Vox ego sum, dicis: tu vox es, sancte Joannes? Si vox es, sterilis cur tibi mater erat? Quam fuit ista tuae mira infoecundia matris! In vocem sterilis rarior esse solet. _St. John the Baptist a voice._ 'I am a voice, a voice,' says holy John. If so, how should thy mother barren be? This is unfruitfulness to muse upon; Tongue-barren women we so seldom see! G. XIV. _Vox Joannes, Christus Verbum._ Monstrat Joannes Christum, haud res mira videtur: Vox unus, verbum scilicet alter erat. Christus Joanne est prior, haec res mira videtur: Voce sua verbum non solet esse prius. _John the Voice, Christ the Word._ John points out Christ; no wonder this we deem: One is a Voice, the other is the Word. Christ is before John; wondrous this may seem; For when was word before a voice e'er heard? G. XV. _In natales Domini pastoribus nuntiatos._ Luc. ii. 8-19. Ad te sydereis, ad te, bone Tityre, pennis Purpureus juvenis gaudia tanta vehit. O bene te vigilem, cui gaudia tanta feruntur, Ut neque dum vigilas, te vigilare putes. Quem sic monstrari voluit pastoribus aether, Pastor an agnus erat? Pastor et agnus erat. Ipse Deus cum Pastor erit, quis non erit agnus? Quis non pastor erit, cum Deus agnus erit? _On the birth of the Lord announced to the shepherds._ To thee, good Tityrus, on starry wings _shepherd_ The royal angel such 'glad tidings' brings. Surely the happy watcher never thought That he was watching when such joys were brought. And He, Whom thus the heavenly host reveal'd To shepherds 'mid their flocks in open field, Tell me, was He a Shepherd or a Lamb? Shepherd and Lamb at once; He took each name. Since, then, our God a Shepherd's name doth wear, The name of lamb who will not wish to bear? And who will not be shepherd, since God deigns To be a Lamb, for suffering of sin's pains? G. XVI. _In Atheniensem merum._ Act. xvii. 28. Ipsos naturae thalamos sapis, imaque rerum Concilia, et primae quicquid agunt tenebrae, Quid dubitet refluum mare, quid vaga sydera volvant; Christus et est studiis res aliena tuis. Sic scire, est tantum nescire loquacius illa: Qui nempe illa sapit sola, nec illa sapit. _Of the 'blue-blood' pride of the Athenians._ Thou knowest Nature's secret things And all her deepest counsellings-- All wonders of the primal Night Conceal'd from prying human sight; Knowest how the sea-tide pauses, The wandering stars too in their causes. But while to thee, in all else wise, Christ from thy thoughts an alien lies, In earthly studies to advance Is but loquacious ignorance; And he whose wisdom is but such, Of those things even knows not much. O, study thou beneath the Cross, Or all thy labour is but loss! G. XVII.