52 FISH AND FISHING. 



And as a relic of his power 



It was his ardent wish, sir, 

 That dear old Erin should always have 



A number of ' odd fish,' sir." 



We have a story connected with one of our early 

 bishops, the Bishop of Chichester, which shows the 

 common practice of early times, of ascribing miracles to 

 fish, The first bishop sent from Eome to this part of Eng- 

 land, seeing the people eat of the sand-eels caught in the sea 

 near the place, sent information to Rome that here the 

 people eat serpents. A message was sent back, that if 

 they would refrain from such a repulsive and heathenish 

 custom in future, they should be amply supplied with real 

 fish, and that of the very best quality. They consented; and 

 the influence of the Holy See was immediately put into 

 requisition; and a most sumptuous supply of fish was 

 for a long period most miraculously served out to the 

 benighted people. 8 



Sacred fish are still to be found in different parts of 

 the world. Sir J. Chardin saw, in his travels in the East, 

 <{ fish confined in the court-yard of a mosque, with rings of 

 gold, silver, and copper through their muzzles, not for 

 ornament, but, as I was informed, as a token of their 

 being consecrated. None dared touch them, such a sacrilege 

 being supposed to draw after it the vengeance of the saint 

 to whom they were consecrated, and his votaries, not 

 content to leave them to his resentment, took upon them- 

 8 History of Chichester. 



