The virgin answered not nor seemed to hear,
Her eyes in raptured trance raised to the skies,
Till from her parted lips in angel tones
Low murmuring music broke: “O thou my Lord!
Jesus! my Spouse! my All! my only Love!
Am I not thine alone? upon my brow
Hast thou not left thy signet? on this hand
Hast thou not placed thy ring, the golden ring,
Of our divine espousals heavenly pledge?
Come, O my Love! I long to view thy face,
Come, take thine Agnes to thine own embrace;
For ever with the Lord!” The thrilling tones
Lapsed into silence. On the lictors all,
She smiled—a heavenly smile; and then she knelt,
Bowing her gentle head upon the block,
Her golden tresses, parted for the blow,
Swept the dry sand so soon to drink her blood.
An instant, and the dazzling gleam of steel
Flashed through the air; it fell, and rose again—
All—all was o’er; e’en then the virgin bride
Stood on the sea of glass before her Lord.
The martyred virgin bride, crowned by his hand
With palms of triumph, and the lilies white,
Meet emblems of her purity and faith.
CATHOLICITY AND PANTHEISM.
NO. XIII.
THE COSMOS IN TIME AND SPACE—CONTINUED.
In the preceding article, we have seen that, in consequence of the sacramental extension of the Theanthropos in time and space, substantial creation in its highest and noblest element, which is personality, has received its last initial and inchoative perfection of being, by the union of human persons with the Theanthropos by means of his substantial and sacramental presence, and through that union the elevation to a higher similitude of and communication with the three persons of the infinite. Now, this last complement of the cosmos, this union of the Theanthropos, with human persons, through his sacramental extension in time and space, constitutes the Catholic Church, which may be defined to be:
The Theanthropos present in the cosmos through the sacraments, and through them incorporating into himself human persons in time and space, raising them to a higher similitude of and communication with the three personalities of the infinite, and thus not only realizing the highest initial perfection of the cosmos, but also unfolding and developing that initial perfection, and bringing it to its ultimate completion in palingenesia.
The Theanthropos, therefore, has placed himself in the very centre of the cosmos by his sacramental and substantial presence, as became his great office and prerogative of mediator. By those moments of his