as children and maidens were the objects of it, a class the least likely to be able to escape from the sacrifice demanded of them. After a time however it received a check from an opinion gradually gaining ground that only the blood of those would be efficacious, who offered themselves freely and voluntarily for a beloved sufferer. The idea of quoting poetry in support of historical fact may to many seem ridiculous, but the ballads of ancient times are for the most part modelled upon the customs and feelings of the age in which they were written; they were songs of the people and to the people, the records of the world about them, and we feel no hesitation in adducing Armer Heinrich-Poor Henry in proof of the popular notions of the period. It is one of the most beautiful poems of the thirteenth century, and in its simple and antique phraseology strongly reminds us of the old English ballads. The outlines of the story are nearly as follows. A Swabian knight, who possesses wealth, rank, and fame, all in short that can make life desirable, is on the sudden seized with leprosy. In order to escape the civil death, which was one of the terrible results of this disease, he roams through the world in the hope of somewhere finding a remedy, and Montpelier being in those days famous for its physicians, it is there that he first seeks assistance. They pronounce his case to be beyond their art, and he then repairs to Salerno, where he is made acquainted with the apparently hopeless means of curenamely that he should bathe in the blood of some child, or of some virgin, who shall submit to be a willing sacrifice. Sad at heart, he returns home, with the conviction that such terms of cure leave him no hope, and he therefore prepares himself to sorrow out the remainder of his days in solitude. It is now that a girl * Written by Hartman Von der Aue.

only twelve years old, the daughter of a countryman, conceives a passion for the knight while attending upon him, and accidentally hearing of this free-will offering determines to become his sacrifice. Henry, struck by the poor creature's attachment, at first refuses to avail himself of it, but her devotion is proof against all persuasions, and they set out together for Salerno.* The fatal catastrophe, however, is averted by the knight's recovery through other means, and in requital for so much love he gives his hand to the maiden in marriage.

The story of Amicus and Amelius is another fable of the same kind; and there is a similar tale related of Louis XI. having a mind to avoid his approaching death by drinking the blood of young children. This monarch's incessant and puerile dread of death is matter of history, and availing himself of this weakness, his physician, the notorious Jacques Cotier, or Coythier, kept the tyrant in

* Salerno, the ancient Salernum, was celebrated so early as the eighth century for its medical institution, which was established by the Benedictines. In those dark ages the cures were supposed to be chiefly effected by help of the holy reliques of Saint Matthew, who was the tutelar saint of their monastery, and who thus acquired the credit, which modern heresy would attribute to the healthy situation of the town, for it is sheltered by mountains behind, while it faced the sea towards the south. In addition to these advantages, the water is remarkable for purity, and the country around is rich in medicinal herbs and plants, of which the monks had no doubt a practical knowledge, though we can hardly allow them the possession of science. Hence it became a custom for invalides of wealth and rank to pilgrimage thither for the recovery of their health, the first we have on record being Adalberon, archbishop of Verdun, whose visit occurred in the year 984. In after times Salerno acquired yet greater celebrity from the concourse of crusaders, who found it a convenient resting-place in their journey to and from the East, and by degrees the practice of medicine assumed a more scientific form, though it was still darkened by a multitude of absurdities. Sprengel in his admirable work-Versuch einer progmatischen Geschichte der Arzneykunde-gives a history of this school and its professors.

subjection, getting from him enormous sums, besides causing him to amply provide for his friends and relations. "Je sais bien, lui dit il quelquefois, que vous m'envoyerez comme vous faites d'autres, mais-par un grand serment qu'il jurait-vous ne vivrez point huit jours apres." "I know well," he would sometimes say, "that you will get rid of me as you have done of others, but- and here he swore a solemn oath—" you will not live eight days afterwards." This incident, as the reader will probably well remember, has been transferred by Sir W. Scott, in Quentin Durward, to Martius Galeotti the astrologer to the same monarch, and who in fact has many other points of resemblance to Coythier.

