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doores, gird themselves about with the winding sheet that they purpose to be buried in, to shew themselves mindful of their mortalitie. Such of them as are at any time condemned to die, are sowed within a sack, and flung from a rock into the sea.”—A Prospect of the most famous Parts of the World. 1646.

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"In some corners of Connaught, the people leave the right armes of their infants end that at any time afterwards, they might male unchristened (as they terme it) to the give a more deadly and ungracious blow when they strike; which things doe not onely show how palpably they are carried away by traditious obscurities, but do also intimate how full their hearts be of inveterate revenge."-Ibid.

Philip Augustus reconciled to his Queen. "PHILIP AUGUSTUS had put away his wife Gelberge, sister to the King of Denmark, and in her place married Mary, the daughter of the Duke of Moravia. The King of Denmark pursued vehemently in the court of Rome, for the honour of his sister thus rejected. Philip, not able to avoid the decision of the cause, and yet resolute not to receive Gelberge, prepares his advocates to show the reasons which had moved him to put her away. The cause was to be pleaded before the Pope's legate in the great hall of the Bishop's palace at Paris; thither they run of all sides. In this great and solemn assembly, Philip's advocates pleaded wonderfully well for him against his wife, but no man appeared for her. As the cryer had demanded three times if there were any one to speak for Gelberge, and that silence should be held for a consent, behold a young man unknowne steps forth of the press, demanded audience. It was granted him with great attention. King Philip assenting, every man's ears were open to hear this advocate, but especially Philip's, who was touched and ravished with the free and plain discourse of truth which he heard from the mouth of this new advocate, so as they might perceive him to change countenance. After this young man had ended his discourse, hevels. returns into the press again, and was never seen more, neither could they learn what he was, who had sent him, nor whence he came. The judges were amazed, and the cause was remitted to the council. Philip, without any stay in court, goes to horse, and rides presently to Bois de Vincennes, whither he had confined Gelberge; having embraced her he receives her into favour, and passed the rest of his days with her in nuptial love." -DE SERRES. Philip II. 1193. Pontanus calls her Ingeburga.

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Custom on the Isle of Man. "THE women of this countrie, (Isle of Man,) whensoever they goe out of their

Cypresses.

"THE duration of the cypress is equalled only by that of the oak; they are seldom seen in forests. In cemeteries and the environs of palaces, six feet is a circumference not uncommon, with a height proportioned to a pyramidal shape."-DALLAWAY'S Tra

Turkish Fountains.

"THE frequent fountains, all built by useful piety, are placed at certain distances, and measure plains which seem to widen as we advance. In those situations, if not picturesque, they are characteristic, and highly so, when connected with the shade of an umbrageous plane tree. It was interesting to pass one of these at mid-day, and to remark the devout Mussulman, after his ablutions, prostrating himself on his carpet, and repeating in a still voice those addresses to the Deity which are prescribed by his prophet."—Ibid.

Enchantment of Irish Coward. "AT their first onset the wilde Irish uttered the word Pharroh with great acclamation, and he that did not was taken into the ayre and carryed into the vale of Kerry, where transformed (as they did beleeve) he remained untill he was hunted with hounds from thence to his home."-Quære? 1

Images.

Condensation of vapour over the waters. Not a bud visible on the mulberry tree. April 22.

Irish Coward.

"SOME of the wilde Irish perswade themselves, that he who in the barbarous acclamation and outcry of the souldiers, which they use with great forcing and straining of their voyces, when they joyne battell, doth not showte and make a noise as the rest doe,

FEB. 16. The earliest buds on the elm, is suddenly caught from the ground, and giving a reddishness to the boughs.

Feb. 26. The beech preserves its leaves. The motion of the river reflected upon the arch of the bridge, rolling in waves of checquered light.

Feb. 28. Withey bed red.

We think the mists of the morning hide some beauty from us. At night we dread the precipices that they may conceal. Such is the difference between youth and age!

The flame in passing through brass bars becomes green.

March 3. Bright green of the ivy. Dark appearance of the yew trees in the wood.

Ruined dwelling house, why more melancholy than the ruins of the castle, convent, and palace.

Clattering of the ivy leaves against the

tree trunk.

A church seen at night-its solemn massiness.

The buds of the elder appear in circular tufts.

Whiteness of a shower swept by the wind..

Large buds of the horse chesnut terminating each branch.

April 19. White blossoms of the thorn like snow, without one green bud.

