RELIGION, SUPERSTITION, ETC. 53 



selves to punish transgressors. An Armenian Christian, 

 who had ventured to take some of these fish, was killed 

 upon the spot by one of them." Sacred fish also frisk 

 about, occasionally, in the holy waters of cloistered 

 monopolists; and Mr Curzon, if we remember rightly, 

 cites, in his late interesting Visit to the Monasteries in the 

 Levant, certain fried fish which were wont, to the conster- 

 nation of strangers and the confirmation of the faithful, 

 *o make their fitful appearance, and to swim about with 

 frizzled fins, secure from molestation, in an integument of 

 sacred batter ! 



We find among the pious legends of many parts of 

 France, and particularly in the section of Europe known 

 under the name of French Flanders, continual allusions 

 made to the story of Jonah's advent into the whale's belly. 

 In several of these stories we find long discussions on 

 what the prophet saw when he was in the deep ; how he 

 lived, what he thought would become of him, and how 

 his novel adventure would ultimately terminate. Some 

 editions of these legends are ornamented with odd and rude 

 engravings, illustrative of the various imaginary positions 

 in which the rebellious prophet was placed ere he was 

 cast on shore again. 



The hermit's fish-pond, now remaining in a valley, near 

 Glastonbury, furnishes the materials of a legendary tale 

 about fish. In this pond there were three fishes, of which 

 St. Neot had divine permission to take one, and only one, 

 every day, with an assurance that the supply should never 



