his breviary, that compendium of divinely inspired poesy; or if the weather be favourable, he may be seen walking in his little orchard, where, pausing occasionally, he no doubt contemplates the last glowing tints of the setting sun, in the distant horizon, or, from meditation upon the wonders and beauties of nature he raises his heart in thanksgiving to nature's GOD!

Behold the usual occupations of the exemplary Parish Priest. At length his venerable locks become whitened by the frost of time, his hands begin to tremble at the elevation of the sacred chalice, his aged and faltering voice no longer vibrates with its wanted firmness of tone, and finally the scythe of death severs the thread which feebly held together his perishable body and immortal soul! After decease, a modest Cross marks, perchance, his resting-place near the threshold of his church. Thus ends the obscure and unenvied career of a man, whose name, perhaps, is soon forgotten by the world, but whose undying spirit is escorted by congratulating Angels to a mansion of peace in a better world! Where, all his past labours to promote the glory of God, and the welfare of mankind, shall be amply rewarded in a paradise of Light and Life everlasting.

FRAGMENTS TRANSLATED FROM THE "INFERNO" OF DANTE.

MIDWAY advanced along the weary road,
We call our life, to a lone forest's shade,
Where gloom and horror held their dread abode,
The pathway led me, wherein long had strayed
My erring steps that region to pourtray,

Within whose bound, bewildered and dismayed,
Awe-struck I stood;-yet wakes the chilling sway
Of fear, e'en such as shuddering tends on death.-
Chasing its image from my thought away,

Let loftier themes inspire my muse's breath,

Of the high marvels following-what befel

In that dread transit to my wandering soul, What slumber bound my sense, what potent spell, No words can utter,—mystery shrouds the whole.

In terror forced my footsteps to retrace

Back thro' the gloom, sudden before my eye A form appeared, at that stern mountain's base, In motionless and silent majesty.

"Have mercy, stranger," faltering begun

My accents to implore; "of mortal race
Whether thou art, or those that cannot die."
Answering, he spoke,-" Wanderer, thou viewest one
No longer burdened by the mortal chain;

Great Julius lived when first I saw the sun;
And wise Augustus held his peaceful reign,

When at Rome's shrines, to gods of wood and stone
These knees in error bowed,-mine was the lyre
Whose chords resounded to the fame of him
The goddess-born, who left the funeral pyre
Of Ilion's ruins, ere their blaze grew dim.

But thou,-why thus forsake the path whose goal

Dread knowledge, yet sublime, shall to thy sense unroll ?"

"A guide from worlds unseen, to thee I come

Whom would'st thou follow dauntless, thou may'st know The mysteries of the eternal home,

Where groans ne'er cease, and tears for ever flow;

May'st learn what pangs the guilty spirit wait,
The second death that dies not; and the woe

Of those to whom the everlasting gate

Of glory not for aye shall barred remain,
Prisoners of hope, who, in that milder state,
Patient endure the expiatorial pain.
This too shalt thou survey, but that abode,
Where midst angelic hosts the ransomed reign,
Thither, along the heaven-ascending road,
A spirit-guide more holy shall be thine;
He, the once slain, the now exalted GOD,
Forbidding those who to his law divine
Thro' ignorance rebelled, to view that seat

Whose rays effulgent thro' his mansions shine;
Blessed the eyes empowered their light to meet.

"Dismiss these earth-born fears, and let thy heart
Be nerved to high emprise, when thou shalt know
Whose bidding to fulfil is now my part;

A clime remote alike from joy and woe,
Of peace, not gladness, is my home, where late
Before my gaze a form appeared, so bright,
The star-like lustre of whose placid eye

Beamed such a smile upon me; 'twere delight,
Methought, a slave, to serve her lowlily;

Such music in her accents flowed, it seemed
An Angel's voice, as silence thus she broke:

'Bard of high gifts, whose strains on earth evoke,
Passion and feeling still, whose breast once teemed
With inspiration's fervour,-there is one,
(How dear to me, I say not) earth's weak child,
Wandering thro' error's gloomy paths alone,
No guide to lead him from that desert wild.
Him would I save e; and if to thee my prayer
Sound not unheeded, to his succour speed;

Power shall be thine and eloquence, his need
To aid, thus sooth this bosom's anxious care!

More would'st thou know,-the name on earth I bore, Was Beatrice-love's might hath brought me down From the bright courts, to tread whose shining floor Eager I re-ascend; and when the throne

Whose glory is their sun, once more this gaze

Shall meet, my lips, e'en there, shall grateful speak thy praise.""

