chim Cathore, a Frenchman, "they met at the speare poyntes rudely: the French squyer justed right pleasantly; the Englyshman ran too lowe, for he strake the Frenchman depe into the thygh. Wherewith the erl of Buckingham was ryght sore displeas ed, and so were all the other lordes, and sayde how it was shamefully done." FROISSART, vol. i. ch. 366. Upon a similar occasion, "the two knights came a fote eche agaynst other rudely, with their speares lowe couched, to stryke eche other within the foure quarters. Johan of Castell-Morante strake the Englysh squyer on the brest in such wyse that Sir Wyllyam Fermeton stombled and bowed, for his fote a lytell fayled him. He helde his speare lowe with bothe his handes, and coud nat amende it, and strake Sir Johan of the Castell-Morant in the thyghe, so that the speare went cleane throughe, that the heed was sene a handfull on the other syde. And Syre Johan with the stroke reled, but he fell nat. Than the Englyshe knygthes and squyers were ryghte sore displeased, and sayde howe it was a foule stroke. Syr Wyllyam Fermeton excused himself, and sayde howe he was sorie of that adventure, and howe that yf he had knowen that it shulde have bene so, he wolde never have begon it; sayenge howe he coude nat amende it, by cause of glaunsing of his fote by constraynt of the great stroke that Syr John

of the Castell Morant had given him." Ibids ch. 373.

And with a charm he staunched the blood.

Ver. 23, p. 67.

See several charms for this purpose in Reignald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft, p. 273.

Tom Pots was but a serving man,

But yet he was a doctor good;

He bound his handkerchief on the wound,

And with some kind of words he staunched the blood.

Pieces of ancient popular poetry, Lond. 1791, p. 131.

But she has ta'en the broken lance,

And washed it from the clotted gore,

And salved the splinter o'er and o'er.

Ver. 23, p. 67.

Sir Kenelm Digby, in a discourse upon the cure by sympathy pronounced at Montpelier, before an assembly of nobles and learned men, translated into English by R. White, gentleman, and published in 1658, gives us the following curious surgical case.

"Mr. James Howel (well known in France for his public works, and particularly for his Dendrologie, translated into French by Mons. Baudouin) coming

by chance, as two of his best friends were fighting in duel, he did his endeavour to part them; and putting himselfe between them, seized with his left hand upon the hilt of the sword of one of the combatants, while with his right hand he laid hold of the blade of the other. They, being transported with fury one against the other, struggled to rid themselves of the hindrance their friend made that they should not kill one another; and one of them roughly drawing the blade of his sword, cuts to the very bone the nerves and muscles of Mr. Howel's hand; and then the other disengaged his hilts and gave a crosse blow on his adversarie's head, which glanced towards his friend, who heaving up his sore hand to save the blow, he was wounded on the back of his hand as he had been before within. It seemes some strange constellation reigned then against him, that he should lose so much blood by parting two such dear friends, who, had they been themselves, would have hazarded both their lives to have preserved his but this unvoluntary effusion of blood by them, prevented that which they should have drawn one from the othFor they seeing Mr. Howel's face besmeared with blood, by heaving up his wounded hand, they both run to embrace him; and having searched his hurts, they bound up his hand, with one of his garters, to close the veins which were cut, and bled

er.

:

abundantly. They brought him home, and sent for a surgeon. But this being heard at court, the king sent one of his own surgeons; for his majesty much affected the said Mr. Howel.

"It was my chance to be lodged hard by him and four or five days after, as I was making myself ready, he came to my house, and prayed me to view his wounds; for I understand,' said he, that you have extraordinary remedies on such occasions, and my surgeons apprehend that it may grow to a gangrene, and so the hand must be cut off.' In effect, his countenance discovered that he was in much pain, which he said was insupportable, in regard of the extreme inflammation. I told him I would willingly serve him; but if haply he knew the manner how I would cure him, without touching or seeing him, it may be he would not expose himself to my manner of curing, because he would think it, peradventure, either ineffectual or superstitious. He replied, "The wonderful things which may have related unto me of your way of medecinement, makes me nothing doubt at all of its efficacy; and all that I have to say unto you is comprehended in the Spanish proverb, Hagase el milagroy y hagalo Mahoma, let the miracle be done though Mahomet do it.'

"I asked him then for any thing that had the blood upon it; so he presently sent for his garter,

wherewith his hand was first bound; and as I called for a bason of water, as if I would wash my hands, I took a handfull of powder of vitriol, which I had in my study, and presently dissolved it. As soon as the bloody garter was brought me, I put it within the bason, observing, in the interim, what Mr. Howel did, who stood talking with a gentleman in a corner of my chamber, not regarding at all what I was doing; but he started suddenly, as if he had found some strange alteration in himself. I asked him what he ailed? I know not what ails me; but I finde that I feel no more pain. Methinks that a pleasing kinde of freshnesse, as it were a wet cold napkin, did spread over my hand, which hath taken away the inflammation that tormented me before.* I replyed, 'Since then that you feel already so good effect of my medicament, I advise you to cast away all your playsters; only keep the wound clean, and in a moderate temper betwixt heat and cold.' This was presently reported to the duke of Buckingham, and a little after to the king, who were both very curious to know the circumstance of the business, which was, that after dinner I took the garter out of the water, and put it to dry before a great fire. It was scarcely dry, but Mr. Howel's servant came running, that his master felt as much burning as ever he had done, if not more; for the heat was such as