The Bells of St. Honorat.

THERE was one of the prettiest sights and ceremonies imaginable this spring on one of those two little green islets of the Mediterranean which give so vast a charm to the sea-view from Cannes. Wherever you stand, on the bright promontory of the Croisette, in the woods clothing the heights round Vallauris, most of all by the Croix des Gardes, with the pines all round you, and the scented carpet of myrtles, aspic, and white Mediterranean heather, "the islands" lend their particular charm to that fair stretch of the tideless sea between the bays of Juan and Napoule, which is bounded on the latter side by the wonderfully picturesque outline of the Estérel. Both of them have their associations and recollections, which, together with the pleasure of the trip, bring plenty of passengers to fill the little steamers plying daily during the season between the Cannes harbour and the Iles Ste. Marguerite and St. Honorat. Both are prettily wooded, in both there is the same lovely blending of colour made up by the purple wavelets breaking on the rosy rocks from which grass-paths lead so temptingly into the pine-thickets, and each has one building to which are attached the memories of the place. Ste. Marguerite, voted by most English and American visitors " much the most interesting," contains the fortress from which Marshal Bazaine was so obligingly helped to escape (for no one who has seen the spot and heard the story can doubt the collusion) and which was the prison of the mysterious Masque de fer; while on St. Honorat a Cistercian monastery occupies the site, and contains some of the actual building which made Lerins, by which name both islands were originally known, famous as a school of learning, and sacred as a nurse of piety for ages after St. Honoratus took up his abode there

in the first years of the fifth century, attracted by the absolute solitude. The serpents infesting the island possessed no terrors for innocence and sanctity, and at the bidding of GOD's servants departed from the holy soil so soon to be known as beata et felix insula Lerinensis.

The island was obtained for the Cistercian Fathers, and secured to them, by the exertions of Mgr. Jordany, the retired Bishop of Fréjus, and the church which they have been for some years engaged in building will be completed next spring. The ceremony of the blessing of the bells was announced for the feast of St. Gregory the Great in the present year it was a brilliant afternoon, fresh, yet soft and bright as March days can be at Cannes, and the little quay of the Port St. Pierre was crowded with intending passengers and lookers-on. One of the steamers was reserved for the Duchess of Parma and her party; and the other was soon well packed with those who had invitations from the Fathers, and those who were bent on seeing what they could outside the enceinte. We walked from the landing-place on the island to the spot chosen for the ceremony; and what a spot it was! A little green ribbon of a path wound through the pine-wood, in the heart of which was a cleared space, entered under the prettiest triumphal arch of moss and spring blossoms; on each side were the seats of the religious, then of the guests, and further on those of the bishops and other dignitaries to be present, close to a rustic altar raised on three turf steps, gay with flowers and greenery, and crowned by a large white banner bearing the Papal arms. Here and there breaks in the wood gave glimpses of the violet sea rocking the boats dressed with flags and streamers which had brought parties from Cannes and the neighbourhood. Then, long before we saw anything of the procession from the monastery, we heard the solemn chanting of the monks I hardly ever heard so many rich voices in one community-accompanied, as they came nearer, by that sound to which nothing else in nature can be compared,

the wind in the pine-boughs. The bishop's cope, crosier, and mitre were soon seen gleaming through the trees, and every turn of the path showed a flash of colour, the red and purple of bishops and monsignori and the gay calottes of the choir-boys chosen from the orphanage which is under the care of the Fathers. The procession was closed by the religious, chanting as they walked with downcast eyes, and took their places on the low seats at the entrance of the little amphitheatre, where they sang Vespers during the ceremony. I am not going to describe that it is well known to many, and it is beautiful, touching, and inspiring, as all the ceremonies of Holy Church are. My place was just behind a bishop, from whose book I could read the prayers and responsories and psalms; but I must confess that my attention was often drawn off by the full soft voices of those white-robed religious whose presence on that little island called up so many memories. One thought of the eloquent, brilliant young man of consular race and envied position who gave it its name, of the brother who followed him to his solitude, to win him back to the world, and who, instead, was in his turn wooed and won by the same sweet irresistible Voice which had “allured him, and led him into the wilderness, and spoken to his heart;" one remembered how that wilderness became “as a place of pleasure," and how very literally was fulfilled the prophecy: "In the dens where dragons dwelt before shall rise up verdure;" how his children thronged around him, and how they sanctified the place by the twofold blessing of labour and prayer, which are the very life of monasticism, till at last the West had no need to envy the East, for the wonders of the Thebaïd were renewed on the Provençal coast, and the school of Lerins became the nursery of saints who evangelized Gaul, and whose glory was shed even on our own land by the presence of Patrick and Augustine. The founder of this great monastery of

