Preface.

THE Blessed Virgin Mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, her unequalled sufferings, her perfect humility, and her incomparable purity on earth, her glorious assumption into Heaven, and her still more glorious reign in that happy kingdom of peace and love, have ever been among the favourite themes of the Christian poet. There may be consequently some, who, deeming the subject exhausted in a poetical point of view, would desire that a less exalted flight should have been attempted, or a less trodden track explored, so that the author might escape the imputation of presumption, and his task that of weariness. To these, he has but two remarks to make: first, that the unhappy schism which took place in this kingdom at the period of the falsely-termed Reformation, had diverted. the energies of the British poet into other

channels, leaving a void in the Christian literature of England, which it should be the fond desire of every Catholic to see filled up: secondly, that the more exalted the theme, the wider will be the field which the imagination has to range. Will any one assert that the praises of the Almighty Being who made and preserves the universe, could ever exhaust the imagination, or pall and weary the devout gleaner of whatever may be good or beautiful in thought or words? or that the labours of the Saviour of mankind could ever so exhaust expression, as that His finite creature might declare: "Thus much shall ye say of Him and no more?" Such language could never escape the mouth of a true Christian. Thought, therefore, may lavishly expend its powers, and language freely exercise itself upon the ever-glorious theme of the highest and holiest of created beings, upon the lowliest of Virgins, who was raised to be the Mother of our God, and the Queen of the angelic hosts of Heaven. The glory of the Most High, which is spread over the universe, is brightest in heaven which is the

centre of His glory, and as the Queen of Heaven* has been placed by her divine Son on his own right hand in the seat of honour, where nothing can intercept the rays

* By this expression, it is not by any means to be imagined that Catholics place the Mother of their Lord on an equality with her Divine Son: for while He is the acknowledged King of Heaven and of earth, so the greatest of created beings must ever bow in complete subjection to Him, or they merit and obtain the punishment which Lucifer and his angels have drawn upon themselves. Through the Omnipotence of God the Son, it hath pleased Him to raise His Blessed Mother-by whom He chose to enter into this world, and to take upon Him the form of manto the highest dignity which one of His creatures could attain; and as we find (in Apoc. iii. 21.) that he promise of a seat on His throne is given unto him that shall overcome even as He hath overcome, and hath sat down on His Father's throne; and again, that He tells His Apostles that they shall occupy twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, (Matt. xix. 28.) so we are authorized in using the expression of Queen of Heaven in regard to her who is undoubtedly placed upon the highest throne in His kingdom. Being aware that the expression is objected to by some, as having been used (in Jer. xliv.) for the moon, to whom the idolatrous Israelites persisted in sacrificing, I would merely say that the fury of the Lord was not kindled against His

of His countenance upon her, how glorious must be her beauty, and what homage can be too great for us to pay to her who was first chosen to bring forth into the world the Saviour of mankind, the King of heaven; and from this scene of her earthly sorrows was transplanted to a world where sorrow is no more, and seated in that heavenly kingdom next to her divine Son. Let none therefore suppose, that enough can have been said or spoken in honour of this ever-blessed Virgin; nor blame the efforts, however feeble, which a grateful heart may deem itself called upon to make, towards spreading the knowledge of the bounties. of this Queen of Heaven amongst those nations who have well-nigh extinguished her remembrance, or unto whom the sound of her praise has not yet gone forth. Though the present attempt may be found very

rebellious people for their terming the moon the queen of heaven, but for actually worshipping it as such; and the term will not appear objectionable when it is taken in its figurative sense, as conveying to the mind that the Mother of our Redeemer has been placed upon the highest seat in His kingdom.