1 There is another story of a bird among the miracles of Santiago; the poor subject of the miracle was not so fortunate as the Cock and Hen of the Alcayde; but the story is true. It occurred in Italy; and the Spanish fable is not more characteristic of the fraudulent practices carried on in the Romish Church, than the Italian story is of the pitiable superstition which such frauds fostered, and which was, and is to this day, encouraged by the dignitaries of that church. At the request of St. Atto, Bishop of Pistoja, the Pistojans say that some relics, taken from Santiago's most precious head, were given to their church by the Archbishop of Compostella, Diego Gelmirez, a person well known in Spanish history. "Nullus umquam mortalium hoc donum impetrare posset," he affirmed when he made the gift: and the historian of the translator adds, "quod verè a Domino factum credimus et non dubitamus, sicut manifestis et apertis indiciis manifestè et apertè miracula declarabunt." There is a good collection of these miracles, but this of the Bird is the most remarkable. "In those days," says the writer, "another miracle, as pious as it is glorious, was wrought by the Lord, in the which he who worthily perpends it will perceive what may pertain to the edification of all those who visit the shrine of Santiago, and of all faithful Christians. About three weeks after the consecration of Santiago's altar, a certain girl of the country near Pistoja was plucking hemp in a garden, when she observed a pigeon flying through the air, which came near her, and alighted: upon which she put up a prayer to the Lord Santiago, saying, O Lord Santiago, if the things which are related of thee at Pistoja be true, and thou workest miracles as the Pistojans affirm, give me this pigeon, that it may come into my hands!' Forthwith the pigeon rose from the spot where it had alighted, and, as if it were a tame bird, came to her, and she took it in her hands, and held it there as if it had been lifeless. What then did the girl do? She carried it home, showed it to her father, and to him and the rest of the family related in what manner it had come to her hands. Some of them said, 'Let us kill and eat it :' others said, Do not hurt it, but let it go. So the girl opened her hand, to see what it would do. The pigeon, finding itself at liberty, fled to the ground, and joined the poultry which were then picking up their food, nor did it afterwards go from the house, but it remained in their company as if it belonged to them. "All therefore regarding, with no common wonder, the remarkable tameness of this pigeon, which indeed was not a tame bird but a wild one, they went to a priest in the adjacent city, and acquainted him with the circumstances. The priest, giving good counsel to the girl and her father, as he was bound to do, said, We will go together to our Lord the Bishop on Sunday, and act as he may think proper to direct us in this matter.' Accordingly on the Sunday they went to Pistoja, and presented the pigeon to the Bishop, who with his Canons was then devoutly celebrating mass in honour of Santiago, upon the holy altar which had been consecrated to his honour. The Prelate, when he had listened to their story, took the bird, and placed it upon the wall of the chancel, which is round about the altar of Santiago, and there it remained three weeks, never departing from thence, excepting that sometimes, and that very seldom, it flew about the church, but always returned without delay to its own station, and there mildly, gently, harmlessly, and tamely continued; and rarely did it take food. "But people from Lucca, and other strangers, plucked feathers from its neck, that they might carry them away for devotion, and moreover, that they might exhibit them to those who had not seen the bird itself. From such injuries it never attempted to defend itself, though its neck was skinned by this plucking, and this the unthinking people continued to do, till at length the pigeon paid the debt of nature. And it was no wonder that it died; for how could any creature live that scarcely ever ate or slept? People came thither night and day from all parts, and one after another disturbed it; and every night vigils were kept there, the clergy and the people with loud voices singing praises to the Lord, and many lights were continually burning there: how, therefore, could it live, when it was never allowed to be at rest? The clergy and people grieving at its death, as indeed it was a thing to be lamented, took counsel, and hung up the skin and feathers to be seen there by all comers. "In such and so great a matter what could be more gratifying, what more convenient than this wonderful sign which the Almighty was pleased to give us? There is no need to relate any thing more concerning the aforesaid pigeon; it was seen there openly and publicly by all comers, so that not only the laity and clergy of that city, but many religious people from other parts, abbots, friars, clergy, and laity, are able to attest the truth. And