Four hundred years and more ago,
There did in Florence live
A worthy lawyer and his wife,
Who destined were to give
To Holy Church that wondrous Saint,
So simple yet so great,
The story of whose life in verse
I'm going to relate...
Rhymed Lives of St Philip have been published before; three at least appeared in Italian during the seventeenth century, while Father Faber himself planned something of the kind, though, unfortunately, he never found the time to carry it into execution. The present little volume is put forward with the hope that it may bring some knowledge of the Apostle of Rome to those who do not know him, while others who already know and love him may perhaps find an hour or twoÕs diversion in its pages.