Isidore, by birth a Spaniard, Isidorus natione Hispawas an illustrious Doctor of nus, doctor egregius, ex the Church. He was born at nova Carthagine, Severiano Carthagena, and his father, patre provinciæ duce natus, whose name was Severianus, a sanctis episcopis Leandro was governor of that part of Hispalensi, et Fulgentio the country. He was solidly Carthaginensi fratribus suis trained to piety and learning pie et liberaliter educatus, by his two brothers, Leander, latinis, græcis et hebraicis Bishop of Seville, and Ful- litteris, divinisque et hugentius, Bishop of Cartha- manis legibus instructus, gena. He was taught Latin, Greek, and Hebrew; he was put through a course of canon and civil law; and there was no science or virtue in which he did not excel. Whilst yet a youth, he so courageously combated the Arian heresy, which had long before infested the Goths, who had entered Spain, that he with difficulty escaped being put to death by the heretics. After the death of Leander, he was, in spite of himself, raised to the episcopal See of Seville, by the influence of King Reccared, and with unanimous consent of both clergy and people. His election was not only confirmed by Apostolic authority, but St. Gregory the Great, when sending him, as usual, the Pallium, is said to have appointed him his own vicar, and that of the Apostolic See throughout all Spain. It would be impossible to describe the virtues of Isidore as Bishop; how firm, humble, patient, and merciful; how zealously he laboured for the restoration of Christian morals and ecclesiastical discipline, omni scientiarum, atque christianarum virtutum genere præstantissimus evasit. Adhuc adolescens hæresim arianam, quæ gentem Gothorum Hispaniæ latissime dominantem jam pridem invaseret, tanta constantia palam oppugnavit, ut parum abfuerit quin ab hæreticis necaretur. Leandro vita functo ad Hispalensem cathedram invitus quidem, sed urgente in primis Recaredo rege, magnoque etiam cleri, populique consensu assumitur, ejusque electionem sanctus Gregorius Magnus nedum_authoritate Apostolica confirmasse, sed et electum transmisso de more pallio decorasse, quin etiam suum, et Apostolicæ Sedis in universa Hispania vicarium constituisse perhibetur. In Episcopatu quantum fuerit constans, humilis, patiens, misericors, in christiana et ecclesiastica disciplina instauranda solicitus, eaque verbo, et scriptis stabilienda indefessus, at que omni demum virtutum ornamento insignitus, nullius lingua enarrare sufficeret. Monastici quoque instituti per Hispaniam promotor et emplificator eximius, plura construxit monasteria; collegia itidem ædificavit, ubi studiis sacris, et lectionibus vacans plurimos discipulos, qui ad eum confluebant, erudivit; quos inter sancti Ildephonsus Toletanus, et Braulio Cæsaraugustanus episcopi emicuerunt. Coacto Hispali concilio, Acephalorum hæresim Hispaniæ jam minitantem, acri et eloquenti disputatione fregit atque contrivit. Tantam apud omnes sanctitatis et doctrinæ famam adeptus est, ut elapso vix ab ejus obitu sextodecimo anno universa Toletana synodo duorum supra quinquaginta episcoporum plaudente, ipsoque etiam S. Ildephonso suffragante, doctor egregius, Catholicæ Ecclesiæ novissimum decus, in sæculorum fine doctissi mus, et cum reverentia nominandus, appellari meruerit; eumque S. Braulio non modo Gregorio Magno comparaverit, sed et erudiendæ Hispaniæ loco Jacobi Apostoli cœlitus datum esse censuerit. and how untiring he was in his efforts, both by word and writing, to establish them among his people; and, finally, how he excelled in every virtue. He was a fervent promoter of the Monastic Life in Spain, and built several Monasteries. He also built Colleges, in which he himself applied himself to the teaching the sacred sciences to the many disciples that flocked to him; among whom may be mentioned those two glorious Pontiffs, Ildephonsus, Bishop of Toledo, and Braulio, Bishop of Sarragossa. In a Council held at Seville, he spoke with such power and eloquence, that he may be said to have destroyed the heresy of the Acephali, who were threatening to destroy the true faith in Spain. So great, indeed, was the universal reputation he had gained for piety and learning, that he had scarcely been dead sixteen years, when, in a Council held at Toledo, and at which fifty-two Bishops were present, St. Ildephonsus himself among them, he was called the Illustrious Doctor, the new Glory of the Catholic Church, the most learned man who had been seen in those ages, and one whose name should never be mentioned but with great respect. St. Braulio not only compared him to St. Gregory the Great, but said that he looked on him as having been sent by heaven, as a second St. James the Apostle, to instruct the people of Spain. Isidore wrote a book On Etymologies, and another On Ecclesiastical Offices, and several others, of such importance to Christian and ecclesiastical