and worshippil Attend His Pilgrim-Family.
sin-,
BETHLEHEM GATE
Two
guard the frowning gateway
:
Is of a
solemn countenance
To him
a rapid backward glance
one
;
Reveals a massacre begun.
The
other, forward gazing, sees
The
glory of the age to come,
The
fruitfulness of
Of deaths
O
martyrdom,
that are nativities.
weeping mothers, dry your tears
The Mother whom Nor
An
fears,
this canvass
!
shows
nor weeps, although she knows
anguish deeper than your
fears.
i
BETHLEHEM GATE
4
She knows a comfort deeper For
By
God
all
who
fare
still
on pilgrimage
;
suffering from age to age seals the vassals of
Her Burden
His Will.
upholding her
is
;
And, guided by the Holy Dove. She sees the victory of Love-
Beyond
To
the Cross and Sepulchre.
shield her, Joseph stands:
The shadow
How Of
his
cue
of God's Providence.
fragrant
is
the frankincen
their uninterrupted prayer!
BETHLEHEM GATE
Through ever-open gates they
A
new and
living
So gain they the
A
garden
A
flight
It
is
way they true
'
press,
tread,
House of
for a wilderness.
it
seems to us
;
to
them
a going forth to win
The world from Satan and from
And
build the
Lord Christ
Thou
Bread,'
art
!
New
for
Loch Leven
:
Jerusalem.
every seeking soul
Thyself the Door, the
All, all shall find
Thy Heart
Way
one coming day
their everlasting goal
1884.
sin,
!
;
1
S.
A
6
JOSEPH.
CLOISTERED garden was
Where Mary
the place
grew, God's perfect flower
;
One, only one, discerned her grace,
And
visited her bower.
God's choice was his
To
No
;
by love made strong
guard the Mother of the King;
heart, save hers,
So sweet
had
e'er a
as his to sing.
song
S.
Yet
God's
i
on the sacred page
lives there
No
JOSEPH
record of a word from him
Ark he
;
guards, a silent sage,
Pure as the Cherubim.
But sweeter than the sweetest word
Recorded of the wise and eood. His silence
On
high,
Blessed are
Amid
is
a music heard
and understood.
all
who
take their part
the carol-singing throng
Thrice blest the meditative heart
Whose Ballachulish
silence
:
1884.
is
a song.
;
7
lS
A CRADLE SOXG.
Sing, ye winds, and sing, ye waters.
May Silence
the music of your song all
the dark forebodings
That have plagued the world too long I
Ie
who made your
Comes
Warble Lift
to right
voices tuneful
the wrong.
on, ye feathered songsters,
your praises loud and high,
;
A CRADLE SONG
Merry
lark,
19
and thrush, and blackbird,
In the grove and in the sky
Make your Till
shame our dumbness,
music,
we make
reply.
Children's laughter
is
a music
Flowing from a hidden spring,
Which, though men misdoubt Well
is
worth discovering
its
virtue,
;
Slowly dies the heart that knows not
How
to laugh
and
Hark, a cradle-song Is the
!
sing.
the Singer
Heart of God Most High
;
<
2
A CRADLE SO
All sweet voices arc the echoes
That
To
in
varied tones reply
that Voice which through the ages
Sings earth's lullaby.
Oftentimes a sleepless infant
For a season
frets
and
cries
:
All at once an unseen finger
Curtains up the
So the cradled
God
Ili>
will
little
child
e\
lie nurses
tranquillisc.
the all-enfolding Presence;
Oh, what tutelage
it
brinj
A CRADLE SONG
To
the
little
21
lives that ripen
'Neath the shelter of
its
wings
;
God's delays are no denials,
As He
waits
He
sings
!
The)- alone are seers and singers
Who
invalidate despair
the lofty hopes they cherish,
By
By By
the gallant deeds they dare,
the ceaseless aspirations
Of
a
life
of prayer.
Brothers, sisters,
May
lift
your voices,
the rapture of your song
A CRADLE SONG
Put to flight the sad misgivings
That have vexed the world too long
God would have That
LOl
II
us share the triumph
shall right the
I.AGGAN
:
1SS4.
wrong.
;
A CRADLED CHILD. (To E. A. G.)
Behold The
the world's inheritance,
!
treasure-trove of
Whereby
A
happy homes
;
the poorest hut becomes
fairy-palace of romance.
