After reading this gross and blasphemous perversion of one of the most ancient and beautiful hymns of praise in the Catholic church, the reader will perhaps ask, If these dreadful blasphemies and idolatry are recognised still, and in the nineteenth century, in the Romish church? We answer, Yes. Not only are these very blasphemies sanctioned and authorised by the papal authorities at Rome, but the whole Psalter also. We have now on our table a republication of the Psalter of Bonaventure and the Te Deum in Italian, under the highest authority; and of so popular a character is this blasphemous production, that it has actually gone through eight editions in four years. The title of this work, which puts a stop to all future abjurations of Bonaventure's Psalter on the part of Anglican Papists, is as follows:

Tributo Quotidiano di affettuose preghiere et Lodi per ciascun Giorno della settimana Alla Immacolata Madre Di Dio Madre di Misericordia e Refugio de Peccatori, Maria S. S. on de godere del materno suo patrocinio in ogni di della, vita e speiralmente negli estremi Bisogni della morte tratte dalle opere Del Seraf. D. S. Bonaventura con breve e utilissimo per assistere alla S. messa e visitare la via crucis ed altre aggiunse. Roma. Vendibile nella Libreria Marini Piazza del Collegio Romano N. 4. 1836."

At the end of the work is the Papal and archiepiscopal authority thus:- REIMPRIMATUR Fr. Angelus V. Modena S. P. M. S." And also: "REIMPRIMATUR A. Piatti, Archiep. Trapez. Vicesg.”

On the cover of this extraordinary document is the following description:-"Tributo di Lodi e preghiere per ciascun giorno della settimana Alla dispensatrice di tutte le Grazie Maria Immacolata Madre Di Dio:— 'Dolce Maria speranza mia

Chi mai scordarsi potra di te ? Abbi O Regina pieta di me.' EDIZIONE VIII. ROMANA. Roma Topografia Marini 1836." With this document before us, printed under the superintendance and authority of Pope Gregory XVI., circulated in Rome in a popular shono

:

Venite, O anime devote, e selle viamo lieti il cuor nostro, o Maria, salutiamo con voci di giubilo la Vergine nostra salvezza.

Preveniamo l'aurora per presentarci al di Lei cospetto con gioja ed esaltiamone con lieti canti le glorie.

Venite, adoriamolo prostesi umilimente a suoi piedi e con lagrime di dolore chieggiamole di nostre colpe il perdono.

Ah impetrateci, o Signora, piena remissione dei nostri peccati: siate voi nostra avocata al divin tribunale.

Ricevete nel finir della vita le nostre anime e introducetele nel regno di eterna pace."

At the close of this production there are a few formulas of idolatrous worship addressed to St. Joseph. Having transferred the richest epithets of the Son of God, the supreme and inalienable attributes of the Everlasting, to a poor sinner, who, in the language of Augustine, was

her womb, his present holiness, Pope Gregory XVI., proceeds to teach his Italian subjects how they shall worship Joseph with the residue of those affections and confidence which they have reposed in the Virgin. At p. 112 we read as follows:

"Diroti Affetti sui dolori e allegrezze del Patr. S. Giuseppe ed altre orazioni.

Vi compatisco purissimo sposa di Maria, caro S. Giuseppe pel dolore che vi afflisse quando steste perplesso di abbandonare la vostra illibatissima sposa : ma ne foste subito consolato dall' angelo che vi svelo il mistero dell' incarnazione. ne lodo e benedico la SS. Trinità supplicandovi ad ottenermi ima santa vita ed una santa morte. Giuseppe all'agonia, mi assisti con Gesù, e con Maria.

Vi compatisco esemplare di ogni santità glorioso Patriarca Giuseppe pel dolore che trapassò l'anima vostra quando smarriste Gesù, ma grande fu la vostra allegrezza ritrovandolo dopo tre giorni nel tempio: ne lodo e benedico la SS. Trinità e vi supplico ad ottenermi piuttosto la morte che perdere la grazia di Dio, ma se per la mia miseria la perdessi fate che subito la ritrovi mediante una buona e santa confessione per quindi godere con voi in cielo. Gloria. Giuseppe all'agonia, mi assisti con Gesù, e con Maria.

