CHARLES the GREAT



His life, according to Einhard, and according to a monk of St. Gall.

Sequence for the Feast:

Urbs Aquensis urbs regalis
Regni sedes principalis
Prima regum curia.
Regi regum pange laudes
Que de magni Regis gaudes
Caroli memoria.

Iste coetus psallat laetus,
Psallat chorus hic sonorus
Vocali concordia.
Ac dum manus operatur
Bonum quod cor meditatur,
Dulcis est psalmodia.

Hac in die, die festa
Magni regis, magna gesta
Recolat Ecclesia.
Reges terre et omnes populi
Omnes plaudant simul ac singuli
Celebri laetitia.

Hic est Christi miles fortis,
Hic invicte dux cohortis
Ducum sternit milia.
Terram purgit lolio
Atque metit gladio
Ex messe zizania.

Hic est magnus imperator,
Boni fructus bonus sator
Et prudens agricola.
Infideles hic convertit,
Phana deos hic evertit
Et confringit ydola.

Hic superbos domat reges,
Hic regnare sacras leges
Facit cum iustitia.
Quam tuetur eo fine
Ud et iustus sed nec sine
Sit misericordia.

Oleo laetitiae
Unctus dono gratiae
Caeteris prae regibus.
Cum corona gloriae,
Majestatis regiae
Insignitur fascibus.

O rex mundi triumphator,
Jhesu Christi conregnator,
Sis pro nobis exorator,
Sancte pater Carole.
Emundati a peccatis
Ut in regno claritatis
Nos plebs tua cum beatis
Caelis simus incole.

Stella maris, o Maria,
Mundi salus, vitae via,
Vacillantum rege gressus,
Et ad Regem des accessus
In perenni gloria.
Christe, splendor Dei Patris
Incorrupte fili matris
Per hunc sanctum, cuius festa
Celebramus, nobis praesta
Sempiterna gaudia. Amen.

Englished by Dom Laurence Shepherd:

O city of Aix! City of royalty I seat of princely power, and favourite court of kings!

O thou that so joyously celebratest the memory of King Charles the Great, sing thy praises to the King of kings.

Let this glad assembly give forth its hymns, and this sweet choir of music sing as with one voice of praise.

O sweet the psalmody, when the hand achieves the holy meditation of the heart!

On this festive day, let the Church proclaim the great deeds of the great King.

Let the kings of the earth and the people, let all and each, praise him with a holiday of joy.

This is the brave soldier of Christ, the leader of the invincible army, and he prostrates his enemies by tens of thousands.

He weeds the earth of its cockle, and with his sword cleanses the harvest from the tares.

This is the great Emperor, the good sower of the good seed, the prudent husbandman.

He converts infidels, he overthrows the temples, and the false gods, and breaks the idols.

He subdues haughty kings, he establishes the reign of holy laws and justice.

He defends the right, for he loves justice; but he tempers justice by mercy.

He is anointed with the oil of gladness, and with grace, above all other kings.

He wears the crown of glory, he is decked with all the emblems of kingly majesty.

O King that didst triumph over the world! O King that now reignest with Christ! O Charles! O sainted father! pray for us,

That we thy people, being cleansed from our sins, may be made fellow-citizens with the blessed in the kingdom of heaven.

O Mary! Star of the Sea! that didst give to the world its Saviour and its Life! guide our faltering steps, and lend us to Jesus our King, in everlasting bliss.

O Jesus! Brightness of the Eternal Father! Son of the Virgin-Mother! we beseech thee, by the merits of the Saint whose Feast we celebrate, grant us to come to everlasting joy. Amen.

SHEELA-NA-GIG



Ina May Gaskin:

Historians and archaeologists have long been fascinated about the meaning of the sheela-na-gig figures of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, England and other parts of Europe... My idea is that this figure was probably meant to reassure young women about the capabilities of their bodies in birth. Ellen Prendergast, in an article written for an Irish historical journal, remarked: After a lifetime's awareness of such figures I am convinced their significance lies in the sphere of fertility, and that what is depicted... is the act of giving birth.

