lent eastern superstition.' Virgil's intrigue with the soldan's daughter also resembles many of the adventures introduced in oriental romance, and the tales of chivalry derived from the east.

The fictions concerning the magic powers of Virgil were first incorporated about the beginning of the thirteenth century, in the Otia Imperialia of Gervase of Tilbury, chancellor of the Emperor Otho IV., to whom he presented his extravagant compilation. In this work, which is fraught with incredible fables of every description, we are told that the wise Virgil set up a brazen fly on one of the gates of Naples, which remained there for eight years, and during that period permitted no other fly to enter the city. On another gate he placed two immense images of stone; one of which was said to be handsome and merry, and its fellow sad and deformed. These images possessed this magic influence, that if any person entering the city came near the former statue, everything prospered according to his desires, as he who approached the latter was inevitably unfortunate and disappointed. Virgil also made a public fire, whereat everyone might freely warm himself, and near it he placed a brazen archer, with bow and arrows, bearing the inscription,-"If anyone strike I will shoot off my arrow:" this at length happened when a certain fool striking the archer, he shot him with his arrow, and sent him into the fire, which was forthwith extinguished. Gervase also informs us, that having visited Naples, he was himself witness to many of these wonders which yet remained, and was informed concerning the others by his host, the Archdeacon Pinatellus, by whom he was entertained in that city.

2

These fables were transcribed by Helinandus, the monk, who was contemporary with Gervase, into his Universal Chronicle, and were also introduced by Alexander Neckam, an English Benedictine, who studied at Paris early in the thirteenth century, into his work, De Naturis Rerum,

1 There is a somewhat similar Andalusian legend, which may have a Moorish origin. _A version of the story will be found in Tales from Twelve Tongues, London, 1883. Cf. also the opening of Le Sage's

"Diable Boiteux."

2 See Vincentius Bellovacensis, Speculum Historiale, 1. vi. c. 61.

(book 6,) with many important additions. In particular, we are told that Virgil constructed a brazen bridge, which carried him wherever he pleased, and also that he formed those statues, which were called Preservers of Rome (Salvatio Romæ); for as soon as any country revolted, or took up arms against the empire, the image representing that nation rung a bell which hung around its neck, and pointed to the inscribed name of the rebellious state. Similar fables concerning Virgil have been mentioned by Paracelsus [2, 569, Strasburg, 1603], and Gower in his Confessio Amantis [bk. v.], while the stories of the public fire, and the statues, preservers of Rome, have been related at full length in the Seven Wise Masters.1

Such works supplied ample materials for the old French romance of Vergilius, of which there are two editions extant, one in 4to., the other 8vo., both printed at Paris, and both without date. That production was the basis of the English Lyfe of Virgilius, which, however, varies in some particulars from its original.

In the commencement of this work, Virgilius is represented as living under the Emperor Persydes, who appears, according to the chronology of the romance, to have reigned soon after the time of Romulus. Virgilius being wise and subtle in his youth, was placed at school, but while there he received more instruction in consequence of a holiday adventure, than he derived from all the lessons of his teachers. While roaming among the hills in the neighbourhood of Tolentum, he perceived and entered a deep hole in the side of one of the highest, and when he had penetrated a considerable way, he heard the voice of a fiend, who entreated that he would deliver him from confinement, by removing a board by which he was spellbound. In return for this service he offered him a choice and valuable collection of books on necromancy, which would instruct him in the mysteries of that art. Virgilius having removed the board, the devil came out like an eel, and then stood before him like a big man. Having thus obtained possession of the fiend's library, Virgilius conceived that his property would be more secure if he could

1 See V. Schmidt, Beiträge zur geschichte der romantischen Poesie, pp. 137, 141.

again enclose the former owner in the hole from which he had issued. He accordingly defied him to return, and the demon being piqued at the implied doubt of his powers, wrought his way into the hole, where he was immediately shut up by Virgilius placing the board at the aperture, and will in all probability remain imprisoned, since he has irrecoverably lost the literary treasure by which he might again tempt the curious in magic to render him assistance.1

It has already been suggested, that this fiction must have been derived from a tale in the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, The Story of the Fisherman, who, having cast his nets, drew up a small copper vessel, with a leaden seal on it, which being removed, a thick smoke issued forth, and formed itself into an enormous genie, who threatened to slay his deliverer. The fisherman pretended to disbelieve that he had actually been confined in the small copper vessel, and adjured him again to enter it that he might be convinced. On this the body of the genie dissolving in mist, made its way into the vessel, in which the fisherman instantly sealed him up with the leaden seal, which had been originally stamped with the signet of Solomon.2

In one of the French Fabliaux, entitled Lai d'Hippocrate, (Le Grand, vol. i. p. 289,) there is an absurd story of that physician being pulled half way up a tower in a basket, by a lady of whom he was enamoured, and then left suspended, that he might be exposed to the ridicule of the multitude. A similar story is related of Virgilius on his first arrival at Rome; the romancers and poets of the middle ages taking delight to exhibit the greatest and wisest characters as victims to the power of love.3

1 In a Latin play of the twelfth century Virgil is associated with the prophets who come to adore the new-born Messiah, and joins them in a long rhymed Benedicamus at the termination of the piece. See Roquefort, p. 258, 1815.

