into our heads to give and illustrate the resembled one on a Sunday abroad at the life of St. Symeon Salos. For towards present day, for it was full of stalls for the close of that life many things occur, the sale of cakes. In rushing from the silly, stupid, absurd, scandalous to the ig- church officials, he knocked over the norant, and to the learned and better stalls, and the sellers beat him so unmereducated worthy of laughter rather than cifully for his pains that he groaned in of faith." himself: "Humble Symeon; verily, verily, they will maul the life out of you in an hour!" But the unfortunate Bollandists were not at liberty to avoid the unpleasant task, as Symeon figured among the Saints of the Roman Calendar in these words: "At Emesa (on July 1) St. Symeon, Confessor, surnamed Salos, who became a fool for Christ. But God manifested his lofty wisdom by great miracles." July I is a mistake for July 21, the day on which St. Symeon is venerated in the East. Baronius was misled by a faulty manuscript of the Life which gave a for xa, as the day on which the saint died. It is a pity that, when he was transferring the day, he did not place St. Symeon Salos on the more appropriate 1st of April. A seller of sour wine † saw him racing round the market-place, and, being in want of a servant, hailed him, and said, "Here, fellow; if you want a job, sell pulse for me." "I am ready," answered Symeon. So he gave him pulse and beans and peas to sell, but the hermit, who had eaten nothing for a week, devoured the whole amount. "This will never do," said the mistress of the house; "the abbot eats more than he sells. Here, fellow, what money have you taken?" The only way in which I can account Symeon had neither money nor vege for this insertion in the Calendar is that tables to show, so the woman turned him Baronius read the first part of the Life, out of the house. The monk placidly and was pleased with it, and did not trou-seated himself on the doorstep, and proble himself to conclude the somewhat ceeded to offer up his evening devotions. lengthy manuscript. He therefore placed But these were not complete without the Symeon in his new Roman Martyrology, ritual adjunct of smoking incense. Sywhich received the approbation and im-meon looked about for a broken pot in primature of Pope Sixtus V. and afterwards of Benedict XIV. The Martyrology for the day is read at Prime in all religious houses. But to return to St. Symeon. which to put some cinders; but finding At On reaching the outskirts of Emesa, Symeon found on a dung-heap a dead, half-putrefied dog. He unwound his girdle and attached the dog with it to his foot, and so entered the gate of the city and passed before a boys' school. The attention of the children was at once di- The taverner and his wife were so verted from their books, and, in spite of moved by the piety of Symeon, that they the expostulation of their preceptor, they received him into the house, and emrushed out of school after Salos, like a ployed him in selling vegetables, which swarm of wasps, shouting, "Heigh! here duty he executed satisfactorily when his comes a crack-brained abbot!" and appetite was not exacting. They speedkicked the dog and slapped the monk. ily found that Silly Symeon drew customNext day was Sunday. Symeon en-ers to their house, for Symeon laid himtered the church with a bag of nuts be- self out to divert them, and it became the fore him, and during the celebration of rage for a time in Emesa for folk to visit the Divine mysteries threw nuts at the the tavern, saying, "We must have our candles and extinguished several of them. dinner and wine where that comical fool Then running up into the ambone or pul- lives." pit, he threw nuts at the women in the congregation, and hit them in their faces. Laughter and outcries interrupted the sacred service, and Symeon was expelled the church not, however, without offering a sturdy resistance. Outside, the market-place must have One day Symeon Salos saw a serpent put its head into one of the wine pitchers Έστρεψον τὰ ταβλία τῶν πλακουνταρίων. † Εἰς φουσκάριος. * Εἰς Θεὸς, ἀββᾶ Συμεὼν, εἰς τὴν χεῖρα σου 'ovus; in the tavern and drink. He took a stick and broke the pitcher, thinking that the serpent had spit poison into the wine. The publican was angry with Symeon for breaking the amphora, and, catching the stick out of his hand, cudgelled the poor monk with it, without listening to his explanation. On the morrow the serpent again entered the tavern, and went to the wine jars. The host saw it this time, and rushed after it with a stick, upsetting and breaking several amphora. Ha, ha!" exclaimed Symeon, peeping out from behind the door, where he had concealed himself, "who is the biggest fool today?" 66 The taverner did not show much kindness to Symeon; but this is hardly to be wondered at, when we hear that, summoned to his wife's bedroom by her cries, one night, he found it invaded by the saint, who was deliberately undressing in it for bed. This he did, says Leontius, Bishop of Neapolis, in order to lower the high opinion entertained of him by his master. After this, as may well be believed, the taverner told the tale over his cups with much laughter to his guests, and with confusion to his man. In Lent the saint devoured flesh, but would not touch bread. "He is possessed," said the inn-keeper; "he insulted my wife, and he eats meat in Lent like an infidel." In Emesa he picked up a certain John the Deacon, who admired his proceedings. To this John, the saint related the events of his former life; and from John, Leontius heard the story. One day John the Deacon was on his way to the public baths, when he met Symeon. "You will be all the better for a wash, my friend," said the Deacon; 66 come with me to the baths." "With all my heart," answered the monk, and he forthwith peeled off his clothes, wrapped them in a bundle, and set them on his head. on his head, he stalked down the crowded thoroughfare. The baths were divided into two parts, one for women, the other for men. Symeon ran towards the women's entrance. 