in Chaucer's time, as it now is, nearly upon the line of the ecliptic.

3rd. Because its situation in longitude, about two-thirds in the sign Leo, just tallies with Chaucer's expression "yet ascending,"—that is, one-third of the sign was still below the horizon.

Let us examine how this interpretation consists with the other circumstances of the description. The feste-day of this Cambuscan was "The last idus of March"—that is, the 15th of March—"after the yere"—that is, after the equinoctial year, which had ended three or four days previously. Hence the sun was in three degrees of Aries—confirmed in Canace's expedition on the following morning, when he was "in the Ram foure degrees yronne," and his corresponding right ascension was twelve minutes. Now by "the angle meridional" was meant the two hours inequall immediately succeeding noon (or while the "1st House" of the sun was passing the meridian), and these two hours may, so near the equinox, be taken as ordinary hours. Therefore, when "Phebus hath left the angle meridional," it was two o'clock P.M., or eight hours after sunrise, which, added to twelve minutes, produces eight hours twelve minutes as the ascending point of the equinoctial. The ascending point of the ecliptic would consequently be twenty degrees in Leo, or within less than a degree of the actual place of the star Regulus, which in point of fact did rise on the 15th of March, in Chaucer's time, almost exactly at two in the afternoon.

Such coincidences as these could not result from mere accident; and, whatever may have been Speght's authority for the location of Aldryan, I shall never believe that Chaucer would refer to an inferior star when the great "Stella Regia" itself was in so remarkable a position for his purpose—assuming always, as a matter of course, that he referred his phenomena, not to the country or age wherein he laid the action of his tale, but to his own.

This, then, is the precedent by which I support the similar, and rather startling, interpretation I propose of these obscure words "In mena Libra alway."

There are two twin stars, of the same magnitude, and not far apart, each of which bears the Arabic title of Min al auwâ; one (β Virginis) in the sign Virgo—the other (δ Virginis) in that of Libra.

The latter, in the south of England, in Chaucer's time, would rise a few minutes before the autumnal equinoctial point, and might be called Libra Min al auwâ either from that circumstance, or to distinguish it from its namesake in Virgo.

Now on the 18th of April this Libra Min al auwâ would rise in the neighbourhood of Canterbury at about half-past three in the afternoon, so that by four o'clock it would attain an altitude of about five degrees—not more than sufficient to render the moon, supposing it to have risen with the star, visible (by daylight) to the pilgrims "entrying at a towne's end."

It is very remarkable that the only year, perhaps in the whole of Chaucer's lifetime, in which the moon could have arisen with this star on the 18th of April, should be the identical year to which Tyrwhitt, reasoning from historical evidence alone, would fain attribute the writing of the Canterbury Tales. (Vide Introductory Discourse, note 3.)

On the 18th of April, 1388, Libra Min al auwâ, and the moon, rose together about half-past three P. M. in the neighbourhood of Canterbury; and Tyrwhitt, alluding to the writing of the Canterbury Tales, "could hardly suppose it was much advanced before 1389!"

Such a coincidence is more than remarkable—it is convincing: especially when we add to it that 1388 "is the very date that, by a slight and probable injury to the last figure, might become the traditional one of 1383!"

Should my view, therefore, of the true reading of this passage in Chaucer be correct, it becomes of infinitely greater interest and importance than a mere literal emendation, because it supplies that which has always been supposed wanting to the Canterbury Tales, viz., some means of identifying the year to which their action ought to be attributed. Hitherto, so unlikely has it appeared that Chaucer, who so amply furnishes materials for the minor branches of the date, should leave the year unnoted, that it has been accounted for in the supposition that he reserved it for the unfinished portion of his performance. But if we consider the ingenious though somewhat tortuous methods resorted to by him to convey some of the other data, it is by no means improbable that he might really have devised this circumstance of the moon's rising as a means of at least corroborating a date that he might intend to record afterwards in more direct terms.

P.S.—Since writing the foregoing I have obtained, through the kindness of Mr. Thoms, the several readings of the lines commented upon in six different MSS. in the British Museum. And I have great satisfaction in finding that five out of the six confirm my hypothesis, at least with respect to the uncertain spelling of "alway." The readings in respect of the two words are these:

I acknowledge that, from the first, if I could have discovered a probable interpretation of "mene" as an independent word, I should have preferred it rather than that of making it a part of the Arabic name, because I think that the star is sufficiently identified by the latter portion of its name "Al auwâ," and because the preservation of "mene" in its proper place in the line would afford a reading much less forced than that I was obliged to have recourse to. Now it very singularly happens that in "NOTES AND QUERIES" of this day (page 388.) I find, upon the authority of A. C. M., that there is an Armorican word "menex" or "mene," signifying a summit or boundary. Here is an accidental, though most probable, original of the Chaucerian "mene," because the moon's place in longitude at the time specified was precisely on the verge or boundary of Libra: or even in the sense "summit" the word would be by no means inappropriate to the point of a sign in the ecliptic which first emerges from the horizon; with such a reading the lines would stand thus, which is a very slight change from their present form:

Perhaps A. C. M. would be good enough to cite his authorities for the word "mene," "menez"—in the signification of "summit" or "margin"—with examples, if possible, of its use in these or kindred senses.

And perhaps some Arabic scholar will explain the name "Min al auwâ," and show in what way the absence of the prefix "Min" would affect it?

TRADITIONS FROM REMOTE PERIODS THROUGH FEW LINKS.

In some of your former numbers (Vol. iii., pp. 206.; 237.; 289.) allusions have been made by your correspondents, showing that traditions may come down from remote periods through very few links. Having myself seen a man whose father lived in the time of Oliver Cromwell, I trust I shall be excused for stating some particulars of this fact, which I think will be considered by your readers as one of the most remarkable on record. In