V. Ora pro nobis, S. Joseph.

R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi."

We now present the litany in Italian, as translated under the auspices of the present pope, from the original Latin.

"Cantico di S. Bonaventura alla

B. Vergine.

Voi lodiamo, o Maria, qual Madre di Dio i vostri pregi di Madre e Vergine confessiamo e reverenti adoriamo.

A voi la terra tutta si prostra ossequiosa come a Figlia augusta dell' eterno . Genitore.

A voi gli angeli tutti e gli arcangeli: a voi e troni e principati prestano fedel servizio.

A voi tutte le podestà e le celesti virtu: e tutte insierne le dominazioni rispettosamente obbdiscono.

I cori tutti degli angeli, i cherubini, e i serafini assistono esultanti al vostro trono. .

A vostro onore ogni angelica Creatura fa resuonare le melodiose sue voci a voi cantando incessantemente.

Santa, santa, santa voi siete, o Maria, Madre di Dio, Madre insieme e Vergine.

Il cielo e la terra riempiuti sono dalla Maestà e dalla Gloria del Frutto eletto del vostro casto seno.

Voi esalta il glorioso coro de i santi apostoli come Madre del lor Creatore.

Voi glorifica il candido ceto de beati martiri come quella che deste alla luce Cristo Immacolato Agnello.

Voi l'inclita schiera de confessori decanta, tempio vivo appellandovi della santa Trinità.

Voi le sante Vergine in amabile coro encomiano, come perfetta esemplare di verginal candore ed umilta.

Voi la corte tutta celeste come sua regina onora e venera.

Voi per tutto l'orbe invocando la santa Chiesa glorifica proclamandovi.

Madre augusta della Maesta divina. Veneranda Madre che deste veramente in luce il Re del cielo Madre altresi santa e dolce e pia.

Voi siete la Donna Sovrana degli angeli voi la porta del paradiso.

Voi sa scala del celeste regno, e della gloria beata.

Voi il talamo dello sposa divino : voi l'arca preziosa di pietà e di grazia.

Voi sorgente di misericordia: voi sposa insieme e madre del Re de secoli.

Voi tempio e sacrario del Santo Spirito voi nobile recetto di tutta l'Augustissima Triada.

Voi mediatrice possente fra Dio, e gli uomini amorevole a noi mortali, dispensatrice de celesti lumi.

Voi fortezza de combattenti avvocata pietosa de poveri, e refugio de' peccatori.

Voi distributrice de' superni doni : voi sterminatrice invitta e terror de' demoni e de' superbi.

Voi padrona del mondo, regina del cielo: voi dopo Dio unica nostra speranza.

Voi siete la salvezza di che vin voca porto de' naufraghi sollievo de' miseri, asilo de' moribondi.

Voi Madre di tutti gli eletti in cui ritrovano dopo Dio il pieno lor gaudio: voi la consolazione de tutti i beati cittadini del cielo.

Voi promotrice dei guisti alla gloria racoglitrice de' miseri erranti promessa già da Dio ai santi patriarchi.

Voi luce di veretà ai profeti ministra di sapienza agli apostoli maestra agli evangelisti.

Voi intonditrice d'intrepidezza ai martiri essemplare di ogni virtu ai confessori ornamento e gioja alle vergine.

Voi per salvare gli esuli mortali da morte eterna: accoglieste nell' utero verginale il divin figlio.

Per voi fu, che dabellato l'antico ser. pente, riaprissi a fedeli l'eterno regno. Voi col vostro divin figlio vi assdete in cielo alla destra del padre.

Deh! Voi, o Vergine Maria, per noi supplicate lo stes o divin figlio: il quale noi crediamo dovere essere un giorno il nostro giudice.

Il vostro soccorso adunque imploriamo nei vostri servi redenti gio col prezioso sangue del vostro figliuolo. De fate, o pietosa Vergine, che giunger possiamo ancor noi coi santi vostri a godere il premio dell' eterna gloria.

Salvate il vostro popolo, o Signora, on de entriamo a parte della eredita del vostro figliuolo.

Voi reggeteci col vostro santi consiglio e custoditeci per la beata eternita.

