—Having occasion to look at the first edition of the Golden Legend, printed by Caxton, I met with the following passage, which may perhaps prove interesting to your correspondent, as showing that the custom of blessing persons when they sneeze "endured" in the fifteenth century. The institution of the "Litany the more and the lasse," we are told, was justified,—
"For a right grete and grevous maladye: for as the Romayns had in the lenton lyued sobrely and in contynence, and after at Ester had receyud theyr Sauyour; after they disordered them in etyng, in drynkyng, in playes, and in lecherye. And therfore our Lord was meuyed ayenst them and sente them a grete pestelence, which was called the Botche of impedymye, and that was cruell and sodayne, and caused peple to dye in goyng by the waye, in pleying, in leeyng atte table, and in spekyng one with another sodeynly they deyed. In this manere somtyme snesyng they deyed; so that whan any persone was herd snesyng, anone they that were by said to hym, God helpe you, or Cryst helpe, and yet endureth the custome. And also when he sneseth or gapeth he maketh to fore his face the signe of the crosse and blessith hym. And yet endureth this custome."
Golden Legende, edit. 1483, fo. xxi. b.
F. SOMNER MERRYWEATHER.
Kentish Town.
Abbot of Croyland's Motto (Vol. v., p. 395.).
—MR. FORBES is quite correct with regard to the motto of Abbot Wells, which should be "Benedicite Fontes Domino." The sentence, "Bless the Wells, O Lord!" which is placed in so awkward a juxtaposition with it, is really a distinct motto for the name of Wells, and, so far from being a translation of the abbot's, is almost an inversion of it; and this should, as MR. FORBES justly remarks, have had "some editorial notice" from me.
M. A. LOWER.
Derivation of the Word "Azores" (Vol. v., p. 439.).
—The group of islands called the Azores, first discovered in 1439, by Joshua Vanderburg, a merchant of Bruges, and taken possession of by the Portuguese in 1448, were so named by Martin Behem, from the Portuguese word Açor, a hawk; Behem observing a great number of hawks there. The three species most frequently seen now are the Kestril, called Francelho; the Sparrowhawk, Furobardo; and the Buzzard, Manta; but whether very numerous or not, I am unable to state. From the geographical position of these islands, correct lists of the birds and fishes would be of great interest, and, as far as I am aware, are yet wanting.