discipline, that Pope St. Leo the Fourth hesitated not to say in a letter addressed to the Bishops of Britain, that one ought to adhere to the words of Isidore with that same respect as is shown to those of Jerome and Augustine, as often as a difficult case should arise, which could not be settled by Canon Law. Several sentences of his works have been inserted into the body of the Canon Law. He presided over the Fourth Council of Toledo, which is the most celebrated of all those that have been held in Spain. At length, after having driven the Arian heresy out of Spain, he publicly foretold the day of his death, and the devastation of the country by the Saracens; and having governed his See for about forty years he died at Seville, in the year 636. His body was first buried, as himself had requested, between those of his brother and sister, Leander and Florentina. Afterwards, Ferdinand the 1st, King of Castille and Leon, purchased it, for a large sum of money, from Enetus, the Saracen governor of Seville, and had it translated to Leon. Here, a Church was built in his honour, and the miracles that are wrought by his intercession, have led the people to honour him with great devotion. ex Scripsit Isidorus libros Etymologiarum, et de Ecclesiasticis officiis, aliosque quamplurimos Christianæ et ecclesiasticæ disciplinæ adeo utiles, ut S. Leo Papa IV. ad episcopos Britanniæ scribere non dubitaverit, sicut Hieronymi et Augustini, ita Isidori dicta retinenda esse, ubi contigerit inusitatum negotium, quod per Canones minime definiri possit. Plures etiam ejusdem scriptis sententiæ inter canonicas Ecclesiæ leges relatæ conspiciuntur Præfuit Concilio Toletano IV. omnium Hispaniæ celeberrimo. Denique cum ab Hispania arianam hæresim eliminasset, morte sua, et regni vastatione a Saracenorum armis publice prænuntiata, postquam quadraginta circiter annos rexisset Ecclesiam, Hispali migravit in cœlum sexcentesimo trigesimo sexto. Ejus corpus inter Leandrum fratrem, et Florentinam sororem, ut ipse mandaverat, primo conditum, Ferdinandus primus Castellæ, et Legionis rex ab Eneto Saraceno Hispali dominante magno pretio redemptum, Legionem transtulit; et in ejus honorem templum ædificatum est, ubi miraculis clarus, magna populi devotione colitur. suam anno Faithful Pastor! the Christian people honour thy virtues and thy services; they rejoice in the recompense wherewith God has crowned thy merits; hear the prayers that are offered to thee during these the days of salvation. When on earth, thy vigilance over the flock entrusted to thy care was untiring; consider us as a part of it, and defend us from the ravenous wolves that cease not to seek our destruction. May thy prayers obtain for us that fulness of graces needed for our persevering in the new life bestowed on us by our Risen Lord. Obtain for us, that the Mystery of the Pasch, of which thou hast told us such grand things, may ever abide within us. Thy Paschal blessing, given to the Christian world, will bring it help and protection, as in times gone by. Look down from heaven on thy beloved Spain, which honours thee with such earnest devotion. Revive her ancient ardour of Faith; restore to her the vigour of Christian morality; remove from her the tares that have sprung up among the good seed. The whole Church reveres thy noble Country for her staunch adhesion to the truths of Faith;-pray for her, that she may come unhurt from the ordeal she is now being put through, and ever prove herself worthy of that glorious title of The Catholic King-. dom, which thou didst help her to gain. APRIL 5. SAINT VINCENT FERRER, CONFESSOR. TO-DAY, again, it is Catholic Spain that offers one of her Sons to the Church, that she may present him to the Christian world as a model and a patron. Vincent Ferrer, or, as he was called, the Angel of the Judgment, comes to us proclaiming the near approach of the Judge of the living and the dead. During his life time, he traversed almost every country of Europe, preaching this terrible truth; and the people of those times went from his sermons striking their breasts, crying out to God to have mercy upon them,-in a word, converted. He now sees, from his throne in heaven, the Faithful regenerated by Penance, fortified by the Bread of Life, and risen again with Christ Jesus. True, all have not obeyed the call of grace; but, if we recommend them that have, so far, remained obstinate in their sins to the great Apostle of to-day, he may perhaps speak to their hearts, in the name of the Master of the Vineyard, and prepare the labourers of the eleventh hour to receive their hire. St. Vincent has treated of the mystery of Easter in sixteen of his Sermons still extant. He there developes, with the learning and simplicity of his time, the glories and wonders of Christ's Resurrection. We offer our readers a passage from the second of these Sermons; it was preached on the very day of |