The account given of the last hours of Louis XI. by the historian Gaguin bears sufficient testimony to the fact of the blood-drink, and though the historian has been justly reproached for his excessive credulity on many occasions, there seems to be no reason for doubting him here when all he asserts is so consonant to the prejudices of the age and the peculiar character of the monarch. As the whole scene is exceedingly curious in itself, as well as illustrative of our subject, we shall give a free version of a portion of it, which is in old French and the black letter.* "King Louis had no rest from his malady, and felt himself growing weaker and weaker every day, so that the fear of death encreased upon him, for no one was more desirous of life than he was. Nevertheless providing for his end he caused himself to be carried to Amboise, to which place having summoned his son, Charles, he said, My dear son, I am nearer to my end than you imagine; my disorder incessantly torments me, and no medicine affords any relief. You will reign after me, for the which you will find loyal servants the most essential. Amongst many whose faith and dili. GAGUIN-Croniques de France, Fueillet. ccij. Folio, 1516,

gence I have experienced I particularly recommend two men to you, that is to say, Oliver le Dain and Jean de Doyat, for of the services of Oliver I have had the greatest use; take him after me into your service, and allow none of the goods or offices he has acquired from me to be taken from him. Gui Pot* and Bouchage, you will esteem as prudent men and of good counsel. In regard to Philip D'Esquerdes, doubt not he is skilful in all military matters, and therefore, when the war breaks out, make use of his prudence and moderation. All the others that have dignity and offices from me, I wish that you should confirm and entertain them. Relieve as much as you can the people, whom I have ground down by the necessity of war. Do not trust to your mother, for being of Savoy she has always seemed to me to favour the Burgundians. Otherwise, that is to say as to the rest of her qualities, I have always esteemed her good and virtuous." After having spoken thus, Louis returned to Tours where, thinking to relieve his disorder by music, he ordered all manner of instrumentalists to be brought together, and it is said that they amounted to one hundred and twenty. Amongst them were shepherds, and they played for many days by the king's chamber, that he might not yield to the sleepiness which oppressed him.† But besides this class of people he summoned to him Guy Pot was the Baily of Vermandois, and D'Esquerdes was a soldier of distinguished conduct and valour.

*

+ Pere Daniel in his "Histoire de France," (vol. vii. p. 640) tells us that in addition to these amusements, as the king could no longer go to the chase, of which he was passionately fond, they took the largest rats they could find and hunted them in his chamber with cats for his amusement. The same authority also relates the beforementioned story of Cotier-whom he calls Coctier-terrifying the king into compliance with all his wishes by swearing that he would not outlive him eight days. But indeed, tyrant as Louis was by nature, he seems to have been kept in abject submission by this man, and his worthy coadjutors, Olivier le Dain and Jean Doiac, or Doyat.,

others of a very different kind, men dwelling in solitudes and in hermitages, with those who were greatly in the renown of sanctity. Likewise there came to Tours women of excellent devotion, who were coinmanded to pray to Heaven incessantly, that it would restore health to the king and grant him longer life, so anxious was he not to quit this world. I imagine," says the historian, "he foresaw the troubles which the lust of rule would give rise to after his death."

Ambassadors now came to Louis from Flanders and Brabant, and his son Charles V. was betrothed to Marguerite, the daughter of Maximilian, but his disorder still grew upon him; and in this year, 1443, "imploring high and low the aid of God and man, he commanded that they should bring to Tours the sacred liquor, which it is said was sent from Heaven to anoint King Clovis in his city of Rheims. Besides this he had from the holy chapel at Paris the rod of the high priest Aaron, which many affirm"-the historian himself is modest"to have been divinely given to Charlemagne. But there was nothing that could put off the appointed hour. Every day he grew worse and worse, and the medicines profited him nothing, though of a strange character, for he vehemently hoped to recover by the human blood which he drank and swallowed from certain children. But he died at Tours" which from

the tone of the historian would seem a greater miracle than the idea of such a horrible mode of cure.

It may perhaps add little to our faith in the former use of the blood-bath that Klinger has employed it to heighten the horrors of his Faust; but when we find the learned Sprengel giving credit to it, in addition to what has been already said, it seems absurd to deny the existence of a custom the belief in which has been so universal.