Lerins seems to have been as tender and watchful a father as St. Bernard himself; and two of his greatest disciples, St. Eucher of Lyons and St. Hilary of Arles,

presumably with their backs to the altar, and in the centre of the curve, on a throne, with lighted candles set round it, was placed in all honour the Book of the Gospels. In assigning the places, the existence of rival schools of thought was as distinctly recognized as in the House of Commons. On the Epistle side of the altar, sat the "opposition" bishops, as they may be called, Dioscorus of Alexandria, Juvenal of Jerusalem, Peter of Corinth, and the Bishops of Egypt, Palestine, Illyria. On the Gospel side, in the place of honour, sat the legates of the Pope, with Anatolius of Constantinople, Maximus of Antioch, Thalassius of Cæsarea, Stephen of Ephesus, and the rest of the Orientals. The whole number is commonly set down at six hundred and thirty.

When all were seated, Paschasinus of Lilyboum, in the name of Leo, moving towards the centre, said: "The most blessed and Apostolic Pontiff of the city of Rome, the Head of all the Churches, has been pleased to ordain that Dioscorus be not allowed to sit and vote in the Council. If he dare to attempt it he is to be expelled." Then turning to the Imperial commissaries, he observed that the commandment of the Holy Father must be obeyed, and that if Dioscorus were allowed to retain his seat the Papal legates would be compelled to retire. The secretary translated this announcement into Greek, and the Imperial officers, instead of complying at once, began to ask why and wherefore. After a short disputation about the legal procedure, they ordered Dioscorus to leave his place, and take his seat in the middle, thus excluding him from voting, but not expelling him from the Council. The Papal legates acquiesced in this arrange

ment.

Then Eusebius of Dorylæum laid his accusation against Dioscorus, accusing him of having solemnly approved the heresy of Eutyches, and complaining of the violence done to St. Flavian and himself. Dioscorus made petition that the acts of the synod held by him at Ephesus, and of the

synod held by Flavian at Constantinople might be read. He may have expected a refusal, for when his request was acceded to he asked that only the parts which related to dogma might be read. But his amendment was not listened to, and the reading proceeded. When they came to the name of Theodoret of Cyre in the course of the reading, the Imperial commissaries insisted that he must be introduced, and have a seat in the Council, because the Holy Father had received him to communion. His entrance was the signal for an outburst of party feeling. "The faith is in danger." "Turn out the Nestorian," cried the friends of Dioscorus. "We signed under compulsion at Ephesus." "Turn out the Manichæans,” cried out the Asiatics. Dioscorus exclaimed, "Theodoret condemned Cyril. Are we to turn out Cyril?"

After peace had been restored the real work of the session began. With exemplary patience the Fathers listened to the ponderous budget, and as fact followed fact the guilt of Dioscorus stood revealed in such glaring colours that his best friends were ashamed to acknowledge him, and all who had given their signatures under violence at Ephesus made public avowal of their deep sorrow for that act of culpable compliance. Dioscorus was convicted of sharing the error of Eutyches. "If it be true," it was urged against him, "that you hold the faith of Cyril and Leo, how could you reinstate Eutyches, who denied it, and condemn Flavian, who maintained it?" This was a practical question, to which Dioscorus could only reply by begging that the reading might be resumed. request again fell on deaf ears. "How say the Fathers? Is Flavius' profession of faith, just read, orthodox?" Paschasinus answered, "It is faultless, and completely conformable to Leo's Dogmatic Letter." All the Bishops on the Gospel side declared their assent. Dioscorus captiously observed that Flavian's meaning had not been caught, that he had contradicted himself. Suddenly all the bishops of the opposition stood up as if by an inspiration granted

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