restrained the eruptions of the volcano. This statue served other purposes, also. One leg was a fountain of pure water, while from the other rose an inextinguishable flame..

V

Pliny frequently mentioned amulets, and sometimes the objects he described as possessing unusual power might have answered to the medieval talisman. The difference was that he looked upon such things, where he believed in them at all, as exponents of the mysterious powers of nature, while the later science, not a whit more credulous or more absurd, viewed them as the work of intelligences, human or otherwise, that had obtained dominion over nature. The logical outcome

of Pliny's philosophy would have been a backward movement on the part of mankind; the historical result of the mediaval tendency has been the progress of invention and of the useful arts. That man should pass from the conception of himself as subject to nature, onward to a conception of himself as capable of subduing the forces of the universe to his own use was an absolute necessity in the history of thought. His blind groping after new principles and new methods, such as would make a synthesis of material facts possible, brought him early to adopt such theories as that of talismans. It would be a rash thing to say that these theories have been wholly abandoned at the present day, even in the most enlightened countries of the world. They form the substance of many popular errors, and an inherited preference for them gives universal interest to an incredible species of fiction. The stories finally connected with the name of Virgil were the common coin of the story tellers, with which they purchased

If

a welcome wherever they went throughout Europe. auditors wearied of one hero, it was an easy matter to substitute a new name, and thus enliven the well-tried narrative. In effect these stories were like blank forms of legal documents which only required a word here and there to fit them for a great variety of uses. Virgil's name was simply one of those accidental strokes, out of many failures that were forgotten, which hit the popular fancy. It was the same with Apollonius of Tyana, to whom certain monuments at Constantinople were attributed. Thus the famous bronze, supposed to have been the column which was brought from Delphi, where it supported the tripod dedicated to Apollo by the victorious Greeks at the close of the Persian war, was long believed to be a talisman. The tripod vanished long ago, and the three serpents twisted together to form the column have suffered much. All the heads are gone; Mohammed II. is said to have broken one with his mace. The legend clung for all to the noble residue of this wonderful relic. In 1216 the column was still intact, and was then surmounted by a figure said to have been that of an eagle with a serpent in its talons. In the lifetime of Apollonius the city was visited with a plague of serpents-so ran the legend-and he raised this serpentine emblem. In their joy at being relieved from the venomous pests, the people gave to Apollonius the name of The Wise. It was related also that Apollonius, by means of other bronze images, banished flies, gnats and scorpions from Constantinople. Similar tales were told of some mediaval worthies, as Gregory of Tours at Paris; Bernard of Clairvaux, Goffried, and Patrick of Ireland. The opinion at the bottom of all these legends was adopted in the church which had its official services for the expulsion of noxious animals from any

place which they infested. In the cities that possessed relics of ancient plastic art, it was easy to find images appropriate to the various magical legends, and thus the same tale might be localized in the several different cities, and be told of as many different personages. In fact, the medieval biographies of magicians are notable for the similarity of the anecdotes in each to those of all the rest. For example, the making of a head which talked is attributed to Friar Bacon, Albertus Magnus, Paracelsus, Faust and others, as well as Virgil; the ability to fly through the air to Faust, Bacon and the whole tribe of oriental magicians. The modern Hindoo adept shares with the medieval necromancers the repute of being able to render himself invisible. The ability to convert a drawing or painting into the real thing it represented is a frequentlymentioned trick of magic. Albertus Magnus, like Virgil, made bronze flies to drive away living flies, and a similar tale, in which rats figured, was told of Gregory of Tours. But it is needless to multiply examples. Many of the marvels coupled with Virgil's name had been long familiar in Sicily and Middle

This is illustrated at a comparatively late date by an amusing anecdote of Chassanee [See The Rise of the Huguenots, H. M. Baird, Vol. I., p. 238.] "It appears that on a certain occasion the diocese of the Autun was overrun with mice. The vicar of the bishop was requested to exterminate them. But the ecclesiastical decree was supposed to be most effective when the regular forms of a judicial trial were duly observed. An advocate of the marauders was, therefore, appointed, no other than Chassanee himself, who, espousing with professional ardor the cause of his clients, began by insisting that a summons should be served in each parish; next excused the nonappearance of the defendants, alleging the dangers of the journey by reason of the lying-in-wait of their enemies, the cats; and finally appealing to the compassion of the court in behalf of a race doomed to wholesale destruction, acquitted himself so successfully of his fantastic commission that the mice escaped the censures of the church, and their advocate gained universal applause."

a welcome wherever they went throughout auditors wearied of one hero, it was an easy mat tute a new name, and thus enliven the well-tr In effect these stories were like blank fo documents which only required a word here at them for a great variety of uses. Virgil's na one of those accidental strokes, out of many were forgotten, which hit the popular fancy. with Apollonius of Tyana, to whom certain Constantinople were attributed. Thus the supposed to have been the column which w Delphi, where it supported the tripod dedic: the victorious Greeks at the close of the long believed to be a talisman. The tripod and the three serpents twisted together t have suffered much. All the heads are g is said to have broken one with his mace for all to the noble residue of this wond the column was still intact, and was figure said to have been that of an ea talons. In the lifetime of Apollonius a plague of serpents-so ran the leg serpentine emblem. In their joy at venomous pests, the people gave t The Wise. It was related also th other bronze images, banished fl Constantinople. Similar tales 1 worthies, as Gregory of Tours a Goffried, and Patrick of Irela of all these legends was adopt official services for the expuls

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tue and make it an injury to the city. ity a horse of bronze, so endowed by

of Virgil that, as long as it remained could become sway-backed, although ruction of this statue the horses were for the saddle, and since it has been damger bear a knight without having their one of the fortresses now occupied by the e main gateway of which is shut with conze, Virgil placed a bronze fly which, prevented flies from entering the city. The re placed in a castle overlooking the city, at its base on all sides by the sea. If these 1 to the air the sky becomes obscured forths and the roar of the tempest is heard. This and proved. We were told that the so-called as the one beneath which Virgil had confined all hich abound in the many caverns and vaults and lie beneath the surface of the earth in that region. lls and gates were destroyed, this gate was left standwe feared to release the serpents from their prison. so in Naples a shambles so contrived by Virgil that of an animal killed in it will keep fresh and for six weeks, but if taken out will stink and appear trid. Mt. Vesuvius, which stands over against the e every decade pours out volumes of flame mingled l-smelling ashes. Virgil erected between the mountain

city the bronze statue of an archer, with his cross bow and the arrow on the string ready to shoot. A rustic, k with wonder because the statue, though always in iness, never would shoot, touched the string. The flying