morrow she will come to you; tell her from me, that her alms and her prayers have been accepted by Him who delights in the pure oblation of a contrite heart; I command her therefore, to confess that crime which she secretly committed in her chamber-for alas! she slew her daughter. I have entreated for her, and her sin is forgiven, if she will confess it. But if she yield no attention to your words, bid her lay aside the cover upon her left hand; and on her palm, you will read the crime which she refuses to acknowledge. If she deny this also, take it off by force." When she had thus spoken, the blessed Virgin disappeared. In the morning, the queen with great humility was shrieved of all her sins-that one excepted. After she had uttered as much as she chose, the confessor. said, "Madam, and dear daughter, people are very inquisitive to know for what strange reason you constantly wear that cover upon your left hand. Let me see it, I beseech you, that I may ascertain why it is concealed, and whether the concealment be pleasing to God." The queen answered, "Sir, my hand

is diseased, and therefore, I cannot show it." Hearing this, the confessor caught hold of her arm, and notwithstanding her resistance, drew off the cover. Lady," said he, "fear not; the blessed Virgin Mary loves you; and it is she who hath commanded me to do this." When the hand was uncovered, there appeared four circles of blood. In the first circle there were four letters in the form of a C; in the second, four D's; in the third, four M's; and in the fourth, four R's. Upon the outward edge of the circles, in the manner of a seal, a blood-coloured writing was distinguishable, containing the legend beneath. First, of the letter C,-which was interpreted, "Casu cecidisti carne cæcata," [Blinded by the flesh thou hast fallen.] The letter D, "Damoni dedisti dona donata," [Thou hast given thyself for certain gifts to the devil.] The letter M," Monstrat manifestè manus maculata,” [The stain upon thy hand discovers thee.] The letter R, "Recedet rubigo, regina rogata," [When the queen is interrogated her dishonour ceases.] The lady beholding this, fell at the confessor's feet, and with many tears

meekly related her dreadful offences. Then being entirely and truly penitent, she was absolved; and a very few days afterwards, slept in the Lord. Her death was long lamented by the whole state. (10)

APPLICATION.

My beloved, the emperor, is Jesus Christ, who married a beautiful girl, that is, our human nature, when he became incarnate. But first he was betrothed to her, when the Father, speaking to the Son and Holy Ghost, said "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Our Lord had a fair child, that is to say, the soul made free from all spot by his Passion, and by virtue of baptism. That soul is slain in us by sin. Do you ask how? I will tell you. By giving ourselves up to carnal delights, whose fruit is death. The blood on the hand is sin, which tenaciously cleaves to us; as it is said, "My soul is ever in my own hands"--that is, whether it does well or ill, is as openly apparent, as if it were placed in the hands for the inspection and sentence of the Supreme Judge.

[I have omitted the greater part of this moralization as somewhat too delicate in its nature, and too complex in its construction. A second follows upon the same subject, which I have also omitted, and for the same reason.]

TALE XIV.

OF HONOURING PARENTS.

In the reign of the Emperor Dorotheus a decree was passed, that children should support their parents. There was, at that time, in the kingdom, a certain soldier, who had espoused a very fair and virtuous woman, by whom he had a son. It happened that the soldier went upon a journey, was made prisoner, and very rigidly confined. Immediately he wrote to his wife and son for ransom. The intelligence communicated great uneasiness to the former,

who wept so bitterly that she became blind. Whereupon the son said to his mother, " I will hasten to my father, and release him from prison." The mother answered, “Thou shalt not go; for thou art my only son—even the half of my soul *, and it may happen to thee as it has done to him. Hadst thou rather ransom thy absent parent than protect her who is with thee, and presses thee to her affectionate arms? Is not the possession of one thing better than the expectation of two? (11) Thou art my son as well as thy father's; and I am present, while he is absent. I conclude, therefore, that you ought by no means to forsake me though to redeem your father." The son very properly answered, Although I am thy son yet he is my father. He is abroad and surrounded by the merciless; but thou art at home, protected and cherished by loving friends. He is a captive, but thou art free-blind, indeed, but he perhaps sees not the light of heaven, and pours forth unheeded groans in the gloom of a loathsome dungeon

* "Animæ dimidium meæ." This phrase is met with frequently in these volumes, and would almost lead one to suspect that the Author was acquainted with Horace, where the line ocSee his third Ode.

curs.