142 



MEMORIALS OF RAY 



fying in the pores of them, makes the whole seem to be 

 stone. 



August the 5th, we went to the spaw at Herrigate (Har- 

 rowgate), and drank of the water. It is not unpleasant to 

 the taste, somewhat acid and vitriolick ; galls turn it into 

 a dark blue, somewhat purplish ; it works chiefly by urine. 

 Then we visited the sulphur-well, whose water, though it 

 be pellucid enough, yet stinks noisomely, like rotten eggs 

 or sulphur mratum diaphoreticum ; it tastes very salt, and 

 upon evaporation (as we were told) leaves behind a copious 

 fixt salt. Silver put into it is suddenly changed into a 

 golden colour, and being left awhile in it becomes blackish. 

 Thence we went to St. Mugnus* his well at Copgrave, 

 whither a great number of poor people resort to bathe 

 themselves ; they put on their shirts wetted in the water, 

 letting them dry upon their backs. This water operates 

 (if at all) by its extraordinary coldness and astringency. 

 Near St. Mugnus is a well of great virtue for the eyes, 

 which they call the eye- well. We thought it not worth 

 the while to spend much time to make observations about 

 these waters, because they are already the subject of two 

 little treatises, one by Doctor Deane, the other by Dr. 

 French, who (especially the latter) have written well and 

 to the purpose, with much fidelity, of the properties and 

 virtues (together with their causes) of all these waters. 

 The same day we viewed Rippon, a pretty town, having 

 a large square market-place ; the minster there is much 

 inferior to Beverley minster ; one of the steeples lately 

 falling, broke down the roof of one wing of the church, 

 so that the whole is now much out of repair. In a 

 vault, under the body of the church, called St. Willfrid's 

 chapel, we saw the hole through a wall, which they call 

 St. Willfred's needle, whereby the priests of old were 

 wont to try women's chastity. She that was a virgin 

 easily creeping through, but she that was corrupted! 



* But, according to Camden, St. Mongalis. 



t An old writer has observed, " However the thing may seem a fable at 

 first si^ht, yet if the women that have played false be with child, it may be 

 true without wonder." — G. S. 