In tutti i giorni di nostra vita: noi vogliamo, o pietosa Madre, tributarvi i nostri ossequi.

E bramiamo cantar le vostre lodi per tutta l'eternita cella nostra mente et colla nostra voce.

Degnatevi, o dolce Madre Maria, di serbarci immuni ora e per sempre da ogni peccato.

Abbiate di noi pieta, o buona Madre, abbiate di noi pieta.

Operi sempre in noi la vostra grande misericordia giacche in voi gran Vergine Maria, riposta abbiamo la fiducia

nostra.

Si in voi speriamo, o Maria cara nostra Madre, difendeteci voi in eterno. Lode ed imperio a voi si conviene, o Maria. A voi virtu e gloria per tutti i secoli de secoli. E cosi sia."

At the close of the litany,* there is presented a prayer, in which the worshipper presents the precious blood of the Saviour, in order to secure the gift of being able to propagate the devotions contained in Bona

venture in every tongue, and throughout the whole world. It is as follows:

"Per impegnare Iddio a far viepiu propagare l'uso di questo libretto si faccia di cuore la sequente.

Eterno Padre Io unito a tutta la corte celeste e a tutte le anime giuste presenti e future vi offro il sangue preziosissimo di Gesù Cristo in ringraziamento come se aveste conceduto il dono della propagazione di questa divozione in tutte le lingue in tutte il mondo e sempre con pienezza di frutto."

We know for certain that "tutta la corte celeste," and "tutte le anime giuste," are much better employed. We only pray that Pope Gregory XVI. may cease also to be an idolater, and learn to be a Christian.

After these specimens, instinct with fearful idolatry, and as our readers will suppose with the very quintessence of heathen idolatry, it may be thought that even the perverse ingenuity of Popery can go no further. This is a too charitable supposition. That beautiful and holy composition the LITANY is also alienated from its High and Divine Object, and applied and addressed to the Virgin! As it would occupy too much space to give it all, we will give the close of this idolatrous document :

"Propitia esto, parce nobis, Domina. Libera nos, Domina. Ab omni malo libera nos, Domina. Ab omni mala temptatione libera nos, Domina. Ab ira et indignatione Dei libera nos, Domina. A periclitatione et desperatione libera nos, Domina. A superbia precipitante, ab avaritia devastante, a peccato iræ et invidiæ cruciante, a carnis temptatione undique agitante, a peccato gulæ et castrunargiæ commaculante, ab incursu hostis malignantis libera nos, Domina.

Per dulcorem et gaudium divini Christi incarnatione, per dolorem et angustiam de illius passione, per gaudium et mira. culum de illius resurrectione, libera nos, Domina. Per fidem tuam et Spiritus Sancti missione, per gaudium et lætitiam de illius ascensione, libera nos, Domina. Per gaudium et lætitiam de tua coronatione, libera nos, Domina. In mortis hora, devastante in Judicis districto examine, ab inferûm horribili cruciamine, libera nos, Domina.

"Be propitious to us; spare us, O Lady. Deliver us, O Lady. From all evil deliver us, O Lady. From all evil temptation deliver us, O Lady. From the anger and the wrath of God, from danger and despair, deliver us, O Lady. From overbearing pride and devastating avarice, from the tormenting sin of anger and envy, from the temptation of the flesh on all sides disturbing us, from the polluting sin of gluttony, and from the assault of the malignant enemy, deliver us, O Lady.

By thy grief and joy at the incarnation of the divine Christ, by thy grief and anguish at his passion, by thy joy and the miracle of his resurrection, deliver us, O Lady. Through thy faith, and by the sending of the Holy Spirit, by thy rejoicing and joy at his ascension, deliver us, O Lady. In the hour of death, in the strict trial of the Judge, from the horrible torment of the damned, deliver us, O Lady.

Peccatores te rogamus audire nos ut sanctam ecclesiam, piissima Domina, conservare digneris te. Rogamus ut justis gloriam, peccatoribus gratiam impetrare digneris; ut tribulatis consolationem, captivis liberationem impetrare digneris; ut famulos et famulas tibi devote servientes consolari digneris; ut populum Christianum filii tui pretioso sanguine redemptum conservare digneris. Ut cunctis fidelibus defunctis requiem æternam donare digneris te rogamus. Mater Dei, te rogamus. Filia Dei, te rogamus. Mater carissima, Domina nostra, miserere nobis, et dona nobis perpetuam pacem.'

