[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
35
35
35
go.35 The eyes were then bound upon the neck of the man, woman, or child, and
a satisfactory result was speedily anticipated, though very possibly not so
speedily forthcoming.
The Cuttle fish is scarcely one s ideal of beauty, yet it is by its vanity and belief
in its personal attractions that it is most readily captured. Porta tells us that pieces
of looking glass are let down by the fishermen into the waters, and that the Cuttle
seeing his image reflected, clasps the glass around, and while he is still enamoured
with the reflection of his charms is drawn to the surface by the wily fishermen. In
the Pathway to Knowledge, published in the year 1685, we are told that if we
take the juice of Nettles and Houseleek, and anoint our hands therewith, the fish
will gather round and you may take them out at your pleasure. This seems
almost as simple a method as the catching of birds by placing a pinch of salt on
their tails.
If we may credit Maundevile, and the if is a most important point, in one
favoured land instead of the people going for the fish, the fish come to the people.
In a certain isle, or we may perhaps more truthfully say an uncertain isle, called
Calonak, many wonderful things were to be seen, but one of these he especially,
and very justly, calls a gret Marvayle, and when he goes on to add that it is
more to speke of than in ony partie of the World, one is loath to gainsay his
opinion. He tells us that alle manere of Fissches that ther ben in the See abouten
hem, comen ones in the Yeer, eche manere of dyverse Fissches, one maner of
kynde aftre another; and thei casten hemselfe to the See Banke of that Yle in so
gret plentee and multitude that no man may see but Fissche, and ther thei abyden
thre dayes, and euerie man of the Countree takethe of hem als many as him
lykethe, and that maner of Fissche aftre the thridde day departeth and gothe in to
the See. And aftre hem comen another multitude of Fissches of anothre kynde
and don in the same maner as the firste diden othre three dayes. And aftre hem
another, tille alle the dyverse maner of Fissches have ben there, and that men
have taken of hem that hem lykethe. And no man knowethe the cause wherfore
it may ben. But thei of the Contree seyn that it is for to do reverence to here Kyng,
that is the most worthi Kyng that is in the World, as thei seyn. The reason
assigned for the king s special worthiness is a somewhat peculiar one, and though
it is duly set forth at full length by the old author, other times have brought other
manners and ideas, and one can scarcely insert in a book of the present day
many things, and this amongst them, that were set forth in the greatest simplicity
and directness of language in books of earlier date.
At all events this most worthie Kyng was so far under the special care of
Providence that God sendethe him so the Fissches of dyverse kyndes, of all that
ben in the See, to be taken at his wille, for him and alle his peple. And therfore all
the Fissches of the See comen to make him homage as the most noble and
excellent Kyng of the World, and that is best beloved of God as thei seyn. Well
may Maundevile say as he realized the idea of the various finny tribes of Ocean
thus sacrificing themselves in so orderly a sequence, that this me semethe is the
most merveylle that evere I saughe. For this mervaylle is agenst kynde, that the
Fissches that have fredom to environe all the Costes of the See at here owne list
comen of hire owne wille to profren hem to the dethe with outen constreynyuge
of man. It must have been an immense convenience to have known thus readily
what was in season, and even if in this Hobson s choice of diet one did not happen to
be very partial to plaice or conger, there was always the happy knowledge that
next Tuesday or possibly Thursday week, soles or turbot would be in. We may
conclude that a fresh series of herrings, mackerel, or whatever they night be,
would come ashore on each one of the three days that they were due, or by the
termination of that period they would certainly all be smelt.
After this great marvel the cruel pontarf that beguiled children away to sport
with them and finally to eat them, the silurus that at the rising of the dog-star is
struck insensible, the dead crabs that turn to scorpions, the eels that rub themselves
against stones, and, in so doing, scrape off fragments that come to life, and are
the only cause and means of their increase, the fish that swim in the boiling
water of some tropical stream that is now unknown, all sink as wonders into
insignificance.
