oam at the mouth, let them tremble
with rage, let them shake their heads with an air of majesty, as if they
would say to the Church, "We bury you to-morrow, we write your epitaph
and chant your De Profundis; our league is mighty, our forces are
multitudinous, our weapons are powerful, our bravery is desperate."

The Catholic Church calmly answers, "I know you hate me because I am the
palladium of truth and of public and private morality; I am the root and
bond of charity and faith; I love justice and hate iniquity. But it is
for this very reason that I will remain forever; for truth and justice
being, in the end, always victorious, I will not cease to bless and to
triumph. All the works of the earth have perished; time has obliterated
them. But I remain, because Christ remains, and I will endure until I
pass from my earthly exile to my country in heaven.

"Human theories and systems have flitted across my path like birds of
night, but they have vanished; numberless sects have, like so many
waves, dashed themselves to froth against me, this rock, or, recoiling,
have been lost in the vast ocean of forgetfulness. Kingdoms and empires
that once existed in inimitable worldly grandeur are no more; dynasties
have died out, and have been replaced by others.

"Thrones and sceptres and crowns have withstood me; but, immutable, like
God, who laid my foundation, I am the firm, unshaken centre round which
the weal and woe of nations move--weal if they adhere to it--woe if they
separate from it. If the world takes from me the cross of gold, I will
bless the world with one of wood.

"Tear down my Banner of the Cross if you can! Touch a single fold of it
if you dare! Sound your battle-cry; rally your hosts--marshal your
ranks! Storm these lofty summits. They never yet have been surrendered.
The flag that waves above them has never trailed in defeat, and the
hearts that guard that flag have never flinched before the foe, and the
bravery that shoots through every film of these hearts has never
faltered. On with the conflict! Let it rage! Our line of battle reaches
back to Calvary. That line has never been broken by wildest onset! These
soldiers have never fled! We are the sons of veterans who have marched
through a campaign of eighteen hundred years--marched and never
halted--marched and always triumphed! We belong to the old Imperial
Guard of Faith! We never yet have met a Waterloo!

"I am a queen--but a warrior-queen. You will neve