66 "Not that way!" shouted the Deacon in alarm; "the other side is for men." "Hot water here, hot water there," answered Symeon; one is as good as the other;" and throwing down his bundle, he bounded into the ladies' compartment, and splashed in amongst the female bathers. The women screamed, flew on him, beat, scratched, pushed him, and drove him ignominiously forth. The biographer gravely informs us that on another occasion an unbelieving Jew saw Symeon privately bathing with two "angels," and would have told what he had seen had not Salos silenced him. It was only after the death of the saint that the Jew related the circumstance. The Christians concluded that the two lovely forms with whom Symeon was enjoying a dip were angels. To such a pass of purity and impassibility had the saint attained," continues the Bishop of Neapolis, "that he often led the dance in public with an actress on each arm; he romped with actresses, and by no means infrequently allowed them to tickle his ribs and slap him."* Indeed, his biographer tells some stories of his association with very fallen angels, which are anything but edifying. His antics in the streets and marketplace became daily more outrageous. "Sometimes he pretended to hobble as if he were lame, sometimes he capered, sometimes he dragged himself along to the seats, then he tripped up the passersby, and sent them sprawling; sometimes at the rising of the moon he would roll on the ground kicking. Sometimes he pretended to speak incoherently, for he said that this above all things suited those who were made fools for Christ. By this means he often refuted vice, or spat forth his bile against certain persons, with a view to their correction." A Count, living near Emesa, heard of him, and said, "I will find out whether the fellow is a hypocrite or not." As it happened, when the Count entered the city, he found Symeon's house · Ὥστε ἔστιν ὅτε ἔβαλλον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν τὰ άσεμνα γίναια εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐσίαιιον, καὶ ἐκόπταζον, καὶ ἐγαργάλιζον αὐτόν. keeper had hoisted her master upon her * One Lord's Day, Symeon was given a back, whilst another young woman ad- chain of sausages.* He hung it over ministered to him a severe castigation his shoulders like a stole, and filled his with a leather strap. The Count, we are left hand with mustard. He ate all day told, went away much scandalized. Salos at the sausages, flavouring them with the wriggled off his housekeeper's back, ran mustard, and smearing his face with it. after the Count, struck him on the cheek, This highly amused a rustic, who mocked then stripped off his own clothes, and him. Symeon rushed at him, and threw danced in complete nudity before him up the mustard in his eyes. The man cried the street and down again. with pain, and Symeon bade him wash the mustard out of his eyes with vinegar. Now it happened that this man was suffering from ophthalmia, and the mustard and vinegar applied to his eyes loosened the white film that was forming over them, and it peeled off, and thus the man was cured." Passing some girls dancing one day, and noticing that some of them had a cast in their eyes, he said, "My dears, let me kiss your pretty eyes and cure you of your squint." Two Fathers were troubled that Origen should be regarded as a heretic, and they asked the hermit John the reason. John bade them enquire of Symeon in Emesa. On reaching Emesa they found the monk in the tavern, with a bowl of boiled pulse before him, eating as voraciously "as a bear." "What is the use of consulting this Gnostic?" said one of the Fathers; "he knows nothing but how to crunch pulse." were One or two of the young women permitted him to kiss them, and, we are assured, were cured; after which, all the Symeon had long ago left the service girls who thought they had something of the publican, and had taken a small the matter with their eyes ran after cottage, which was only furnished with a Symeon to have theirs kissed. The bundle of faggots and a housekeeper. deacon John invited him to dinner one John the Deacon supplied him with food, day. Symeon went, and devoured raw but somehow Symeon managed to secure bacon which was hanging up in the chim- a store of excellent provisions, and the ney, instead of what was provided for the beggars and tramps of the town guests. Symeon was fond of frequenting accustomed to assemble in his hut occathe houses of the wealthy, where, says his sionally for a grand feast. John the biographer, he sported with and kissed Deacon unexpectedly dropped in on one the maids.f of these revels, and wondered where the "white wheaten bread, cheese-cakes, buns, fish, and wine of all sorts, dry and sweet, and, in short, whatsoever is to be found most dainty,"† had come from, which Symeon and his pretty housekeeper