Whether Ms. Prendergast and I are right or not, I can testify that a sheela-na-gig figure can be a great help at birth. As you can see, the vulva of the crouching figure is open enough to accommodate her own head. Such a sight is quite encouraging to a woman in labor.

[Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin. Bantam Books: New York, 2003]

VELENJE PANELS

National Gallery of Slovenia:

The panels are a remnant of the wings of a Late Gothic altar of the Holy Cross. In the central part of the altar was a painted, or more probably a sculpted group of the Crucifixion: on the inner (festive) side of the wings were scenes of Christ’s suffering, two of which are in the Narodna Galerija in Ljubljana, and two in Vienna. That these are really the festive sides is indicated by the gold background. On the working-day, outer side of the wings were scenes of the Finding of the Cross, of which only two are preserved in the Narodna Galerija, while the scene of the unearthing and the recognition of the True Cross (when touched by the Cross, a dead man rises again) and perhaps also the fourth scene, of the entry into Jerusalem of the emperor Heraclius with the Cross, which he had torn from the hands of the Persians, are missing. The panels, which were once painted on both sides, were later sawn up so as to make two out of one; the external pictures of the Viennese panels, with the legend of Saint Helen, have unfortunately been lost. Furthermore, all the panels were painted over a number of times.

In the first panel below, Pontius Pilate has the visage of Vlad the Impaler.

CONVERSION of ST. PAUL



Its significance, explained in the Golden Legend of James of Voragine, as Englished by William Caxton.

Sequence by Adam of St. Victor:



Jubilemus Salvatori
Qui spem dedit peccatori
Consequendi veniam,
Quando Saulum increpavit
Et conversum revocavit
Ad matrem Ecclesiam.

Saulus, caedis et minarum
Spirans adhuc cruentarum
In Christi discipulos,
Impetravit ut ligaret;
Et ligatos cruciaret,
Crucifixi famulos.

Quem in via Christus stravit,
Increpatum excaecavit
Lucis suae radio;
Qui consurgens de arena,
Manu tractus aliena,
Clauditur hospitio.

Flet, jejunat, orat, credit,
Baptizatur; lumen redit
In Paulum convertitur
Saulus praedo nostri gregis;
Paulus praeco nostra legis
Sic in Paulum vertitur.

Ergo, Paule, doctor gentis,
Vas electum, nostrae mentis
Tenebras illumina,
Et per tuam nobis precem
Praesta vitam, atque necem
Aeternam elimina. Amen.

Englished by Digby S. Wrangham:

Let us joy, that Saviour praising,
Hope in sinners' bosoms raising,
That they pardon will obtain.
When He Saul severely chided,
And, converted, called and guided
Back to Mother-Church again.

Saul, still threats and slaughter breathing,
With blood-thirsty purpose seething,
'Gainst the Lord's disciples tried,
Powers obtained for apprehending,
And, when bound, with torture rending
Those who served the Crucified.

As he journeyed, Jesus struck him
To the earth, and, to rebuke him,
With His radiance made him blind;
Till, once more his feet regaining.
He, a guiding hand obtaining.
In a lodging is confined.

He laments, fasts, prays, believeth,
Is baptized, his sight receiveth;
Changed to Paul that Saul became
Who had been our flock's oppressor;
Paul, henceforth our law's professor.
Into Paul thus changed his name.

Therefore, Paul, the Gentiles' teacher!
Chosen vessel! as our preacher,
Light on our dark hearts outpour;
And, for us thy prayers employing,
Life for us obtain, destroying
Death that lasteth evermore! Amen.

TAPESTRY of the TROJAN WAR

GEESE BOOK



Arizona State University:

A book of liturgical chants, illustrated with geese, foxes, bears, dogs and cats, sounds like a Dr. Seuss creation – but the Geese Book actually is a 500-year-old liturgical manuscript that once was used in Nuremberg, Germany...

[ASU professor Corine] Schleif discovered the Geese Book when she was a doctoral student...

