See the kindly shepherds round him, Telling wonders from the sky! Where they sought him, there they found him, With his Virgin-Mother by. See the lovely babe a-dressing: Lovely infant, how he smiled! When he wept, the mother's blessing Soothed and hush'd the holy child. Lo, he slumbers in his manger, Where the hornèd oxen fed; --Peace, my darling! here's no danger! Here's no ox a-near thy bed! --May'st thou live to know and fear him, Trust and love him all thy days: Then go dwell forever near him; See his face, and sing his praise. I could give thee thousand kisses, Hoping what I most desire: Not a mother's fondest wishes Can to greater joys aspire. _--I. Watts_ EASTER I got me flowers to straw Thy way, I got me boughs off many a tree; But Thou wast up by break of day, And brought'st Thy sweets along with Thee. The sun arising in the East, Though he give light, and th' East perfume, If they should offer to contest With Thy arising, they presume. Can there be any day but this, Though many suns to shine endeavor? We count three hundred, but we miss: There is but one, and that one ever. _--George Herbert_ THE LIFE OF ST. PETER THE APOSTLE St. Peter the apostle among all other, and above all other, was of most fervent and burning love, for he would have known the traitor that should betray our Lord Jesu Christ, as St. Austin saith: If he had known him he would have torn him with his teeth, and therefore our Lord would not name him to him, for as Chrysostom, saith: If he had named him, Peter had arisen and all to-torn him. Peter went upon the sea; he was chosen of God to be at his transfiguration, and raised a maid from death to life; he found the stater or piece of money in the fish's mouth; he received of our Lord the keys of the kingdom of heaven; he took the charge to feed the sheep of Jesu Christ. He converted at a Whitsuntide three thousand men, he healed Claude with John, and then converted five thousand men; he said to Ananias and Saphira their death before; he healed Æneas of the palsy; he raised Tabitha; he baptized Cornelia; with the shadow of his body he healed sick men; he was put in prison by Herod, but by the angel of our Lord he was delivered. What his meat was and his clothing, the book of St. Clement witnesseth, for he said: Bread only with olives, and seldom with worts, is mine usage, and I have such clothing as thou seest, a coat and a mantle, and when I have that, I demand no more. It is said for certain that he bare always a sudary in his bosom, with which he wiped the tears that ran from his eyes; for when he remembered the sweet presence of our Lord, for the great love that he had to him he might not forbear weeping. And also when he remembered that he had renied him, he wept abundantly great plenty of tears, in such wise that he was so accustomed to weep that his face was burned with tears as it seemed, like as Clement saith. And saith also