A cradle Two
the mother's shrine
lamps o'erhang
Whose
On
is
love-light
it
falls,
:
— her sweet eyes, Madonna-wise,
sleeping infancy divine.
A CRADLI'.D CHILD
The presence of
a 'hoi)- thing,'
Madonna-wise, her heart discerns,
And
like a fragrant censer burns,
O'ershadowed by an angel's wing.
1
ler
A
brooding motherhood
is
strong
trembling joy her bosom
Her thoughts
stirs,
are white-robed worshippers,
'
Magnificat'
;
is all
her song.
'Mid angels whispering 'all-hails'
The waking moment she
The opening The
lifting of
awaits,
of two pearly gates,
two silken
veils.
A CRADLED CHILD
Ah
!
what words can
then,
The
the
tell
bliss.
rapture of the fond embrace,
When
mother's lips on baby's face,
Feast and are feasted with a kiss
And who
can
tell
?
of hands and feet
The dimpled wonders, hidden charms, The dainty
curves of legs and arms,
So sweet and
This
is
The
soft,
so soft
and sweet
the world's possession treasure- trove of
Whereby
TVXTESFIELD
:
still,
wedded
hearts,
a Father's love imparts
His joy, their gladness to
1884.
?
fulfil.
26
ALL empty
A
AN EMPTY
CRADLE.
stands a
cradle-bed,
little
mother's falling tears the only sound
;
Hut not of earth her thoughts, nor underground
;
Up-gazing she discerns the Fountain-head
Of '
life
;
the living Voice she hears that said
Fear not
'
to
weeping women who had found
An empty tomb, and
Who
asked
'
Why
angels watching round,
seek the living with the dead
'
?
AN EMPTY CRADLE
So weeps our Mother Church
— her
27
tears outshine
Sun-smitten dewdrops on a summer's morn
;
God's rainbow girdles her, Hope's lovely sign,
Whereby born
she
knows
that smiles
;
Fulfilled of life herself, she
Her
children
Carlisle
:
of tears
all
18S4.
would assure
of death's discomfiture.
are
NEW God
grant through coming years and days
Our beating
The harps
Who
No
YEAR'S EVE.
hearts
may be
that celebrate
loves eternally
!
ache can be without
When Love
His praise
relief
Himself draws near;
No cup can empty Embitter God's
stand,
no grief
New Year
NEW
YEAR'S EVE
29
Time's footsteps quickly die away,
Soon emptied
We
is
his glass
wait for an oncoming
Which nevermore
Old hopes
revive,
Day
shall pass.
new hopes
The coming months
And
;
are born,
to cheer
;
phantom-fears and griefs outworn
Die with the dying year.
Oh,
all
the years and
Our waiting
all
the days
hearts shall be
Harps tremulous with His dear
Whose S. BARis' abas'
is
:
Eternity
!
December 31, 1S85.
praise
?o
THE
VICTIM.
For the Feast of the Circumcision
The
that great
When
lUood was
New in
Year's Day,
the cradle shed
Where Mary's Darling
lay.
lark, uprising with the sun.
Was The
Year's Day,
sun methinks rose rosy-red
On
The
New
:
silent
on the wing
nightingale,
;
when day was done,
Forgot her song to
sing.
THE VICTIM
A
holy silence reigned around,
Arid hushed was every voice,
When
in the crib the
The
Cross was found,
Infant- Victim's choice.
As moonbeam on The Mother's Her eyes were Gave
a mountain-mere
face
stars,
was white
;
and every tear
lustre to their light.
Methinks a blushing moon looked dowr
Upon
that manger-bed,
And wove
a mystic glory-crown
Around the
Sleeper's head.
THE VICTIM
The It
silence issui
rises
and
it
s
in
a song,
swells
;
E'en than the lark's more blithe and strong,
Sweeter than Philomel's, His Church's anthem loud and
The
Victim's triumph
tells.
loi
33
THE DAYSMAN.
IN boyhood's sorrow-shadowed days.
Which memory In
recalls to-day,
many moods and many
My
yearning heart would pray.
'T was holy ground where'er
My But
ways,
feet,
this
Christ
I
is
I
set
God's shrine was everywhere scarcely
knew
as yet
—
His FatJiers Prayer}
!
See
Note C, page
72.
