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philofophy, I fhould extend thefe obfervations to an unreafon- 
able length. The foregoing fpecimen will fufficiently point out 
their origin. 
In the legends of our faints the fame romantic fabling as 
in our hiftory abounds, and proceeds from the fame fource. 
No one but a virgin could ufe the * magic girdle of St. Col- 
man, St. Cuthbert’s zone + cures many difeafes. An Irifh 
prince complains to St. Gerald, that an huge rock, fituated in 
the midft of a river, impeded its navigation, and intreats him 
to remove it: the faint throws a { wonderful ftone, which he 
held in his hand, on it, and inftantly it fplits in pieces. At 
another time he puts the fame ftone into the mouth of a dead 
man and he revives. St. Kiaran, St. Fechin, and St. ind, are 
conveyed as fafely over the ocean, lakes and rivers, on ftones as 
in fhips. The myftical and wonderous power of ftones mark 
the oriental complexion of our fpiritual romances, and are de- 
rived from the {chool of Eaftern philofophy. 
Mr. Warton remarks, that romantic fabling was early cul- 
tivated in Armorica and in Wales ; and of this he alleges numerous 
and inconteftible proofs. To which I may add, that through thefe 
channels it muft have foon reached Ireland. For this country 
profeffed a religion § perfectly correfponding with the Britifh, 
which, through every age, cemented the inhabitants of both 
iflands in the bonds of fraternal regard, fo that the conneétion 
between Ireland, Cornwall, and Wales, was very intimate. Marc, 
a Cornifh 
* Colgan, Aét. Sanct. pag. 246. + Colgan, fup. pag. 730. 
~ Colgan, fop. pag. 600, § Antiquities of Ireland, pag. 66—369. 
S P. pag: q F 
