[454] Helena calmed the Adriatic with one of the nails; of another Constantine made a bit for his horse; a portion is annually exhibited at Rome bearing the threefold title of Our Lord in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, the first undecipherable. [455] Witness the following from the _Vexilla Regis_, addressed to the material cross: “Hail, O cross, our only hope! give grace to the pious, blot out the sins of the wicked”-- O crux, ave, spes unica! Piis adauge gratiam; Reisque dele crimina. Compare also the following, from the Office of the Invention of the Cross: “O cross, more splendid than all the stars,... which alone wast worthy to bear the ransom of the world! sweet wood, sacred nails, bearing so precious a burden, save this people assembled to-day to sing thy praises.”--O Crux, splendidior cunctis astris,... quæ sola fuisti digna portare talentum mundi! dulce lignum, dulces clavos, dulcia ferens pondera, salva præsentem catervam in tuis hodie laudibus congregatam. This sacred theme has also been the subject of some of the noblest lyrics of the church, none of which, however, surpass the impassioned devotion of the following lines of Savonarola, the Luther of Italy, whose reform, alas! was quenched in his own blood. O croce, fammi loco! E le mie membre prendi! Che del tuo dolce foco Il cor e l’alma accendi! La croce e l’ crocifisso, Sia nel mio cor scolpito, Ed io sia sempre affisso In gloria ov’egli è ito! Cross of my Lord, give room! give room! To thee my flesh be given! Cleansed in thy fires of love and praise, My soul, rise pure to heaven! Ah! vanish each unworthy trace Of earthly care or pride; Leave only graven on my heart The Cross, the Crucified.