with
a brisk fire this occurs in a very few minutes. If it is cooked beyond
this stage, or boiled, it is simply, as is the case with the oyster,
rendered hard and unpalatable." Like the oyster, too, it should be
served with bread and butter.
In Queen Mab (Percy's Eeliques) we read about :—
" The brains of nightingales,
With unctuous fat of snails,
Between two Cockles stewed,
Is meat that's easy chewed."
"
Quantum in luscinia latet cerebri, Et testudinum adeps inunctiorum, Cum
binis Cochleis perinde coctus, Non est difficilis cibus molari."
But
cockles rapidly take in the infective bacilli of typhoid fever when
such are present in the sea-water which the bivalves are inhabiting.
Speedily the number of these noxious organisms increases in a large
measure, even though the cockles are removed, and put into fresh pure
water, or are kept in clean sand for several days ; insomuch that it
would be still dangerous to take them as food.
As
an historical instance of the faith which was formerly attached to the
external use, and application of metallic Gold, may be quoted the
ceremony which used to be conducted annually at Westminster, on Good
Friday, of blessing cramp rings: which ceremony was carried out by the
king himself. He went into the Chapel Royal on that day, accompanied
only by his Almoner; and then, crawling on his knees to the crucifix,
he there blessed bowlfuls of golden, and silver rings. These rings were
afterwards distributed to be worn by persons afflicted with epilepsy,
or rheumatism. The practice had its origin in a certain
