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404 The Greeks and Romans followed the practice of their remote ancestors when they made their sacred fire; and the English and the Germans have preserved in their religious and superstitions observances a record of the period when they were wanderers in wild forests, depending on the unassisted soil for sustenance.

Kelly tells us that the holy fires of the Germanic races are of two classes. In the first are included those which the church, finding herself powerless to suppress, appropriated and made part of her ceremonial rites. The new or sacred fire was generally got by flint and steel, but sometimes by friction.

The second class embraces those which are used as preservatives against epidemics, cures for witchcraft and the like—all pagan in their origin and character.

"The need-fire, nydfyr, new German noth feuer, was called, from the mode of its production, confrictione de lignis, and, though probably common to the Kelts as well as Teutons, was long and well known to all the German races at a certain period. All the fires in the village were to be re-lighted from the virgin flame produced by the rubbing together of wood, and in the highlands of Scotland and Ireland it was usual to drive the cattle through it by way of lustration, and as a preservative against disease."

To this is added the following interesting note:—"In the Mirror of 24th June 1826 is an account of this having been done in Perthshire on occasion of a cattle epidemic. 'A wealthy old farmer having lost several of his cattle by some disease very prevalent at present, and being able to account for it in no way so rationally as by witchcraft, had recourse to the following remedy, recommended to him by a weird sister in his neighbourhood, as an effectual protection from the attacks of the foul fiend. A few stones were piled together in the barn-yard, and wood-coals having been laid thereon, the fuel was ignited by will-fire—that is, fire obtained by friction; the neighbours having been called in to witness the solemnity, the cattle were made to pass through the flames in the order of their dignity and age, commencing with the horses, and ending