The whole world has now been so ransacked that there is little room in these
times for the imagination to play; but in mediaeval days travellers brought back
such wonderful stories, some of them true, and others, perhaps, a little wanting
in that respect, of the things that they had seen, that almost anything seemed a
possibility. Of this our present pages may be considered some little indication,
though it will be abundantly evident that we have not used up one hundredth part
of the great store of folklore and ancient and mediaeval science that is open to
investigation.
Footnotes
Footnotes
Footnotes
Footnotes
Footnotes
Chapter I
1
1
1
1
1
The title pages of these old books should by no means be overlooked, as they are often full of
interest and meaning. In the one before us we have at the top the Hebrew name for Jehovah
within an equilateral triangle, and this again within a circle of rays. On one side is the sun shining
in full splendour, on the other the moon and stars. From the triangle issues a narrow track that
broadens as it goes, and finally returns to the triangle, its point of emergence being marked Alpha
and the point of re-entry Omega. In the centre of this track is the world being rolled along by the foot of
Time. On one side is a sitting figure, Theologia, book on knee, and having the tables of the law in one
hand and in the other a lantern, and on the other we find Philosophia with globe and compasses.
2
2
2
2
2
The titles of many of these old books are sufficiently quaint and striking. Sometimes a spade
is called a spade with the most startling directness; while at others the title is a mystical conceit
that needs interpretation. The following are some few that we have come across: The flaming
sword of Justice unsheathed, Matches lighted at the Divine Fire, The shop of the Spiritual
Apothecary, The Scraper of Vanity, a Spiritual Pillow necessary to exterpate Vice and to plant
Virtue. There would appear to be here some little confusion of metaphor: anyone desiring to
plant anything would scarcely find a pillow a serviceable tool for the purpose.
3
3
3
3
3
Culver is derived from the Anglo-Saxon culfre, a pigeon. The Culver cliffs in the Isle of Wight [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
35
35
35
go.35 The eyes were then bound upon the neck of the man, woman, or child, and
a satisfactory result was speedily anticipated, though very possibly not so
speedily forthcoming.
The Cuttle fish is scarcely one s ideal of beauty, yet it is by its vanity and belief
in its personal attractions that it is most readily captured. Porta tells us that pieces
of looking glass are let down by the fishermen into the waters, and that the Cuttle
seeing his image reflected, clasps the glass around, and while he is still enamoured
with the reflection of his charms is drawn to the surface by the wily fishermen. In
the Pathway to Knowledge, published in the year 1685, we are told that if we
take the juice of Nettles and Houseleek, and anoint our hands therewith, the fish
will gather round and you may take them out at your pleasure. This seems
almost as simple a method as the catching of birds by placing a pinch of salt on
their tails.
If we may credit Maundevile, and the if is a most important point, in one
favoured land instead of the people going for the fish, the fish come to the people.
In a certain isle, or we may perhaps more truthfully say an uncertain isle, called
Calonak, many wonderful things were to be seen, but one of these he especially,
and very justly, calls a gret Marvayle, and when he goes on to add that it is
more to speke of than in ony partie of the World, one is loath to gainsay his
opinion. He tells us that alle manere of Fissches that ther ben in the See abouten
hem, comen ones in the Yeer, eche manere of dyverse Fissches, one maner of
kynde aftre another; and thei casten hemselfe to the See Banke of that Yle in so
gret plentee and multitude that no man may see but Fissche, and ther thei abyden
thre dayes, and euerie man of the Countree takethe of hem als many as him
lykethe, and that maner of Fissche aftre the thridde day departeth and gothe in to
the See. And aftre hem comen another multitude of Fissches of anothre kynde
and don in the same maner as the firste diden othre three dayes. And aftre hem
another, tille alle the dyverse maner of Fissches have ben there, and that men
have taken of hem that hem lykethe. And no man knowethe the cause wherfore
it may ben. But thei of the Contree seyn that it is for to do reverence to here Kyng,
that is the most worthi Kyng that is in the World, as thei seyn. The reason
assigned for the king s special worthiness is a somewhat peculiar one, and though
it is duly set forth at full length by the old author, other times have brought other
manners and ideas, and one can scarcely insert in a book of the present day
many things, and this amongst them, that were set forth in the greatest simplicity
and directness of language in books of earlier date.
