BLESSED ADRIAN FORTESCUE - TUITIO FIDEI - COME DRINK AT THE FOUNTAIN

It is very fitting that within the week of the Feast of Our Blessed Lady of Philermo, the reverend compilers of the little volume "Mementoes of the Martyrs" (Burns and Oates, 1961) should have chosen to include the text of Blessed Adrian Fortescue's maxims, this day and tomorrow, written in his manuscript within his Book of Hours. As many members of the Order will know, this treasured volume,  the only relic of our martyr saint, the property by inheritance of the Constable Maxwell family, is on loan to the Grand Priory, and one of our most treasured artefacts. Third-class relics are available for the devotion of the faithful, by gracious courtesy of former Grand Master Fra' Matthew Festing.

It gives us much pleasure to offer to our dear Readers the published Maxims of Blessed Adrian, which have never before appeared on this blog, and which are as apposite for our day as they clearly were in his. It shows how little changes, and for all the claims of development and increased 'sophistication' which our liberal friends would have you believe we have achieved, we actually change very little, and are still just as guilty of the same foolishness as our 'unsophisticated' 16th Century ancestors. Much comfort therein. These admonitions are for every layman; take heed, beloved Confrere, dear Companion!

MAXIMS OF BLESSED ADRIAN FORTESCUE, Martyr, ON.

ABOVE all things love God with all thy heart.

Desire His honour more than the health of thine own soul.

Take heed often with all diligence to purge and cleanse thy mind with Confession, and raise thy desire
or longing from earthly things.

Be thou houseled [receive Communion] with entire devotion.

Repute not thyself better than any other person, be they never so great sinners, but rather judge and esteem thyself most simplest.

Judge the best.

Use much silence, but when thou needs must, speak.

Delight not in familiarity of persons unknown to thee.

Be solitary as much as is convenient with thine estate.

Banish from thee all judging and detraction, and especially from thy tongue.

Pray often.

Also enforce thee to set thy house at quietness.

Resort to God every hour.

Advance not thy words or deeds by any pride.

Be not too much familiar, but show a serious and prudent countenance with gentleness.

Show before all people a good example of virtues.

Be not partial for favour, lucre or malice, but according to truth, equity, justice and reason.

Be pitiful to poor folk and help them to thy power, for then thou shalt greatly please God.

Give fair language to all persons, and especially to the poor and needy.

Also be diligent in giving of alms.

In prosperity be meek of heart, and in adversity patient.

And pray continually to God that thou may do what is His pleasure.

Also apply diligently the co-operations of the Holy Ghost whatever thou hast therein to do.

Pray for perseverance.

Continue in awe of God, and ever have Him before thine eyes.

Renew every day thy good purpose.

What thou hast to do, do it diligently.

'Stablish thyself always in well-doing.

If by chance thou fall into sin, despair not; and if thou keep these precepts, the Holy Ghost will strengthen thee in all other things necessary, and, thus doing, thou shalt be with Christ in Heaven, to whom be glory, laud, honour and praise everlasting. Amen.

The picture at the head of this post shows Bl. Adrian Fortescue, a copy of the painting at the College of San Paolo, Rabat, Malta, by the Grand Master's brother, the renowned painter, Andrew Festing.