concerning Himself, and He declared before them all that the prophecy was now fulfilled in Himself. Thus did He begin His public teaching by the exercise of charity to His fellow-citizens and the dwellers in His own country, instructing them, illuminating them, opening out Divine mysteries to them, and leading them along the way of life. And at the same time He taught to us the true order of charity, how, while the necessities of all were equal, those more nearly connected with Him were to be preferred to others, as Theophylact remarks" Our Lord, when about to manifest Himself to Israel, showed Himself first to the people of Nazareth amongst whom He lived, that He might teach us that we ought to do good first of all to those nearest us, and most connected with us, and after that extend our charity to all other neighbours.'

The Good Shepherd.

O SHEPHERD with the bleeding brow,
The wounded feet and hands,
What art Thou seeking in the snow
That shroudeth all the lands?

The flakes are falling faster :
Oh, turn not from Thy way;
For Thou art the Good Pastor,
And we Thy sheep astray.

The wolves are howling all around
Amid the drifted snow;

But Thou hast sought, and Thou hast found,

And Thy sweet voice we know.

Lord, on Thy shoulder take us,
For we are faint with cold;
Thou-Thou wilt not forsake us
Upon the dreary wold.

Our foes, dear Saviour, shall no more
Beguile us from Thy side.
With seeking us Thy feet are sore;

There flows a purple tide

From hand and foot upon us,—

Yea, from Thy broken Heart : Too dearly hast Thou won us ! Our King, our God Thou art.

C. W. B.

The English Augustinian Convent in Louvain.

THE stream of English vocations continued to flow towards Catholic Belgium. The Chronicle from which we have borrowed the account of the first arrival of our countrywomen at the Augustinian Convent of St. Ursula is chiefly concerned with the narrative of the foundation of the younger convent, under the same rule, for the almost exclusive reception of English ladies. As the number of these voluntary exiles rapidly increased under the sanctifying influence of persecution, their position in the Flemish convent underwent a complete change. They were no longer like isolated strangers, claiming hospitality for the love of God and St. Augustine, and esteeming it quite a remarkable dispensation of Providence that an Englishwoman should chance to be Prioress, but they formed a very notable part of the entire community.

After many years of experience, it occurred to thoughtful minds that since the Convent of St. Ursula had in effect come to consist of two distinct sections, bound together by rule and by sincere charity, but naturally ill-consorted by reason of incongruous habits of life formed under widely different training, so that in external matters of diet, apparel, and the like, they did not fully sympathize, it would be for the advantage of all, both temporal and spiritual, if an amicable separation could be effected. Even when, having procured the best advise, lay and clerical, the English portion of the sisterhood had come to the conclusion that it would be undoubtedly for the greater glory of God that an English convent should be established in Louvain, they had many difficulties to encounter, and not a little opposition from those to whom they might have

looked for special encouragement. It often happens that good men find it their sad duty, in view of larger interests and the general good, to oppose some minor scheme of local usefulness, and we may suppose that the disfavour with which many excellent Catholics regarded the formation of the English convent in Louvain, arose from a conviction that two convents erected in the same interest at Brussels and Louvain would grievously damage one another, and that it was better for religion in England that there should be a prosperous convent in Brussels, and that the English nuns in Louvain should continue to live as they had done hitherto, with such smaller alterations as ecclesiastical Superiors might deem advisable, than that an inconvenient rivalry should divide resources too scanty in any case for the requirements of all concerned. Yet this need not make us the less admire the courage and perseverance of the founders of the Convent of the Conception in Louvain, or more especially the mingled firmness and humility of the "Old Mother" Margaret Clement, with whose early days in religion our readers have already been made acquainted, and whom they will be asked to accompany, in the close of her life, from the old convent to the new, after many troubles and some consolation.

For some years the chief interest of the narrative from which our extracts are made, is in the well-known names which meet our eye at every page.

"This new Prioress was a diligent observer of the Order, and well instructed and exercised in the perfection of virtue, the old nun, Sister Elizabeth Woodford, having disposed her thereunto, as hath been said. Many great crosses did this good Prioress undergo with a strong courage and great confidence in God, as may be seen in her Life written by Sister Elizabeth Shirley, unto which we refer such as desire to know it more particularly. Only in this place we will briefly touch some of the many tribulations which she passed.

"For the Prince of Orange then revolting and joining with heretics, the wars began in these countries, and one time there was a rumour spread in the town that the enemies were gotten in and were killing the people in the streets, whereupon the Father of the Cloister came in when they were all in the choir and exhorted them to constancy, saying, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints," and that they should now imitate their Patroness, St. Ursula, and her virgins (but as at that time one of the virgins hid herself for fear, so now also one went from the rest and hid herself in some corner of the house, but the good Mother found her out and wished her rather to keep with the rest, because they would not dare to attempt such wickedness when they were all together as if they found any alone; she also exhorted them all to put their whole confidence in God, Who never forsakes them that trust in Him). But soon after this came news again that all was but a false rumour and no such matter as was related, frighting all with a false alarm.

"Besides this, they were also troubled with the garrison of soldiers, which were to be maintained in the town, whereunto they also must contribute, although they were in want enough themselves; the country about being wasted by the soldiers, things were at an excessive rate.

"Another tribulation she had in her time, to wit, an inundation of waters, which upon a sudden came and filled all the low rooms of the monastery, and the religious were enforced to keep above in the higher rooms. By this so sudden an inundation they suffered much, both loss in their victuals and provisions, so as they had not meat and drink to refresh themselves. Besides that, the wall of the monastery was broken down by the force of the water, so as the inclosure being down, any might come in. But the worthy

Prioress took such good order, that their inclosure was soon made fast again, though they were not able to build up the wall, for they suffered much want, so that the Mother was forced to go unto Antwerp and other towns