weary and unable to bear us further, until they have partaken of food, and reposed themselves."

"Ye have chosen an unfortunate time, worthy strangers," replied the voice, "for I have with me a wounded man, whose case calleth forth all my skill, and, moreover, requireth stillness, that his slumber may be unbroken, while the divine medicines work out their power. Ye had better journey further, for the mansion of Hereward the Saxon is but little more than three leagues distant."

"It is impossible," answered the earl," the way is unknown to us, neither are our horses able to bear us a step further at present. Open thy door, we will not disturb the repose of the patient, unless thy churlishness compels us to make good our entrance by force."

Nay, an' ye think that I begrudge my hospitality," said the voice, "enter, in God's name!" saying which, the door was instantly opened by the physician himself; for such the long woollen robe of crimson, and high fur-cap which he wore, bespoke the inmate of the hut. He motioned the strangers to seat themselves on two massy stools of the rudest manufacture;

then bidding his attendant Galenius to add more fuel to the fire, turned his attention to a small iron vessel, which was placed upon a pile of heated charcoal.

The knights gazed in astonishment at the variety of utensils, both earthen and iron, which were hung on the sides, or scattered about the floor of the apartment, ready to be used in the operations of pharmacy. Among these were crucibles, brass basins, retorts, matrosses, and recipients; together with several varieties of rude earthen furnaces, and every thing, so far as perfection could be obtained, for distilling, evaporating, calcining, dissolving, and otherwise preparing whatever was necessary or known, in the then barbarous art of physic.

There was something uncommonly wild and care-worn in the long spare features of the physician, as he bent over the iron vessel, into which, ever and anon, he scattered small portions of different ingredients, or threw a hurried glance at his guests from under his thick bushy eye-brows, which, together with his high wrinkled forehead, caught the full light of a red smoky torch that blazed beside him. He looked more like one of those old alchemists, busied in trans

muting baser metals into gold, than a follower of the art of pharmacy; or, as he occasionally cast his eye upon a large volume which was laid open on the table, he bore no bad resemblance to an ancient magician preparing his spells and conjurations, wherewith to work, weal or woe on the human race.

On a pallet, beside him, reclined his patient, enveloped in the skins of wild goats, from which his bare bony arm, and head covered with dark bushy hair, peeped forth, as if they formed a part of the shaggy skins; and the whole resembled the form of some savage satyr sleeping.

Farther on was seen the thin hungry figure of Galenius, the attendant, like famine, about to warm his bloodless limbs, blowing the embers with his breath, and bending over the green branches which he had thrown on the hearth. Galenius was kept much for the same purpose which our artists use their wooden models; and although the physician had no notion of copying his attendant, still he retained him to practise upon, and tried under how great a quantity of boluses, powders, and draughts, this shadow of famine could survive.

"I would fain know, worthy physician," said the knight who had accompanied the earl, "what thou canst furnish us for our evening meal; for this forest air hath brought on an appetite which must be appeased without delay."

"To eat when much an-hungered, worthy knights," said the physician, "is like placing a man in the melée without his armour; inasmuch as the stomach being naked, cannot encounter with its food so well as when reasonably filled. I will forthwith administer unto each of you a syrup, prepared from hyssop, thyme, ground-ivy, and spleenwort; with angelicaroots, fennel, and rue, and other things only known to a few in our art. And after

have

you taken this, together with two small boluses, which I will also administer, and you have rested while the sand passes the glass, then you may venture to take one-fourth of a pound of animal food, with a small portion of oaten bread."

"Rue-fennel-spleen-wort-and boluses, worthy leech!" muttered the knight; "I tell thee we have no need of medicine at present; if thou hast got a goodly sirloin, haunch, or pasty, or even a few rashers of boar's-flesh,

thou shalt soon see that our only ailment is hunger."

"Thou talkest like one of the ignorant children of the world," replied the leech; "not knowing that the virtues in the things I offer, contain the intrinsical life which cometh not to corruption, but have been freed and extricated from every impurity, and precedeth all food. They have been gathered under their favourable planets, some free from dew, others in the scorching noon-day, and when the moon was in her last quarter, -and are prepared for fitting digestion by requisite coction and maturation; and brought to the highest degree of exaltation, and sufficient even to drive hunger from the body, and all earthly impurities, which it insensibly consumes by the help of fixation, and volatilization.

"Stand forth as a testimony, Galenius! thou who wert fat with impurities, even to the fatness of full-acorned swine, when I first took compassion on thee; but art now freed from the grosser portions of our nature. See, worthy knights," continued the physician, pointing with an air of triumph to his living famine; "when he first came into my household he could scarce