The book was created by artists and craftsmen in Nuremberg to preserve the complete liturgy used in the parish of St. Lorenz, as it was sung by the choir of young adults and schoolboys. The book survived World War II and came came into the hands of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, whose founders trace their roots back to a patrician family in Nuremberg. The Kress Foundation helped the church rebuild after Nuremberg was bombed. In return, the church presented the Geese Book to the foundation.

Eventually, the foundation gave the two-volume book to the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York – where, at 30 inches by 50 inches, it is the largest book in the library’s collection. But it had to be large; when it was used in the church five centuries ago, the St. Lorenz choir members had to share it...

It is known that the cleric Friedrich Rosendorn was responsible for the writing, and it is thought that Jakob Elsner painted the incredibly detailed illustrations, but scholars can only guess at the meaning of the whimsical drawings.

The book takes its name from an enigmatic, self-referential, bas-de-page illustration that shows a choir of geese and a fox singing from a large chant manuscript with a wolf as their choirmaster, Schleif says.

The website for the scholarly project.

A compact disk recording some of the music.

ST. VINCENT of SARAGOSSA



His life, according to the Golden Legend of James of Voragine, as Englished by William Caxton.

Sequence by Adam of St. Victor:

Ecce dies praeoptata,
Dies felix, dies grata,
Dies digna gaudio.
Nos hanc diem veneremur,
Et pugnantem admiremur
Christum in Vincentio.

Ortu, fide, sanctitate,
Sensu, verbo, dignitate
Clarus et officio,
Hie arcem diaconi,
Sub patris Valerii
Regebat imperio.

Linguae praesul impeditae
Deo vacat, et levitae
Verbi dat officia:
Cujus linguam sermo rectus,
Duplex quoque simplex pectus
Exornat scientia.

Dumque fidem docet suam
Plebem Caesaraugustanam,

Comitante gratia,
Saevit in Ecclesiam,
Zelans idolatriam,
Praesidis invidia.

Post auditam fidei constantiam,
Jubet ambos pertrahi Valentiam
Sub catenis.
Nee juveni parcitur egregio,
Nee aetas attenditur ab impio
Saneti senis.

Fessos ex itinere,
Presses ferri pondere,
Tetro claudit carcere,
Negans victualia.
Sic pro posse nocuit,
Nee pro voto potuit,
Quia suos aluit
Christi providentia.

Seniorem relegat exsilio,
Juniorem reservat supplicio
Praeses acerbiori.
Equuleum perpessus et ungulam,
Vincentius conscendit craticulam
Spiritu fortiori.

Dum torretur, non terretur;
Christum magis confitetur,
Nec tyrannum reveretur
In ejus praesentia:
Ardet vultus inhumanus,
Haeret lingua, tremit manus,
Nec se capit Datianus
Prae cordis insania.

Inde specu martyr retruditur,
Et testulis fixus illiditur:
Multa tamen hic luce fruitur,
Ab angelis visitatus.
In lectulo tandem repositus,
Ad superos transit emeritus;
Sicque suo triumphans spiritus
Est Principi praesentatus.

Non communi sinit jure
Virum tradi sepulturae:
Legi simul et naturae
Vim facit malitia.
In defunctum judex saevit:
Hinc defuncto laus accrevit.
Nam, quo vesci consuevit,
Reformidat bestia.

En cadaver inhumatum
Corvus servat illibatum,
Sicque sua sceleratum
Frustratur intentio.
At profanus
Datianus
Quod consumi.
Nequit humi
Vult abscondi
Sub profundi
Gurgitis silentio.

Nec tenetur a molari,
Nec celari potest mari,
Quem nec laude singulari
Venerari voto pari
Satagit ecclesia.
Ustulatum corpus igne
Terra, mari fit insigne.
Nobis, Jesu, da benigne
Ut cum sanctis te condigne
Laudemus in patria ! Amen.  Englished by Digby S. Wrangham:

See the longed-for day arriving!
Happy day, day pleasure giving!
Day in which we should delight!
Let us keep this day then holy,
On it Christ admiring truly,
As He doth in Vincent fight.
For his birth, self-consecration,
Feeling, faith, speech, lofty station.
And his office eminent.
Under the paternal sway
Of Valerius his day
Of diaconate was spent.

