state of Italy, in 1687, written as a supplement to Gilbert Burnet's Travels, p. 189. And as it is noticed by Busching also, as a still-existing custom, it was probably not abrogated till the general wreck of all the institutions in Italy under Buonaparte's tyranny. This strange institution is the more remarkable, because Norcia is the birthplace of St. Benedict, one of the most eminent of the Romish Church, from whose institution almost all the Apostles of the North of Europe proceeded. 135. Early English Metre. A remarkable rhyme occurs in the metrical Romance of Octouian Imperator. Whan they were seght alle yn same, So hyght my sone that was take fra me Mr. Weber observes upon the pas-sage, that "this singular rhyme strongly supports the opinion of Wallis and of Tyrwhitt in his Essay on the versification of Chaucer, that the final e which is at present mute, was anciently pronounced obscurely like the e feminine of the French." .. Mr. Weber is so faithful and accurate an editor, that I doubt not the words fra me are divided as he has printed them in the manuscript which he has followed; but I find among my memoranda made in perusing Gower some years ago, some passages marked which lead to a con trary inference. In Berthelette's edition,. 1554, this couplet occurs. For love is ever fast byme Which taketh none hede of due tyme. And again, f. 81. So that the more me mervaileth What thyng it is my lady aileth, That all myn herte, and all my tyme f. 108 In both places the words by me are thus contracted into one. This must have been because they were pronounced so in the printer's days;-whether they were so in the poet's might be determined by a manuscript, if there be any existing of his own age. The first stanza of Troilus and Creseide contains another instance of contraction. The double sorow of Troilus to tellen 136. Troilus and Creseide. It is evident from the first stanza of this poem (just quoted) when the narrator says, "er that I part froy," that Chaucer intended it for one of his Canterbury Tales, and this seems to be confirmed by the 65th stanza of the first book. For aie the nere the fire the hotter is, I do not know whether this has been observed before. A compleat and faithful edition of the works of this great father of English poetry, with an accurate verbal index, as well as glossary, is much to be desired. 137. Miraculous combustion of wood without ashes, and oil without smoke. There was in Kildare an ancient monument named the fire house, wherein Cambrensis saith, was there continual fire kept day and night, and yet the ashes never increased. I travelled, says Stanihurst, of set purpose, to the town of Kildare to see this place, where I did see a monument like a vault, which to this day they call the fire house. (Holinshed's Chronicles, vol. 6, p. 38. Edit. 1808.) The secret of this miracle had been lost at Kildare, but had Stanihurst (to use one of his own words) pilgrimaged to the monastery of N. Señora de Valvanera, among the mountains of Rioja, he might have seen it in constant representation. In many places, (says Fr. Antonio de Yepes,) the Lord works miracles annually upon a particular day; but that by which this convent is distinguished, is permanent and continual, and may be seen every month and every week, upon all days and at all hours: it is a visible and palpable miracle, seen, and as it were handled by all who chuse to witness it. For there is in this convent a kitchen, called the holy, which serves for all the travellers and guests who come there, and for all the poor who are fed there, and for all the servants of the house, so that it is never without fire, neither day nor night, and sometimes in such quantity, (being very capacious,) that many loads, and even cart-loads of wood are consumed there in a day; yet with all this consumption of fuel, there is never more ashes made than will suffice to cover the hearth. There are several other kitchens |