When the King rode forth to Windsor Castle, the King rode upon the right hand of the King of Castile, howbeit the King's Grace offered to take him upon the right hand, the which he refused. And at the lighting the King of Castile was off his horse a good space or our King was alight; and then the King's grace offered to take him by the arm, the which he would not, but took the King by the arm, and so went to the King of Castile's chamber, which is the richestly hanged that ever I saw: 7 chambers together hanged with cloth of Arras, wrought with gold as thick as could be; and as for three beds of estate, no king christened can shew such three. This is so far as I can shew you of this day, and when I can know more, ye shall have knowledge. From Windsor this Saturday, at five of the Clock, By your, WILLIAM MAKEFYN. [Footnote 4: = figure of St. George, _i.e._ part of the insignia of the Garter.] [Footnote 5: = horse.] [Footnote 6: = lead green.] SUPERSTITION (1509). +Source.+--Erasmus, _The Praise of Folly_, p. 90. 1887. Hamilton Adams, Glasgow. The next to be placed among the regiment of fools are such as make a trade of telling or inquiring after incredible stories of miracles and prodigies. Never doubting that a lie will choke them, they will muster up a thousand several strange relations of spirits, ghosts, apparitions, raising of the devil, and such like bugbears of superstition, which the farther they are from being probably true, the more greedily they are swallowed, and the more devoutly believed. And those diversities do not only bring an empty pleasure, and cheap divertisement, but they are a good trade, and procure a comfortable income to such priests and friars as by this craft get their gain. To these again are related such others as attribute strange virtues to the shrines and images of saints and martyrs, and so would make their credulous proselytes believe, that if they pay their devotion to St. Christopher in the morning, they shall be guarded and secured the day following from all dangers and misfortunes. If soldiers when they first take arms, shall come and mumble over such a set prayer before the picture of St. Barbara, they shall return safe from all engagements. Or if any pray to Erasmus on such particular holidays, with the ceremony of wax candles, and other poperies, he shall in a short time be rewarded with a plentiful increase of wealth and riches. The Christians have now their gigantic St. George, as well as the Pagans have their Hercules: they paint the saint on horseback, and drawing the horse in splendid trappings, very gloriously accoutred, they scarce refrain in a literal sense from worshipping the very beast.