The time flew by wi' tentless heed, The sky was blue, the wind was still, I ken't her heart was a' my ain, I lock'd her in my fond embrace, But by the moon and stars so bright, I hae been blythe wi comrades dear, Corn rigs, an' Barley rigs, Spei ad forum olitorium. Martis templum Cons.-Rom. Cal. We now come to the consideration of this day among the ancient Romans. The consideration of the Temple of Mars was this day celebrated by them. But the most remarkable thing is the coincidence with the day between the Festum Spei ad forum olitorium of old Rome, and the Fides, Spes, et Charitas, the names of three female martyrs celebrated on this day among more modern Christians. Sextilis was the ancient Roman name of this month, being the sixth from March. The Emperor Augustus changed this name, and gave it his own, because in this month Caesar Augustus took possession of his first consulship, celebrated three triumphs, reduced Egypt under the power of the Roman people, and put an end to all civil wars. Many are the ancient miracles which, during the flourishing ages of the Catholic Church, are related to have been wrought on this day; but none, perhaps, are recorded on more positive testimony than the following recent miracle, which is said to have taken place on Lammas Day 1823, at the Convent of St. Joseph in Ireland. Determined not to satisfy ourselves with any vague and hearsay accounts of this either real or pretended miracle, we have selected and subjoined the authentic document from the Titular Bishop of Dublin, giving an account of it as it is recorded in the Morning Chronicle of the 24th August, 1823. The most curious circumstance in the history of these Catholic miracles, is the consistency of their nature and object, from the earliest period of Christianity to the present day, as well as the positive nature of the testimony on which they are recorded. Extract of a Pastoral Letter of Dr. Murray, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, to the Roman Catholic Clergy and Laity. Beloved Brethren in Christ Jesus,-A delightful duty has devolved upon us: it is " to reveal and to confess the works of God." With a heart at once struck with awe, and inflamed with gratitude to the " God of all consolation," we proclaim to you a new and wonderful manifestation of his goodness, which we have just had the happiness to witness. Mary Stuart, of the Convent of St. Joseph, Ranelagh, has, through the extraordinary interposition of that Omnipotent Being who "killeth and maketh alive," been restored instantaneously to health, from a state of grievous and hopeless infirmity, for the relief of which all the resources of human skill had been expended in vain. The account of this wonderful cure reached us officially on the 2d instant, in a letter from the Prioress. This communication stated, in substance, that one of the religious sisters of that community, by name Mary Stuart, had been afflicted with sickness for four years and seven months; that during that period she had frequent attacks of paralysis, each of which seemed to threaten her with immediate dissolution; that the most powerful remedies had been applied, without producing any other than partial and temporary relief; that for several months past she had been confined to her bed, wholly deprived of the power of assisting herself, or of moving out of the position in which she was laid; that when moved by her attendants, how gently soever, she not only suffered much pain, but was also liable to great danger, and to the temporary loss of speech, and that for the last five weeks she had lost the power of articulation; that up to the morning of the 1st instant she continued in this deplorable state, without any symptom of amendment, and apparently beyond the reach of human aid; that on a certain hour that morning, as had been settled by previous arrangement, she united her devotion, as did also her numerous friends, with the holy sacrifice of the mass, which was to be offered by Alexander, Prince of Hohenlohe, in the hope of obtaining immediately from God that relief which no human means could afford; that with this view she received, though with much difficulty, the divine communion at the mass, which was celebrated at the same hour in her chamber for her recovery; that, mass being ended, and no cure as yet effected, she was in the act of resigning herself with perfect submission to the will of God, when instantly she felt a power of a movement and a capability of speech; that she exclaimed with an animated voice, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!" raised herself without assistance to offer on bended knees the tribute of her gratitude to heaven; called for her attire, left that bed to which she had been for so many months as it were fastened, walked to the Convent Chapel with a firm step, and there, in the presence of the community and congregation, joined her religious sisters in the solemn thanksgiving which was offered up to God for this wonderful interposition of his goodness. Peace be to you, brethren, and charity with faith from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.