I suppose these extracts to be taken from the book above quoted, A Prospect, &c. but I have not the means of verifying the Quare's. In a note to Joan of Arc, SOUTHEY tells us the first part of the book wants a title. It was printed for William Humble, in Pope's Head Place, 1646.-J. W. W.

carried as it were flying in the ayre, into some desert vallies, where he feedeth upon grasse, drinketh water, hath some use of reason, but not of speech, is ignorant of the present condition he stands in, whether good or bad, yet at length shall be brought to his own home, being caught with the helpe of hounds and hunters."—Quære?

Mule Monsters.

"AFRICA every year produceth some strange creature before not heard of, peradventure not extant. For so Pliny thinks, that for want of water, creatures of all kindes at sometimes of the yeere gather to those few rivers that are to quench their thirst; and then the males promiscuously enforcing the females of every species which comes next him, produceth this variety of forms, and would be a grace to Africa, were it not so full of danger to the inhabitants, which, as Salust reports, die more by beasts than by diseases."-Quære?

Apparition of Offa.

"Nor farre from Bedford sometime stood a chappell upon the banke of Ouse, wherein (as Florilegus affirmeth) the body of Offa, the great Mercian King, was interred, but by the overswelling of that river was borne downe, and swallowed up; whose tombe of lead (as it were some phantasticall thing) appeared often to them that seeke it not;

but to them that seeke it (saith Rosse) it is there is heard above a sound of cymbals, invisible."-Quære?

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Streams of Glamorganshire. "GLAMORGANSHIRE-upon whose hills you may behold whole herds of cattle feeding, and from whose rocks most cleare springing waters thorow the vallies trickling, which sportingly doe passe with a most pleasant sound, and did not a little revive my wearied spirits among those vast mountains

whose infancie at first admitted an

easie step over, but growne unto strength more boldly forbade me such passage, and with a more sterne countenance held on their journey unto the British seas. Tave among these is accounted for a chief.". Quare?

Strange Cavern.

--

"Bur things of strange note are these, by the report of Giraldus, who affirmeth,

that in a rock or cliff upon the sea side and

lland Barry, lying near the S. E. point of this countie, is heard out of a little chinke the noise as it were of smithes at their worke, one whiles the blowing of bellowes to increase the heat, then the stroakes of the hammer, and sound of the anvile; sometimes the noise of the grindstone in grinding of iron tooles, then the hissing sparks of steel-gads, as they flie from their beating, with the puffing noise of flames in a furnace." Whether this is the place whereof Clemens Alexandrinus speaketh, I determine not, where in his writings he hath these words," they that have recorded histories (saith he) doe say that in the Ile of Britaine, there is a certaine hole or cave under the bottome of an hill, and on the top thereof a gaping chink, into the which when the winde is gathered and tossed to and fro in the wombe or concavitie thereof,

“And with a gad of steel will write these

words." Tit. Andron. iv. 1. See NARES' Gloss. in v.-J. W. W.

for the wind being driven backe from his hole, is forced to make a loud sound at her vent."-Quare?

Mysterious Inscription.

"UPON the same shore, on the top of a hill called Minyd-Margan, is erected a monument inscribed with a strange character, and as strange a conceit held thereof by the by-dwellers whose opinions are possessed that if any man reade the same he shall shortly after die.”— Quære?

Welsh Town destroyed by Lightning, and Welsh Floating Island.

"JUST over against the river Conway, where it issueth into the sea, there sometimes stood an ancient city named Diganwey, which many years agoe was consumed Touching those two other miracles, famoused by lightning, and so made utterly desolate. by Giraldus and Gervasius, that on these high hills there are two pooles called the Meares, the one of which produceth great store of fish, but all having onely one eye; and in the other there is a moveable iland, which as soon as a man treadeth thereon, it forthwith floateth a great way off, whereby the Welsh are said to have often scaped and deluded their enemies assailing them; these matters are out of my creed, and yet 1

thinke the reader would rather beleeve them,

than to goe to see whether they be so or

no."-Quære?

Noah's Ark.

"ON Mount Ararat (called Lubar, or the descending place) is an abbey of St. Gregorie's monks. These monkes, if any list to beleeve them, say that there remaineth yet some part of the arke, kept by angels; which, if any seeke to ascend, carrie them backe as farre in the night, as they have climbed in the day."-PURCHAS.

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Suicide of the Spanish Tyrannicide. "LUCIO PISON, Pretor de la España Citerior, con imposiciones nuevas, y muy graves, que inventò, alborotò los animos de los naturales, de suerte, que se conjuraron y hermanaron contra el. Llegò el negocio a que un labrador Termestino en aquellos campos le dio la muerte. Quiso salvarse despues de tan gran hazaña; pero fue descubierto por el cavallo que dexò cansado; hallado y puesto a question de tormento, no pudieron hazer que se descubriesse los compañeros de aquella conjuracion, dado que no negava tenerlos. Y sin embargo, por rezelarse que la fuerça del dolor no le hiziesse blandear, el dia siguiente, sacado para de nuevo atormentarle, se escapo entre las manos a los que le llevavan, y con la cabeça dio en una peña tan gran golpe, que rindio el alma. Tanto pudo en un rustico la fee del secreto, y la amistad. Esto sucedio en Espana el año veinte y seis de Christo."-MARIANA.

