page 140 note * In Geoffrey of Monmouth's version of the prophecies of Merlin (the sixth book of his British History) it is said of the Sextus rex, who was to conquer Ireland, Egredietur ex eo Lynx penetrans omnia, qui ruinæ propriæ gentis imminebit: per ilium enim utramque insulam amittit Neustria, et pristina dignitate spoliabitur. Matthew Paris applies this prophecy to Henry III., and Hoveden and Benedict of Peterborough supposed the rebellious children of Henry II. to be the rugientes catuli leonis of Geoffrey's Merlin.

page 142 note * This epistle appears to have been very popular, for it is still found in a considerable number of MSS. It is here collated with two MSS. in the British Museum, MS. Arundel. No. 14, and MS. Burney, No. 360. It was printed among the suppositions works of St. Jerome.

page 142 note † lutositatem, MS. Arund.

page 143 note * Seducit, MS. Burney.

page 143 note † thiriaco, MSS. Arund. and Burn.

page 143 note ‡ MS. Arund. has this sentence abridged, Forsan ignoras quia organaut olores interitum et anser salutem strepit.

page 143 note § delectatus, MSS. Arund. and Burn.

page 143 note ‖ Horat. Lib. I. Ep. ii. 23.

page 143 note ¶ Perhaps Mapes had in mind Horat. de Arte Poet. 465. Empedocles, the philosopher, is said to have put an end to his life by throwing himself into the crater of Mount Ætna.

page 144 note * Acts, xiii. 22.

page 144 note † inquinandam, MSS. Arund, and Burn.

page 144 note ‡ facinore, MS. Arundel.

page 145 note * puniunt, MS. Arund.

page 145 note † animæ, MS. Arund.

page 145 note ‡ ethica est videto cui te des, MSS. Arund. and Burn. The text printed in the works of St. Jerome reads, Philosophicum est, videto cui des; ethica est, videto cui fides.

page 145 note § paucissimo, MS. Arund.

page 145 note ‖ expers, MS. Burn.

page 145 note ¶ Vulcano, MSS. Arund. and Burn.

page 146 note * Virgil. Eclog. iv. 63.

page 146 note † Hor. Epist. I. ii. 1. 42, “Rusticus expectat dum defluat amnis.”

page 146 note ‡ sœva, MS. Burn.

page 146 note § The text printed ia St. Jerome's works reads Tugillio.

page 146 note ‖ limine, MS. Arund.

page 147 note * The text in St. Jerome's works reads, quia pene audivit et non penitus obedivit.

page 147 note † The text in St. Jerome has, qui Tugilio non credidit.

page 147 note ‡ sed is primum, MS. Arund., sed ei is primus, MS. Burney.

page 147 note § The text printed in St. Jerome's works reads Valentinus.

page 148 note * The text in the works of St. Jerome reads, tum Euri tum Noti.

page 148 note † lybs, MSS. Arundel and Burn.

page 148 note ‡ testiculis, MS. Arund. and the text in St. Jerome's works.

page 148 note § sola, MSS. Arund. and Burn.

page 149 note * possit, MS. Burney.

page 149 note † fæmina esset, MS. Arund.

page 149 note ‡ Other copies have, subjecta qualia prædicata.

page 149 note § The opinions of Metellus Numidicus on the subject of marriage are given in Gellius, Noct. Att. lib. i. c. 6.

page 149 note ‖ See A. Gellius, Noct. Att. lib. i.c. 8.

page 150 note * muroque, MS. Arundel.

page 150 note † The whole paragraph, Periccero prœcipui, is omitted in the Oxford MS., and is here supplied from one of the MSS. in the Brit. Mus. The text printed in the works of St. Jerome gives the name Lycia instead of Periccero.

page 151 note * Deuteronom. xxxii. 13.

page 152 note * MS. Arund. Tefrasti.

page 152 note † Nasonis, MS. Arund.

page 155 note * This incident of a knight, who had wasted his patrimony, being restored to riches by the evil one, is common to a number of medieval stories. Instances will be found in the Latin story De milite qui pactum fecit cum diabolo, in my Selection of Latin Stories, p. 31; in the French fabliau Le det du povre chevalier, in Jubinal's Nouv. Recueil, i. p. 138, &c. The English legend of Sir Amadas, in Weber, vol. iii. p. 243, also bears some resemblance to it.