I also add this my testimony as a true and faithful witness, for I saw the pigeon myself for a whole week, and actually touched it with my own hands." There is a postscript to this story, as melancholy as the tale itself. The sick, and the crippled, and the lame, had been brought to this church, in expectation of obtaining a miraculous cure by virtue of the new relics which had arrived. Among these was a poor woman in the last stage of disease, who had been brought upon her pallet into the church, and was laid in a corner, and left there; nor was it observed that this poor creature was "in articulo mortis," till the pigeon flew to the place, and alighted upon her, and so drew the attention of the people in the church to the dying woman, 'quam quidem, prout credimus, nisi columba monstrasset, THE CURSE OF KEHAMA. ΚΑΤΑΡΑΙ, ΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΑΛΕΚΤΡΥΟΝΟΝΕΟΤΤΑ, ΟΙΚΟΝ ΑΕΙ ΟΨΕ ΚΕΝ ΕΠΑΝΗΞΑΝ ΕΓΚΑΘΙΣΟΜΕΝΑΙ. Αποφθ. Ανεπ. του Γυλιελ, του Μητ CURSES ARE LIKE YOUNG CHICKENS, THEY ALWAYS COME HOME TO ROOST. ORIGINAL PREFACE. side. No figures can be imagined more anti-picturesque, and less poetical, than the mythological personages of In the religion of the Hindoos, which of all false re- the Bramins. This deformity was easily kept out of ligions is the most monstrous in its fables, and the sight: their hundred hands are but a clumsy permost fatal in its effects, there is one remarkable pecu-sonification of power; their numerous heads only a liarity. Prayers, penances, and sacrifices, are sup-gross image of divinity, "whose countenance," as the posed to possess an inherent and actual value, in no Bhagvat-Geeta expresses it, "is turned on every degree depending upon the disposition or motive of To the other obvious objection, that the religion of the person who performs them. They are drafts Hindostan is not generally known enough to supply upon Heaven, for which the Gods cannot refuse pay- fit machinery for an English poem, I can only answer, ment. The worst men, bent upon the worst designs, that, if every allusion to it throughout the work is have in this manner obtained power which has made not sufficiently self-explained to render the paren them formidable to the Supreme Deities themselves, intelligible, there is a want of skill in the poet. Erith and rendered an Avatar, or Incarnation of Veeshnoo those readers who should be wholly unacquainted with This belief is the founda- the writings of our learned Orientalists, will find all but, in all its parts, consistent with the superstition the brief explanation of mythological names prefixed The story is original; the preliminary knowledge that can be needful, in the Preserver, necessary. tion of the following Poem. upon which it is built: and however startling the to the Poem. fictions may appear, they might almost be called credible when compared with the genuine tales of Hindoo mythology. BRAMA,.... the Creator. VEESHNOO,.. the Preserver. SEEVA,..... the Destroyer. These form the Trimourtee, or Trinity, as it has been called, of the Bramins. The allegory is obvious, but has been made for the Trimourtee, not the Trimourtee for the allegory; and these Deities are regarded by the people as three distinct and personal Gods. The two latter have at this day their hostile sects of worshippers; that of Seeva is the most numerous; and in this Poem, Seeva is represented as Supreme among the Gods. This is the same God whose name is variously written Seeb, Sieven, and Siva, Chiven by the French, Xiven by the Portuguese, and whom European writers sometimes denominate Eswara, Iswaren, Mahadeo, Mahadeva, Rutren, according to which of his thousand and eight names prevailed in the country where they obtained their information. INDRA,..... . God of the Elements. The SWERGA,.. his Paradise, -one of the Hindoo heavens. YAMEN,...... Lord of Hell, and Judge of the Dead. PADALON, ..... Hell, under the Earth, and, like the Earth, of an octagon shape; its eight gates are guarded by as many Gods. MARRIATALY,.. the Goddess who is chiefly worshipped by the lower casts. POLLEAR..... or Ganesa, the Protector of Travellers. His statues are placed in the highways, and sometimes in a small lonely sanctuary, in the streets and in the fields. Quench'd in the unnatural light which might out-stare And thou from thy celestial way Blotting the lights of heaven And hangeth visible on high, 3. Hark! 'tis the funeral trumpet's breath! At once ten thousand drums begin, You hear no more the trumpet's tone, Though the trumpet's breath, and the dirge of death, Is heard the echoed and re-echoed name, Arvalan! Arvalan ! Arvalan! Arvalan! Ten times ten thousand voices in one shout Call Arvalan! The overpowering sound, From house to house repeated rings about, From tower to tower rolls round. 4. The death-procession moves along ; The universal multitude reply. In vain ye thunder on his ear the name; A glow is on his face,... a lively red; Which o'er his cheek a reddening shade hath shed; Close following his dead son, Kehama came, |