72 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SALMON FISHING 



of the ancient see, a salmon with a ring in its mouth 

 is said to record a miracle of St. Kentigern, the 

 founder of the see, and the first Bishop of 

 Glasgow. 



" They report," says Spotswood, " of St. Kenti- 

 gern, that a lady of good place in the country, 

 having lost her ring as she crossed the river Clyde, 

 and her husband waxing jealous, as if she had 

 bestowed the same on one of her lovers, she did 

 mean herself unto Kentigern, entreating his help 

 for the safety of her honour ; and that he going to 

 the river after he had used his devotion, willed one 

 who was making to fish to bring the first fish he 

 caught, which was done. In the mouth of this fish 

 he found the ring, and, sending it to the lady, she 

 was thereby freed of her husband's suspicion/' 



The classical tale of Polycrates, says the very 

 clever author of The Heraldry of Fish, related by 

 Herodotus a thousand years before the time of St. 

 Kentigern, is, perhaps, the earliest version of the 

 fish and the ring, which has been often repeated 

 with variations. The ring, says Herodotus, was an 

 emerald set in gold, and beautifully engraved, the 

 work of Theodorus the Samian ; and this very ring, 

 Pliny relates, was preserved in the Temple of Con- 

 cord in Rome, to which it was given by the Emperor 

 Augustus. 



In the Koran of Mahomet the legend of the ring, 

 and its recovery by means of a fish, is introduced. 

 " Solomon entrusted his signet with one of his con- 

 cubines, which the Devil obtained from her, and 

 sat on the throne in Solomon's shape. After forty 



