To Messir Gauvain, Etc., Edited By C. Hippeau, Paris, 1862,
Pp.
Xii.-xiii.) The term Half Tierce is frequent in mediaeval Italian,
e.g. in Dante:
-
"Levati sut disse'l Maestro, in piede:
La via e lunga, e'l cammino e malvagio:
E gia il Sole a mezza terza riede." (Inf. xxxiv,)
Half-prime we have in Chaucer: -
"Say forth thy tale and tary not the time
Lo Depeford, and it is half way prime."
- (Reeve's Prologue.)
Definitions of these terms as given by Sir H. Nicolas and Mr. Thomas
Wright (Chron. of Hist. p. 195, and Marco Polo, p. 392) do not agree
with those of Italian authorities; perhaps in the north they were applied
with variation. Dante dwells on the matter in two passages of his
Convito (Tratt. III. cap. 6, and Tratt. IV. cap. 23); and the following
diagram elucidates the terms in accordance with his words, and with other
Italian authority, oral and literary: -
"Te lucis ante terminum."
X 12 6
.
Compieta. .
.
* 11 5
.
Mezza-Vespro. .
.
* 10 4
.
.
.
Vespro. X 9 3
.
. E
. c
* 8 c 2 P.M.
. l
Mezza-Nona. . e C
. s i
* 7 i 1 v
. a i
Nona. . s l
. t
# 6 i 12
. c H
Sesta. . a o
. l u
* 5 11 r
. H s
. o
. u A.M.
* 4 r 10
. s
Terza. .
.
X 3 9
.
.
.
* 2 8
.
Mezza-Terza. .
.
* 1 7
.
Prima. .
.
X 12 6
"Jam Lucis orto Sidere."
NOTE 4. - Valentyn mentions among what the Coromandel Hindus reckon unlucky
rencounters which will induce a man to turn back on the road: an empty
can, buffaloes, donkeys, a dog or he-goat without food in his mouth, a
monkey, a loose hart, a goldsmith, a carpenter, a barber, a tailor, a
cotton-cleaner, a smith, a widow, a corpse, a person coming from a funeral
without having washed or changed, men carrying butter, oil, sweet milk,
molasses, acids, iron, or weapons of war. Lucky objects to meet are an
elephant, a camel, a laden cart, an unladen horse, a cow or bullock laden
with water (if unladen 'tis an ill omen), a dog or he-goat with food in
the mouth, a cat on the right hand, one carrying meat, curds, or sugar,
etc., etc. (p. 91). (See also Sonnerat, I. 73.)
NOTE 5. - Chughi of course stands for JOGI, used loosely for any Hindu
ascetic. Arghun Khan of Persia (see Prologue, ch. xvii.), who was much
given to alchemy and secret science, had asked of the Indian Bakhshis how
they prolonged their lives to such an extent. They assured him that a
mixture of sulphur and mercury was the Elixir of Longevity. Arghun
accordingly took this precious potion for eight months; - and died shortly
after! (See Hammer, Ilkhans, I. 391-393, and Q.R. p. 194.) Bernier
mentions wandering Jogis who had the art of preparing mercury so admirably
that one or two grains taken every morning restored the body to perfect
health (II. 130). The Mercurius Vitae of Paracelsus, which, according to
him, renewed youth, was composed chiefly of mercury and antimony.
(Opera, II.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 367 of 701
Words from 190687 to 191202
of 370046
