Page:Cornish feasts and folk-lore.djvu/155

 SHfiRIQS, Et0, c*«»H?i ANY are the charms against ill-wishing worn by the ignorant. I will quote some mentioned by Mr. Bottrell : "A strip of parchment inscribed with the following words forming a four-sided acrostic : — S ATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS " At the time of an old lady's decease, a little while ago, on her breast was found a small silk bag containing several charms, among others a piece of parchment, about three inches square, having written on one side of it ' Nalgah ' (in capital letters) ; under this is a pen-and-ink drawing something like a bird with two pairs of wings, a pair extended and another folded beneath them. The creature appears to be hovering and at the same time brooding on a large egg, sustained by one of its legs, whilst it holds a smaller egg at the extremity of its other leg, which is outstretched and long. Its head, round and small, is unlike that of a bird. From the rude- ' ness of the sketch and its faded state it is difficult to trace all the