Smyrna times., 1870-04-27

well'S " History of l Ottenham, written nearly s
two hundred and forty years ago, he describes
Page Green, by the sid of the high-road at
that village, aud group of seven elmtrees IN {
circle, with a walnut-trer in the centre. He {
says: This tree hath this many yearrs stood
there, and il is observed yearly to live aud bare
leaves, and yet to stand at stay, that Is to
grove neither greater nor higher. This peo
y e do commonly tell the re"sun to bee, for
t til re was one burnt uron tha' place toi
the profession of the Gospel" There was
also some connecting link between the walnut
tree and the Seven Sisters by which it was sur
rounded. There were seven elms planted by
seven sisters, one hy each. The tree planted
by the most diminutive of the sisters was al
ways irregular and low ia its growth But
now comes another legend of the walnut-tree.
There was an eighth sister who planted an
elm in the midst of the other seven; it wther-
ed and died when she died and then walnut
tree grew in its place. But now the walnut
tree Is gone, one of the elms is gone, and the
Others are gradually whitening In Ireland |
there is a legend connected with a lonely castle |
on the coast of Kerry, telling, in like manner,
| of seven sisters The lord of the castle was a |
grim and cruel man, who had seven beautiful
daughters Seven brothers, belonging to "a
| band OF Northern rOverS, were cast on that
coast, and fell desperately in love with the sev
en- ladies' A clandestine escape was planned
this being discovered, the heartless parent
| threw all the seven lovely damsels down
chasm into the raging surf below Something
more is known about the paradise of bird Ca
ges, that emporium Of birds and lime that
resort OF brd-catcherS and bird buyers, Seven
dials. Evelyn, writing in 1894, said:
went to see the building beginning near st.
! Glles'S where seven streets make a star from
a Doric pillar placed in the middle of circu-
lar area. This erection said to be seven
feet square at the top, had seven faces or sides,
and seven sun dials on those seven faces The
seven dialS faced seven streets: Great Earl
Little Earl, Great St. Andrews Little st. An
drrw,s Great White Lion, Little White Lion,
and Queen streets. The pillar and its seven
dialS were removed about three-quarteIs of
century ago. Were they not taken to Wa ton
on. Thames, and are they in existence now?
Those friends Of our hoyish years the Sew
en- Champions of ChristendOm," have been a
subject of more learned discussion than most
bOys-evrn old boys-wnud suppose. 1t would
>etm daring question to ask whether Shak
Speare cOnde>cended to borrow any of his beau
tiful language, any OF his rich imagery, from
this book. Aud yet such question has been
. asked. Mr.. Krightley author Of the " Fairy
Mythology" started the suhirct few years
ago in Notes and Queries. 1t appears that
Richard johnson, the author of the " Seven
. Champions, was one OF the contemporaries OF
Shakespeare and that the book was publ shed
D at about the same time as many of the plays of
S our great poet. Let us site three passages
5 pointed out by Mr.. Keghtley. The Champi-
= Ons say: " As they passed along ny the river
Z side which gently, running made sweet mu-
/, sic with the enameled stones and seemed to
D give a gentle kiss to every Sedge he overlook
h in his watPry pilgrimage" Compare this with
n a passage in the Second Act of the Two
e Gentlemen Of Verona -
, current. that with gentle murnner Rides
: Thou knows st, being stOppd mpatenty doth rage
, But when his fair course is not hndered
He MAKES MUSIC WITH TIL ENAMEL'D STONES,
{ Giving GENTLE KISS EVERY
; He Overtaketh IN HIS PILGRIMAGE.
n The small-cap words in the latter show how
o many are the points of resemblance in the i'm
l. agery and language. A second passage runs
J. thus Where they found in Duke Ur>ini
: Deaths pale flag advanced in his cheeks. >
u With this compare a passage in the Fifth Act
OF g Romeo and Juliet" ;"
i Beautys ensign yet
lr Is crimson in thy lips, and in thy
e And DEATHS PALE FLAG is not ADVANCED there
2, Once more "ltseemed indeed that the leave
v, wagged, as you may behold when Zepbyru
lr with gentle breath plays with th,m." Nov
ly turn to the Fourth Act of "Cymbelne :"
n As ZEPHYRs blowing below the violet,
h Not wAGGING his sweet head
ID We can not go into the critical questions o
. photography involved here but may simpl
state that an opinion is held by commentator
20 IN favor OF johnson having had precedence o
'c Shakespeare in these passages At any rate
es Number Seven is very much hOnored by sucl
IT. comparisons.
is Not the least curious among these associa
is; tiOus of Number Seven is that with the sey
" enth son. Whoever has the good fortune t
rs be the father of seven boys, especially il n
IT, girl intervene to break the continuity of tn
SERIES is to be congratulated forthwith. Lt
we him not talk about TOO many olive-branches i
In his garden or too many arrows in his quvel
" or too many little folks around his table; hi
IDS seventh hoy will be a wonder. In the distriC
IN. around Orleans, in France, seventh son, will
ch out daughter intervening, is called a marcot
be His body is Tor is supposed by the peaSantr
be to bel marked in some spot or other with
in heur-de-lis. If patient suffering under king
no. evil touch the heur de-lis, or if the marco
Ter breathe upon him the malady disappears.
lSe at least there is so great popular faith that
1e I0W do 30 SO, that the country people will CON
of from places tar and wide to visit a mareol
red About fifteen years ago there was one of theS
m persons named FouOn, cooper, at Orme
ers who was greatly sought for his reputed hean
ev- powders especially in Holy Week, and mo-
M especially on Good. Friday, when his patient
1er reached the number of four or FIVE hundred
les As to the origin OF the name KING evil,
.ed manuscript in the University library at Can
.ri bridge tells us that I" the kings of England an
y a Fraunce by peculiar guift cure the king
ev evil by touching them with their hands; an
nee so doth the seaventh sonue. 1t is somethir
IS a to say that seventh son. in this matter, is
ery good as a king. MIR. Keightley has iour
or among the Welsh folk. lore an account of
,tv- family famous in this way Jones was the
sts. name, and they lived at palace called Mudd
, to In them was said to have originated Il
lev tradition of the seventh sou, or Septimus, b
a ing born for the healing art as for many ge
the eratons seven sons were regularly born IN ea(
nd. family, the seventh OF whom became the do
,th- Tor, and wonderful in his profession" Stee
lied tested at this belief century and halt ag
iod In sarcastic relation to another OF the troubl
this with which men are occasionally visited