Spaniard swallowed up like Amphiaraus. "EL enemigo (Almançor, Capitan de Abderrahman Rey de Cordova) tenia sus reales

cerca de la villa de Lara. No vinieron luego a las manos. El Conde (Fernan Gonçalez) cierto dia salio por su recreacion a caça, y en seguimiento de un javali se aparto de la gente que le acompañava. En el monte cerca de alli un hermita de obra antigua, se via cubierta de yedra, y un altar con nombre del Apostol San Pedro. Un hombre santo, llamado Pelagio o Pelayo, con dos compañeros, deseo de vida sossegada, avia escogido aquel lugar para su morada. La subida era agria, el camino estrecho, la fiera acosada, como à sagrado, se acogia a la hermita. El Conde movido de la devocion del lugar, no le quiso herir, y puesto de rodillas, pedia con grande humildad el ayuda de Dios. Vino luego Pelayo, hizo su mesura al Conde. El por ser ya tarde, hizo alli noche; y cenado que ovo lo poco que le dieron, la passo en oracion y lagrimas. Con el Sol le aviso Pelayo su huesped, del sucesso de la guerra. Que saldria con la vitoria, y en señal desto, antes de la pelea se veria un estraño caso. Bolvio con tanto alegre a los suyos, que estavan cuydadosos de su salud; declaro todo lo que passava. Encendieronse los animos de los soldados a la pelea, que estavan atemorizados. Ordenaron sus hazes para pelear. Al punto que querian acometer, un Cavallero, que algunos llaman Pero Gonçalez de la Puente de Fitero, dio de espuelas al cavallo para adelantarse. Abriose la tierra y tragole, sin que pareciesse mas. Alborotose la gente, espantada de aquel milagro. Avisoles el Conde, que aquella era la señal de la vitoria que le diera el Hermitaño que si la tierra no los sufria, menos los sufririan los contrarios."-Ibid. A. D. 950

GARCI FERNANDEZ murders his adulterous Wife, and marries the Servant who betrayed her.1

"GARCI FERNANDEZ (Conde de Castilla) se dize caso con dos mugeres; la una se

See Poems in one volume, GARCI FERNAN

DEZ, p. 441.

"In an evil day, and an hour of woe,

llamo Argentina, de cuya apostura se enamoro al tiempo que su padre, nombre noble, y Frances de nacion, la traia en romeria, juntamente con su madre, a Santiago. Seis años despues, estando el Conde su ma| rido enfermo en la cama, o por aborrecimiento que le tenia, o con deseo de la patria, se bolvio a Francia con cierto Frances que ternava de la misma romeria. El C. recobrada la salud, y dexando en el govierno de su estado a Egidio, y a Fernando, hombres principales, en trage disfrazado se fue a aquella parte de Francia donde entendia que Argentina morava. Tenia Argentina una antenada llamada Sancha, que (como suele acontecer) estava mal con su madrasta. Esta con esperança que le dieron de casar con el C. o por liviandad, como muger le dio entrada en la casa. Mato el C. en la cama a Argentina y al adultero, y con tanto, llevo a la dicha Sancha consigo a España. Hizieronse las bodas de los dos, con grande aparato y regozijo en Burgos."-Ibid. A. D.

982.

Good Genius fighting.

"ACONTECIO en aquella batalla (cerca de Santistevan de Gormaz, a la ribera del rio Duero 982) una cosa digna de memoria. Fernan Antolinez, hombre noble y muy devoto, oia missa al tiempo que se dio señal de acometer, costumbre ordinaria suya antes de la pelea; por no dexarla començada, se quedo en el templo quando se toco à la

arma.

Esta piedad quan agradable fuesse a Dios, se entendiò por un milagro. Estavase primero en la Iglesia, despues escondido en su casa, temia no le afrentassen como a cobarde. En tanto, otro a el semejante, es a saber, su Angel bueno, peleava entre los primeros tan valientemente, que la vitoria de aquel dia se atribuyo en gran parte al valor de il dicho Antolinez. Confirmaron el milagro las señales de los golpes, y las manchas de la sangre que se hallaron licado el caso, y sabido lo que passava, frescas en sus armas y cavallo. Assi pubquedo mas conocida la inocencia y esfuerço

Did Garci Fernandez wed, &c." -J. W. W. de Antolinez."-Ibid.

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