Chapter

  1 Prol |           great a heroine. Again I say, how could my slender knowledge
  2 Prol |        shall I, so poor in talent, say of thee, when whatever I
  3 Prol |          thee, when whatever I may say of thee is less praise than
  4 Prol |          we, so little, so feeble, say in praise of Mary, when,
  5 I    |           Let us each and everyone say, Hail Mary. O truly gracious
  6 I    |         doth the devout St. Anselm say: "By thy fruitfulness, O
  7 II   |       begun. Let each one of us, I say, utter it; let all utter
  8 II   |          that the Lord could truly say to her: "Thou art all fair,
  9 II   |         and wounded, and can truly say with Jeremias: "Woe is me
 10 III  |       Therefore, she above all can say that word of Ecclesiasticus: "
 11 III  |           her soul. Well could she say with Ruth: "Call me not
 12 III  |           therefore, doth Innocent say: "By what aids can ships
 13 III  |         sin. Therefore doth Wisdom say of her: "She is more beautiful
 14 III  |       earth and in hell. She is, I say, the Lady of angels, the
 15 III  |          most devoutly to Mary and say: "O Mary, Bitter Sea, help
 16 IV   |         Well, therefore, doth Bede say: "Mary never exalted herself
 17 IV   |            charitable speech is, I say, to be cultivated. The Angel
 18 IV   |            Luke I, 34.) That is to say, I do not intend to know
 19 V    |            so that she could truly say with Ecclesiasticus: "My
 20 V    |      therefore, doth St. Augustine say: "A virgin mother was chosen,
 21 V    |          and to us. Most useful, I say, was the grace of Mary to
 22 V    |       Bernard saith: "What shall I say of the delights of the beauty
 23 V    |         them from eternal death. I say, therefore, that the grace
 24 V    |        grace. They are fattened, I say, by the fatness of the Holy
 25 VI   |          have still some things to say of the grace of the most
 26 VI   |      herself? Let Mary, therefore, say in all security, "In me
 27 VI   |      without herself. The grace, I say, of the truth set Mary in
 28 VI   |        regard to God. The grace, I say, of life set Mary in order
 29 VI   |        feast: "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye." This is
 30 VI   |     beseech the Mother of Mercy to say to her Son that you have
 31 VI   |           have no wine! And she, I say, beloved, if she is piously
 32 VI   |          angels and preferring it, say: "It is to be believed that
 33 VI   |            Abraham implored Sara: "Say, I beseech thee, that thou
 34 VI   |             13.) 0 Mary, our Sara, say that thou art our sister,
 35 VI   |          God because of thy grace. Say, O our most beloved Sara,
 36 VII  |          full moon-of that moon, I say, of which it is said in
 37 VII  |       luxury, preach chastity, and say: "How shall this be done,
 38 VII  |          Let her be moved fully, I say, that she may pour out on
 39 VII  |        this plenitude we can truly say: "The earth is the Lord'
 40 VII  |         therefore doth St. Bernard say: "Let us look more deeply
 41 VII  |        therefore, doth St. Bernard say of this oil: "No wonder,
 42 VII  |          world. Let us, therefore, say to Mary: 'Give us of your
 43 VII  |          of Mary, on the throne, I say, of her mind, the Lord was
 44 VII  |       assumed by God-that cloud, I say, of which we read in Ecclesiasticus: "
 45 VII  |    therefore, could God the Father say: "Behold the odor of my
 46 VII  |    Therefore, well does St. Anselm say: "I speak to thee alone,
 47 VII  |    therefore, could God the Father say: "Behold the odor of my
 48 VII  |    Therefore, well does St. Anselm say: "I speak to thee alone,
 49 VIII |        manner, O Mary. The Lord, I say, of all creatures in general,
 50 VIII |          of all things-the Lady, I say, of Heaven, and the Lady
 51 VIII |           so that thou canst truly say, "My power is in Jerusalem" (
 52 VIII |        Anselm does not hesitate to say of her: "All the treasures
 53 VIII |              Hence, we cannot only say with truth: "Thou, O Lord,
 54 VIII |              but we can also truly say: "Thou, O Lady, endurest
 55 X    |         each Divine Person, we can say that the Lord who is with
 56 X    |           by the Most High Lord, I say, whose daughter she is.
 57 X    |            is the mother of Him, I say, whose mercy leads us to
 58 X    |       glory, so that she can truly say: "I am the mother of fair
 59 XI   |         the light, by the dawn ? I say that the stars are the souls
 60 XI   | strengthening us against defect. I say that Jesus Christ is the
 61 XI   |         threefold place of Mary. I say that the first place in
 62 XI   |         therefore, doth St. Jerome say, commenting on these words: "
 63 XI   |            but to me. Well doth he say, her place, as it were appropriating
 64 XI   |          will confirm when He will say: "Come, ye blessed of My
