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MIEDES-CORTES-D. GONZALO DE BERCEO.

They were likewise allowed to eat meat instead of fish, because in all the interior of Peru fish was extremely dear, and also por la debilidad de la tierra, y poca virtud en general de todos los alamentos. - Ibid.

291

This passage has never been condemned by the Inquisition. The Romish Church cares not what blasphemy it sanctions against God, nor what treason against the best interests of man, so long as its own power is not in question.

[Golden-disease.]

[Barbarous Cruelty of K. Jayme.] K. JAYME el Conquistador was a good deal molested by a suit which D. Teresa "I AND my fellows," said CORTES to the Vidaure preferred against him at Rome, first Mexican ambassadors "have a certain affirming that he was married to her. The disease of the heart, and gold helpeth us." Bishop of Girona, who had formerly been-Conquest of the Weast India, p. 57.

the King's confessor, was called upon to give his testimony, which he did in secret, and it proved the assertion to be true. Jayme sent for him, he was seized as soon as he entered the palace, and carried into a remote apartment, where his tongue was cut out.-MIEDES, l. 14, c. 19.

Because Jayme was advised not to prosecute the siege of Valencia, Miedes, his historian, takes occasion to introduce the following rascally remarks.

[Los 400 Respuestas.]

"DE rabo de puerco
diz que nunca buen virote."

T. 1, ff. 142. This, I suppose, is equivalent to our proverb, that there is no making a silk purse of a sow's ear.

Education.

"DIERONLE sus cartiellas a ley de monaciello,

"It is full lamentable to see kings and princes, in weighty affairs of government, refer to the opinion of others, without saying or doing anything themselves: it so being, that kings with the sceptre which they receive from the hand of God, have something divine communicated wherewith to govern well, and being kings, may there-"Los monges que madurgan a los gallos fore discourse better than other, and almost

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Assentose en tierra, tollósse el capiello,
Con la mano derecha priso su estaquiello,
Priso fastal titol en poco de ratiello."
D. GONZALO DE BERCEO, V. de S. Do-
mingo de Silos, p. 36.

primeros

Ibid. p. 458.

prophesy that which is to come. For it Trasayunar non pueden como otros obreros." was not in vain that Solomon said, speaking upon this subject, the heart of kings is in the hand of the Lord;' by whose favour every kingdom hath its particular guardian angel appointed to be its watch; and it is certain that this angel accompanies a king, and directs his proceedings to good end. And so a king ought, having heard the opinion of others, to state his own, and follow it, though it be against the advice of many."-L. 11, c. 3.

[Noble Ladies' Lamentation.] "Ay mezquinas y que sera de nosotras, que ora por fuerça, ora por grado, auremos de entrar en religion, y ser de orden,"—is the lamentation of the noble ladies during the civil wars at the commencement of the fabulous Chronicle of D. Rodrigo.

292

GEORGE DE MONTEMAYOR-D. LUISA DE CARVAJAL.

George de Montemayor.

Quien de Marlota i Capellar ornado
Piensa, mientras se mira i se compone

Que esta vestido de un sereno Cielo.
«Quien el alfanje saca, i la fineza
Haziendo alguna prueva en el, admira,
Quien la lavor alaba, la riqueza
Quien solamente con cudicia mira,

"No muy lexas deste valle, hazia la parte | El azul estrellado terciopelo donde el sol se pone, esta una aldea en medio de una floresta, cerca de dos rios que con sus aguas riega los arboles amenos, cuya espessura es tanta, que desde una casa a la otra no se paresca. Cada una dellas tiene su termino redondo, adonde los jar-Quien quisiera compararle, i la pobreza dines en verano se visten de olorosas flores, de mas de la abundancia de la ortaliza, que alli la naturaleza produze, ayudada de la industria de los que en la gran España llamen Libres, por el antiguedad de sus casas y linages."—Diana, p. 75.

[History of the Cid.]

"ALPHONSUS PEREZ, Granatensis, scripsisse dicitur eleganter Latinâ linguâ, Historiam Roderici Didaci de Bivar cognomento Cid, de quo auctorem laudo Franciscum de Pedraza, in Historia Urbis Granatensis."

