34 PEOSE HALIETJTICS. 



Martial makes mention of fish belonging to a sacred 

 tank, wHcli were too holy to be handled ; jSlhan of some 

 kept in a stew, dedicated to Jupiter Militant, which few 

 poachers would have had the hardihood to catch, and 

 no discreet cook have presumed to stew ; or as Varro, 

 speaking of certain Lydian fish, held equally sacrosanct, 

 punningly puts it, ' hos pisces nemo cocus in jus vocare 

 audet.' Polycharmus, in his ' History of Lydia,' says 

 that in a grove on the sea-shore, consecrated to Apollo, 

 usually sat a priest, to whom those who had any impor- 

 tant matter in hand would bring two spits (to each of 

 which were suspended ten pieces of meat, as a consulting 

 bait), and, throwing them into the gulf, be desired by 

 him to note what followed. As the water came rush- 

 ing in, the observer saw on the back of the approaching 

 waves 'an immense number of fish, enough to frighten 

 any one, from their multitude and size.' Of some it 

 was even necessary to take care, and keep out of the 

 way, for amongst the mixed shoal were dire sharks, and 

 whales, and hammer-fish, besides other monsters, of 

 ' queer quaiat shapes.' When the inquirer, on the bid- 

 ding of the priest, had carefully recounted to him the 

 kinds of the fish he had seen, the other was illumined 



to parallel this tale : a beautiful stained glass wiudow in the 

 Church of St. ISTeot's, Cornwall, is made to chronicle a legend 

 quite as authentic and surprising. Three fishes swam in a sacred 

 pool, and Neot had the divine permission to take one, and one 

 only, every day, with the promise that this supply should never 

 fail ; but being afflicted with severe indisposition, his follower, 

 Barius, caught two at the same time, and having boiled one and 

 baked the other, brought both to his master. ' What have you 

 done!' exclaimed ITeot; 'lo, the favour of God wiU desert us ; go 

 instantly and restore these fishes to the water.' It is said that 

 the saint prostrated himself in prayer tUl Barius returned to tell 

 him that the cooked fish were disporting themselves in the pool ! 

 Barius again went, and brought only one ; and Neot no sooner 

 tasted of it than he was restored to perfect health ! 



