Devonshire, where they are held in high esteem. The first was repeated over the upper nurse in the family of the Rev. George Arden, late Vicar of North Bovey, after a hurt by a fish-bone, in September 1860, and has the credit of curing her:
“When our Lord Jesus Christ was upon earth, He pricked himself with a [here name the cause of the injury], and the blood sprang up to heaven. Yet His flesh did neither canker, mould, rot, nor corrupt; no more shall thine. I put my trust in God. In the name,” &c. Say these words thrice, and the Lord’s Prayer once.
The second runs thus:
TO STOP BLEEDING.
Our Saviour Christ was born in Bethlehem,
And was baptized in the river of Jordan;
The waters were mild of mood,
The Child was meek, gentle, and good,
He struck it with a rod and still it stood,
And so shall thy blood stand,
In the name, &c.
Say these words thrice, and the Lord’s Prayer once.[1]
- ↑ I obtained the following charm from the neck of a dead man at Hurstpierpoint, and give it in the original spelling:
“When Jesus Christ came upon the Cross for the redemption of mankind, He shook, and His Rood trembled. The Cheaf Preast said unto him, Art thou afraid, or as thou an ague? He said unto them, I am not afraid, neither have I an ague, and whosoever Believeth in these words shall not be troubled with anney Feaver or ague. So be it unto you.
“HENRY WICKHAM.”
I have found a very similar charm written out, and dated 1708, in an old copy of Gould’s Poems, but I do not know to what county it belongs:
“When Jesus went up to the Cross to be crucified, the Jews asked him, saying, Art Thou afraid, or hast Thou the ague? Jesus answered and said, I am not afraid, neither have I the ague. All those which bear the name of Jesus about them shall not be afraid, nor yet have the ague. Amen, sweet Jesus! Amen, sweet Jehovah! Amen, amen!” Compare with these the following German charms:A CHARM FOR EASY DELIVERANCE.
Thus said Christ: I received 102 blows on the mouth from the Jews in the Court, and 30 times was I struck in the garden. I was beaten on head, arm, and