Beneath these towers, the citadel of sorrow,

All ye
who pass must enter; endless woe
Awaits ye here; night that succeeds no morrow;
With heaven's accursed is your portion now.

By justice moved, the Architect eternal,

These dread foundations planted deep below; Wisdom, omnipotence, and love supernal,

This fabric reared, that ruin ne'er shall know;

Ere yet the dawning of Creation's day,

Nor with Creation's sun to pass away;

Ere yet was framed the earth where mortals dwell,
"ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE BID HOPE FAREWELL."

Traced in dark character, these words I read
O'er a vast portal graved; then to my guide
Turning," My heart grows chill with fear,” I said.
The Bard with tranquil voice and mien, replied,
"Be calm, be valiant, learn thee to subdue

Each rising weakness to the dust allied.
The hour is come, that opens to thy view

Death's mysteries, and the doom of that lost race,
Their spirit birth-right who have cast aside."
Then with firm grasp his hand in mine did place;
A strength-restoring look upon me cast ;—

One moment and the threshold we had past.

H.

THE ANNALS OF THE PROPAGATION OF
THE FAITH, No. XXVI.

Of all the periodical publications devoted to the object of giving Catholic instruction, or intelligence, there is not, nor ever shall be, one, to be at all compared, in point of interest and edification, with the simple Annals of the Propagation of the Faith. Nor is this to be wondered at, for in them we continually see practical proofs of all the virtue that the Church teaches, as well as of the no less substantial proofs of increase of Christ's kingdom in every quarter of the globe. It may be urged that all know this, and are agreed on this point; all doubtless are so who have seen or read these Annals, but we are not content with taking for granted that all are already aware of the fact: and, therefore, from time to time we shall return to them, in the hopes that it may direct the attention of some into whose hands this Magazine may fall, to the fact that there is a periodical, exclusively devoted to missionary annals, which is more interesting than our own in proportion to the greatness of the object it has in view.

As a sample, we give two short extracts from the last number,-the first having relation to the rapid and steady advance of the faith in one of the states of America; the other of great interest in giving an account of the present state of Patmos, a spot so truly dear to the Chris

tian heart, in being consecrated by the presence of St. John, when he' saw those wondrously mysterious visions which he has written in the Apocalypse.

Extract of a letter from the Right Rev. Dr. Purcell, bishop of Cincinnati, to the President of the Central Council of Lyons. It is dated Cincinnati, February 10, 1843:

"Our clergy, by a special favour of the divine goodness, which always proportions the means to the number and greatness of the undertakings, has received a considerable increase. At present it is composed of fifty Priests, of whom nine are Americans, twelve Germans, eleven French, ten Irish, four Italians, three Belgians, and a Spaniard. This diversity of nations is no obstacle to the charity that unites us. It was particularly apparent at the last ecclesiastical retreat, at which our generous fellow-labourers assembled in the shade of the Sanctuary, to repose themselves from their apostolic fatigues, and to draw at the source of religion new strength to run on with more vigour in their glorious course.

"This circumstance was, for our clergy, and for the faithful of our dearly beloved city, a sowing of benedictions; the divine word, poured into hearts so well prepared by the Rev. Father Timon, of the Congregation of St. Vincent of Paul, has produced abundant fruits; and the man of GoD, who, during several days, announced with so much zeal the great truths of salvation, could not behold without emotion the pious multitude attend with assiduity to his eloquent instructions. May God grant that this land of America may produce a considerable number of evangelical labourers, who may unite, like this missionary, a profound knowledge to the most tender piety, and whose holy life may present a bright mirror of the virtnes of the Apostle. This memorable retreat was followed by a Synod, an important meeting, in which the HOLY GHOST, I would say, discovered to us what are the urgent measures to be taken for the embellishment of the great edifice of His Church confided to

our care.

"Our college, which is already composed of twelve students in theology, has just been placed under the wise direction of the Congregation of St. Vincent. This is a new blessing bestowed from heaven upon my diocese. Let us hope that, in such able hands, this tender shoot will take a rapid and happy development.

under the direction of Jesuits, There, about one hundred and Protestants, apply themselves to

"The college of Saint Francis Xavier, prospers and corresponds with all our hopes. fifty youths, of whom more than the half are all the branches of a good education, and are instructed in the different sciences necessary for the important functions which their talents and the advantageous position of their family will call them one day to fill. But this is only a secondary object; the fathers of the college do not forget that their teaching is an Apostleship, and that their first obligation is to form these young hearts to