St. Veronica’s Church, so venerated in the middle ages, has within a few years been dug out of the sands and repaired. The miraculous statue of Notre Dame de la Fin des Terres has been restored to its place on her altar, and, after a silence of one hundred and twenty years, the bell once more awakens the echoes of the sand-hills, thanks to the interest taken by Cardinal Donnet in reviving a devotion to this ancient place of pilgrimage. Veronica is once more honored in the place where she died—a devotion that seems significant in these times. Perhaps she comes to hold up anew the bleeding face of Christ for the healing of the nations. The _Volto Santo_ is said to have turned pale a few years since when exhibited at Rome. We may well believe it, in view of all the wounds since inflicted on Christ’s Bride—the church. “O Veronica!” cries Padre Verruchino, a Capuchin friar, “suffer us, we pray thee, to gaze awhile at thy holy veil for the healing of our sin-sick souls!” An old MS. of the thirteenth or fourteenth century at Auch contains the following sequence: _De Sancta Veronica Memoria_, showing how well our fathers in the faith, even in those dark ages, knew how to rise above every type and shadow to the substance of things hoped for. It is good to echo the prayers of those earnest times. Salve, sancta facies Nostri Redemptoris In qua nitet species Divini splendoris, Impressa panniculo Nivei coloris, Dataque Veronicæ Signum ob amoris. Salve, decus seculi, Speculum sanctorum Quod videre cupiunt Spiritus cœlorum. Nos ab omni macula Purga vitiorum, Inque nos consortium Junge Beatorum. Ave, nostra gloria, In hac vita dura, Labili et fragili, Cito transitura. Nos perduc ad patriam, O felix figura, Ad videndam faciem Christi, mente pura. Esto nobis, Domine, Tutum adjuvamen, Dulce refrigerium, Atque consolamen, Ut nobis non noceat Hostile conamen, Sed fruamur requie. Nos dicamus: Amen.[27] Footnote 27: Hail, holy face of our Redeemer, in which shines the image of the divine Splendor, imprinted on a veil white as snow, and given to Veronica in token of his love! Hail, glory of the world, mirror of the saints, whom the celestial spirits long to behold. Purify us from the stain of every vice and bring us to the society of the Blessed! Hail, our glory, in this rough, uncertain life, so soon to pass away! Lead us to our true country, O blessed symbol! that with a pure heart we may behold the face of Christ. Be to us, O Lord! a sure help, the sweet refreshment and consolation of our woes, that the efforts of the enemy may not injure us, but that we may enter into the fruition of true rest. Let us say: Amen. DANTE’S PURGATORIO. _CANTO FIFTEENTH._ TRANSLATED BY T. W. PARSONS.