page 156 note * This incident of the three warnings, a little altered in its details, was the subject of a popular monkish story in subsequent times. Two versions of the story are given in John of Bromyard's Summa Piædicantium, title Mors.—See my Selection of Latin Stories, p. 35. It is hardly necessary to refer the reader to the English poem on the same subject compos ed by Mrs. Thrale.

page 157 note * It was a prevalent superstition at this period that a part of the Angels who fell with Lucifer became hobgoblins, who were constantly occupied in playing tricks upon mankind, but who were not malignant like the other demons. Several amusing stories illustrative of this superstition will be found in the Itinerarinm Cambrias of Gi-raldus Cambrensis, and in William of Newbury's history.

page 158 note * This is a popular medieval story. It forms the subject of a French metrical tale published in the Collection by Meon, Nouv. Rec. ii. p. 411. Compare also a fabliau by Rutebeuf, in Jubinal's edition of his works, i. 302. The common Latin version is given in my Selection of Latin Stories, p. 34. It is the subject of a ballad by Southey, entitled The Pious Painter. The French metrical version agrees most closely with the story here told by Mapes; and both differ altogether in the sequel from the common Latin story, which formed the groundwork of Southey's ballad.

page 164 note * This is a very early instance of burning for witcheraft. See some remarks upon this curious subject in the introduction to “The Proceedings against Alice Kyteler,” published by the Camden Society.

page 166 note * This is the same story which has been already related, though a little differently, in Distinc. I. c. 14.

page 168 note * This story has also been mentioned before, Distinc. II., c. 13.

page 168 note † This was a very popular legend in the Middle Ages, applied to different persons and in different forms. It is the ground-work of the celebrated romance of Melusine, of the legend of the elder of Offa, as told by Matthew Paris, and of a multitude of others which are scattered through the history of the Middle Ages.

page 170 note * This story has been already given in Distinc. II., c. 13, more at length.

page 170 note † There were two London councils in the reign of William the Conqueror, in 1075 and 1078, but it is uncertain to which Mapes here refers.

page 170 note ‡ From the variety of dates of the period of writing in the present work, it is difficult to decide if the bishop here referred to were Robert Foliot or William his successor In the former case the bishop of Hereford to whom Alnod gave the manor of Ledbury North would be Geoffrey de Clive—in the latter Richard, who succeeded him in 1120, and died at Ledbury in 1127. Pehaps it was the latter.

page 170 note § This is a very remarkable legend, relating to one of the greatest men of the Middle Ages. Gerbert became pope under the title of Sylvester II. in 999. A very curious legend relating to him is preserved by William of Malmsbury, De Gest. Reg. Angl. p. 64. The one here given by Walter Mapes is quite new.

page 173 note * This name is at one time spelt Marianna in the text, but in others Meridiana; the variation is twice noted in the margin.

page 176 note * Alexander III. was pope from 1159 to 1181.

page 176 note † Alexander's successor, Lucius III., was Hubald cardinal of St. Praxide and bishop of Ostia. He was elected on the 1st Sept. 1181, and died in 1185.

page 178 note * This story is told by John Bromton, Chron. col. 1216. See also, for a somewhat similar story relating to the same locality, the Travels of Sir John Mandeville, c. iv. The legend here told seems to have some connection with the classical story of Medusa's head, which is alluded to in the next paragraph.

page 179 note * The bay of Satalia was notoriously dangerous to navigators, and people accounted for it by legends like this.

page 179 note † A mermaid story, of which it is hardly necessary to observe that we find examples in all ages, and almost in every country.

page 179 note ‡ William II. King of Sicily from 1166 1180, is probably the monarch here referred to.

page 180 note * See before, Distinc. I. c. xi.

page 182 note * It is not very easy to say who is the Alan alluded to here. The last of the Alans dukes of Britany was Alan Fergent (1084–1112), who married Constance, daughter of William the Conqueror. The dukes of Britany at this time usually joined the title of count of Rennes (comes Redonensis) with that of duke of Britany.

page 190 note * Juvenal, Sat. xiv, 1. 139.

page 194 note * Ovid. Amor. lib. i. el. viii. I. 62.