[Marvellous Armour.]

"A LA real galera donde estava

Con Armeno Garin, llegò un soldado. Trayendo della Mora linda i brava

El vestido de estrellas adornado, El alfanje del ombro le colgava

De los braços las ropas, i el tocado (Que a la curiosidad misma ecedia) De las manos, i alegre assi dezia.

"Bien puede aver ganado plata i ora
Otro en esta jornada peligrosa,
O cautivado algun valiente Moro

O avido alguna joya mui preciosa,
Mas cosa que, sin serlo, en un tesoro
Es digna de estimarse por hermosa,
Yo la e ganado, i si esto no es creido
Miresse este bellissimo vestido.

"Diziendo assi, delante del cuitado

I triste Armeno, en manos de otros pone
La Almalafa, la Aljuba, i el Tocado
Que con diversos lazos se dispone.

I assi al fin todos todo lo alabavan
Con elado despecho le retira,
I al dueño engrandecian i embidiavan.
"Tambien Armeno en yelo convertido
Atonito, confuso, envelessado,
Esta mirando el tragico vestido

Cual si estuviera en piedra transformado."
El Monserrate, Christoval de Virues.
It was the armour of Lixerea, his wife.

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CHRISTOVAL DE MESSA-GONCALO HERMIGUES.

293

he goes at night to the Archbishop Urbano | him of the victories which his successors are and complains and consults with him how to gain,-and also of Chr. de Messa's two to deliver his country. In the morning he poems. Oppar is lodged in a tent, round goes to Munuza to demand his sister: the which the history of Spain is represented. Moor unwillingly restores her, professing his love, and then sends to Tarif, accuses

dixit."―ENNIUS.]

Pelayo of exciting rebellion, and advises ["Et tuba terribili sonitu taratantera his death. Tarif sends a troop with orders not to return till they have taken or slain Pelayo, for he had heard prophecies from Gabino, his magician, how as from a cave came the ruin of the Goths, so from a cave should their Restorer, and a dream terrifies him.

2. The Spirit of Rodrigo comes in a dream to encourage Pelayo. Ali wakes him, that he may make his escape, which he effects, hardly crossing a river. Spain stood on its farther banks-in chains-in mourning

calling on her son for deliverance. He proceeds, and meets Celidon, a hermit, who had once prevented him from forcing a criminal from the cave Covadonga. Celidon encourages him with prophecy, and receives him into his cell.

3. Pelayo, leaving the hermit, meets a messenger from Urbano. They lose themselves, and come to some shepherd huts among the mountains. About twenty stanzas follow, not descriptive, but soothing, from the calm of the subject. He joins Count Teobaldo and the Archbishop.

Alcaman is sent with a great party to crush this rebellion: but Oppas, the renegade archbishop, is first to attempt persuasion. The African force described. Alonso joins Pelayo. Ali, now called Estacio, as having become a Christian, and Antonio are sent to watch the enemy. This latter had been the messenger between Munuza and Usendamsa, and repeats some of the Moors poetry on the way. They come to four Roman monuments, having inscriptions which are not very Roman: then they see the enemy, and return with the news. Pelayo retreats to a cave in the rock.

4. Pelayo makes a speech, and is acclaimed king. The Devil sends fiends to terrify

"YA en las trompetas tortuosas suena
Taratantara-tanta, dos mil vezes ;
Las caxas huecas de Mavorte fiero
Tapatatapatan-tatan responden."

Los Amantes de Teruel, p. 157.

S. Domingo de la Calzada.

His church in Garibay's time was much his cock and hen.-L. 3, c. 10. resorted to on account of his body and of

Cança de Gonçalo Hermigues.
"TINHERABOS, nom tinherabos,
Tal a tal ca monta?
Tinheradesme, non tinherasdes me
De la vinherasdes, de ca filharedes,
Ca amabia tudo em soma.

"Por mil goivos trebelhando
Oy oy vos lombrego

Algorem se cada folgança
Asmei eu por que do terrenho
Non ha hi tal perchego.