2 A similar episode is also found in German folk tales: Grimm, Kinderm., iii. 187, and in the Flemish Smeke-Smêe. See in Wodana, Museum voor Nederduitsche Oudheitskunde, uitgeg. door J. W. Wolf, Ghent, 1843; Heft, i. p. 54; and the Walloon story of Le Maréchal de Tamines, in Légendes Namuroises, p. 206.

3

Step. Hawes, in his Pastyme of Pleasure, gives these adventures

From gratitude to the emperor, who restored an inheri tance of which he had been unjustly deprived, Virgilius constructed for him a palace, in which he saw and heard all that was said or done in every quarter of the city. We are also told how he made an ever-blooming orchard,' the statues, called preservers of Rome, already mentioned, and a lamp which lighted the whole city, but which was at length broken, in a manner borrowed from the story of Gervase of Tilbury, concerning the fire and the archer. There follows the account of his amour with the soldan's daughter, whom he carried off from her father's court, and built for her accommodation the town of Naples, which he founded upon eggs, a tradition which still prevails among the Lazzaroni of that city. He also made a metal serpent in Rome, and whoever put his hand into the serpent's throat was to swear his cause was right and true; and if he took a false oath, the hand was infallibly bitten off. It is curious that at this day there is a chapel at Rome, called Santa Maria in Cosmedin, built in the first ages of the church, and which is better known as Bocca della verita,” on account of a large round mask, with an enormous mouth, fixed up in the vestibule. Tradition says, that in former of Virgil with ludicrous minuteness. Juan Ruiz, the archpriest, moralizes upon them, and concludes with an incontrovertible maxim :— "Ansi por la luxuria es verdaderamente

2

66

El mundo escarnecido e muy triste la gente."

Cf. V. Schmidt on Petrus Alfonsus, p. 106; Pantscha Tantra c, 4, fab. 1; T. Wright, No. 83, Fortini, iii. 5; D. Quixote, pt. i. c. 43, etc., etc.

1 See infra note on Boccaccio, Decameron, x. 5.

2 Under the portico. The mask was probably an impluvium, or opening of a sink in classic times.

The following_story forms the 206th in the Franciscan Pauli's "Schimpff und Ernst." There was once a kaiser who suspected his consort of complaisance towards a knight. To reassure her spouse she consented to undergo this Virgilian test, and a day was fixed for the ordeal, when the emperor and his knights assembled in the appointed place. The empress came also with her women. "It happened, as she approached, that there came a fool in a fool's dress, who pressing through her train of attendants, fell upon the neck of the empress, as well as upon other women's, and kissed her before the whole company. The empress wept and manifested annoyance. The fool disappeared. As now the empress reached the stone (face of Virgil), where the emperor was standing, she swore, saying thus, 'As truly as no man hath touched

times the Romans, in order to give a more solemn confirmation to oaths, were wont to put their hands into this mouth, and that if a person took a false oath, his hand would have been bitten off.1

Many other marvellous things were accomplished by Virgilius during his life; but the story of his death is the most singular and interesting part of the romance. As he advanced in life, Virgilius entertained the design of renovating his youth by force of magic. With this view he constructed a castle without the city, and at the gate of this building he placed twenty-four images, armed with flails, which they incessantly struck, so that no one could approach the entrance unless Virgilius himself arrested their mechanical motion. To this castle the magician secretly repaired, accompanied only by a favourite disciple, whom on their arrival he led into the cellar, and showed him a barrel, and a fair lamp at all seasons burning. He then directed his confidant to slay and hew him into small bits, to cut his head into four, to salt the whole, laying the pieces in a certain position in the barrel, and to place the barrel under the lamp; all which being performed, Virgilius asserted that in nine days he would be revived and made young again. The disciple was sorely perplexed by this strange proposal. At last, however, he obeyed the injunctions of his master, and Virgilius was pickled and barrelled up according to the very unusual process which he had directed. Some days after, the emperor missing Virgilius at court, inquired concerning him of the confidant, whom he forced, by threats of death, to carry him to the enchanted castle, and to allow his entrance by stopping the motion of the statues which wielded the flails. After a long search the emperor descended to the cellar, where he found the remains of Virgilius in the barrel; and immediately judging that the disciple had murdered his master, he slew him my body save only the emperor and the naughty fool who hath shamed me before all, so truly thrust I mine hand in;' and she held it long so. So had the kaiser a dutiful wife. She swore truly; the fool was the same knight in the fool's dress."

* Beschreibung der Stadt Rom von Platen, Bunsen, etc., bd. iii. Abth. i. p. 379, etc. Cf. Straparola, No. 4, Fav. 2; Malespini, No. 98; Gottfried von Strassburg's "Tristan," etc., v. 15522; Timoneda's "Patrañuelo," No. 4, etc. etc.

1