Frederick von Schlegel, in describing a famous picture by Bramante d'Urbino (Æsthetic and Miscellaneous Works, p. 78.), mentions St. Anthony as "carrying the hermit's little bell;" and Lord Lindsay, in the Introduction to his Letters on Christian Art (vol. i. p. 192.), says that St. Anthony is known by "the bell and staff, denoting mendicancy." If this be the case, the bell at Kimbolton was doubtless intended originally to announce the presence of some wayfarer or mendicant. Tanthony is a common contraction for St. Anthony, as in the term "a Tanthony pig;" and a similar system of contraction was in use amongst the troubadours, who put Na for Donna; as Nalombarda for Donna Lombarda.
The bell carried by St. Anthony is sometimes thought to have reference to his Temptations; bells being, in the words of Durandus, "the trumpets of the eternal king," on hearing which the devils "flee away, as through fear." I think, however, that these words apply rather to church bells.
E. J. M.
PILGRIMS' ROAD TO CANTERBURY.
([Vol. ii., pp. 199.] [237.] [269.] [316.])
I think those of your readers who are interested in this Query will feel that the replies it has received are not quite satisfactory, and I therefore trust you will find some room for the following remarks.
I would beg to ask, can there be any doubt that from Southwark to Dartford, and from Rochester to their destination, Chaucer and his fellow pilgrims journeyed along the old Roman way, then for many centuries the great thoroughfare from London to the south-eastern coast, and which for these portions of the route is nearly identical with the present turnpike-road? The Tales themselves make it certain that the pilgrims started on this ancient way; for when the Host interrupts the sermonising of the Reeve, he mentions Deptford and Greenwich as being in their route:
"Say forth thy tale, and tarry not the time,
Lo Depeford, and it is half way prime;
Lo Greenewich, there many a shrew is in,