Whereon 'tis written in the eternal book,

That soul and body must their parting take,

And earth to earth return? — XXIII. p. 129. The Persians in their creed have a pleasant imagination concerning the death of men. They say, that every one must come and die in the place where the Angel took the earth of which he hath been made, thinking that one of these spirits has the care of forming the human creature, which he doth by mingling a little earth with the seed.

Thevenot.

They perish, all their thousands perish there.

XXIII. p. 34.

The battle of Covadonga is one of the great miracles of Spanish history. It was asserted for many centuries without contradiction, and is still believed by the people, that when the Moors attacked Pelayo in the cave, their weapons were turned back upon themselves; that the Virgin Mary appeared in the clouds, and that part of a mountain fell upon the Infidels, and crushed those who were flying from the destruction. In what manner that destruction might have been effected, was exemplified upon a smaller scale in the Tyrol in the memorable war of 1809.

Barret sums up the story briefly, and in the true strain of Mine Ancient.

The Sarr'cen hearing that th' Asturianites

Had king created, and stood on their guard,

Sends multitudes of Mahometized knights

To rouse them out their rocks, and force their ward.
Paligius, hearing of this enterprize,

Prepares his petty power on Auseve mount;
Alchameh comes with Zarzen multiplies,
Meaning Pelagius' forces to dismount.

To blows they come: but lo! a stroke divine.
The Iber, few, beats numbrous Sarracene,
Two myriads with Mahome went to dine
In Parca's park.

The Bread of Life. — XXIV. p. 144.

It is now admitted by the best informed of the Romish writers themselves, that, for a thousand years, no other but common or leavened bread was used in the Eucharist. The wafer was introduced about the eleventh century. And as far down as the twelfth century the people were admitted to communicate in both kinds.

And let no shame be offer'd his remains. — XXV. p. 151. According to the Comendador Fernan Nunez, in his Commentary upon the Trezientas, the tomb of Count Julian was shown in his days about four leagues from

Huesca at a castle called Loarri, on the outside of a church which was in the castle.

His wonted leathern gipion. — XXV. p. 154.

The Musical Pilgrim in Purchas thus describes the

Wymmen in that land use no vullen,
But alle in lether be the wounden:
And her hevedez wonderly ben trust,
Standing in her forheved as a crest,
In rould clouthez lappet alle be forn
Like to the prikke of a N’unicorn.
And men have doubelettez full schert,

Bare legget and light to stert. — P. 1231.

Purchas supposes this very curious poem to have been written about 200 years before he published it, i. e. about 1425. It is probably much older. In entering Castille from Elvas, the author says,

Now into Castell schall we faire
Over the river, the land is bare.

Full of heath and hunger also,

And Sarasynez Governouriz thereto.

Now Badajoz and that part of the country was finally recovered from the Moors in the early part of the thirteenth century. Purchas perhaps judged from the age of the manuscript, which may have been written about the time on which he fixes, and the language modernised by the transcriber.

The light which o'er the fields of Bethlehem shone,

Irradiated whole Spain. — XXV.

-

p. 157.

"Fallamos en las estorias que aquella ora que nuestro Senor Jesu Christo nascio, seyendo media noche, aparesçio una nuve sobre Espana que dio tan gran claridad, e tan gran resplandor, e tan gran calor, como el sol en medio del dia quando va mas apoderado sobre la tierra. E departen los sabios e dizen que se entiende por aquella que despues de Jesu Christo vernie su mandadero a España a predicar a los gentiles la çeguedad en que estavan, e que los alumbrarie con la fee de Jesu Chrysto, e aquesto fue San Pablo. Otros departen que en Espana avie de nasçer un principe chrystiano que serie senor de todo el mundo, e valdrie mas por el todo el linaje de los omes, bien como esclaresçio toda la tierra por la claridad de aquella nuve en quanto ella duro."- Coronica General. ff. 71.

A more extraordinary example of the divine favour to

wards Spain is triumphantly brought forward by Francisco

c

de Pisa. "Our Lord God," says he, " has been pleased to preserve these kingdoms in the purity of the Faith, like a terrestrial Paradise, by means of the Cherubim of the Holy Office, which with its sword of fire has defended the entrance, through the merits and patronage of the serenest Virgin Mary the Mother of God." "Ha sido servido nuestro Senor Dios conservar estos reynos de Espana en la entereza de la Fe, como a un Parayso terrenal, mediante el Cherubin del Santo Officio, que con su espada de fuego les ha defendido la entrada por los meritos y patrocinio de la serenissima Virgen Maria Madre de Dios."-Desc. de Toledo, L. 1. C. 25.

This passage is truly and lamentably characteristic.

The Oaken Cross.-XXV. p. 161.

The oaken cross, which Pelayo bore in battle, is said to have been preserved at Oviedo in the Camara Santa in company with that which the angels made for Alfonso the Great, concerning which Morales delivers a careful opinion, how much of it was made by the Angels, and how much has been human workmanship. The people of Cangas, not willing that Pelayo's cross should be in any thing inferior to his successor's, insist that it fell from