At all events this most worthie Kyng was so far under the special care of
Providence that God sendethe him so the Fissches of dyverse kyndes, of all that
ben in the See, to be taken at his wille, for him and alle his peple. And therfore all
the Fissches of the See comen to make him homage as the most noble and
excellent Kyng of the World, and that is best beloved of God as thei seyn. Well
may Maundevile say as he realized the idea of the various finny tribes of Ocean
thus sacrificing themselves in so orderly a sequence, that this me semethe is the
most merveylle that evere I saughe. For this mervaylle is agenst kynde, that the
Fissches that have fredom to environe all the Costes of the See at here owne list
comen of hire owne wille to profren hem to the dethe with outen constreynyuge
of man. It must have been an immense convenience to have known thus readily
what was in season, and even if in this Hobson s choice of diet one did not happen to
be very partial to plaice or conger, there was always the happy knowledge that
next Tuesday or possibly Thursday week, soles or turbot would be in. We may
conclude that a fresh series of herrings, mackerel, or whatever they night be,
would come ashore on each one of the three days that they were due, or by the
termination of that period they would certainly all be smelt.
After this great marvel the cruel pontarf that beguiled children away to sport
with them and finally to eat them, the silurus that at the rising of the dog-star is
struck insensible, the dead crabs that turn to scorpions, the eels that rub themselves
against stones, and, in so doing, scrape off fragments that come to life, and are
the only cause and means of their increase, the fish that swim in the boiling
water of some tropical stream that is now unknown, all sink as wonders into
insignificance.
The whole world has now been so ransacked that there is little room in these
times for the imagination to play; but in mediaeval days travellers brought back
such wonderful stories, some of them true, and others, perhaps, a little wanting
in that respect, of the things that they had seen, that almost anything seemed a
possibility. Of this our present pages may be considered some little indication,
though it will be abundantly evident that we have not used up one hundredth part
of the great store of folklore and ancient and mediaeval science that is open to
investigation.
Footnotes
Footnotes
Footnotes
Footnotes
Footnotes
Chapter I
1
1
1
1
1
The title pages of these old books should by no means be overlooked, as they are often full of
interest and meaning. In the one before us we have at the top the Hebrew name for Jehovah
within an equilateral triangle, and this again within a circle of rays. On one side is the sun shining
in full splendour, on the other the moon and stars. From the triangle issues a narrow track that
broadens as it goes, and finally returns to the triangle, its point of emergence being marked Alpha
and the point of re-entry Omega. In the centre of this track is the world being rolled along by the foot of
Time. On one side is a sitting figure, Theologia, book on knee, and having the tables of the law in one
hand and in the other a lantern, and on the other we find Philosophia with globe and compasses.
2
2
2
2
2
The titles of many of these old books are sufficiently quaint and striking. Sometimes a spade
is called a spade with the most startling directness; while at others the title is a mystical conceit
that needs interpretation. The following are some few that we have come across: The flaming
sword of Justice unsheathed, Matches lighted at the Divine Fire, The shop of the Spiritual
Apothecary, The Scraper of Vanity, a Spiritual Pillow necessary to exterpate Vice and to plant
Virtue. There would appear to be here some little confusion of metaphor: anyone desiring to
plant anything would scarcely find a pillow a serviceable tool for the purpose.
3
3
3
3
3
Culver is derived from the Anglo-Saxon culfre, a pigeon. The Culver cliffs in the Isle of Wight [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]