were serving out to the beggars and their wives. But when Symeon assured him that these good things had come down straight from heaven in answer to prayer, the Deacon went away wondering and edified. In the same way Symeon always "What is the matter with the pulse?" had his pockets full of money. We find asked Symeon, starting up and boxing him bribing a woman of bad character to the hermit on the ears so that his face be his companion with a hundred gold bore the mark for three days. "The pieces. Many of these ladies sought pulse has been soaking for forty days, his society with eagerness, for," says and is soft enough, I warrant ye! As for his pious biographer, "he was always your Origen, he can't eat pulse, for he is showing them large sums of money, for at the bottom of the sea. And now take he had as much as he wanted, God always this for your pains!" and he flung the invisibly supplying him with funds for his scalding pulse in their faces. His reason, purpose." Whence came this money? Leontius tells us, was to prevent them For what purpose was it used? Why from telling all men how he had read was the saint so continually found in the their purpose before they had spoken society of these women, or among the about Origen. female servants of the wealthy citizens ? 66 † Σιλίγνια, και πλακοῦντας, καὶ σφαίρια, καὶ ὀψάρια, καὶ οἰναρια διάφορα, ψαθίμια, καὶ γλυκὺ, καὶ ἁπλῶς ὅσα πάντα έχει ὁ βίος λαμβά † Ἔστι γὰρ ὅτε καὶ τοῦτο ἔλεγε πρὸς μίαν τῶν ἑταιρίδων· θέλεις έχει σε φίλην καὶ δίδω σοι ἑκατον ὁλοκοτίνα. we It is scarcely possible to avoid the con- obliged in every instance to imitate St. clusion that he was made use of to carry | Symeon, and though it would be rash even on intrigues, and exercise the most to attempt it without a special call; yet his odious of professions. example ought to make us blush" should think so, indeed - "when we consider" - ah!" with what an ill-will we suffer the least things that hurt our pride." Early in the morning Symeon was wont to leave his hut, twine a garland of herbs, break a bough from a tree, and thus crowned and sceptred enter the city. John the Deacon asked the monk how it was that he never saw him having his hair cut, nor with his hair long. Symeon assured him that this was in answer to prayer. He had supplicated Heaven that he might be saved the trouble of having recourse to a barber, and Heaven had heard him; all which John the Deacon fully believed. When death approached, Symeon revisited his friend John, in the wilderness, who probably did not find his old comrade much improved in morals and manners by his residence in town. He then returned to Emesa, and was found dead one morning under his bundle of faggots. The service in the Roman Church for this illustrious saint, to be used by those who are pleased to commemorate him, is the common for Confessors not Bishops. One of the antiphons for the Psalms is, "Well done, good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a little, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Another is, "A faithful and wise servant, whom the Lord hath set over His household." Neither strikes one as singularly appropriate. The chapter for vespers is from Eccles. xxxi.: "Blessed is the man that is found without blemish, that hath not gone after gold, nor put his trust in riches and treasures. Who is he, and we will praise him? for in his life he hath done wonderful things." And the antiphon to the Magnificat has in it a fine touch of irony, "I will liken him to a wise man that built his house upon a rock." From Macmillan's Magazine. CHINA'S FUTURE PLACE IN PHILOLOGY. "CHINA'S Place in Philology" is the name of a book, by the Rev. Mr. Edkins, which suggests the title to this short paper. That volume deals with the Chinese language in the past, and its relation to the origin of words. The purpose intended by these notes is much less ambitious; instead of tracing language back through the dim ages that are past, it is here simply proposed to suggest the probabilities as to the future modes of speech among the celestials. The past of all language is as yet only in a very theoretic state; and in the nature of things all speculation as to its future must be equally so. The ideas to be explained assume the continued dominance of a race- and one, moreover, which will, by means of trade or conquest, remain an influence in China; though of course it must be admitted that the continuation of this influence is an element of uncertainty in the speculation. Still, the writer is of opinion that no one who knows China, and is acquainted with the powers and influences of Westerns in the East, will refuse the assumption, that not only shall we maintain the position we have acquired, but that most probably that position will become stronger; that new ports will be opened, and our relations with the people become more intimate and powerful than ever. The Bollandists say of his deeds that they are "miranda sed non imitanda," but they touched on dangerous ground, Taking all this for granted, it is profor in the collect for this festival, good posed to consider the future of that Catholics pray, "Mercifully grant, that strange jargon known as "Pigeon Engas we celebrate his birthday to immortal-lish," a language resulting from the meetity, we may also imitate his actions." ing of East and West in the ports of As it happens, the 1st of July, on which day Symeon Salos is set down in the Roman Calendar, was