"On Easter Sunday, to S. Marie Maggiore, a plenary indulgence.
"On Easter Monday, to S. Pietro, in Vaticano, an indulgence of 30 years and 1200 days.
"On Thursday, Ascension-day, to S. Pietro, a plenary indulgence.
"On Wednesday, to Pietro Vaticano, an indulgence of 30 years and 1200 days."
CHAPTER LIII.
St. Adelbert's Curse a Charm against Thieves—Complexion of Blackamoors attributed to a Curse of Noah—False Accusation, and its Results—Preservation of Children—A Joyful Mother—Ancestors of the Whelphs and Guelphs of Germany—An Interesting Legend—A Curse turned into a Blessing—A Gipsy's Curse—A Cruel Father and Husband—Morrar-na-Shean's Despair—Bitter Grief—Restoration of Three Daughters—A Grateful Father—Ancestors of the Sinclairs of Caithness, and of the noble family of Keith—The Curse of Moy—A Cruel Chieftain of Clan Chattan—A Lady's Dilemma—A Father yielding up his Life—Swearing by the Hand of a Bride—Grant of Glenmorriston waiting his Doom—Death of a Father and Lover—An Imprisoned Maiden—Maledictions and Prediction—Lady leaping from a Lofty Tower into a Lake beneath—The Monroes of Foulis—Foraying Expedition—An Unreasonable Request—End of a Relentless Tyrant—Prediction fulfilled.
St. Adelbert's curse was a charm against thieves. It was full of cursing against dishonest persons, and prayers that they might have their share with Dathan and Abiram, whom the earth swallowed up, and have their part with Judas. Thieves were to be cursed in their houses, fields, and everywhere; they were to be denied Christian burial; yea, the very ground in which they rested was to be cursed. Their bodies, in all their separate parts, and their children, were damned; and as Lucifer was expelled out of heaven, and Adam and Eve driven from Paradise, so they were sought to be expelled from the light of day. The terrible curse was pronounced with bell, book, and candle; and concluded with this fearful denunciation: "And as the candle, which is thrown out of my hand here, is put out, so let their works and their souls be quenched in the stench of hell-fire, except they restore that which they have stolen; and let every one say, Amen."
Perhaps few are aware that the dark complexion of the blackamoors is attributed to a curse of Noah; but as that statement has been disputed, we shall pass it without further notice.
Irmentrude, a German countess, accused a noble lady of adultery because she had three children at one birth, saying that she deserved to be tied up in a sack and thrown into the sea. Next year the countess herself was delivered of more sons at a birth than the lady had brought forth. Touched with remorse for the hard saying she had uttered against her neighbour, she concluded it was a just punishment inflicted; but being anxious to conceal the most extraordinary result, she sent a maid to drown all the children except one—a son—to heir his father's estate. Fate so determined that her husband, the earl, met the young woman as she was going to consign the young inoffensive infants to a watery grave. On asking what was in her lap, she answered that she was going to drown some whelps. The earl being a great hunter, and consequently fond of dogs, demanded to see the whelps, that he might judge whether they should be destroyed. To his astonishment, he found children in place of young dogs, all living, well-proportioned, and beautiful, but small. From the maid he learned the whole truth; whereupon he enjoined her to silence, and caused the infants to be carried to one of his tenants to be brought up. When they became of age, they were sent for to his house, after being dressed like their brother, who had been cared for by the mother. As soon as the countess cast her eyes on her offspring she knew them, and wept in a state between shame and joy. From those children descended the family of the Whelphs or Guelphs, long renowned in Germany.