Venerable Antonio Alonso Bermejo, Labourer and Infirmarian, St. Francis of Sienna, Tanner and Soldier, LIGHT FROM THE LOWLY. Series VII. ST. ARNOLD, MUSICIAN. I. UNDER the wing of the magnanimous son of Pepin, the glorious conqueror of the Lombards in Italy, the Moors in Spain, the Abari in Hungary, the Sclavs in Bohemia. and the fierce Saxons and Danes; under the wing of the illustrious protector of the Church, Charlemagne, everything good, everything beautiful, everything grand found an atmosphere of prosperity and life. A devout subject of the Holy See, just in time of peace, powerful in war, an ardent promoter of the divine glory, he appeared to vie with the Lord-he in promoting the magnificence of worship in the temples and extending the kingdom of Jesus Christ, a id God in prospering his enterprises and adding to his states and dominions. Amongst the great men who flourished by the side of this illustrious prince, the lowest place is not certainly held by the charitable servant of God, whose life we are going to relate. Critics dispute about the native country of St. Arnold: some say he was from artistic Greece, others from Recia, in Germany. What is certain is that he lived at Charlemagne's court as one of the principal musicians to that monarch. All the inhabitants of the palace dearly loved Arnold, as well on account of his skill in music, in which he surpassed by his good taste and execution, as of his polished and Christian manners, adorned with all the virtues becoming a saint. Never did he prostitute his art with infamous productions calculated to arouse sensuality; but, like David, he filled the air with sweetest harmonies, which at the same time pleased the senses and calmed the passions, inspiring chastity, devotion, and meekness. Though the saint was conspicuous in all solid and perfect virtues, he was yet distinguished for his mercy to the weak. Widows, orphans, the sick, all those who felt the weight of misery in this vale of misfortunes, found in the pious musician consolation, relief, and protection. Charity is industrious, and the renowned artist availed himself of every occasion to do good to his neighbour. The king and his nobles were in one of his country -houses, where there was an extensive and flourishing forest. The surrounding inhabitants, despite the extreme want of fuel which they felt, were afraid to cut a twig, lest they should incur the rigours of the law. When Arnold found out the need of those poor farmers, he offered to intercede for them with the emperor. The latter was going to a great feast, when Arnold presented himself and explained to him the poor people's necessity. Anxious for the well-being of his vassals, as also to encourage the saint's piety, he promised to give to the poor as much as the servant of God could run round during the dinner. The charitable musician, satisfied with the issue of his prayer, on the moment mounted a fleet steed, and before the end of dinner had gone round a wood five miles in circumference. The emperor was astonished, but putting full confidence in the saint's veracity, who would not tell a lie for all the treasures of earth, in presence of his courtiers he took a ring off his finger and gave it to Arnold as a pledge that he made him a donation of the wood for the relief of the poor. It is not hard to imagine the joy and delight with which the glad news was received by the people; but the servant of God's satisfaction was not less in handing them over possession of their new property. On this and like occasions his gratification beamed in his face, and in nothing else had he such pleasure as in succouring the needy. Hence, after fulfilling his obligations to God and his sovereign, his principal work was the alleviation of the indigent. He availed himself of his musical skill to obtain alms from the courtiers and nobles for them. And except what he required to keep up his position, he distributed all he possessed to them. II. Such was his anxiety to lay up imperishable riches. He also added to his works of mercy all the other means usually employed by fervent Christians to secure their eternal salvation, and above all prayer and fasting. At that early date even there reigned amongst the faithful a holy enthusiasm to visit the shrine of St. James; and our saint, anxious to fortify his faith and inflame his charity at sight of that monument of the piety and fervour of our ancestors, undertook a pilgrimage to Compostella. The Lord was content with his good intention, for when he entered Spain for the purpose, he was stopped by the famine which succeeded the irruption of the enemies of the faith. Seeing, then, that he could not safely go forward, he remained in the religious city of Gerona, awaiting a more favourable opportunity to pursue his journey. He lodged in a pious matron's house, and spent the day partly in work to earn his bread, and partly in prayer and the exercises of piety and mercy. Though away from his own land he still found delight in drying tears, relieving the necessities of the poor as far as he could, and consoling the afflicted with the hope of the ineffable joys of paradise. He spent a year in Gerona, or some neighbouring village-an example of humility, meekness, penance and all Christian virtues. If at any time he joined the choir on festival days, far from going out during the sermon, like many musicians, he remained listening reverently to the Divine Word; and from all he heard he found a wreath of Christian maxims for the regulation and direction of his spirit. One of the truths which powerfully moved his heart was the terrible account which we shall have to give to God of every instant of our life. Like another Jerome, he imagined he heard the trumpet of the final judgment and the voice of the angel calling on the dead to arise, and saw the graves open, and the dry bones move and come forth from the earth and the sea, and reunited body and soul, present themselves in the valley of Josephat to receive their final sentence-a sentence condemning the wicked to eternal torments, and giving eternal bliss to the good. Who is there so foolish as not to be spurred on to virtue by the consideration of these truths? By their light our musician trampled on human respect; and considering his mortal existence as hanging by a slight thread, which might be broken at any moment by the breath of death, he regulated his actions like one who might be called at any hour before his Judge. Guided by this holy fear, as soon as he felt he had committed any fault, he hastened to purify his soul in the waters of penance, and entered with renewed courage on the way of eternal life. He found at last that his journey, considering the circumstances of the times, was impracticable, and resolved to return to his own country. For the Moors, whom, in punishment of the depraved morals of kings, nobles, and vassals, the Lord had let loose over poor Spain, yet infested the greater part of the Peninsula ; and under the command of Abderraman swept down on the Christian towns like a devastating torrent, levelling everything in its course, and scattering destruction and death in all directions. These calamities with which Divine |