have been an eye witness of this extraordinary fact. " Ejus libri, fays Gellius, non incelebres feruntur; quibus, omnium ferme quæ mirifica in Ægypto vifuntur audiunturque, historia comprehen« ditur. Sed in his quæ audiviffe et legiffe fefe dicit, fortaffe a "vitio ftudioque oftentationis fit loquacior, &c "." Had our compiler of the GESTA taken this story from Gellius, it is probable he would have told it with fome of the fame circumftances: especially as Gellius is a writer whom he frequently follows, and even quotes; and to whom, on this occafion, he might have been obliged for a few more strokes of the marvellous. But the two writers agree only in the general fubject. Our compiler's narrative has much more fimplicity than that of Gellius; and contains marks of eastern manners and life. me add, that the oriental fabulifts are fond of illustrating and enforcing the duty of gratitude, by feigning inftances of the gratitude of beafts towards men. And of this the prefent compilation, which is ftrongly tinctured with orientalism, affords feveral other proofs. Let CHAP. CV. Theodofius the blind emperor ordained, that the cause of every injured perfon fhould be heard, on ringing a bell placed in a public part of his palace. A ferpent had a nest near the spot where the bell-rope fell. In the absence of the serpent, a toad took poffeffion of her nest. The serpent twisting herself round the rope, rang the bell for juftice; and by the emperor's special command the toad was killed. A few days afterwards, as the king was repofing on his couch, the ferpent entered the chamber, bearing a precious ftone in her mouth. The ferpent creeping up to the emperor's face, laid the precious stone on his eyes, and glided out of the apartment. Immediately the emperor was restored to his fight. This circumstance of the Bell of Juftice occurs in the real history of some eastern monarch, whofe name I have forgot. z NOCT. ATTIC. Lib. v. cap. xiv. See another fabulous ftory, of which Appion VOL. III. f was an eye witness, ibid. L. vii. cap. viii: It is of a boy beloved by a dolphin. In In the Arabian philosophy, ferpents, either from the brightness of their eyes, or because they inhabit the cavities of the earth, were confidered as having a natural, or occult, connection with precious stones. In Alphonfus's CLERICALIS DISCIPLINA, a fnake is mentioned, whofe eyes were real jacinths. In Alexander's romantic hiftory, he is faid to have found ferpents in the vale of Jordian, with collars of huge emeralds growing on their necks. The toad, under a vulgar indifcriminating idea, is ranked with the reptile race: and Shakespeare has a beautiful comparifon on the traditionary notion, that the toad has a rich gem inclosed within its head. Milton gives his ferpent eyes of carbuncle '. CHAP. Cvi. The three fellow-travellers, who have only one loaf of bread. This apologue is in Alphonfus. CHAP. Cvii. There was an image in the city of Rome, which ftretched forth its right hand, on the middle finger of which was written STRIKE HERE. For a long time none could understand the meaning of this myfterious infcription. At length a certain fubtle Clerk, who came to fee this famous image, obferved, as the fun fhone against it, the fhadow of the infcribed finger on the ground at some distance. He immediately took a spade, and began to dig exactly on that spot. He came at length to a flight of steps which defcended far under ground, and led him to a ftately palace. Here he entered a hall, where he faw a king and queen fitting at table, with their nobles and a multitude of people, all clothed in rich garments. But no perfon spake a word. He looked towards one corner, where he saw a polished carbuncle, which illuminated the whole room. In I Saracen-work. 2 Balls. Pinnacles. Of the oppofite corner he perceived the figure of a man ftanding, having a bended bow with an arrow in his hand, as prepared to fhoot. On his forehead was written, "I am, who am. No thing can escape my stroke, not even yonder carbuncle which "fhines fo bright." The Clerk beheld all with amazement; and entering a chamber, faw the most beautiful ladies working at the loom in purple . But all was filence. But all was filence. He then entered a ftable full of the most excellent horfes and affes: he touched *. some of them, and they were instantly turned into stone. He next surveyed all the apartments of the palace, which abounded Of bournedde golde, ryche and good, And in the alliterative romance, called the SEGE OF JERUSALEM. MSS. Cott. CALIG. A. 2. fol. 122. b. Tytus tarriedde nozte' for that, but to the tempul rode. That was rayled in the roofe with rubyes ryche, 6 With perles and with perytotes all the place fette, That glyftered as coles in the fyre, on the golde ryche; The dores with dyamondes dryven were thykke, And made alfo marveyloufly with margery? perles, That ever lemede the lyzt, and as a lampe fhewed: The clerkes had none other lyzte.