Descried the matron's gross neglect ; Then hid it 'neath the chimney-lug; And die, when no more blood was there Fairies' Friends. "They sometimes brought human friends with them to feast,2 and occasionally they had even more intimate relations with mortals than those of friendship, as the story about the 'Fairy Sweetheart 3 will show. But their semi-human nature was shown in a more unpleasant manner than that of either feasting in mortals' houses or associating with them, i.e., by their fondness for kidnapping children, and even occasionally grown-up people." The Tailor and the Baby.1 "An old man was coming here often, and my daughter would be giving him a penny to tell her some fairy tale, and he come in one day and told her about a young woman who went to be churched. She left her baby in the cradle, and a tailor sitting by, and when she was gone the tailor goes to the baby and asks it to come and dance and he would play a tune, and the baby got up on the cradle and commenced dancing till the tailor went off fiddling away with the baby. When the woman came back she looked in the cradle for the child and could find it nowhere, so it became a fairy child-that's what they were saying." (C. Roeder.) Niggison's. 5 "On the Ballacoan stream, about twenty yards before it joins the Glenroy stream, is a "dub" and waterfall known to all the children in Lonan and Laxey from time immemorial as Niggison's. The dub, which is supposed by the children to have no bottom to it, is overgrown with brambles, ferns, and woodbine, and overshadowed by hazel-nut and fir 1 (Original note.) The death of many young women has been attributed to the above superstition in the island. Kennish's Poems, Old May Eve, pp. 59, 60. See Rhys in Folklore, vol. ii., p. 288. 3 Folklore of the Isle of Man, p 50. Told by a person now living. The meaning of this word is unknown. trees. For the children this spot has an aweinspiring fascination, but when it grows dark they, and even grown-up people, will avoid it. We will let a Laxey girl tell us the reason for the feelings with which it is regarded: 'A great many years ago, I've hard grandmother say that a gel,1 living at Ballaquine, was sent one day to pur2 a sight on the calves which had gone astray. She had gur3 as far as the calves over the rivar in "Johnny BalNiggison's when she tuk a notion she hard doon's nuts,"4 and she ups at once and begun to call "Kebeg! Kebeg! Kebeg !" that loud till you could hear her at Chibber Pherick. Well, the people could hear her calling quite plain. But, behoull7 ye, a tremenjous mis's came and rowlt down the valley from Mollagh-Ouyr and shut up the valley complete. But the people on "John Mat's "10 side could still hear her vice through the mis' calling "Kebeg! Kebeg!" and they hard, too, a lil 12 sweety of a vice from Niggison's calling 'Kebeg's here! Kebeg's here!" Then came in answer through the mis' and the trees the gel's vice sayin' "I'm commin'! I'm comThe fairies that min'," and that was all. lives in Niggison's wis'-out1s no bottom had puck1 her in and carried her to their own home, and the gel was navar hard of again.'” (Egbert Rydings.) 66 A superstition is still extant that fairies will take children who are out alone after sunset, unless they are marked on their faces with IFTY years ago, people generally were greatly interested by a discussion then in progress among antiquaries, as to the origin, date, and use of the round towers, which form so conspicuous a feature of the landscape in many parts of Ireland. All sorts of extravagant theories were propounded to account for the mysterious towers, and at one period of the controversy no suggestion seemed too wild. or extravagant to gain acceptance. Among scholarly students of archæology, however, a more sober spirit of inquiry prevailed, and it is greatly due to the labours of such wellknown Irish antiquaries as the late Mr. Petrie, Mr. W. F. Wakeman, the late Lord Dunraven, Miss Margaret Stokes and others, that we now know for certain, not merely the use of the towers, but in several instances the actual date of their erection. The name cloictheach, by which they are known in the Irish language, corroborates the conclusions arrived at by an elaborate process of investigation, and it is now universally accepted that the towers are simply bell towers (of a peculiar shape) attached to churches and other ecclesiastical buildings. Nor is this all, for it is now recognised that similar towers are to be found in other parts of western Europe. The two towers of Abernethy and Brechin, in Scotland, have all along been regarded as similar in character to the Irish round towers, and the same has also been generally recognised as the case in regard to the round tower on Peel Holm, in the Isle of Man. It is, however, only of recent years that instances have been sought for, and found, in England and on the Continent. In England the most remarkable example is at Hythe Church, in Kent, and on the Continent several of such towers have been already noted by Miss Margaret Stokes, many of which, in France, Germany, and Italy, are illustrated in her wellknown work, Early Christian Architecture in Ireland. There is no need to cite the list of the continental round towers recorded by Miss Stokes; but it is worth while to draw attention to two hitherto unrecorded examples of this type of round tower, which support the western porch or portico of the cathedral church of Montpellier. They are repre sented in the accompanying illustration.