consider that for some thousand years science was almost exclusively applied to the purposes of deceit !

Cotton Mather introduces his life of Sir William Phips with a happy allusion to these pretended experiments. "If," says he, "such a renowned chymist as Quercetanus, with a whole tribe of la bourers in the fire, since that learned man, find it no easy thing to make the common part of mankind believe, that they can take a plant in its vigorous consistence, and after a due maceration, fermentation, and separation, extract the salt of that plant, which, as it were, in a chaos, invisibly reserves the form of the whole, with its vital principle; and, that keeping the salt in a glass hermetically sealed, they can by applying a soft fire to the glass, make the vegetable rise by little and little out of its ashes, to surprize the spectators with a notable illustration of that resurrection, in the faith whereof the Jews returning from the

graves of their friends, pluck up the grass from the earth, using those words of the scripture thereupon, Your bones shall flourish like an herb: "Tis likely that all the observations of such writers as the incomparable Borellus, will find it hard enough to produce our belief, that the essential salts of animals may be so prepared and preserved, that an inge. nious man may have the whole Ark of Noah in his own study, and raise the fine shape of an animal out of its ashes at his pleasure: and, that by the like method from the essential salts of human dust, á philosopher may, without any criminal necromancy, call up the shape of any dead ancestor from the dust whereinto his body has been incinerated. The resurrection of the dead will be as just, as great an article of our creed, although the relations of these learned men should pass for incredible romances: but yet there is an anticipation of that blessed resurrection, carrying in it some

resemblance of these curiosities, which is performed, when we do in a book, as in a glass, reserve the history of our departed friends; and by bringing our warm affections unto such an history, we revive, as it were, out of their ashes the true shape of those friends, and bring to a fresh view what was memorable and imitable in them."

199. Merino Sheep.

Fernan Gomez de Cibdareal, in one of his Letters (Epist. 73) mentions a dispute between two Spaniards concerning rank, in the presence of Juan II. 1437. It was objected tauntingly to one of them, that he was descended from a Judge of the Shepherds, that is, Juez de la mesta y Pastoria Real. The reply was, that this office had always been held by hidalgos of great honour. Y que el Rey D. Alfonso, quando se traxeron la primera vez en las naves carracas las pecoras de Ingalaterra á España, principió este oficio en

Iñigo Lopez de Mendoza... and that King D. Alfonso had instituted it in the person of Iñigo Lopez de Mendoza when the English sheep were first brought over to Spain.

That merino sheep were originally exported from England, is not only remembered in this country, but even the place is specified from whence they were sent. In a work entitled England's Gazetteer, by Philip Luckombe, under the head "Dymock, Gloucestershire," it is stated, that" from the Ryelands, a hamlet in this parish, King Edward sent the sheep to Spain which produce their fine wool*." Martin Sarmiento, whom Mr. Semple quotes in his second travels through Spain, speaks of the introduc tion of these sheep from England, as a well known historical fact, and he affirms that their name implies their foreign ex

*This is transcribed from some magazine or newspaper, but I have no doubt of its accuracy.

traction, merino being only a corruption of marino, sea-sheep, an appellation to the incongruity of which our own language affords an analogy in the common term, sea-coal. Probable however as this derivation may appear, I believe it is ill-founded. Merino is an old Leonese title, still preserved in Portugal, though long since obsolete in the other kingdoms of Spain. The old laws define it thus: es ome que ha mayoria para facer justicia sobre algun lugar señalado; "he is a man who has authority to administer justice within a certain district." The first mention of this office is in the reign of Bermudo II. The Merinos then commanded the troops of their respective provinces in war, but before the time of Enrique II. it was become whol ly a civil office, and the title was gradually giving place to that of Alguacil Mayor. Most probably the judge of the shepherds was called the Merino, and * See Vol. 1. P.

288.