the devotional is their primary and lemt disappoint- ing aspect. Whoever attempts to read them as mero poetry, will obtain from them little of that delight which they are capable of inspiring. And as this is true of the original Latin, so it is truer still of the Hymns az they appear in the present translation; in which, it is to be feared, the unadorned simplicity of the prototype has too often degenerated into plain- hess; while its beauties have been faintly reflected, and their clear edge blunted in passing through a too earthly medium. Something still remains to be said respecting the Table pretixed to the pre?ent Collection. It ma.v be observed, then, for the sake of tho?e who are un- acquainted with the subject, that several very important Feasts, as, for instauce, tho?e of the Blessed Virgin, and of nearly all the Apostles, have no special Hymns of their own in the Roman Breviary, but draw their Hymns from the Com- mou of Saints, whereas certain other Feasts of inferior rank have special Hymns attached to them. Hence it was found that a mere statement of coeteuts, however complete, would convey to the uninitiated eye a very inadequate and even erroneous view of the Catholic Festivals; and a Calendar was
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