[MIRACLES PERFORMED BY HOLY PERSONS, AND THE INFLUENCE OF SACRED RELICS.]
[CHAPTER XV.]
- St. Peter, and Simon the Magician—Clement's Miracles and Death—St. Agnes—A Miraculous Circumstance—St. Blase's Power—St. Agatha's Holy Life—St. Patrick's Missionary Labours, and Expulsion of Reptiles from Ireland—St. Germanus stilling the Raging of the Sea—St. David and the Welsh Leeks—Stirrup Cup and Origin of "Pledging"—Elfrida's Treachery and Remorse—St. Benedict's Power—St. Dunstan cured by an Angel—The Æolian Harp—St. Columba's Prophecy concerning Iona—Sacred Ducks of Ireland—St. Paul binding a Dragon—Saints and Frogs—Friars and Jesuits—Father Mark proof against Fire—Virtue of Holy Water—St. Noel's Imprecation—St. Boniface—Pope Silvester assisted by Satan—Necromancing Popes—St. Januarius's Blood—St. Anthony's Conflicts with the Devil—St. Anthony's Hog and Bees—A Tradition concerning Melrose—St. Cuthbert—A Princess swallowed up by the Earth—Monk Waldevus's inexhaustible Stores—Holy Relics—Rusticus and his Hog130
[POETS AND SUPERSTITION.]
[CHAPTER XVI.]
- Prophetic Verse—The Bardi—Bards maintained by Noblemen—Queen Elizabeth and the Bards—Effects of Prophetic Sayings and of Pipe Music—Messages to another World—Voices of Deceased Friends heard in the Gale—Human Forms in the Clouds—Evenings in the Highlands—Michael Scott—Constant Work for Evil Spirits—Stemming the Tweed—How the Eildon Hills were formed—Ropes of Sand—Scott and his Magic Books buried at Melrose—Ossianic Poems—Stories by Bards150
- Shakspeare—An Outline of his Composition—"The Tempest"—Miranda beseeching Prospero to allay the Wild Waters—Ariel's Readiness to serve his Master—The Witch Sycorax—Caliban's Evil Wish—Neptune chased—"Midsummer Night's Dream"—Exploits of a Fairy—Doings of Puck—Titania and her Attendants—Ghosts and Spirits—Song—"Macbeth"—Weird Sisters—Macbeth's Doom—Witches' Caldron—Macbeth admonished by Spirits—"Antony and Cleopatra"—Dreadful Apparition—King's Death avenged161
- The Poet Gay—The "Spell"—Hobnelia—Lubberkin—Spells resorted to—Valentine Day—Ladybird sent on a Message of Love—Virtue of United Garters—Gipsies' Warnings—Knives sever Love—Story of Boccaccio—Apparition of a Deceased Lover—Poems by Burns—"Address to the Deil"—"Tam o' Shanter"173