and please my God? When thou seest a little dog, which, for a miserable morsel of bread, is so faithful to its master, reflect how much greater reason thou hast to be faithful to God, Who has created, and preserved, and provided for thee, and heaps upon thee so many blessings. When thou hearest the birds sing, say: Hearken, O my soul, to the praise which these little creatures are giving to their Creator; and what art thou doing? Then do thou also praise Him with acts of love. On the other hand, when thou hearest the cock crow, recall to thy memory that there once was a time when thou also, like Peter, denied thy God; and renew thy contrition and thy tears. So, likewise, when thou seest the house or place where thou bast sinned, turn thyself to God, and say: "The sins of my youth and my ignorance remember not, O Lord " (Ps. xxiv. 7).
When thou beholdest any valleys, consider that as their fertility is owing to the waters which run down from the mountains, so from heaven do graces descend upon the souls of the humble, passing the proud aside. When thou seest a beautifully-ornamented church, consider the beauty of a soul which, being in a state of grace, is a real temple of God. When thou beholdest the sea, consider the immensity and the greatness of God. When thou seest fire, or candles lighted on an altar, say: How many years is it since I ought to have been cast into hell to burn? But since Thou, O Lord, hast not sent me there, make this heart of mine now to burn with love for Thee, as that wood or those candles burn. When thou lookest up at the sky, all studded with stars, say with St. Andrew of Avellino: " O my feet, you will one day have those stars beneath you."
Then, in order frequently to recall to mind the mysteries of Our Saviour's love, when thou seest hay, a manger, or caves, let the Infant Jesus in the
