St. Philip
Neri, as old readings say,
Met a young
stranger in Rome’s streets one day,
And being
ever courteously inclined
To give
young folks a sober turn of mind,
He fell
into discourse with him, and thus
The dialogue
they held comes down to us.
Saint.—Tell me
what brings you, gentle youth, to Rome?
Youth.—To make myself a scholar,
sir, I come.
St.—And when you are one,
what do you intend?
Y.—To be a priest, I hope,
sir, in the end.
St.—Suppose it so; what have
you next in view?
Y.—That I may get to be a
canon too.
St.—Well; and what then?
Y.—
Why then, for aught I know,
I may be made a bishop.
St.— Be it so,—
What
next?
Y.— Why, cardinal’s
a high degree;
And yet my lot it possibly may be.
St.—Suppose it was; what
then?
Y.—
Why, who can say
But I’ve a chance of being pope one day?
St.—Well, having worn the
miter and red hat,
And triple crown, what follows after that?
Y.—Nay, there is
nothing further, to be sure, Upon this earth,
that wishing can procure: When I’ve
enjoyed a dignity so high As long as God shall
please, then I must die.
St.—What! must
you die? fond youth, and at the best, But wish,
and hope, and may be, all the rest! Take
my advice—whatever may betide, For
that which must be, first of all provide; Then
think of that which may be; and indeed, When
well prepared, who knows what may succeed, But
you may be, as you are pleased to hope, Priest,
canon, bishop, cardinal, and pope.
* * * *
*
ST. PHILIP NERI, born in Florence, Italy, in 1515.
Went to Rome in 1533, where he founded the “Priests
of the Oratory,” and where he died in 1595.
TRIPLE CROWN, the tiara; the crown worn by our Holy
Father, the Pope.
Use correctly in sentences the words canon, cannon,
canon.
NOTE.—It will prove interesting if one
pupil reads the first six lines of the selection,
and two others personate St. Philip and the Youth.
The whole selection might be given from memory.
* * * *
*
73
mag’ ic sta’ mens de sert’ ed
pet’ als pic’ tures dis cour’ aged
liq’ uid sat’ is fied per se ver’
ance
There was once a little boy who was very fond of pictures.
There were not many pictures for him to look at, for
he lived long ago near a great American forest.
His father and mother had come from England, but his
father was dead now. His mother was very poor,
but there were still a few beautiful pictures on the
walls of her house.
