The Fiery Cross was a blazing torch in the form of a cross, carried from hill to hill to summon the clans to battle. Sir Walter Scott speaks of it in "The Lady of the Lake." He says the chaplain slew a goat, and dipped the cross in its blood. It was then delivered to a swift runner, who ran with all his speed to the next hamlet, where he presented it to the principal person, who was bound to send it on. Every man, from sixteen to sixty years of age, was expected instantly to repair fully equipped for war to the place of rendezvous on pain of "fire and sword." In the English civil war of 1745-46 the Fiery Cross was sent round thus.

A passion for the collection of rare or curious books, originating in Holland, but attaining its highest point in France and England, has been well called Bibliomania. In its nobler aspect Andrew Lang has defined bibliomania as the "love of books for their own sake, for their paper, print, binding, and for their associations, as distinct from the love of literature." Most extravagant prices have been paid by collectors. Bernard Quaritch has the credit of having paid the largest sum recorded for a single volume, $24,750 for Psalmorum Codex (folio 1459). The first dated Decameron brought $11,300, and the Mazarin Bible, the first printed Bible, brought $19,500.

The Aeneid, Virgil's epic poem, is contained in twelve books. When Troy was taken by the Greeks and set on fire, Aeneas, with his father, son and wife, took flight, with the intention of going to Italy, the original birthplace of the family. The wife was lost, and the old man died on the way; but after numerous perils by sea and land, Aeneas and his son Asca-nius reached Italy. Here Latinus, the reigning king, received the exiles hospitably, and promised his daughter Lavinia in marriage to Aeneas; but she had been already betrothed by her mother to prince Turnus, son of Daunus, king of Rutuli, and Turnus would not forego his claim. Latinus, in this dilemma, said the rivals must settle the dispute by an appeal to arms. Turnus being slain, Aeneas married Lavinia, and ere long succeeded his father-in-law on the throne.

Petrarch appears to have been the first of modern poets crowned with laurel, 1341. Warton shows there were royal poets about the English kings before the time of Richard I., whose court poet, Blondel, is said to have discovered the place of the king's captivity and to have been the means of his release. Chaucer as royal poet was allowed a gallon of wine a day, and before that time a harper to Henry III. had an allowance of wine. Charles I. in 1630 made the office patent and settled both a stipend and wine on the ' 'laureate." Till Tennyson was made poet the stipend was $635 plus $135 for the purchase of a cask of canary. The term arose thus: the king chose a laureated student of Oxford or Cambridge, that is, a student to whom a laurel crown had been presented for the best Latin ode in praise of Alma Mater. In France crowning with laurels is continued still.

John Alden was one of the early Pilgrim settlers in love with Pris-cilla, the beautiful Puritan. Miles Standish, a bluff old soldier, wishing to marry Priscilla, asked John Alden to go and plead for him; but the maiden answered archly, "Why don't you speak for yourself, John." Soon after this, Standish being reported killed by a poisoned arrow, John spoke for himself, and the maiden consented. Standish, however, was not killed, but only wounded; he made his re-appearance at the wedding, where, seeing how matters stood, he accepted the situation with the good natured remark.

If you would be served you must serve yourself; and moreover No man can gather cherries in Kent at the season of Christmas.

Longfellow, Courtship of Miles Standish, ix.

The Harleian Mss. were a collection of Mss. formed by Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford (1661-1725), and purchased by government in 1754 of the Duchess of Portland (his granddaughter) for $50,000. There are 14,236 original rolls, charters and other deeds, besides 7,639 volumes. The collection is very miscellaneous, but its main character is historical. It is rich in heraldic and genealogical Mss., in county visitations, parliamentary and legal proceedings, original records and calendars, abbey registers, missals, antiphonaries, and other Catholic service - books, ancient English poetry, and works on arts and sciences. It is kept in the British Museum library. It also contains the oldest known Ms. of Homer's "Odyssey," two very early copies of the Latin Gospels in gold letters, 300 Ms. Bibles or Biblical books, 200 volumes of the Fathers, etc.

"Gesta Romanorum" (" the deeds of the Romans"), is the title of a collection of short stories and legends, in the Latin tongue, widely spread during the middle ages, but of the authorship of which little is known save that it took its present form most likely in England about the end of the thirteenth or the beginning of the fourteenth century. The stories are invariably moralized, and indeed the edifying purpose throughout is the sole unifying element of the collection. The title is only so far descriptive as the nucleus of the collection consists of stories from Roman history, or rather pieces from Roman writers, not necessarily of any greater historical value than that of Androcles and the lion from Aulus Gellius. Moralized, mystical and religious tales, as well as other pieces, many of ultimate oriental origin, were afterwards added, and upon them edifying conclusions hung but awkwardly, bringing the whole up to about one hundred and eighty chapters.

Excalibur was the name of the famous mystic sword of King Arthur. There seem to have been two swords so called. One was the sword sheathed in stone, which no one could draw thence, save he who was to be king of the land. Above two hundred knights tried to release it, but failed; Arthur alone could draw it with ease, and thus proved his right of succession. This sword is called Excalibur, and is said to have been so bright "that it gave light like thirty torches." After his fight with Pellinore the king told Merlin he had no sword, and Merlin took him to a lake, and Arthur saw an arm "clothed in white samite, that held a fair sword in the hand." Presently the Lady of the Lake appeared, and Arthur begged that he might have the sword, and the lady told him to go and fetch it. When he came back to it he took it, "and the arm and hand went under the water again." This is the sword generally called Excalibur. When about to die, King Arthur sent an attendant to cast the sword back again into the lake, and again the hand "clothed in white samite" appeared, caught it, and disappeared.