D
;
THE DAYSMAN
34
God
ever seeks His children's to
Appeals
The music
them
and, rightly heard,
;
of creation
The echo
of His
is
Word.
But when the child has learnt
The echo
A
is
bliss,
his part.
an answer strong
;
prayer up-springing from the heart
That blossoms
Christ
His
is
in
the Living
a song.
Word
of God,
Poem and His Prophecy
The homeward way His Mankind must
;
Feet have trod
travel by.
THE DAYSMAN
And Is
35
every man, God's child and
priest,
pledged to ministry divine,
Who
sees the Ruler of
Turn water
Who
into wine
feast
;
hears the Father's voice above,
The
Who
life's
Spirit's
whispering within
knows the Messenger of
The Conqueror
of
Responsive to God's
;
love
sin.
call,
our Prayer
Art Thou, dear Lord, whene'er we pray
;
So always now, and everywhere,
My
heart keeps holiday.
On the Danube Feast of the
:
Holy Name, 18S3.
d
2
36
THE PHYSICIAN.
[S
life
sad for lost love's sake,
Falls a blight
upon thy
bliss,
Smiles no more their sunshine make,
Lips estranged withhold their kiss
For thy consolation take
Some
Shine on
such song as this
us,
O
Morning Star
Help our weeping eyes Never
may we deem
What
to us they
!
to sec;
things are
seem
to
be;
?
THE PHYSICIAN
Rise,
Thou Dayspring, and
Bid the shadows
Jesu,
Thou
flee
yj
afar
!
art swift to bless,
Strong to comfort, skilled to heal Failure
Woe
is
with Thee success,
the forerunner of weal
Every stroke
Every
Master,
From
i
S.
John
xi.
;
is
;
a caress,
crust a meal.
Thou
canst raise the dead
the grave, the bed, the bier,
43
;
S. Matt. ix. 25
;
S.
Luke
vii.
14.
1
THE PHYSICIAN
Souls astray, forlorn, misled, Buffeted
by doubt and
fear,
Cannot but be comforted
When Thou
drawest near.
Sweeter than the Sunday-bells Banishing
all
week-day
cares.
Thine the gracious voice that
What
tells
a Father's love prepares,
Leading to
Up
God's
Lord,
Thou
And Thy
salvation's wells
altar-stairs.
art the
song
is
Master-sing a recall
;
THE PHYSICIAN
Many on
life's
Many by But Is
Tyrol
:
1882.
Thy a
pathway
life's
39
linger,
wayside
fall,
Heart, the comfort-bringer.
Home
for all
!
4o
THE POET.
The
poet
Who
is
the child of God,
with anointed eye
Discerns a sacrament of love In earth and sea and sky,
Ami
finds himself at love's behest
Constrained to prophesy.
Love
is
Love
of loveliness the root,
is
of
life
the
spring,
THE POET
Love
Of This
is
the sole interpreter
every lovely thing is
Well
A
:
the burden of his song,
may
the poet sing
!
joy-inspired song he sings
Because
A
41
far off
he hears
whisper silencing the storm,
A
laughter through the tears,
The music
of eternity
Beyond the dying
His song
is
years.
rapture, for he sees
God's loveliness, and we,
THE POET
42
When
with his insight \vc arc blest,
Shall share his ecstasy
Oh, come the day when
As
Lord
Thou
all
Thou
art the
art the Poet true
All,
all
Whose
PlTZ
Thy works
learn shall
Ortlkr
King of Love,
vision share
to do,
have the singing heart
feet
:
sing
;
The men who would Thy Must
shall
song as he!
blithe a
Christ,
;
1882.
Thy
steps pursue
!
43
THREE
THREE
SISTERS.
1
fountains clear as crystal spring
In one secluded garden-plot
;
In shade and shelter of one cot
Three sister-doves are harbouring.
Adown one pathway hand Three Sister-Graces wend I
I
shall not
hand
their
soon forget the day
met with them
1
in
in
fairy land.
See Note D, page 74.
way
;
111 REE
44
They dawned,
A Of
know not how
or
whereby transfigured
each,
know
the
hill
of frankincense.
not whence or how, they bloomed
Each sweeter than the sweetest That
one
is
the bush
And one
still
like a rising
When dewy Morn
And
rose
the haunted garden grows
in
Where burns
And
whence
halo circling round the head
They clomb
I
I
SISTERS
is
as
unconsumed.
sun
unveils her eyes;
Minerva wise
very lily-like
is
one.
