188 



The Hermit's Fish-Pond, now remaining in a val- 

 ley, near Glastonbury, exhibits the materials of a 

 legendary tale about fish. In this pond there were 

 three fishes, of which St. Neot had Divine permis- 

 sion to take one, and only one, every day, with an 

 assurance that the supply should never be dimin- 

 ished. Being afflicted with a serious indisposition, 

 his disciple, Barius, one day caught two fishes, and 

 having broiled one, and boiled the other, placed 

 them before him. " "What hast thou done," ex- 

 claimed St. Neot, " lo ! the favour of God deserts 

 us; go instantly, and restore these fishes to the 

 water." "While Barius was absent, Neot prostrated 

 himself in earnest prayer, till he returned with the 

 intelligence that the fishes were disporting them- 

 selves in the pool. Barius again went and took only 

 one fish, of which St. Neot had no sooner tasted 

 than he was restored to perfect health.* 



We have, indeed, multitudes of legends connected 

 with fish and fishing scattered over the theological 

 literature of Prance, Italy, Spain, and Germany. 

 The legend of St. Anthony, of Padua, is, unques- 

 tionably, the most striking and ingenious of all the 

 pious effusions of this kind. The sermon commences 

 with, " My dearly beloved fish," and goes on, at 

 great length, and with much eloquence, to show 

 how fish had in all ages been the especial favourites 

 of heaven; that they lived in an element which 



* History of St. Neots, by the Rev, G. C. Graham. 

 London, 1838. 



