Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/619

 10* s. ii. DEC. 24. 1904.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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late Dr. Embleton, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, on
 * Eggs,' he says (vol. iii. p. 20, ed. 1837) :

" The purposes to which the eggs [of the ostrich] were applied are unknown ; but we may infer, from a religious prejudice in their favour among Christians of Egypt, that some superstition was connected with them, and that they were suspended in the temples of the ancient Egyptians, as they still are in the

churches of the Copts They consider them the

emblems of watchfulness. Sometimes they use them with a different view ; the rope of their lamps is passed through the egg in order to prevent the rats coming down and drinking the oil, as we were assured by the monks of Dayr Antonios."

I should conjecture, from a passage in Philip de Thaun's ' Livre des Creatures,' that such eggs would also be employed to exemplify the religious life in conventual communities. He is discoursing of a bird called asida, which is evidently our friend the ostrich. It leaves its eggs in the sand for the sun to hatch :

'Sacez icest oisel nus mustre essample bel :

Issi fait horn sened que Des ad espired ;

Ses aus guerpist en terre pur I'amur Deu conquere,

Celui ki 1'engendrat, la mere ki le portat,

Tuz ces de sun linage, tant est de sainte curage,

Si cum funt saint canonic, ermite, e saint monie ;

E eel merite averunt de tut le ben qu'il funt,

Si cum la beiste fait quant il ses oiseilz laist ;

E cist laissent al mort ensevelir le mort,

Ki guerpissent le munt, les richeises qu'il unt,

El cesel unt esperance de regner senz dutance,

D6s doinst a tute gent cest signefiement !

Which is, being interpreted by Mr. Thomas Wright, M.A., F.S.A. ('Popular Treatises on Science written during the Middle Ages,' pp. 96, 97) :-

" Know this bird shows us a good example : thus does the wise man whom God has inspired ; he leaves his eggs on the earth to obtain the love of God, him who begat him, the mother who bore him, all those of his lineage, he is of so holy a mind, as do the holy canons, the hermits, and the holy monks ; and that merit they will have of all the good which they will do, as the beast does when it leaves its young birds ; and these leave to the dead to bury the dead, who leave the world, and the riches which they have, have hope to reign in heaven without doubt. May God give to all people this meaning ! "

We shall see presently that the Cristo of Burgos was for some time in possession of Augustines. In ' The Romance of Religion,' by Olive and Herbert Vivian (1902), we are told of it :

" This image is famed all over Spain for the miracles it has wrought, and the priests who have charge of the chapel constantly declare that they have seen it move its head and arms. The legend says that a merchant returning from Flanders found it when sailing alone in the Bay of Biscay. It was first preserved in the Augustine Monastery, and was so much coveted by other monks that twice it was stolen. Each time, however, the image refused to stay in its new home, ^nd found its way back unaided to the Augustines.

In former days it was concealed behind three curtains of silk covered with gold and pearl em- broideries, which would open slowly and solemnly to the sound of bells on great ceremonies. The weariness and deathlike appearance of the figure are unutterable. To give an additional touch of realism, the wooden body is covered with human skin, which, in the course of centuries, has become all cracked and scarred. For a long time this was disbelieved, but a French writer obtained per- mission to examine the figure closely, and confirmed the truth of it. He noticed, too, that on the hands and feet the nails are attached to the skin. The head is made of wood, but the hair and beard are real. The people of Burgos say that the hair has not ceased to grow, and moreover declare that the image sweats every Friday." Pp. 109-11.

Who was the investigating Frenchman ? Not very long ago I was assured by a sacristan of reverent bearing at Burgos Cathedral that the skin was not human, but bovine. He believed in the miraculous power of the Cristo. I neglected to notice the eggs, though I had read of them beforehand, looking rather at the crucifix than at its accessories. I was reminded by seeing them figured in a picture in the baptistery in one of the parish churches (probably that of San Gil), and returned to the Cathedral to compensate myself for my oversight, but, unhappily, found the image veiled. I have one of Lau- rent's photographs of the subjecfc.

I am very much obliged to DON FLORENCIO DE UHAGON for offering to correspond with me direct ; but I should be sorry to deprive 'N. & Q.' of the pleasure and advantage of his communications. ST. SWITHIU.

ST. GEORGE (10 th S. ii. 168). One can only assume that the proverb alluded to has its origin in the old pictures which show our titular saint in the act of slaying the dragon as we should say in Yorkshire, " He never gets any forrader." And lest any of my readers examine the coins in their pockets and say that the charger bestridden by the saint has no saddle, I will here tell them that engravings may be met with showing St. George seated on a saddled horse.

As bearing upon this subject the following account of the "Riding of St. George" will prove of interest. In the church of St. Martin at Leicester was formerly held St. George's Guild, a fraternity which was invested with peculiar privileges, and annually ordained a sort of jubilee in the town with the above title. The master of the guild gave public notice to the inhabitants of the day appointed for the ceremony.

In an old hall-book, anno 17 Edward IV., is an express order enjoining all the in- habitants, by general summons, to attend "to ride against the King, or for riding the