;
THREE SISTERS
And
all
are dear.
The weaving
To '
I
seem
45
to see
of a threefold cord
—
hear a softly whispered word,
Love makes a unity of
three.'
46
A CHRISTMAS PUZZLE. (For Grown-up Children.)
Children know
the things
Though they know I
know
should
That
I
know
I
know
not that they
not, should love
not
it
is
so.
Shallow waters overflow not, is
doomed
unless
it
know
grow
Flowers feebly rooted blow not,
Love
not,
grow.
not,
A CHRISTMAS PUZZLE
who
Fools
think to reap and sow not
Growing love Churls
will
who say 'We
overthrow
who
Who
;
go' and go not
Love's rebuke must undergo All
love's insignia
show
;
not,
on love themselves bestow
Love,
47
full
not,
grown, shall lay them low.
4s
FOUR EPIPHANIES?
The
Pilgrim-Kings their King have found,
The Wise Men Their royal
He
(
gives
gifts
kneel at Wisdom's shrine,
His Crib surround,
them bread and wine.
)ne Star has pointed to the Sun,
That men may see and understand
The
witness borne by
Who
holds
in
1
all
to One,
His Right Hand,
See Note E, page 77.
FOUR EPIPHANIES
Like lamps that round an All lights that shine,
Crowned
are the
all
altar burn,
worlds that be
men whose
Their King's Epiphany.
hearts discern
49
FOUR EPIPHANIES
5o
II.
THE To
Child obedient sets His face
seek His Father's House of Prayer,
With other children takes
And
Two
is
I
lis
place,
a learner there.
worlds there arc
;
the child to each
Belongs, God's prophet, born to bless
Hut not by action, nor by speech.
Simply by winsomeness.
;
FOUR EPIPHANIES
For, like the Child of Bethlehem,
Babes bring Enriching
all
their blessing
who
By being what
from
afar,
wait on them
they
are.
E 2
FOUR EPIPHANIES
III.
A VOICE Heard
from heaven spake aloud. clearly
by the Bridegroom's
When, shadowed by
He saw
the
One Voice has
all
the glory-cloud,
Dove descend.
heralded the Word,
Thai listening
What mean
friend
men may
truly
know
voices they have heard
Above, around, below
—
FOUR EPIPHANIES
55
Soft whisperings and laughters loud,
The song
of birds, the insects'
Storm-music of the thunder-cloud
And
be no longer dumb.
hum,
—
FOUR EPIPHANIES
54
IV.
That
jubilance of bridal mirth.
Cana, has not ceased
First felt at
Christ's Presence
Still
glorifies
The Ruler Still
still
regales the earth,
the feast.
of the feast of
life
with a sacramental sign
Confirms the love of
And makes
;
man and
the water wine.
wife,
FOUR EPIPHANIES
And
His the glory
When
still
lovers plight
The Church
to
revealed
and keep
Himself the Bridegroom
55
Who
their
vows
has sealed
be His Spouse.
;
56
THE CHILDREN'S EUCHARIST.
THE
children's star-crowned
The
children's 'house of bread,
Where
Jesus'
arms encircle them,
With milk and honey Such
Bethlehem,
is
the Church,
fed
:
—
whose altar-gates
Stand ever open, when
The board
To
feast
is
furnished where
the hearts of men.
He
waits
THE CHILDREN'S EUCHARIST
A
Babe (It is
And
He came His cradle
Child
who do His
He
children's voices
His praise
'
Forbid them
The words Still
To
make
will
;
trod the Temple-floor,
By Mary Mother By
still),
evermore her blessedness
Is theirs
A
one heart to bless
is
led
;
evermore
perfected.
not,'
He
said of old
so stern and sweet
believing mothers bold
gather at His Feet,
:
57
THE CHI LI) REX'S EUCHARIST
58
And
bring their babes oh, that others
(And
How
would
happy
motherhood.
their
Home
where children pray,
With milk and honey
Whose
is
Her
Of
all
The
fed,
altar-hearth burns bright alway,
Whose board Such
!)
mother-like His Heart must yearn
Who made
A
their hearts discern
;
is
richly spread :—
the Church little
;
and sweet the song
children sing,
who round His
Altar thronsr
dearest to our King.
Ballachulish
:
1SS4.
