70
NOTES AND QUERIES.
[2'" S. K 4., JAM. 26. '56.
_" Here's a Kib of St. Laurence,
'Tis also at Florence, And it may be in France, or in Spain ;
It cures Stone and Gravel,
And Women in Travel It delivers without any Pain.
9. " Here's St. Joseph's old Coat,
Though scarce worth a Groat, Its plainness does shew he'd no Pride ; Yet this he had on, For besides it he'd none, The day that he marry'd his Bride.
10. " His Breeches are there, '
A plain Leather pair, Come buy the whole Suit if you please ; They'l defend you from th' Itch, From Hag and from Witch, And preserve you from Bugs and from Fleas.
11. " Here's the Gall of a Saint,
For such as do faint, Or are troubled with Fits of the Mother ; Nay, if your breath stink, Worse than Close-stool or sink, It will cure you as soon as the other.
12. " Here's a Prayer of Pope John,
The like to 't is none, If you say it but three times a year; Three hundred in grace, And three hundred 'twill place In Heaven, if they ever come there.
13. " Here's our Lady's old Shoe,
Which in Old-time was new, It will cure all your Kibes and your Corns ; With the Coif of St. Bridget, To be worn by each Idiot, Whose Head is tormented with Horns.
14. " Here's a Bottle of Tears,
Preserved many years, Of Mary's that once was a Sinner;
Some o' th' Fish and the Bread That the Five Thousand fed, Which our Saviour invited to Dinner.
15. " Here's St. Francis' own Cord,
You may tak't on my word, Who dies in it cannot be damn'd ; Do but buy it, and try, If tell you a lye, Many Thousands of Heaven are shamm'd.
16. " Here's his Holiness's Beard,
Of whom you have heard, That the Hereticks called Pope John ; Yet this I dear swear, Was his natural Hair, Or else I'll be sworn he had none.
17.
" Its virtue is such, That if it does touch
Your Head, your Face, or elsewhere,
It does strait-way restore
More than e're w'as before,
Though by Age or by Action worn bare.
18.
" Here's St. Christopher's Boot, For his Right Leg and Foot, Which he wore when he ply'd at the Ferry, When on's Shoulders he bore His Blessed Lord or're, For the poor Man had never a Werry.
19. " Such as Sail on the Seas,
I am sure it will please, For its parallel never was found ;
Neither Tempest nor Storm Can e're do 'em harm, Nor is't possible they shou'd be drown'd.
20. " Here's infinite more,
I have by me in store,
All which lie conceal'd in this Hamper ;
Either buy 'em to-day,
Or I'll throw 'em away,
For to morrow, by Heaven, I'll scamper.
21. " Our Market is done,
We must shut up at Noon, We expect 'em each hour at the Door ; We are hang'd if we stay, We can't get away, For none will nor dare carry us o're.
22.
" But, by th' Faith of a PRIEST
This is no time to jest, Since we're baulk'd in our great Expectation ;
Before I will swing,
Like a Dog in a String, I'le Eenounce the Transubstantiation."
Judge Jeffreys and the Earldom. I remember
to have read that the infamous judge, Sir George,
afterwards Lord Jeffreys, was on the eve of ad-
vancement to an earldom, the last honour de-
signed by James for his ermined butcher, under
the <7?m'-stigmatising title of " Earl of Flint !"-
a reward for the many eminent services rendered
to the crown ! (Is there any authority for this
statement?) On his return from the memorable
"campaign" in the West, Jeffreys received from
his royal master the Great Seal of England.
The wicked judge had obtained a seat in the cabinet, and a peerage ; but did James ever de- sign him for an earldom, under the title men- tioned ? Have we any historical evidence of the fact?
Certain it is, that, however faithfully he had earned his elevation to that peculiar dignity, he was never permitted to bequeath it to posterity. A fitter foretaste of his doom awaited him in the Tower, where he was to sleep his last sleep ; which, however, he reached, not without consider- able risk and difficulty, under an escort of two