* It is obvious that they are of later date than the Irish towers, but the general similarity is so marked, as to render them well worthy of being added to the list of such towers existing on the continent of Europe. On this ground we have thought it desirable to draw attention to them. Holy Wells of Scotland: their By R. C. HOPE, F.S.A., F.R.S.L. ABERDEENSHIRE-continued. ABERDOUR: HOLY PILGRIMS' WELL. HE well here known as the Holy Well was probably dedicated in honour of St. Fillan, said to have been a leper; it is situated close to the site of an old chapel, near the churchyard. It was also known as the Pilgrims' Well. It is now filled up; in 1475 it was so popular that the vicar of Aberdour, Sir John Scott, procured from the Earl of Morton a portion of land for the erection of a hospital, dedicated in honour of St. Martha, for the convenience of the Pilgrims resorting to it. CULSAMOND: ST. MICHAEL'S WELL. St. Michael the Archangel was patron of a well here. A gold coin of the time of James I. of Scotland was found some years ago near this ancient healing well. CAIRNIE ST. MARTIN'S WELL. St. Martin was the patron of a well at Cairnie; nothing is now known about it. FYVIE: ST. CATHARINE'S WELL. A well formerly existed here dedicated in honour of St. Catharine. All tradition is now lost. * The illustration is reproduced from a photograph signed N.D., which was purchased in France. We take this opportunity of apologising for any unintentional infringement of copyright of which we may be guilty, endeavours to trace the artist, so as to obtain his permission, having failed. It should also be added, perhaps, that the church only became a cathedral church in 1536, when the see was transferred from the deserted island of Maguelone to the Church of St. Benedict at Montpellier, which was thereafter rededicated to St. Peter. GARVOCK: ST. JAMES'S WELL. There was, or is, a well here dedicated in honour of St. James, the only one to this saint, it is believed, in Scotland. HUNTLY ST. MUNGO'S WELL. In this parish was a well on the west side of St. Mungo's Hill dedicated in honour of St. Mungo. RAYNE: ST. LAURENCE. St. Laurence was held in reverence at a well here dedicated in his honour. LONGSIDE CAMP WELLS. The Camp Wells of Longside, with the adjacent "battlefield," point to some ancient engagement, probably betwixt the Danes and the natives of the district.-ALEX. FRASER, Northern Folklore on Wells and Water, p. 32. ARDNACLOICH IN APPIN. There was a prophetic well at Ardnacloich in Appin, which, when consulted, contained a dead worm if the patient's illness would prove fatal, but a living one otherwise. CRUDEN: ST. OLA, OLAM, OR ST. OLAU'S WELL. The virtues of this well are recorded in the lines: St. Olav's Well, low by the sea, KINNORD: ST. LAURENCE'S WELL. There was a well here dedicated in honour of St. Laurence. LOGIE COLDSTONE: ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST'S WELL. St. John the Evangelist was patron of a well here. Nothing, however, is now known about it. ARGYLESHIRE. GIGHA TONBIR-MORE, OR THE GREAT WELL. There is a well at the north end of this isle, near the west coast of Kintyre, on a farm called Ardachad, or High Field. Tonbir-more, or the Great Well, so-called because of its effects for which it is famous among the islanders, who, together with the inhabitants, use it as a catholicon for diseases. Tradition says that a plague once visited the island, but that the people belonging to the farm escaped its ravages. This immunity was ascribed to the good offices of a well in an adjoining field. It is covered with stone and clay, because the natives fancy that the stream that flows from it might overflow the isle; and it is always opened by a Diroch, i.e., an inmate, else they think it would not exert its virtues. They ascribe one very extraordinary effect to it, and it is this: That when any foreign boat is windbound here which often happens - the master of the boat ordinarily gives the native that lets the water run a piece of money; and they say that immediately afterwards the wind changes in favour of those that are thus detained by contrary winds. Every stranger that goes to drink of the water of this well is accustomed to leave on its stone cover a piece of money, a needle, pin, or one of the prettiest variegated stones they can find.Martin's Tour. When the foreign boat was wind-bound on the island, the master of the craft was in the habit of giving some money to one of the natives to procure a favourable breeze. This was done in the following way: A few feet above the well was a heap of stones forming a cover to the spring. These were carefully removed, and the well was cleared out with a wooden dish or clam-shell. The water was then thrown several times towards the point from which the needed wind should blow. Certain words of incantation were used each time the water was thrown. After the ceremony the stones were replaced, as the district would otherwise have been swept by a hurricane. Pennant mentions, in connection with his visit to Gigha, that the superstition had then died out. In this he was in error, for the well continued to be occasionally consulted to a later date. Even within recent years the memory of the practice lingered in the island, but there seemed some doubt as to the exact nature of the required ritual. Captain T. P. White was told by a shepherd, belonging to the island, that if a stone was taken out of the well a storm would arise, and prevent anyone crossing over; nor would it abate till the stone was taken back to the well.