It Bears The Marks Of Some Severe
Blows, As If Made With An Iron Hammer; For A Certain Man, As
It is
said, endeavouring to break the collar for the sake of the gold,
experienced the divine vengeance, was deprived
Of his eyesight, and
lingered the remainder of his days in darkness.
A similar circumstance concerning the horn of St. Patrick (not
golden indeed, but of brass [probably bronze], which lately was
brought into these parts from Ireland) excites our admiration. The
miraculous power of this relic first appeared with a terrible
example in that country, through the foolish and absurd blowing of
Bernard, a priest, as is set forth in our Topography of Ireland.
Both the laity and clergy in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales held in
such great veneration portable bells, and staves crooked at the top,
and covered with gold, silver, or brass, and similar relics of the
saints, that they were much more afraid of swearing falsely by them
than by the gospels; because, from some hidden and miraculous power
with which they are gifted, and the vengeance of the saint to whom
they are particularly pleasing, their despisers and transgressors
are severely punished. The most remarkable circumstance attending
this horn is, that whoever places the wider end of it to his ear
will hear a sweet sound and melody united, such as ariseth from a
harp gently touched.
In our days a strange occurrence happened in the same district. A
wild sow, which by chance had been suckled by a bitch famous for her
nose, became, on growing up, so wonderfully active in the pursuit of
wild animals, that in the faculty of scent she was greatly superior
to dogs, who are assisted by natural instinct, as well as by human
art; an argument that man (as well as every other animal) contracts
the nature of the female who nurses him.
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