old, The Arc of the Covenant, The Gate of Heaven, The Refuge of
Sinners, The Queen of Angels, the Queen of all Saints. [Vern. ccxxxix.]

In examining the case of the invocation of saints, we placed under this
head, as the safer course, a kind of invocation which seemed to
vacillate between this appeal to them merely for intercession, and the
last consummation of all, direct prayer to them for blessings. We
exemplified it by the hymn to St. Stephen. The following seems very much
of the same character, addressed to the Virgin:--

"Hail, O Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, sweetness, and hope,
Hail! To thee we cry, banished sons {338} of Eve. To thee we
sigh, groaning and weeping in this valley of tears. Come then,
our Advocate, turn those compassionate eyes of thine on us, and
after this exile show to us Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy
womb. O merciful! O pious! O sweet Virgin Mary! [Salve, Regina,
Mater Misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te
clamamus exules filii Evae. Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes
in hac lachrymarum valle. Eja ergo Advocata nostra, illos tuos
misericordes oculos ad nos converte, et Jesum benedictum fructum
ventris tui nobis post hoc exilium ostende. O clemens! O pia! O
dulcis Virgo Maria!]

"Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ." [Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genetrix,
ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.--AEst. 151.]

VI. Unhappily, in the appointed religious services of the Roman ritual,
we have too many examples of prayer for benefits spiritual and temporal,
addressed directly to the Virgin. It is in vain to say that all that is
meant is to ask her intercession; the people will not, cannot, do not,
regard it in that light. It is affirmed that when the Church of Rome
guides and directs her sons and daughters to pray for specific benefits
at the hands of the Virgin mother, without any mention of her prayers,
without specifying that her petitions are all that they ask; yet they
are taught only to ask for her intercession, and are not encouraged to
look for the blessings as her gift and at her hands. But, can this be
right and safe? In an act of all human acts the most solemn and holy,
can recourse be had to such refinements without great danger?

Among many others of a similar kind this invocation frequently recurs,
"Deem me worthy to praise thee, {339} O sacr