-Folklore of Scottish Lochs and Springs, pp. 223-24. (To be continued.) Publications and Proceedings of important series of volumes since its foundation sixty Archæological Societies. PUBLICATIONS. Another of the admirable volumes of the "Yorkshire Record Series" has been issued to the subscribers. No portion of the work which the YORKSHIRE ARCHÆOLOGICAL SOCIETY undertakes is more valuable than that comprised under its Record Series. The volume just issued is the seventeenth of the series, and is entitled Notes on the Religious and Secular Houses of Yorkshire. It is edited by Mr. W. Paley Baildon, F.S.A., and is composed of a number of scattered notes which Mr. Baildon has met with, during many years' work, at the Record Office. The period covered appears to be that of the whole of the preReformation era, from the reign of Richard I. onwards to the time of the dissolution of the religious, and most of the secular, houses. Mr. Baildon states in the introduction that the notes are, for the most part, taken from the Plea Rolls-rolls, or records, that is, of various courts of law, setting forth actual legal proceedings. He also, very pardonably, draws attention to the fact that no less than 900 notes, and 1,300 references to original documents, previously unprinted, are contained in the book; as well as the fact that two hospitals, the very existence of which was hitherto unsuspected (St. Leonard's at Sheffield, and St. Mary Magdalene's at Skipton), are mentioned in the notes. The notes contained in this book are of necessity the result of casual discovery, and are, therefore, unconnected with any special plan, or system of research. The Yorkshire Society has done well, however, to avail itself of Mr. Baildon's discoveries, and the volume will be very welcome to the student in the future. We are glad to be able to congratulate the society on its issue. Besides this work by Mr. Baildon, the SURTEES SOCIETY has also turned its attention to the religious endowments of Yorkshire, and in Volumes XCI. and XCII., which have lately been issued, it has presented its members with transcripts of the Chantry Certificates for Yorkshire, which have been ably edited for the society by Mr. William Page, F.S.A. These two volumes of Chantry Certificates are full of material of exceptional interest, and not the least interesting feature of all is the evidence which they afford that Edward VI. was by no means the founder of English education. "If inquiry be made," Mr. Page aptly observes, "it will be found that very few, if any, of the so-called King Edward VI. grammar schools had their origin in the reign of that monarch. Up to the time of the Reformation nearly all education was maintained by the Church, and when the chantries were dissolved practically the whole of the secondary education of the country would have been swept away, had not some provision for the instruction of the middle and lower classes been made by continuing, under new ordinances, some of the educational endowments which pious founders had previously provided." This is very true, and it is amply corroborated by the certificates printed in these two volumes. The Surtees Society has published such an exceptionally years ago, that it is difficult for any particular volume or volumes to be ranged against the rest. We have no hesitation, however, in saying that these two volumes relating to the Yorkshire chantries are among the best of the long series of the Society's publications. We wish other counties would follow suit and publish their Chantry Certificates, which are complete for nearly the whole of England. The SURREY ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY has issued the first of its extra volumes, containing a list of Surrey Fines from Richard I. to the end of the reign of Henry VII. The book is one which, if not exactly light reading, will prove to be of almost inestimable value to the student. It has been compiled by Mr. Frank B. Lewis, who has prefixed a preface explanatory of what a "fine" was, as well as a copious index at the end of the volume. The book is one which has a value, as Mr. Lewis observes, to others besides Surrey antiquaries, as a large number of the fines included in the book relate to Southwark and adjacent parishes and manors. The origin of this valuable compilation reveals such an admirable example of the manner in which the archæological student of the present day sets to work, that we cannot refrain from quoting Mr. Lewis's description of his labours. He says: "Some five years ago I wished to obtain some information relative to certain places in Surrey which the county histories of Manning and Bray, Allen and Walford did not disclose, and to complete my research it became necessary to examine the series of pedes finium relating to the county. To my dismay, and probably others have experienced the same feeling, I found that until temp. Henry VII., with the exception of Hunter's transcripts temp. Richard I. and John, there was no calendar, and that I should have to look through about 3,000 Surrey and 7,000 divers counties' fines to see if the information I wished to obtain was to be found amongst them. With a view of making these fines more accessible to myself I compiled this calendar, and finding it of very great use to myself, I considered that it would be of equal use to Surrey antiquaries and others, and I offered to give it to our County Society, provided that it was printed en bloc." The society was fortunate in receiving such an offer, and it is to be congratulated on having received for its first extra series volume a book of so much value and utility. Mr. Lewis's patient labour is worthy of the highest praise, and is, as we previously observed, an indication of the thoroughness of the antiquarian work of the present day. Part II. of the Portfolio of the MONUMENTAL BRASS SOCIETY has reached us. It deserves to be as highly commended as the first part was. There is plenty of good work in store for this new society, which has our best wishes for a prosperous career of usefulness. The second part of the Portfolio contains photolithographed facsimiles of six brasses, which have been reproduced by Mr. Griggs, of Peckham. This alone is a sufficient guarantee of the excellence of the work. The brasses illustrated are those of Robert de Paris and his wife Alienora at Hildesham, Cambridgeshire (1379); Sir Aylmer de Athol and his wife Mary |