Notes and Queries, Number 74, March 29, 1851 | Page 3

to be found at pp. 318, 319,
320. § 268. of Fonseca's Narrative.
"As we are now upon the subject of miracles wrought by Relics in
Vienna, I shall proceed to relate another prodigy which happened in the
said city, and which will greatly serve to confirm in us those feelings of
piety with which we are wont to venerate such sacred objects. The
Count Harrach, who was greatly favoured by the Duke of Saxony,
begged of him, as a present, a few of the many relics which the duke
preserved in his treasury, assuredly less out of devotion than for the
sake of their rarity and value. The duke, with his usual benignity,

acceded to this request, and gave orders that sundry vials should be
dispatched to the count, filled with most indubitable relics of Our Lord,
of the Blessed Virgin, of the Apostles, of the Innocents, and of other
holy persons. He directed two Lutheran ministers to pack these vials
securely in a precious casket, which the duke himself sealed up with his
own signet, and sent off to Vienna. On its arrival there, it was deposited
in the chapel of the count, which is situated in the street called Preiner.
The count immediately informed the bishop of the arrival of this
treasure, and invited him to witness the opening of the casket, and to
attend for the purpose of verifying its contents. Accordingly the bishop
came, and on opening the casket, there proceeded from it such an
abominable stench, that no man could endure it, infecting, as it did, the
whole of the chapel. The bishop thereupon ordered all the vials to be
taken out, and carefully examined one by one, hoping to ascertain the
cause of this strange incident, which did not long remain a mystery, for
they soon {235} found the very vial from which this pestilent odour
was issuing. It contained a small fragment of cloth, which was thus
labelled, 'Ex caligis Divi Martini Lutheri,' that is to say, 'A bit of the
Breeches of Saint Martin Luther,' which the aforesaid two Lutheran
ministers, by way of mockery of our piety, had slily packed up with the
holy relics in the casket. The bishop instantly gave orders to burn this
abominable rag of the great heresiarch, and forthwith, not only the
stench ceased, but there proceeded from the true relics such a delicious
and heavenly odour as perfumed the entire building."
* * * * *
ILLUSTRATIONS OF CHAUCER, NO. II.
Complaint of Mars and Venus.
I am not aware that the obvious astronomical allegory, which lurks in
Chaucer's "Complaint of Mars and Venus," has been pointed out, or
that any attempt has been made to explain it. In Tyrwhitt's slight notice
of that poem, prefixed to his glossary, there is not the most remote hint
that he perceived its astronomical significance, or that he looked upon
it in any other light than "that it was intended to describe the situation
of some two lovers under a veil of mystical allegory."

But, as I understand it, it plainly describes an astronomical conjunction
of the planets Mars and Venus, in the last degree of Taurus, and on the
12th of April.
These three conditions are not likely to concur except at very rare
intervals--it is possible they may have been only theoretical--but it is
also possible that they may have really occurred under Chaucer's
observation; it might therefore well repay the labour bestowed upon it
if some person, possessed of time, patience, and the requisite tables,
would calculate whether any conjunction, conforming in such
particulars, did really take place within the latter half of the fourteenth
century: if it was considered worth while to search out a described
conjunction 2500 years before Christ, in order to test the credibility of
Chinese records, it would surely be not less interesting to confirm the
accuracy of Chaucer's astronomy, of his fondness for which, and of his
desire to bring it forward on all possible occasions, he has given so
many proofs in his writings.
The data to be gathered from the little poem in question are
unfortunately neither very numerous nor very definite; but I think the
following points are sufficiently plain.
1st. The entrance of Mars into the sign Taurus (domus Veneris),
wherein an assignation has been made between him and Venus:
"That Mars shall enter as fast as he may glide, In to her next palais to
abide, Walking his course 'till she had him ytake, And he prayed her to
hast her for his sake."
2nd. The nearly double velocity in apparent ecliptic motion of Venus as
compared with Mars:
"Wherefore she spedded as fast in her way Almost in one day as he did
in tway."
3d. The conjunction:
"The great joy that was betwix