The preface to the edition of the Psalter on our table, we may also observe, is perfectly horrific. It is as follows:

"Gloria in excelsis Deo, et gratiarum actio et vox laudis, qui nunc per prophetica ministeria, nunc per oracula de cœlis lapsa, nunc per lectionem evangelicam, nunc per apostolicam turbam, multiplane multisque modis ad honorem Virginis Mariæ, reginæ cœlorum ac angelorum, sincerissime nos invitat et incitat, ut per ipsius sancta merita omni acceptione dignissima ex infernorum claustris arreptos angelicæ militiæ nos ascribat."

Glory in the highest, and thanksgiving and the voice of praise unto God, who at one time by the ministry of prophets, at another time by oracles from heaven, and at another time by the apostolic college, on various occasions and in various ways most earnestly invites and urges us to the honour of the Virgin Mary, the queen of heaven and of angels, that by her merits, and most worthy of all acceptance, He may snatch us from the gates of hell, and enrol us among the angelic host."-Page 1.

Eheu jam satis!

It has been lately attempted, as we remarked, by Roman Catholic priests, ashamed of so large a manifestation of their idolatrous practices having appeared before the people are ripe enough to receive it, to shew that the Psalter of Bonaventure is not a genuine document. In the work by the Rev. Alban Butler, entitled The Lives of the Saints, printed by Coyne, Dublin, 1833, and recommended by the signatures of all the archbishops and bishops of the popish hierarchy in Ireland, the following note makes its appearance :

"The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin

We sinners do beseech thee to hear us, that thou wilt be pleased to preserve thy holy church, O most pious Lady. Be pleased to obtain glory for the just, grace for sinners, comfort to the afflicted, freedom to the captives. Be pleased to comfort thy servants who devoutly serve thee; to preserve the Christian people redeemed by the precious blood of thy Son. Be pleased to grant to all the faithful departed eternal rest. Mother of God, we beseech thee to hear us. O daughter of God, we beseech thee to hear us. O most dear mother, our Lady, have mercy upon us, and give to us eternal peace."

(See

is falsely ascribed to St. Bonaventure, and unworthy to bear his name. Fabricius in Biblioth. Med. Atat., Bellarmine and Labbé de Script. Eccl. Nat. Alexander, Hist. Eccl. Sæc.) The Vatican edition of the works of St. Bonaventure was begun by an order of Sixtus V., and completed in 1588. It consists of eight volumes in folio. The two first contain his commentaries on the holy scriptures; the third, his sermons and panegyrics; the fourth and fifth, his comments on the Master of the Sentences; the sixth, seventh, and eighth, his lesser treatises, of which some are doctrinal, others regard the duties of a religious state, others general subjects of piety, especially the mysteries of Christ and the Blessed Virgin. Most of these have run through several separate editions. All his works have been reprinted at Mentz and Lyons; and in quarto in fourteen volumes, at Venice, in 1751."

With the aid of a valuable reply to this, published during our investigations of the subject, entitled the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin, illustrated by Extracts from the Works of Ecclesiastical Writers, by R. King, A.B., S.T.C.D., we have examined the references to which the high authoririties of Irish popery appeal, and we do not hesitate to say, that two of the references prove nothing, and the other two prove the very opposite. Let us try. The first reference is to Fabricius. We give Latin and English:

"Si ergo et doctus vis esse et devotus, Bonaventuræ opusculis esto intensus, quæ sunt-Super Sententias; Breviloquium, Soliloquium; Itinerarium Mentis in Deum; Lignum Vitæ, &c. Alia insuper nonnulla edidit, quæ ad notitiam meam non venerunt."

If, therefore, you desire to be both learned and pious, give your attention to

the following works of Bonaventure: On Sentences; A Short Discourse and Soliloquy; the Mind's Path to God; the Tree of Life, &c. He published also some other works, which have not come to my knowledge.