59
THE GOSPEL SONGS} I.
BENEDICTUS.
Can
priestly lips, long silenced, raise
A
strain so lofty
and so strong,
Making our matin hymn of
As
Yes
:
Of To
jubilant as evensong
?
not the lips alone, the eyes
Zacharias were unsealed,
see
To
praise
and sing the mysteries
love and penitence revealed. 1
See Note F, page 78.
THE GOSPEL SO
Go
With keen prevision of the I
[e
\
seer
sings of a redemption wrought,
Whereby, released from
Men
are to
filial
slavish fear,
freedom brought.
Three things immutable and
sure,
His promise, covenant, and oath, Reveal
God
YVhate'cr
man needs
The promise
Was
purpose, and secure
s
for life
to the fathers
seen and
at
made
known — th' Incarnate Word
The Cross His covenant His oath
and growth.
displayed,
Pentecost was heard.
;
THE GOSPEL SONGS
Well
this father's heart rejoice,
may
And
61
with prophetic rapture sing
His song a prelude
to that
'
Voice
;
'
'
Predestined to proclaim the King.
His joy a foretaste of that mirth
Which
W hen T
shall the hearts of all possess,
o'er a recreated earth
Christ's sceptre reigns in righteousness.
Of
light
he sings
For wandering Tells
how
the
for
darkened eyes,
feet the
Day spring
And shadows
flee
1
S.
way
of peace,
shall arise,
and sorrows
John
i.
23.
cease.
THE GOSPEL SONGS
62
And
the Church's children raise
still
That
strain so lofty
Which makes
As
their
and so strong.
matin
hymn
jubilant as evensong.
Loch Laggan
:
1SS4.
of praise
THE GOSPEL SONGS
65
II.
MAGNIFICAT.
Earth's
noise God's music supersedes,
Sin's discord
It
tells
And
It
tells
The
us of a of a
it
excludes,
Lamb
Dove
that bleeds,
that broods.
us of a Child
Who
brings
help that sets us free
;
The song His Maiden-Mother Of saved Humanity.
sings
THE GOSPEL SONGS
64
The Mother's and She plays
Of
;
the Sister's part
she leads the choir
those whose purity of heart
Is passionate desire.
Above
the blood-cncrimsoned sea,
Dispelling'
With her
doubt and
celestial
fear
minstrelsy,
Our Miriam doth cheer
The men whose homeward-going hearts
Are
When
loyal to their all
Then
King
;
from her have learnt
shall
creation sing
!
their parts,
THE GOSPEL SONGS
The
sweetest of the Gospel songs,
To
To
the Saints so dear,
all
every eventide belongs
Throughout the changeful
sanctifies the vesper
It
When summer It
Ecstatic
That
Pinzoi.o
hour
smiles serene
;
winter blasts are keen.
soul doth
My
'
year.
a joy-constraining power
is
When
1
65
the voice
sings of Paradise restored—
My :
is
magnify the Lord
spirit
18S2.
doth rejoice
' !
'-
THE GOSPEL SONGS
III.
M 1
<
>
NC DIMITTIS.
cradle Mary's Child his heart
An
old
man opens wide
Behold him
And
in
in
God's peace depart,
God's peace abide
lie sings the very
Song
Responsive to the llis
:
of Peace,
Word
;
lullaby shall never (rase
To make
its
music heard
THE GOSPEL SONGS
For
the children of the Bride,
all
The
67
subjects of the King,
With each returning eventide 1
Have
He
learnt his
sings of
song to
sing.
peace,'
'
'
'
'
salvation,'
light
:
His lovely words we take
For consolation night by night, Until God's morning break.
Then, when our dazzled eyes grow dim, Breathed with our parting breath
The
old man's sweet, heart-soothing
Glad welcome gives
hymn
to death.
1-
2
THE GOSPEL SONGS
too what Simeon saw
We
The Mother (
undefined,
)ur hearts enfold
The
Tyrol
:
as blissfully
Everlasting Child
18S2.
may
!
see
NOTES.
Note
A.
The Madonna di San
Sisto.
world-famous picture of the Mother and her Divine
Raffaelle"s
Child in the Gallery at Dresden
from prints and photographs. significant beauty of
can conceive,
is
As
measure known to almost
in a
all
to the colour of the picture, the
which none who have not seen the
original
should be remembered that the parted curtains are
it
Mother comes forth, as green (the earth-colour), and the Virgin whose were, from the white bosom of a stooping heaven, distances, dimly
seen, fade
into a blue firmament peopled
it
far
with
angelic faces.
