i. App. n. iij, Ed. 1722.

What does the inscription mean? Is the former portion to be understood
"[Greek: A. O. Zoae agion Christos]"? What is the import of the latter?

MACKENZIE WALCOTT, M.A.

* * * * *

THE TALISMAN OF CHARLEMAGNE.

Many years back, "Prince" Louis Napoleon was stated to be in possesion
of the talisman of Charlemagne;--"a small nut, in a gold filigree
envelopment, found round the neck of that monarch on the opening of his
tomb, and given by the town of Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) to Buonaparte,
and by him to his favourite Hortense, _ci-de-vant_ Queen of Holland, at
whose death it descended to her son," the present President of the
French Republic. {141}

The Germans have a curious legend connected with this talisman. It was
framed by some of the magi in the train of the ambassadors of
Aaroun-al-Raschid to the mighty Emperor of the West, at the instance of
his spouse Fastrada, with the virtue that her husband should be always
fascinated towards the person or thing on which it was. The constant
love of Charles to this his spouse was the consequence; but, as it was
not taken from her finger after death, the affection of the emperor was
continued unchanging to the corpse, which he would on no account allow
to be interred, even when it became offensive. His confessor, having
some knowledge of the occult sciences, at last drew off the amulet from
the inanimate body, which was then permitted to be buried; but he
retained possession of it himself, and thence became Charles's chief
favourite and prime minister, till he had been promoted to the highest
ecclesiastical dignity, as Archbishop of Mainz and Chancellor of the
Empire. At this pitch of power, whether he thought he could rise no
higher, or scruples of conscience were awakened by the hierarchical vow,
he would hold the heathen charm no longer, and he threw it into a lake
not far from his metropolitan seat, where the town of Ingethuem now
stands. The regard and affection of the monarch were immediately
diverted from the monk, and all men, to the country surrounding the
lake; and he determined on building there a magnificent palace for his
constant residence, and robbed all the ancient royal and imperial
residences, even to the distance of Ravenna, in Italy, to adorn it. Here
he subsequently resided and died: but it seems the charm had a passive
as well as an active power; his throes of death were long and violent;
and t