 65 XI   |       death. Well doth St. Bernard say: "An army of enemies does
 66 XI   |     therefore well do the builders say: "Let us do the work." What
 67 XI   |         Gal. VI, 10.) Well do they say: Let us do the work, not
 68 XII  |     incorrigible and the demons.~I say that the Virgin Mary is
 69 XII  |        therefore, does St. Bernard say: "Thou dost not abhor or
 70 XII  |            should rejoice, let her say herself: "And my spirit
 71 XII  |       contemplatives. The earth, I say, is the mind bearing fruit
 72 XII  |           this flower! A flower, I say, delightful to the angels
 73 XII  |       Therefore, well could Christ say: "I am the flower of the
 74 XII  |            this belief she can now say: "My flesh hath flowered
 75 XIII |      therefore, doth St. Augustine say: "Rightly is the Blessed
 76 XIII |    heavenly Jerusalem. Consider, I say, the excellence of her who
 77 XIII |         works and examples. What I say of the treasures of Mary
 78 XIII |           intelligences, O Mary. I say that Mary in nature has
 79 XIII |      beyond all. She went forth, I say, by coming into this mortal
 80 XIV  |        Mary. Let Gabriel therefore say: "Blessed art thou among
 81 XIV  |           among women"; blessed, I say, because of the fullness
 82 XIV  |       because of grace. Blessed, I say, because of the grace of
 83 XIV  |      fullness of grace. Blessed, I say, because of the grace of
 84 XIV  |           Divine Child. Blessed, I say, by the Lord, by the Angel,
 85 XIV  |         the devil was overcome." I say that Mary is blessed because
 86 XIV  |         manifold mercy. Blessed, I say, because by thee God is
 87 XIV  |         enduring glory. Blessed, I say, because of her glory most
 88 XIV  |           enduring in stability. I say that Mary is blessed because
 89 XIV  |         has days, but no nights. I say that the first year has
 90 XIV  |         her indeed. Note that they say all. For this there should
 91 XIV  |            Jerusalem, the glory, I say, of all the Saints; thou
 92 XIV  |           God; thou art the joy, I say, of all the angels; thou
 93 XIV  |       above the angels. Blessed, I say, because of the fullness
 94 XV   |         therefore, doth St. Anselm say of this blessed Mother: "
 95 XV   |           is rightly so blessed. I say, therefore: Let every soul
 96 XV   |            every soul about to die say with St. Anselm: "O thou
 97 XV   |            does the Venerable Bede say: "Blessed art thou among
 98 XV   |           and all the people shall say, Amen." Against this curse
 99 XV   |           Well therefore doth Bede say: "She is incomparably blessed,
100 XVI  |         abundant Fruit. A Fruit, I say, most sublime in being well-born,
101 XVI  |           of the Eternal Father. I say that this Fruit is well-born
102 XVI  |         God the Father, therefore, say to Mary: let Him say to
103 XVI  |    therefore, say to Mary: let Him say to the faithful soul, let
104 XVI  |         the faithful soul, let Him say to the Church: "From Me
105 XVI  |            its savor by charity. I say that the Fruit of Mary is
106 XVI  |      Mother of this Fruit can well say with Ecclesiasticus: "I
107 XVI  |      therefore, doth St. Augustine say of Him: "Beautiful in Heaven,
108 XVI  |      preserve this great number. I say that this blessed fruit
109 XVI  |            salvation." Why does he say, peace and fruit? The fruit
110 XVI  |        they are multiplied," if we say that the wheat is the Body
111 XVI  |            most abundant of all. I say that this blessed Fruit
112 XVI  |         and desires. This earth, I say, is filled with the fruit
113 XVI  |           womb of Mary. You see, I say, how it is well-born because
114 XVII |            fruit upward; upward, I say, in high understanding,
115 XVII |        therefore, doth St. Bernard say of her: "O Virgin, rod sublime,
116 XVII |            dying; He merited it, I say, in serving for us for thirty-three
117 XVII |       these, therefore, that is to say, lovers of God and of men,
118 XVII |      therefore, does St. Augustine say: "Who can doubt that all
119 XVII | principally of the perfect. Fly, I say, from garden to garden,
120 XVII |            Wherefore Isaias says: "Say to the just, that it is
121 XVII |           does St. John Chrysostom say: "Mary was never a great
122 XVII |          souls" (Wisd. III, 13.) I say, in the visitation by grace,
123 XVIII|            in Him) peace; peace, I say, to him who is afar, by
124 XVIII|          tree; let us draw near, I say, to Mary. Let us pray with
125 XVIII|           so that they could truly say: "My soul hath cleaved to
126 XVIII|     eternal death, on which we can say that which we find in the
127 XVIII|     spiritual riches, the goods, I say, of virtues and graces.
128 XVIII|         empyreal ruin, the ruin, I say, brought about in the high
129 XVIII|           perdition; He planted, I say, the marrow of a cedar,