—— The original is, "mulieres pulcherrimas "in purpura et pallo operantes invenit.” 3 Enamel, 4 Moon. fol. L. a. col. 1. This may mean either the fenfe in the text, or that the ladies were cloathed in purpura et pallo, a phrase which I never faw before in barbarous latinity but which tallies with the old English expreffion purple and pall. This is fometimes written purple pall. As in SYR LAUNFAL, ut fupr. fol. 40. a. The lady was clad yn purpure palle. Antiently Pallium, as did Purpura, fignified in general any rich cloth. Thus there were faddles, de pallio et ebore; a bed, de pallio; a cope, de pallio, &c &c. See Dufresne, LAT. GLOSS. V. PALLIUM. And PELLUM, its corruption. In old French, to cover a hall with tapestry was called paller. So in SYR LAUNFAL, ut fupr. fol. 40. a. Thyn halle agyrde, and hele [cover] the 5 Nought. f 2 with with all that his wifhes could defire. He again vifited the hall, and now began to reflect how he fhould return; "but, fays he, my report of all these wonders will not be believed, unless I carry fomething back with me." He therefore took from the principal table a golden cup and a golden knife, and placed them in his bofom. When, the man who stood in the corner with the bow, immediately fhot at the carbuncle, which he shattered into a thousand pieces. At that moment the hall became dark as night. In this darkness not being able to find his way, he remained in the fubterraneous palace, and foon died a miferable death. In the MORALISATION of this ftory, the fteps by which the Clerk defcends into the earth are fuppofed to be the Paffions. The palace, fo richly ftored, is the world with all its vanities. and temptations. The figure with the bow bent is Death, and the carbuncle is Human Life. He fuffers for his avarice in coveting and feizing what was not his own; and no fooner has he taken the golden knife and cup, that is, enriched himself with the goods of this world, than he is delivered up to the gloom and horrors of the grave. Spenfer in the FAERIE QUEENE, feems to have diftantly remembered this fable, where a fiend expecting fir Guyon will be tempted to fnatch fome of the treasures of the fubterraneous HOUSE OF RICHESSE, which are difplayed in his view, is prepared to fasten upon him. Thereat the fiend his gnashing teeth did grate, This story was originally invented of pope Gerbert, or Syl B. ii, C. vii. ft. 34 vefter the fecond, who died in the year 1003. He was eminently learned in the mathematical fciences, and on that account was styled a magician. William of Malmesbury is, I believe, the first writer now extant by whom it is recorded: and he produces it partly to shew, that Gerbert was not always fuccessful in those attempts which he fo frequently practised to discover treasures hid in the earth, by the application of the ne.. cromantic arts. I will tranflate Malmesbury's narration of this fable, as it varies in fome of the circumstances, and has some heightenings of the fiction. "At Rome there was a brazen "statue, extending the forefinger of the right hand; and on its "forehead was written Strike here. Being fufpected to conceal "a treasure, it had received many bruises from the credulous " and ignorant, in their endeavours to open it. At length Gerbert "unriddled the mystery. At noon-day obferving the reflection of "the forefinger on the ground, he marked the spot. At night "he came to the place, with a page carrying a lamp. There by "a magical operation he opened a wide paffage in the earth; through which they both defcended, and came to a vast "palace. The walls, the beams, and the whole ftructure, were "of gold: they faw golden images of knights playing at chefs, "with a king and queen of gold at a banquet, with numerous "attendants in gold, and cups of immenfe fize and value. In "a recefs was a carbuncle, whofe luftre illuminated the whole palace: oppofite to which ftood a figure with a bended bow. "As they attempted to touch fome of the rich furniture, all "the golden images feemed to rush upon them. Gerbert was "too wife to attempt this a fecond time: but the page was "bold enough to snatch from the table a golden knife of ex quifite workmanship. At that moment, all the golden images ❝rofe up with a dreadful noife; the figure with the bow fhot at "the carbuncle; and a total darkness enfued. The page then replaced the knife, otherwife, they both would have fuffered a cruel death." Malmesbury afterwards mentions a brazen bridge, framed by the enchantments of Gerbert, beyond which were |