The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1890-03-07
OLD SUPERSTIIIIIONS i
ORIGIN OF 1.-THE TALIsMAN," MADE
FAMOUS BY SCOTT.


Tales Of Amulets Which Possessed Won
derful Powers-Delief That Kings Could
Cure Diseases by Laying On of Hands,
BnnishinG Plague from a Scotcl, Town,
An eastern story called s'The Talisnap, y
one OF Walter Scott's best romances, was
published in 1925. The incident from which
tho romance derived it's name is this: A
knights squire has been cured of Il severe
illness by an Arabian physician sent by Sal
adm, who has heard that King Richard, dam
gerously i'll, has been given over by his doc
tors, who were not very well instructed Mt
that time.
The Saracen, who really is Saladn in dis
gnise and known only as Ell Hakim (the phy-
slclan), Is entirely trusted by Richard, who
places high confidence in the honor of the
Soldan, his enemy. Ell Hnkim produces n
small silken bag, made Of net work twisted
with silver, containing something heavy.
which he mmerses in cup of spring water
and retains it therein for a few minutes.
The king eHlpties the cup at a draught, and
falls back on his couch as If exhausted: is
left TO rest i'll quiet, and when he awakens
some hours after the fever has wholly left
him, without the necessity of his taking sec
oni dose. The silken purse had contained ii
talis,nul.
At The conclusion of the romance Sir Ken
neth the disguised son Of the king Of Scot
land, was married TO Edith Plantagenet,
Richard's cousin, and Scott says: sIt IS still
III existence, having been bequeath thed by the
Earl OF huntington to a brave knight of
Scotland, Sir Simon of the Lee, in whose
ancient and honorable family it is still pre-
served; and although charmed stones have
been dismissed from the modern pharma-
copeela, its virtues are still applied to FOR
stopping blood and in cases Of canine mad.
ness
The talisnan is still preserved. It is
called the Lee Penny, Or the Lee Stone. 1t
Is an heirloom i'll the ancient Scottish fam
ny Of lAockhart, ami derives its distinctive
title from the estate of Lee, in the west Of
Scotland
The Lee Penny is I: stone Of a dark red color
and triangular shape, and it measures about
half nn zach on each side 1t is set in Il piece
OF silver ton much defaccd, on wllici, a few
letter may still be dcciphered Antiguarians
have declared that this Inscription resembles
that on the shilling Of Edward l. Once a
lapidaly WAS allowed TO examine this tails
man and found it was u stone---blt of what
kind he could not tell
The traditional account Of this Lee Penny.
as delivered by the family which has possessed
it for oTer $50 years, is singular enough.
Robert Bruce, king Of Scotland, dying in 1929
left Il w!ll which directed Lord James Douo.
las, corimonly called the Good, to convey his
heart to the Holy Land to be buried in Jerlsu-
!ein-hence, a heart, crowned and bleeding,
appears in the armorial baariugsof the Doug
las family to this day. Douglas went to fight
the Saracens III Spain instead Of going direct
TO Palestine, was slain in BATTLE and the per
b,,r .;.1
tlon was one Simon Lee, who, to coIn.neul-
crate his achievement, took the name Of
Lock-heart. putting on his shield heart
within Il lock- #..a@:. a..@.
IN the Holy Land this gallant gentleman
fought liercoly against the Saracens. EIav-
ing captured an cnlir il battle, the aged
mother Of tnatprincc came to ransom him.
AS was his right, Loc.hart cxacted Us largo
sum us possible, which tile old lady was
willing to pay-partly- in cash, partly III Jew
els Taking the latter out Of her purse, there
fell out Of it Il stone set in n silver coin. and
she picked this up with 50 much haste and
anxiety that the Scottish knight became as
sureti that itinilst be far more valuable than
itnppeared. He refused to liberate the elnir
unless that amulet were given him. After
many retusals the lady consented and deliv-
cred 1t to him, explaining how it was to DO
uScl diltl NfIIb ADHtiFOuS llnttlllT Virtues
possessed.
On ono occasion complaint was made in
Scottish ecclesiastical courts against Sir,
james Loclthart. then laird Of lee. for cur
ing diseases by witaiicraft but on trial the
Lee Penny was splemnIy pronounced TO be ,tu
amulet, ''tp which it had pleased God to ar
mex certain healing writes which the church
did not presi,nte To condemn
When the plague was i'll the town OF New
castle, Oh the borders OF Scotland, the inhabi-
tants borrowed the .cc Penny, giving u bond
to Very considerable amount for its safe re-
turn, The pl!sgue suddenly disappeared,
which the Inhabitants attributed to the tails
num- which they offered to purchase at a
large cost, but the owner refused
In tl.e reign Of William III a lady OF RAM,
near Edinburgh, bitten by u mad dog, bor-
rowed the stone, drinking and bathing in The
water in which it hal been dipped, and ut.
tributel her complete cure to its use. This
water, called Lockerler water, is in high re-
putc throughout the west Of Scotland in
Homes Table Book is Il short description of
the l."a Penny, with IN accurate engraving
Of it. In the top Of the silver. setting is lit
tie chain hy which it was held while the pro-
cess Of dipping It iAtp the wafer was per-
tnrlHui. 1"0
and l..tvnt have vary ,r,4,i' fnjth in .mnlni.
mul ,;IIs,unu,. }.Ijnyii1.t 1hot l., waa, ,hnn
win prevent ,5q.in1cnt, ;.,,Il ga, ,.,,r.,lf.
eases. Walter Scot li,] n5. li,l,eIiaye tI,,=
virtues of tbr lie Penny thougl, n ,lil ,.,t
eyulajn=,,iry IIu ni,t@I tt,,t i,n,xr5n,4ipn=
mi.,ht I,.v,.: .,,,,l 7,.,l,n Il, ,.tf
attribute, T., H.
In lIone'7 Table Eoo!:'' lie stgs; "Ther,
arc some luljcr~g.@ instances o. wonderful
rra,l,i.5n- ,,.a,J ,!yj,tr4 ,,f,,i.,
,h [s ,.,,,y ,,'I. i,.o,5l =, 49,, -
d,,,al ,r, y,T ,.tl,n,. *, 80.
phan, it.,,I ,.,,,ss,.J ,I,,, q,,.,It :,
i'o +i,.,, Nm ,,.,,,l,, Ia ~ ,f- ,,,,..,5lat .
u.,,v centuries ,If.f Tim Hri.is!, s5yar,.:,r,
hai lhe.1n.aer -f,f ,3i..l,qsb? lrl|l,j,l@
the uarr affected I, i,n,,.iif,- y.is MS tits.
c,S. in rn,,rI d, s Il ;5,.,.g, 5,,,r