Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 41546-h.htm or 41546-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41546/41546-h/41546-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41546/41546-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://archive.org/details/curiositiesofold00inbari Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). The original text includes Greek characters that have been replaced with transliterations in this text version. CURIOSITIES OF OLDEN TIMES by S. BARING-GOULD, M.A. Author of ‘Iceland, Its Scenes and Its Sagas,’ ‘Mehalah,’ etc. Revised and Enlarged Edition Edinburgh John Grant 31 George IV. Bridge 1896 PREFACE An antiquary lights on many a curiosity whilst overhauling the dusty tomes of ancient writers. This little book is a small museum in which I have preserved some of the quaintest relics which have attracted my notice during my labours. The majority of the articles were published in 1869. I have now added some others. LEW TRENCHARD, _September 1895_. CONTENTS PAGE THE MEANING OF MOURNING 1 CURIOSITIES OF CYPHER 17 STRANGE WILLS 39 QUEER CULPRITS 57 GHOSTS IN COURT 74 STRANGE PAINS AND PENALTIES 89 WHAT ARE WOMEN MADE OF? 102 “FLAGELLUM SALUTIS” 119 “HERMIPPUS REDIVIVUS” 135 THE BARONESS DE BEAUSOLEIL 153 SOME CRAZY SAINTS 167 THE JACKASS OF VANVRES 207 A MYSTERIOUS VALE 217 KING ROBERT OF SICILY 237 SORTES SACRÆ 256 CHIAPA CHOCOLATE 268 THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE 280 CURIOSITIES OF OLDEN TIMES THE MEANING OF MOURNING A strip of black cloth an inch and a half in width stitched round the sleeve--that is the final, or perhaps penultimate expression (for it may dwindle further to a black thread) of the usage of wearing mourning on the decease of a relative. The usage is one that commends itself to us as an outward and visible sign of the inward sentiment of bereavement, and not one in ten thousand who adopt mourning has any idea that it ever possessed a signification of another sort. And yet the correlations of general custom--of mourning fashions, lead us to the inexorable conclusion that in its inception the practice had quite a different signification from that now attributed to it, nay more, that it is solely because its primitive meaning has been absolutely forgotten, and an entirely novel significance given to it, that mourning is still employed after a death.