Slow of speech, the bishop giveth
All his time to God, and leaveth
Preaching to the deacon's share:
Wreathed his words are with uprightness,
And his single mind with brightness.
Bred of double learning, fair.

When the truth that he believeth
Sarragossa's crowd receiveth
From his lips through present grace,
Then the prefect's enmity,
Zealous for idolatry,
Fiercely would the church abase.

When their constant faith he learns, that never flagged,
To Valentia both in fetters to be dragged
Doth he direct.
Neither doth the wretch that noble young man spare,
Neither to the holy bishop's age doth care
To pay respect.

These men, tired with travel-pains,
Weighed down 'neath a weight of chains,
In a foul jail he detains,
And all food to them denies.
Though to hurt them he is fain,
Yet his wishes are in vain.
Since Christ's bounty doth maintain
His own servants with supplies.

To exile by him is the old man sent.
The younger one meanwhile for punishment
The prefect keeps still graver.
What time his pain by claw and horse-rack ends,
Vincent at once the gridiron ascends
With spirit braced and braver.

As he burneth, fears he spurneth;
Even more to Christ he turneth,
Nor, though present he discerneth
The dread tyrant, for him cares:
Datian's cruel visage gloweth,
Tongue and hand each useless groweth,
Till, such furious rage he showeth,
He beside himself appears.

Into a cave then is the martyr thrown,
And, there confined, flung down on potsherds prone;
Still he enjoys much light unto him shown,
When angels bright to him appear.
At length, upon a pallet rudely cast.
He passes thence to heaven, his labours past;
And, thus triumphant, his brave soul at last
Is to his Prince presented there.

Datian no such grave alloweth,
As man's common law bestoweth:
Violence his malice doeth
To what law and nature say.
'Gainst the dead the fierce judge burneth,
But more glory for him earneth,
For the very wild beast turneth,
Awe-struck, from its wonted prey.

Lo! untouched, a raven, flying,
Keeps the corpse, unburied lying,
And, a monstrous scheme thus trying,
Datian faileth utterly.
But, unholy
Heathen's folly!
What earth would not,
What earth could not,
Waste, is hurried
To be buried
In the silent depths of sea.

Millstone's weight can hold him never,
Ocean must her dead deliver.
Whom the church would now endeavour
With one voice of praise for ever
To revere especially.
For his corpse, reduced to cinder,
Fire, earth, sea, illustrious render!
Jesu! grant in mercy tender
We and all saints may Thy splendour.
Duly praise at home with Thee! Amen.

ST. AGNES



Her life, according to the Golden Legend of James of Voragine, as Englished by William Caxton.

Sequence by Adam of St. Victor:

Animemur ad agonem,
Recolentes passionem
Gloriosae virginis:
Contrectantes sacrum florem,
Respiremus ad odorem
Respersae dulcedinis.

Pulchra, prudens et illustris,
Jam duobus Agnes lustris
Addebat triennium:
Proles amat hanc praefecti,
Sed ad ejus virgo flecti
Respuit arbitrium,

Mira vis fidei,
Mira virginitas,
Mira virginei
Cordis integritas!
Sic Dei Filius,
Nutu mirabili,
Se mirabilius
Prodit in fragili.

Languet amans, cubat lecto,
Languor notus fit praefecto;
Maturat remedia.
Offert multa, spondet plura,
Periturus peritura,
Sed vilescunt omnia.

Nudam prostituit
Praeses flagitiis,
Quam Christus induit
Comarum fimbriis
Stolaque coelesti.
Coelestis nuntius
Assistit propius;
Cella libidinis
Fit locus luminis:
Turbantur incesti.