Many have
— passioned to fascination
felt
this
picture— at once so serene and so im-
be a revelation.
As we
yield
and search further and further into
that Faber's
words
justify
themselves
' :
its
ourselves
depths,
to
we
its
feel
Christian Art, rightly con-
NOTES
7o
sidered, its
is
at
once a theology and a worship
own method
of teaching,
devout discoveries,
.
Ii
Art
.
is
is
;
theology which
.1
of representation, all
varying opinions,
a merciful disclosure to
men
God which
own
its
of which are beau-
mind
of the
and a mighty power
a revelation from heaven,
brings out things in p.
own ways
so long as they are in subordination to the
tiful
.
its
own
its
Church. for
I
rod.
of Mis more hidden beauty.
lie
It
too deep for words.' {Bethlehem,
240.) It
was a
satisfaction to find
picture powerfully endorsed
reading of this incomparable
by one who, more perhaps than any
made good
living writer, has
my
his claim
ritual
old.
I
bringing forth
kingdom,
regarded with the
to be
reverence that belongs to a scribe instructed
the things of the
in
from his treasure things new and
quote the following passage from Canon Westcott's weighty
contribution to the discussion of a subject second to none in interest
and importance— The Relation of Christianity '
Madonna
di
San
Sisto Raffaelle has rendered th
motherhood and Divine Sonship in
ion
of
in
the
the
individual face
of
him too the curtain fellowship of earth
is
with
35 s -)
intelligible
the
;
to
he
look
feels
heaven and of heaven
meaning of
forms.
intense,
beholder
drawn aside
f
The tremulous
Mother, the
the attendant Saints
of this double P-
in
figures.
the
the Child, constrain
lerstands the
Art:' 'In
to
communion.
'
I
the
»ivine
No
one
fulness of
far-reaching
beyond.
that
there
with earth,
who
I
is
01
a
and
express the
{Epistles of S. John,
NOTES
only add some beautiful words of Mrs. Jameson, which
I will
had not seen when
also
I
seen
my own
Raffaelle
ideal once,
— inspired
before
space
71
Madonna
di
woman — at
if
verses
my
were written
and only once, attained
ever painter was inspired
him
that
San
Sisto
wonderful ;
for
creation
she
there
where
there,
which we
— the
have
I
— projected
stands
once completely human and
:
' :
on the
style
the
transfigured
completely divine, an
abstraction of power, purity, and love, poised on the empurpled
and requiring no other support
air,
loving mouth,
choly,
looking out with her melan-
;
her slightly dilated,
sibylline
eyes,
through the universe, to the end and consummation of sad, as
if
she beheld afar off the visionary sword that
her heart through
Him, now
resting as enthroned
yet already exalted through the tions
who were
Madonna
:
to
salute
homage of
her
as
the
Blessed.'
all
was
quite
things
;
to reach
on that heart
:
redeemed genera{Legends
of
tin
Introduction, p. 44.)
Note
B.
Bethlehem Gate. I
extract
pictures
the following from
by Rossetti exhibited
some unpublished notes on the at
Burlington House two
years
NOTES '
ago
:
parable.
'•
Bethlehem Gate
On
the world, in
the
whose
enacted, since life
left
God's
"
is
name
the
cruel habitations the
On
of a lovely
little
pictured
see the massacre of innocents, representing
all sin is in
into jeopardy.
forth
we
same outrage
the right the Heavenly
elect children, the
the land of righteousness.
is
ever being
truth the sin of blood-guiltiness, bringing
Dove
Holy Family, the
is
seen leading
infant
The Maiden-Mother,
Church, to
with the Divine
Innocent enthroned on her bosom, attended and protected by a
backward looking and a forward-looking angel, and escorted by S.
Joseph, passes the gate of the City of David.
her feet is
becomes the holy
land.
Thus with
1
the Church's pilgrimage through
all
the world,
Kgypt beneath ceremonial
fitting
through
the ages,
inaugurated.'
Note
C.
The Day swan.
'The Word became Flesh and tabernacled among the
supreme and august Verity which dominates
the children of the
Kingdom.
all
us'
that
is
the though!
