The vale of tears with willing footsteps trod, Sing to the Lord! it is not shed in vain, The blood of martyrs! from its freshening rain High springs the Church like some fount-shadowing palm ; The nations crowd beneath its branching shade, Of its green leaves are kingly diadems made, And, wrapt within its deep embosoming calm, And war's tempestuous vultures fold their wings and sleep. The sound of fierce licentious sacrifice. Headless in dust the awe of nations lies; Sing to the Lord! from damp prophetic cave Mid frantic shout and dissonant music rude, In human toues are wailing victims heard; Nor fathers by the reeking altar stone Cowl their dark heads t' escape their children's dying groan. Sing to the Lord! no more the dead are laid In cold despair beneath the cypress shade, To sleep th' eternal sleep, that knows no morn : There, eager still to burst death's brazen bands, The Angel of the Resurrection stands; While, on its own immortal pinions borne, Following the Breaker of th' emprisoning tomb, Sing to the Lord! the desert rocks break out, And the thronged cities, in one gladdening shout; Lift up thine head, imperial Capitol, Proud on thy height to see the bannered cross unroll. Sing to the Lord! when time itself shall cease, Enwrap this wide and restless world of man; Eternal Vengeance waves its winnowing fan; While ages run their everlasting race, Shall all the Beatific Hosts prolong, Wide as the glory of the Lamb, the Lamb's triumphant song! 22.-MARY MAGDALEN. This day was first dedicated to the memory of St. Mary Magdalen, by King Edward VI; and in his Common Prayer, the Gospel for the day is from St. Luke, chap. vii, verse 36. Our reformers, however, upon a more strict inquiry, finding it doubtful whether this woman, mentioned in the Gospel, was really Mary Magdalen, thought it prudent to discontinue the festival. 25.-SAINT JAMES. James was surnamed the Great, either on account of his age, being esteemed older than the other James, or for some particular honour conferred upon him by our Lord. He was by birth a Galilean, and partner with Peter in fishing, from which our Lord called him to be one of his disciples: Mark i, 19, 20. Of his ardent zeal, no other proof is necessary than his becoming the victim of Herod Agrippa. The Spaniards esteem James their tutelar saint; and the lower orders of the people in London gorge themselves with oysters on this day, let them be good or bad, and the weather hot or cold: the children of these gourmands, however, are contented with the shells, with which they erect grottos, illuminated by an inch of rushlight; and to defray the expenses of this infantine celebration, they do not cease to beg halfpence of the passengers. This fete of the oysters, although it is said to come but once a year', lasts " I am inclined to believe,' says Don Leucadio Doblado, in his Letters from Spain, that the illuminated grottos of oyster shells, for which the London children beg about the streets, are the representatives of some Catholic emblem, which had its day as a substitute for for some weeks, to the great annoyance of those who pedestrianise in the streets of London in the months of August and September: a rare occupation, let us hope, for such as think with the writer,-who would as soon be caught in a thunder-storm on the top of Snowdon,-or pass a night in the Catacombs of Paris, among the skulls and bones of departed millions. 26.-SAINT ANNE. She was the mother of the Virgin Mary, and the wife of Joachim her father. Her festival is celebrated by the Latin church. Astronomical Occurrences In JULY 1823. SOLAR PHENOMENA. THE Sun enters Leo at 57 m. after 5 in the afternoon of the 23d of this month; he will also be visibly eclipsed in the morning of the 8th. This, however, will be but a very partial obscuration, as the following particulars sufficiently show: The Sun likewise rises and sets, during this month, as in the following a more classical idol. I was struck in London with the similarity of the plea which the children of both countries urge in order to obtain a halfpenny. The "it is but once a year," often reminded me of the La Cruz de Mayo que no come ni bebe en todo el ano. The Cross of May Remember pray, Which fasts a year and feasts a day.' TABLE Of the Sun's Rising and Setting for every fifth Day. July 1st, Sun rises 46 m. after 3. Sets 14 m. after 8 Equation of Time. Many occasions occur in which it is necessary to reduce apparent into true or mean time, and the contrary; and for this purpose the equation is computed, and is to be used for the present month as directed in the following TABLE Of the Equation of Time for every fifth Day. m. S. Tuesday, July 1st, to the time by the dial add 3 15 LUNAR PHENOMENA. Phases of the Moon. Last Quarter, 1st day, at 31 m. past. 1 afternoon - 8th New Moon 6 morning 1 40 3 10 at night. Total Eclipse of the Moon. The Moon will be totally eclipsed early in the morning of July 23d, when she will descend below the western horizon, involved in total obscurity, which is thus described by the poet: The silver Moon is all o'er blood, A settling crimson stains her beauteous face. The following are the particular circumstances attending this phenomenon: Digits eclipsed Whole duration of the eclipse 3h. 52 m. 14s. 18° 10' 50" from the north side of the earth's shadow. Moon's Passage over the Meridian. The Moon will pass the first meridian of this country at the following times this month, which will afford favourable opportunities for observation, if the atmosphere be clear: viz. July 2d, at 17 m. after 6 in the morning The proportional phases of this planet, at the beginning of this month, will be as follow: viz. Eclipses of Jupiter's Satellites. There will only be one eclipse of these satellites visible at the Royal Observatory this month, and that will be of the first; the emersion taking place at 5 m. 51 s. after 3 in the morning of the 19th. |