"Ouroana, Ouroana, oy tem por certo
Que inha bida do biber

Se olvidrou per teu alvidrou per que em
cabo

O que eu ei de la chebone sem referta
Mas nom ha per que se ver."

["Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."]

"Per ço quascú se deu guardar de mal è

him; the Virgin drives them away, and tells de treball, tot aytant com pot, car de malè de

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poch n' a hom assau."-Cost. Mar. de Barcelona, cap. 52.

[To-day's Sorrow, and to-morrow's.]

"SOSPIROS penas estranas
mil ansias y dessear
han poblado mis entrañas
do plazer no puede estar.
Y estos tristes pobladores

[Invective against Count Julian.] ELEASTRAS, one of the imaginary writers of the fabulous Chronicle, concludes a chapter of lamentations with this invective against Count Julian :-"Y este que es diablo baptizado y de mortal no cessa de levar su brava saña a fin. O que maldito fue el dia que tal persona fue nascida en el mundo; malaventurada fue la hora que tal crueldad se engendro, oviera piedad de los que della ovieron ; ya que no podrias sufrir que en tu poderio quedassen los mataste a los que te dieron la vida, guardaras a ellos lo que ellos guardaron a ti, ovieras los por tuyos y no por tus enemigos. E yo no creo que tu no passes por esse juyzio que as dado, y agora no me terne mas contigo, ca destruydor eres, incomendo te al diablo, ca PERALTA. Cancionero, ff. 95. | su vassallo y servidor eres.”—P. 2, c. 132.

el triste sitio muraron de piedras de mil dolores, y alegria desterraron. y han tenido tales mañas al tiempo de su poblar, que poblaron mis entrañas

do plazer no puede estar."

MIDDLE AGES, ETC.

[Puritan and Brownist.]

HE word PURITAN seems to be quasht, and all that heretofore were counted such are now BROWNISTS.-MILTON, Reason of Church Government urged against Prelaty, vol. 1, p. 6.

[Postal Directions.]

THE LORD PROTECTOR in 1549 directs thus,-" To our very good friend the LORD DACRE, Warden of the West Marches for anempst Scotland, in haste, haste, post haste, for thy life, for thy life, for thy life."

The dispatches back, for it seems all went by the ordinary post, are directed with equal care." To the right honourable my Lord Protector's grace, in haste, haste, post haste, for thy life, for thy life, haste, haste!" Again, "In haste, haste-post haste, with all diliWestmoreland and Cumberland, vol. 1, p. gence possible."-NICOLSON and BURN's

[Begging like a Cripple at a Cross.] "THE solicited alms at the Crosses, poor as the saying is to this day, for Christ's sake; and when a person is urgent and vehement, we say he begged like a cripple at a cross. At those crosses the corpse in carrying to the church was set down, that all the people attending might pray for the ten upon letters some twenty years ago.— soul of the departed.". NICOLSON and BURN'S Cumberland.

[Powle's Middle Aisle.]

"IT was the fashion of those times, and did so continue till these, (wherein not only the mother but her daughters are ruined,) for the principal gentry, lords, courtiers, and men of all professions, not merely mechanic, to meet in Paul's Church by eleven, and walk in the middle ile till twelve, and after dinner from three to six, during which time some discourse of business, others of news. Now in regard of the universal commerce, there happened little that did not first or last arrive here."-OSBORNE'S Traditional Memorials,

73, &c.

I remember to have seen Post-haste writ

R. S.1

[Inflammability of Chesnut Wood.] "THE Wood of the chesnut-tree is so long in taking fire as to be entirely unfit for the manufacture of gunpowder. In Asturias, where it is sometimes used for fuel, when a brand is taken from the fire it becomes extinguished in the open air as rapidly as if it were plunged in carbonic acid gas, in fact so quickly that a pipe of tobacco cannot be lighted from it. Floors, therefore, of this wood are safe. And it is preferred for

1 When this was written I can hardly make out by the MS., but as late as 1814, I have seen "With speed" written on a letter. But this direction, I suspect, had reference, not to Postal arrangements, but to the person to whom letters were consigned in Provincial towns.-J. W. W.

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