FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42  
43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   >>  
nted by a queen of France, then a widow, she became so enamoured of him that she offered him marriage. But he, having plighted his troth to Adeliza, widow to {453} King Henry I. of England, refused her. In revenge for this refusal, the queen of France inveigled him into a den in the garden, where was a fierce lion. Being in this danger, he rolled his mantle about his arm, and putting his hand into the mouth of the beast, pulled out his tongue by the root; followed the queen to her palace, and gave it to one of her maids to present to her. Returning to England with the fame of this glorious exploit, he was forthwith advanced to the earldom of Arundel, and for his arms the lion given him. Amongst the many illustrations in Dr. Barrett's book is the seal of this William de Albini, representing a knight on horseback, in the usual style of such knightly seals; but in front of the knight is a young lion, and under the feet of the horse some sort of animal of the lizard kind. In elucidation of this seal, there is a long and elaborate note, with remarks by Mr. Hawkins of the British Museum, with a view of showing that the device on this seal alludes to the story of his combat with the lion. The attempt to establish this point appears to me amusing; for there seems nothing on the face of the seal different from the usual seals of royal and knightly rank in ancient times. It strikes me, that the true interpretation of this device, and the introduction of the lion and the lizard-like animal under the horse's feet, may be found in the 13th verse of Psalm xci.: "Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet." I should like to learn from some of your correspondents, whether this Psalm, or this portion of it, was used in the solemnities attendant on the installation of a knight, which would tend much to confirm my conjecture. SENEX. * * * * * FORMS OF JUDICIAL OATH. The forms of an oath are different among different denominations of Christians. The Roman Catholics of the Continent swear by raising the hand; the Scotch Presbyterians follow the same practice. The Protestants of the Church of England are sworn on the Gospels; so also are the Irish Roman Catholics. The Quakers reject every form of oath, and confine themselves to a simple affirmation. Upon these points I beg leave to submit the following Queries. 1. What fo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42  
43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   >>  



Top keywords:

England

 

knight

 

lizard

 

knightly

 

Catholics

 
animal
 

device

 

France

 

ancient

 

correspondents


portion
 

dragon

 

interpretation

 

strikes

 

introduction

 

reject

 

confine

 
Quakers
 

Church

 

Protestants


Gospels

 

simple

 

affirmation

 

Queries

 

submit

 

points

 
practice
 
conjecture
 

confirm

 
installation

attendant

 

JUDICIAL

 

raising

 
Scotch
 

Presbyterians

 

follow

 

Continent

 

Christians

 
denominations
 

solemnities


pulled

 

putting

 

danger

 

rolled

 

mantle

 

tongue

 
present
 
Returning
 

glorious

 

palace