Their eyes are fixed on the Life
that the Scripture-record contains
rather than on the record
See Isaiah xix. 19-25.
itself.
NOTES To them discern
the
Word Himself which
in
indeed
are
and growth of the
life
for
is
it
embodied, and the Mystery,
is
Flesh
all-revealing,
is
ble to man.
By
man God's
He
is
this language,
In
thought.
the
Prayer both of
a living, abid-
That Word, eternally
made
common
God became man's
of
thought
is
of God, was in the Incarnation uttered (so
another language, and
in
to speak)
Sacrament.
all-sufficing
Whose Manhood
a Divine Person,
Mouth
upon the
characters
the one all-comprehending
and
ever-energising Mediatorial Agency.
uttered by the
on*;
spiritual
no unwritten
truth
in
is
by the Holy Ghost Himself, the Finger all things are Divine words variously
Word made
the eternal,
That Word ing,
pupils
It
in
inscribed
fleshy tables of the heart
To His
Spirit-
consciousness of the real Presence of Christ
her and in her Scriptures alike.
of God.
but Christ the
reading them by the light of the great Tradition
;
Church— the
Tradition,
because they
living,
words about Christ,
not certain
and grows with the
lives
bearing
God
of
oracles
therein
73
God and man,
and
the Mediating
Him,
Atonement.
thought,
audible and intelligito
And
the thought
Word, they
being the Word,
God and man, whose
expression
is
He
the of
are at is
the
the enduring
evidence of that Atonement, the ceaseless occupation and satisfaction of those is
not
a
who
in
Him
mediator of one, but
ment of the Christianity
mystery the
;
and
Psalmist
'
are atoned and united.
of
God this
is
one,'
is
S.
A
mediator
Paul's state-
characteristic doctrine
of
had already caught a glimpse when,
NOTES
in
exercise
the
a
of
prophetical
gift,
ks
I
Christ
"I
as
Prayer.* It is iol
needless to aiKl that the sanctuary of the Eucharist
which
in
this truth
is
the
most eloquently taught and effectually
is
learnt.
Mote
1
>.
Three Sisters.
The its
first
it
:
stories
difficull to
are (I) 'Is
The two
true? 'and (2)
Questioned as
difficull
my
to '
without hesitation,
more
of those
then
P aim
'What dues
it
poem,
cix. 4
:
I
am
.
ihey
who of
i
it
tell
them
mean?'
reply to
musl say
the
first
question
But the second question
:
is
insisted
—
more wonderful than anything
is
pray< r" is
it
however, an answer
If,
I
I
true.'
is all
what
no end;
story has
question
questions which recur most frequently
to deal with. is
many
for
little
Yes,
on, something like this
God's
the sake
for
children no less than
to
sing
must be prepared
answer. it
retained
\\h>>
—
Those who
is
is
appearance,
wi [corned
them
poem on
following interpretation, which accompanied the
I
trail
latton.
K w.
A'OTES
wonderland can show
lovelier than the loveliest thing said or
;
of fairyland.
The Gospel and
and with
our
garden
this
— paradise
poem
little
regained
observable in
unity,
75
all
—a
sung
the Creed are a part of that story
concerned.
is
renewed earth, wherein a testifies
things,
of
;
speaks of God's
It
trinity in
a shadow cast
Him,
from above.
we take
Shall
Verse
the verses in order
one
altar-throne) feed
below,
is
garden, of
and
to
say,
from
seen
the whole earth,
God's
That garden contains the
fertilised.
tree
wherein three doves have one nest.
life,
Verse itself,
encircled
strange
river
this
from beneath one
issue forth
river (which,
and by
four-fold),
is
?
Three fountains (which
I.
But the
2.
when taken
fuller revelation
looking
at
relations,
daughter, spouse, mother
phenomenal
existence.
Verse
Out of
3.
is
elect
lady,
from one point of view, looking
is
essential characteristics,
place of meeting, that
The
fellowship with God.
into
representative of humanity,
fundamental
comes out of human nature
hope,
faith,
dawning consciousness,
this fairyland
humanity
is
;
and is
at
from another, love.
The
the fairyland of
led
forward and
upward by the path of sacrifice, until the summit of the crosscrowned mountain of light
which, like
from within.
life is
that
gained
;
and
all
heads are aureoled by a
of the Transfiguration,
This cannot be
till
we have
dawns and deepens
ceased to be self-centred,
and have become Christ-centred. Verse
4.
