_bizarre_ mass of rocks,
the Druid worked, and peopled it with his gods, the most remarkable of
which is the subject of our engraving, called the Wring Cheese, or
Cheese Wring, in the parish of St. Clare, near Liskeard, in Cornwall.
This singular mass of rocks is 32 feet high. The large stone at the top
was a logan, or rocking-stone. Geologists are inclined to consider it as
a natural production, which is probably the case in part, the Druids
taking advantage of favourable circumstances to convert these crags to
objects of superstitious reverence. On its summit are two rock basins;
and it is a well-known fact, that baptism was a Pagan rite of the
highest antiquity, (vide the Etruscan vases by Gorius.) Here, probably,
the rude ancestor of our glorious land was initiated amidst the mystic
ceremonies of the white-robed Druid and his blood-stained sacrifices. A
similar mass exists at Brimham, York; and in the "History of Waterford,"
p. 70, mention is made of St. Declan's stone, which, not liking its
situation, miraculously _swam_ from Rome, conveying on it St. Declan's
bell and vestment.

J. SILVESTER.

* * * * *

CURIOUS ANCIENT LEGEND.

(_For the Mirror_.)

In ancienne tyme, and in a goodly towne, neare to Canterbury, sojourned
a ladie faire. She one nighte, in the absence of her lorde, leaned her
lovely arme upon a gentleman's, and walked in the fyldes. When
journeying far, she became afraide, and begged to returne. The
gentleman, with kyndest sayings and greate courtesey, retraced their
steps; when in this saide momente, this straynge occurrence came to
pass--ye raine descended, though the moone and millions of starres were
shyneing bryght. In journeying home, another straynge occurrence came to
pass; her coral lippes the gentleman's did meete in sweetest kyss. Thys
was not straynge at all; but that the moone, that still shone bryghte,
did in the momente hide herself behynde a cloude: this was straynge,
most passing straynge indeede. The ladie faire, who prayed to the
blessed Virgin, did to her confesseur this confession mayk, and her
confesseur with charitye impromptu wrote:--

"Whence came the rayne, when first with guileless heart
Further to walk she's lothe, and yet more lothe to part?
It was not rayne, but angels' pearly teares,
In pity dropt to soothe Eliza's feares.
Whence came the cloude that veil'd the orb of nighte,
When first her lippes she yielded to de