DECEMBEK 289 



Physicians, audaciously laying claim to superior powers, 

 easily came to get credit for them, and became known as 

 'doctors' — more learned than the common folk. Some 

 of them were so bold as to pretend to skill in many things 

 beyond medicine. A curious medley of charms borrowed 

 from the Magi and Christian prayers is associated with 

 vivid scenes of early English pastoral life. Thus when a 

 man had lost his cattle, which must have been a common 

 occurrence in an unfenced country, the natural assump- 

 tion was that some evil-doer had driven them off. He 

 was directed to say his prayers three times to each quarter 

 of the heavens, and then cry 'The Jews hung up Christ; 

 they did of deeds the worst ; they did that they could not 

 hide. So may this deed be no wise hidden, through the 

 Holy Kood of Christ.' 



In proportion as the Church became all-powerful in 

 human society, prayers became ingredients in prescrip- 

 tions as commonly as any drug; and it was considered 

 important that, like drugs, they should be ' exhibited ' in 

 proper proportions. Hence a table of equivalents was 

 prepared as follows : — 



One mass was reckoned equal to twelve days' fasting. 



Ten masses were reckoned „ four months' „ 

 Twenty masses „ ,, eight months' „ 



Thirty masses ,, „ twelve months' „ 



One psalm was reckoned „ one day's ,, 



120 psalms were reckoned „ twelve months' ,, 



Happy the patient or criminal who could afford to pay 

 for having psalms and masses sung ! 



Christianity, by the time it reached the pagan Saxons, 

 had lost its pristine purity, and the light it shed on the 

 physical world had become tinged with earth-born rays. 



