alvation!
Let our softened soul
Ever pay to her a sweet tribute of love.
Let us join the choirs of angels
The more to celebrate her beauty;
And may our songs of praise
Resound in eternity.
O holy Virgin! O our mother!
Watch over us from fhe height of heaven;
And when from this sojourning of misery,
We present our prayers to you;
O sweet, O divine Mary!
Lend an ear to our sighs,
And after this life
Make us to taste of immortal pleasures."

[Autour des autels de Marie
Nous ses enfants, empressons-nous;
A cette Mere si cherie,
Adressons les voeux les plus doux.
Qu'une vive et sainte allegresse
Nous anime dans ce saint jour;
Il n'existe point de tristesse
Pour un coeur plein de son amour.
Ornons des fleurs ce sanctuaire,
Parons son autel revere,
Redoublons d'efforts pour lui plaire.
Que ce mois lui soi, consacre;
Que le parfume de ces couronnes
Forme un encens delicieux,
Qui s'elevant jusqu'a son trone,
Lui porte et nos coeurs et nos voeux.
Que le nom sacre de Marie
Soit pour nous un nom de salut;
Que toujours notre ame attendrie,
D'amour lui paie un doux tribut.
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
nativ