-Ameu. (Signed) DANIEL MURRAY, D.D. &c. Dublin, 15th August, 1823. The above is the positive testimony of the very respectable Archbishop. A certain modern writer observes, that those who waver in opinion respecting Catholic miracles, should, after reading this statement, peruse the works of the learned St. Francis Xavier, and numerous other books on miracles, then read the positive evidence given of the miracles of St. Winifred's Well in Wales, and others of this sort. Those who examine these miracles with the mind of a devout Christian, will perhaps admit them on the high authority on which they stand, while the sceptical will know what inferences to draw respecting human testimony in general, and will redouble their doubts as to the truth of any recorded fact prima facie improbable. But we do not feel disposed to leave this interesting subject in so strange a dilemma as the above, without adverting to a mode of accounting for this and other similar cures on physical principles, which, at the same time that it allows the sceptic to doubt of the real interposition of the Deity, seems to exculpate the pious Catholic from the charge of imposture. The physical effect of strong mental emotions on the nervous system, and, through it, on the system of blood vessels, is readily admitted; whereby even local diseases originating in a morbid determination of blood to parts of the body are often cured. Such cures are vulgarly ascribed to the effects of imagination, and really consist in a certain effect produced on the nervous parts and on the circulation, by means of the imagination and other mental emotions. Several pamphlets have been written in explanation of miraculous cures, which have explained them in this way, instead of having recourse to the usual method of impeaching the veracity of the witnesses. This explanation holds good with regard to cures of diseases; but how shall we make it apply to the resurrection of dead bodies to life, to the restoration of parts of the body actually lost, to the endowment of certain persons with temporary preternatural powers? These are puzzling questions. We have pushed the subject as far as it will go; and though we might, on a first view, be inclined to admit with the physicians that the strong action of the cerebral organs of Faith, Hope, and Ideality, might so act on the body as to perform wonderful cures, yet we must deny their power to produce those miracles of a yet higher order which the catholic church can produce in every age, recorded on testimony equally positive and convincing. Let the reader who begins with this subject go through with it, and peruse, not merely a few cases of miracles which have taken place within these few years, but a numerous and consistent series of similar miraculous attestations of the sanctity of the catholic church, recorded by the Saints and Fathers from the very beginning of our era to the present time. Many of these do not relate to cures, but to Visions and Spectra of departed persons and to Dreams. Now, though Visions and Spectra may be accounted for by an effect of the imaginative faculty, yet their coincidence with future events cannot; besides, many of the miracles recorded on good authority relate to the actual resuscitation of dead persons! It might in each recorded case be worth while to inquire, how far the said persons were actually dead? and in prophetic visions,— How far the predicted event could be foreseen, and by impressing the mind strongly, become the basis of a spectral illusion? As we said before, we offer no opinion of our own, but we wish to caution our readers from forming any one hastily on the authority of the medical scribes who have written on the subject, which deserves the fullest investigation, as it involves the truth or falsehood of all miracles together. CC L See the various works on miracles; refer also to Feb. 18, May 3, and to November 3, of this our Calendar. August 2. St. Alfrida Virgin. St. Stephen Pope and Martyr. CHRONOLOGY. Battle of Chaeronea won by Philip, B. C. 338. William II. killed in New Forest in 1100. Battle of Blenheim won by Marlborough in 1704. FLORA.-China Aster Aster Chinensis is now in full blow in tolerably early years, and continues flowering till the very end of October or even longer, and contributes mainly to the ornamental appearance of our Autumn gardens: it is a native of China. A very numerous tribe of syngenesious plants are now in flower both exotics and natives of Europe. The Hieracium sylvaticum, the H. umbellatum, and others of this sort, are in flower on our banks under hedges. In gardens the Hieracium aurantiacum is in great beauty, its deep orange flowers bearing a pleasing contrast to the bright yellow of other species. The African Marigold Tagetes erecta, as well as the French Marigold Tagetes patula, are in blow, and are generally great favourites; their leaves have a very peculiar smell. Some of the solstitial plants are now fading, as the Scarlet Lychnis, &c.; but others continue to blow, and the aestival plants being just coming into perfection, afford to florists this season a rich and beautiful parterre. The hopes of the gardener are rested on fair weather now, as the continued weeping and blowing of a rainy St. Swithin, whose forty days are not yet ended, often cause terrible havoc in the flower beds at this time in wet Summers, which every now and then occur. That elegant tree the Mountain Ash is, during this and the following month, in its greatest beauty, owing to its clusters of bright red berries which are a great ornament to the gardens, and which continue till late in Autumn, when they fall or are blown down by the winds. FAUNA. The Ladybird or Ladycow is now very common. This insect, so often charged with being the cause of blights in Apple trees, is in reality the best remedy against that disease; as, both when perfect and in its larve state, it feeds entirely upon the Aphis, a genus of which the blight in question is a species; hence the Ladybird may be frequently seen in the cankered spots of Apple trees; not indeed sucking their nutritious juices, but devouring the real enemy of the future hopes of the orchard. In the Hop countries the Ladybird is not less useful, as it is well known to destroy the blight which does so much injury to that delicate plant. Let us then, instead of destroying this beautiful insect, greet our benefactor with a song: it is an address to the Ladybird, from the German, of which we have in England preserved only the second verse :— Ladybird! Ladybird! pretty one, stay, Come sit on my finger, so happy and gay, With me shall no mischief betide thee; No harm would I do thee, no foeman is here, |