Caecus amans indignatur,
Et irrumpens praefocatur
A maligno spiritu.
Luget pater, lugent cuncti,
Roma flevit pro defuncti
Juvenis interitu.

Suscitatur ab Agnete;
Turba fremit indiscrete;
Rogum parant virgini:
Rogus ardens reos urit,
In furentes flamma furit,
Dans honorem numini.

Grates agens Salvatori,
Guttur offert haec lictori;
Nec ad horam timet mori,
Puritatis conscia.
Agnes, Agni salutaris
Stans ad dextram gloriaris,
Et parentes consolaris,
Invitans ad gaudia.

Ne te flerent ut defunctam,
Jam coelesti Sponso junctam,
His, sub agni forma, suam
Revelavit atque tuam
Virginalem gloriam;
Nos ab Agno salutari
Non permitte separari,
Cui te totam consecrasti,
Cujus ope tu curasti
Nobilem Constantiam.

Vas electum, vas honoris,
Incorrupti flos odoris,
Angelorum grata choris,
Honestatis et pudoris
Forman praebes saeculo.
Palma fruens triumphali,
Flore vernans virginali,
Nos indignos speciali,
Fac sanctorum generali
Vel subscribi titulo. Amen.

Englished by Digby S. Wrangham:

As we tell once more the fashion
Of this glorious virgin's passion,
Be we kindled to the fight:
As we touch the sacred flower,
Let us breathe the scents that shower
From its sweetness' full delight!

Beautiful and wise and noble,
Agnes now had to the double
Of five years an added three:
Much the prefect's first-born loves her,
But to maiden scorn he moves her.
Not submission to his plea.

Wonderful power of faith,
Wondrous virginity,
Wonderful virtue hath
Virgin hearts' constancy!
So did the Son of God
Come of His wondrous will,
And in frail flesh abode;
Which is more wondrous still!

Sick, to bed the lover goeth:
When the cause the prefect knoweth,
Quickly seeks he for a cure:
Much now, vowing more, he proffers, -
Short-lived offerer, short-lived offers! -
But his gifts are all too poor.

Her doth the prefect, bare,
To outrage vile expose,
But a thick fringe of hair
Christ round her body throws,
And a robe heaven-whitened.
One of the angel-race
Beside her takes his place;
The den of lust that night
Becomes the abode of light,
And the lewd are frightened.

Her blind lover, most indignant,
Rushes in, and a malignant
Spirit robs him of life-breath.
Weeps his father, all are crying,
Rome bewailed a young man dying
By so terrible a death.

He is raised by Agnes' pleading;
But the crowd, - blind rage misleading! -
For the maid prepare the stake:
Its bright blaze the guilty burneth;
'Gainst the fierce the fierce flame turneth
For the Most High's honour's sake.

To the Saviour thanks she proffers,
To the lictor her throat offers;
Neither fears she when she suffers,
Conscious of her purity.
Agnes! thou, thy crown receiving,
At the saving Lamb's side living,
Comfort to thy parents giving,
Bidd'st them mount to joys on high!

Lest they mourn, as dead and buried.
One, to Spouse divine now married,
In a lamb's shape, Christ the story
Of His own and of thy glory
Set before them, spotless maid!
Suffer not our separation
From that Lamb, our One salvation;
Unto Whom devoted wholly,
Thou didst noble Constance throughly
Heal of sickness by His aid.

Vessel, glorious and elected!
Flower, with scent by naught affected!
By the angelic choirs respected!
Thou art as the type erected
Of a maiden's spotless fame.
Off the palm of victory bearing,
Still thy virgin blossom wearing,
Grant we may, unfit appearing
For a special title, share in,
With the saints, their general name! Amen.

PHOEBE ANNA TRAQUAIR: SONNETS from the PORTUGUESE

Phoebe Anna Traquair's greatest work as a manuscript illuminator was an edition of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese, completed in 1897. Images of every sonnet can be seen on this web page at the National Library of Scotland. The first five are shown below:

ST. SEBASTIAN



His life, according to the Golden Legend of James of Voragine, as Englished by William Caxton.