Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-06-08
MvssIvs vINDEx
SEN. WARNS. MARvLLys.
c. FyFIDIvs. c. h. vINDEX'
and
LAnERIA poMpEIANA. coNIvx.
MRCRINI. yISDICIs,

the last being, OF course, that of Roman
lady. After the Roman names there Is
a gap Of very many centuries. Nobody
will ever know now what was the history
bf the relic during those dark ages, on
how it came to be preserved in the family
My poor friend Vncey had, it will be re
membered, told me that his Roman ances
tors finally settled in Lombardy, and when
Charlemagne invaded il returned with him
across the Alps, and made taeir home In
Brittany. whence they crossed To England
in the reign of Edward the Confessor
How he knew this | am not aware. for
there is no reference to Lombardy or Char
lemagne upon the title, though. as will
presently be seen. there is IA reference TO
Brittany. To continue: The next entries
on the sherd. if may except long splash
either of blood or red coloring matter OF
some sort, consists Of two crosses drawn
in red pigments, and probably represent
ing Crusaders swords and an almost OBJ
liberated monogram ("D.V.') in scarlet and
blue, perhaps executed by that same Doro
thea Vincey who wrote. or rather painted.
the doggerel couplet.
Then cauSeaShat was perhaps as curious
an entry as anything upon this exiraordi-
nary relic of the past II is executed in
black letter. written over the crosses or
Crusaders swords. and dated fourteen
hundred and forty five. As the best plan
will be to allow it 10 speak for itself
here give the original Latin, Of course
without the contractions, from which it
will be seen that the writer was IA fair med
ieval Latinist. Also we discovered, what
is still more curious, moderated version
of black-letter translation of the Latin
which we found inscribed on second
parchment that was in the Golfer, appar-
emily older in date than that on which was
inscribed the Latin back-letter transla-
ton of the uncial Greek
Expanded Version Of tie Black Letter In
scrtption on tie Sterd Of An.endrtus.
''Ista reliquia est yalde misticum ct
myrlfcum opus, quod majores mel
ex Armorica, scilicet BRITANNIA
Minore, secum convehebaut; et
quidam sanctus clericus semper patri
meo in manu- ferebat quod peniius illud
destrueret, ailirmans quod esset ab ipso
Sathana contlatum prestiglosa et dyabolica
arle, quare pater meus conf:egit illud in
duas parties, quas quidem ego Johannes de
Ninceto salvas servavi 1T aGapiavi sicut
apparel die lune proximo post festum beate
Marie Virgins ami Cratic MCCCCALN.
Moderatzed Version Of tie Black-Letter
Translation
"Thys rellike VS. a ryghte mistycal
worke ard marvaylous, the whychel
myne auncesteres afoletyne dyd conveigh
hider with them from Armoryke which Us
To seien Brilane the Lesse and a certayne
holye clerke should allweyes beare my fadir
on honde that he owghte uttirly for 10
frusshe the same, aifyrmynge that Vt was
was fourmed and conhstyd of Sathanas
hym sefe by arte magke and dyvellysshe
wherefore my fadir dyd take the same aud
tobrast Vt yin tweyne, but |. John de Vim
cey dyd save whool the twa parties thereof
and topeecyd them togydder agayne soes
a zee Sc, on this daye mondaye next fol-
cwynge after the feeste of Seynte Marye
the Blessed Nyrgyne yn the yeere OF Sal
yacioun fowertene hundreth and fyve and
fowerti"
She next, and. save one last entry, was
Eilzabethan, and dated 1864
"A most strange historic, and one that
cost my father his life; for in seekynge for
the place upon the east coast of Africa, his
pinnace was sunk by Portuguese galleon
OFF Lorenzo Marquee, and he himself
persisted JOHN VINCEY."
Then came the last entry, apparently, to
Judge by the style OF writing, made by
some representative of the family in the
middle of the eighteenth century 1t was
the wellknown quotation by Hamlet:
There are more things In heaven and
earth than are dreamt of In your philoso
ply, Horatio."
well" / said, when had read these
paragraphs out, at least those of them that
were still legible, that is the conclusion of
the whole matter, Leo. and now you can
form your own opinion on it. | have
already formed mine
'And what is it?" he asked, in bis quick
way.
1T is this: | believe that potsherd to be
perfectly genuine, and that, wonderful as
1t may seem, it has come down in your
family since the fourth century before
Christ. The entries absolutely prove il,
anu thtIeiOIt, uOWeNeT ltnpTODdUle III may
seem. 1t must be accepted. But there /
stop. That your remote ancestress, the
Egyptian Princess, or some scribe under
her direction, wrote that which we see on
the tile | have no doubt nor have the
slightest doubt but that her sufferings and
the loss of her husband had turned her
head, and that she was not right in her
mind when she did write il"
How do you account for what my
father saw and heard there2" asked Leo.
Coincidence. No doubt there are plenty
of bluffs on the coast of Africa that look
something like a mans head, and plenty
Of people who speak bastard Arabic. Also,
| believe that there are lots of swamps
Another thing is, Leo. and am sorry to
say it, but do not believe that your poor
father was quite right when he wrote that
letter. He had met with great trouble,
and also he had allowed this story to prey
on his imagination, and he was very
imaginative man. Any way, | believe
that the whole thing is the most unmiti.
gated rubbish. | know that there are
curious things and fnrces in nattIra which