All growth
is
very secret and mysterious, part of the
NOTES
76
mystery of
The development
life.
indicated in the
narrative of creation;
vegetation, sunshine befon
nation
all is
of humanity follows the ordei
recovered
;
must come before
light
In the garden of the Incar-
Rowers.
the wilderness blossoms as a rose, and the
poor bush of the desert becomes a garden-tree,
a plant of
unconsumed because permanently enkindled with divine
Every flower
5.
an
to
beauty
a
is
after
effort
sun, and shines forth,
little
conformity
the
to
likeness
cherisher, not without the succour of gracious dews.
And by
ministers to hope.
wisdom
And
(with which
love, being
face of the
Verse
and
of a
it
is
hearts.
of
it-
sunshine
old-world homage rendered to
faith the
really one)
is
one with purity, looks
All
men,
Thus
shall
justified
and
transfigured.
at us out of the sweet white
like
these sister-graces, must join hands
be woven a threefold cord, divinely strong
and the testimony, reiterated by the
;
voice of a Divine Whisperer, realised
Its
owing
lily.
6.
and unbreakable
is
renown,
lire
life.
Verse its
the
in
all
' :
be accepted by
shall
Love makes
a
unity
of
three
still
all, '
;
small
because
and
'
Cod
lm '
ask.
Is that '
what the poem means
Yes, that
is
a little of
what
'
?
it
I
think
means
I
hear
— only a
my
questioner
little.'
NOTES
Note
77
E.
Four Epiphanies. Nothing perhaps more clearly demonstrates the Divine
Like the Creed, whose truths
and the arrangement of her year. teaches and enforces,
it
grew up gradually
embodiment of her devotional Manifestation, was one of the
commemoration embracing
six
;
He
it
outcome and
as the
The Epiphany,
life.
first
or Feast of
observed of her days of solemn
and the day came
Sunday?.
that in all that
instinct
Church than the construction of her Calendar
that resides in the
to
be prolonged into a season
She would have her children understand
did and said our Lord was manifesting forth His
— glory, and justifying His great announcement
'
am
I
the Light of
the world.'
The Four Epiphanies Scriptures appointed for
The
Sundays.
first
senting the inspired
to
which the poem
the
was made
Day
itself
to the
refers
and the
belong to the
two following
Wise Men of the
wisdom of the Gentile world
;
East, repre-
the second to
the Doctors of the Temple, representing the Bible-taught the Jews
;
Prophet-heralds of the Incarnation
;
and Bride and the wedding guests ing Humanity, of which the family type.
wisdom of
the third to the Forerunner, the last and greatest of the the fourth to the Bridegroom at is
Cana of
Galilee, represent-
the appointed and abiding
N0T1
78
The
!
Church by her methods, no
ic
l
raments, her Scriptures, and her Ci I
rotesl against the limitations
are
She
disfigured.
Ilim
Who
is
by which
merely human
all
ever bearing her impassioned witness to
'the Light that lighteth every
is
This
the world.'
than by her
less
ever maintaining her
man
Cometh
that
into
the real significance of the solemnities that
is
accompany her Epiphany observance.
Note
F.
The Gospel Songs.
The Tree roots support
blossom and
of Life
is
Babe, the Darling of
irangelists
'Lo
place.
found
it
its
God Mid for
!
we heard of
The Gospel
underwoven
the canopy of the
'The
of man.
medicine
speak of the crib as a
in tin- \\
Its
branches, overarching with
a cluster, form
many
meat, the leaf thereof I
the real Christmas Tree.
the cradle;
the
same
'
;
'
fruit
many
thereof
is
for
mindful of which the h
monger? at
that
is
a
Heavenly
1\
the feeding
(Bethlehem) Ephrata, and
ood.'
songs express the joy with which by the humble
and simple am' pure-hearted
this
l'lant
of
Renown
is
discovered
;
NOTES this
who
House is
a mother, of
prophet.
They come from an ancient who is a child,
of Bread visited.
When
79
the lips of a maiden
of a priest
who
is
a
such fountains of song are unsealed, the music
belongs rather to heaven than to earth.
LONDON SPOTTISWOODE
AND
:
PRINTED BY CO..
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AND PARLIAMENT STREET
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