Does this prove, according to the assertion of Alban Butler, countersigned by the popish bishops, that the Psalter of the Virgin is a forgery? No; the writer in the Bibliotheca, who is Johannes Trithemius, gives the list he was personally familiar with, and ingenuously adds, that there were other works of the saint unknown to him. Here, then, is no disproof; on the contrary, the presumption from this document is, that among the other works not known to him were the Psalter and the Speculum B. Virginis, which last Butler allows to be genuine, but which Fabricius omits. The next writer referred to in the disclaimer of Butler and his patrons is Bellarmine. We refer to this celebrated cardinal as directed; and, to the deep shame of these men, we find Bellarmine, so far from excluding, directly recognising, the Psalter of Bonaventure!

"De Sancto Bonaventura, 1265. "Vir fuit sanctissimus et doctissimus, et multa scripsit quæ Romæ edita sunt jussu Sixti V. Pontificis, in octo tomos distributa. Sexto tomo continentur prima et secunda pars opusculorum, videlicet prima pars quæ est :-De Reductione Artium ad Theologiam; Breviloquium, Centiloquium Secunda Pars; PSALTERIUM B. VIRGINIS MAJUS; PSALTERIUM EJUSMINUS; Speculum de Laudibus B. Mariæ."-Liber Bellarmini de Scrip. Eccl. Lugd. 1613.

DEM

Concerning St. Bonaventure.

He was a man most holy and learned, and wrote numerous works, which were published at Rome, by order of Pope Sixtus V., and divided into eight volumes. In the sixth volume are contained the first and second part of his work, consisting of the following:-The Resolution of of the Arts into Theology; The Hundred Sayings; THE GREATER PSALTER OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN; THE SMALLER PSALTER; The Mirror of the Blessed Virgin.

In this reference to which Father Butler and the Romanists have carried us, calculating on our ignorance or our indifference, we find a proof of their "speaking lies in hypocrisy," and of the authenticity and genuineness of the Psalter.

We now take up the next reference, viz. Labbé. His words are as fol

low:

"S. Bonaventura Cardinalis.

'Operum ejus Romæ viii. tomis excusorum catalogum exhibet Bellarminus noster, ut mihi modo necesse non sit illum describere. Superioribus annis, occasione libelli de imitatione Christi acriter disputatum fuit de auctore libelli Collationum ad Fratres Iclosatos. Hinc Heriberto Rosweido, Hesero, aliisque Kempensibus, inde vero Constantino, Cajetano, cum Gessenistis suis in acie dimicantibus. Sunt. et alia quæ merito revocantur in dubium a nimis perspicacibus, de quibus expectamus judicium Luca Waddingi in novâ ac locupletiore quam molitur operum omnium S. Bonaventuræ editione cum prefixis ad singula censuris, quod in Joannis Duns Scoti operibus præstitum ab eo cernimus."

*

"Of his works printed at Rome in eight volumes gives a catalogue which there is no necessity for me to transcribe. Of late years, a warm dispute has arisen concerning the author of the book entitled Collationes ad Fratres Iclosatos, occasioned by the work on the imitation of Christ. * There are also other pieces which are justly looked on as doubtful by intelligent critics, relative to which we await the judgment of Luke Wadding in the new and enlarged edition of all S. Bonaventure's works which he is preparing with critical remarks on each." Labbé de Script. Ecc. Paris,

1660.

In the above extract, there is not only no disproof of the Psalter, but, as we shall see presently, a full admission of its genuineness and authenticity. Labbé, it will be seen, refers, in the beginning of his observations, to the catalogue of the works of Bonaventure given by Cardinal Bellarmine. If, then, we shew that Bellarmine, the next author appealed to by Father Butler for a disproof, gives the Psalter as an undiluted production of the saint, we not only prove that Labbé admits and approves it, but that Bellarmine also holds the very opposite opinion of that attributed to him by the Jesuit hierarchy of the Irish рарасу. We have already seen that Bellarmine gives the Psalter in his list, and as Labbé concurs with him, of course Labbé sets his seal to its genuineness and authenticity also.

The edition of the works of Bonaventure to which Labbé refers con