not his "birthday to immortality," for he died on July 21, and we hope it will be a long time before good Catholics attempt to imitate the actions of such a scoundrel. The remarks of Alban Butler are not a little amusing. "Although we are not China. This language, if such it may be called, derives its name from a series of changes in the word Business. The early traders in China, made constant use of this word, and the Chinaman contracted it to Busin, and then through the change of Pishin to Pigeon. In this last form it still retains its original meaning, and people talk of whatever business they may have in hand as their "pigeon." as I could recollect them, to the effect All mercantile transactions between the that I wanted some breakfast, and would Chinese and the Europeans are carried like it immediately. I was then told that on in this new form of speech. Domestic I might as well have talked Greek to him, servants, male and female, have to learn and that I ought to have said, "Catchey it to qualify themselves for situations some chow-chow chop-chop." Chowwith the "Outer Barbarians;" but the chow is understood in this as something newest and most important feature of all to eat, and the last double word is equivis, that the Chinese themselves are, to a alent to "quick-quick." Had I been a certain extent, adopting this language. comic actor, and the ordering my breakThis is owing to the fact that men of fast been a farce, it might have been posdifferent provinces cannot understand sible to feel that I was saying the right each other's dialect. The written Man- thing in this way. That not being my darin character, however, could be read "pigeon," I felt reluctant to do it; but and understood all over China, and the when eating, drinking, and all your wants provincials used to write what they wished are found to depend upon its use, you to say in this character, and could thus soon give in; and here is the source of manage to do business together. But growth in the language, and the reason now, if they both should happen to know why it advances and spreads in China. "Pigeon English," they use it as the means of communication. A linguafranca was needed, and the common necessity has supplied the demand. Óne would suppose that such a mode of speaking could only have a temporary existence, but these facts are given to show that such will not be the case, and It may be premature to call Pigeon that there is no chance of its dying out. English a language. It is only the be- On the contrary, we have the Chinese ginning of one. Although facts can be now adopting it among themselves as a expressed by it, it is in a most defective means of communication. There is condition; so much so, that an English-nothing new in this; it is only history man, when he first reaches China, is very repeating itself. We have on record the much amused at what seems to him a growth of other languages which must relic of Babel. If it should be his fate have begun under similar conditions. A to remain in the country, he dislikes to notable instance of this is the language adopt it; his sense of good manners known as Hindostanee. Its origin dates makes it distasteful to him to speak such from the Mahomedan conquest of India. a jargon, for it sounds like making a fool It was named the Oordoo, or "camp lanof the party addressed. Here we get an guage," because it grew up in the "camp" evidence of the power of growth which of the invaders. The conquerors and the this infantile speech is possessed of, for conquered spoke entirely different lanhowever reluctant any one may be to guages, and as a consequence their means speak it, he is forced by the necessity of of communication at first must have been the case to do so. I was only a traveller only fragmentary. Each, however, acfor a few months in China, but I found quired broken bits of the other's speech, myself obliged to acquire the habit of and time at last welded the whole into a speaking what seemed to me, at first, language. It has now a grammar ba-ed nonsensical rubbish. I could not get on on the Hindoo or Sanscrit, and an ample without it. On my arrival I got a Chinese dictionary, where it will be found that servant servants in China are all called about three-fourths of the words belong "boys," in fact this is one of the words to the language of the invading Power. of Pigeon English: and it is scarcely This has long been the lingua-franca of necessary to state that it is not derived India. Many languages are spoken there, from the Irish. It is usual to breakfast but this one will carry you over nearly about twelve o'clock, and it is customary the whole length and breadth of the to have some tea, toast, and perhaps an country. The pure Farsee, or Persian, egg served in your bed-room when you get remained, and is still considered the up, and before dressing. The first morn- burra-bat, or high-court language. Of ing I expressed my wishes on this matter course the camp might jabber any comin my usual way of talk, and the "boy" "bination of sounds it found most suited went off smiling, as if he understood my to its wants, but the dignity of a Court meaning; but as he did not come back, I could not submit to the introduction of made some inquiries at my friends in the such barbarisms. And for the same house. They asked what I said to the reason Pigeon English would scarcely "boy," and I repeated the words as near yet be a fit language for St. James's or |