Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

80 Aгts and Crafts in the Middle Ages

the stoпe out of а toad," he says, "is to put а ...toad ...into an earthen pot: put the same into an ant's hillocke, and cover the same with earth, which toad ... the ants will eat, so that the bones ...and stone ,Yill Ье left in the pot." Boethius once stayed up all night watchiпg а toad in the hope that it might relinquish its treasure; but he complained that nothing resulted "to gratify the great pangs of his whole night's restlessness." An old Irish legend says that "the stone Adamant iп the land of India gro,vs no colder in any wind or sno,v or ice; there is no heat in it under burning sods " (this is such an Hiberпian touch ! The peat fuel was the Celtic idea of а heating system), "nothing is bгoken from it Ьу striking of axes and hammers; there is one thing only breaks that stone, the Ыооd of the Lamb at the Mass; and every king that has taken that stone in his right hand before going into battle, has always gained the victory." There is also а superstition гegardiпg the stone HiЬien, which is said to flame like а fiery candle in the darkness, "it spills out poisoп before it iп а vessel; eYery snake that comes near to it or crosses it dies on the moment." Anotheг stone revered in Irish legcnd is the Stone of Istien, whicЬ is found "in the bгains of dragons after their deaths," and а still тоге сараЫе je,vel seems to Ье the Stone of Fanes, ,vithin which it is claimed that the sun, moon, and twelve stars are to Ье seen. "In the hearts of the dragons it is al,Yays found that make their journey under the sea. No one lшYing it in his hand can tel1 any lie until he has