NOTEBOOK cured. Since then he rubs his hands and face, or eats the leaves with impunity—never gets poisoned. It is to be hoped he did not employ these remedies. Possibly the crude petroleum might help his rheumatism, but eating the leaves of the poisoned ivy, as the writer knows by ex- perience, could only have resulted in his having a very badly poisoned mouth. It is difficult to say how that old fallacy became current. The Old Masters5 horses always rear after the fashion of kangaroos. About 1440-45, a Candian named Staminato in the suite of a prince of the House of Este was permitted to view the treasure collection of St. Mark, and concealed himself behind an altar in the body of the cathedral, but was discovered by a priest. Then he entered by false keys. After numerous difficulties and the labor of many nights he removed a block of this marble paneling which walled the lower part of the treasure. This panel he fixed so as to be removable at will. Then night after night he visited this magnificent mine, inspected it at his own sweet pleas- ure and carried away jewels and gold worth 2,000,000 golden ducats, or £8,000,000, say at present valuation $50,000,000. He even carried off a unicorn's horn (a mere curiosity) and had to saw it in two with great patience and difficulty. It shows how perfectly secure and undis- turbed he was. He could have gone home the richest private citizen of his country, and it might have been years before the plunder was missed. But he could not enjoy his delight alone. So he exacted a solemn oath from a Candian nobleman named Crioni, then took him to an obscure lodging and astounded his eyes. Great carbuncle— (afterwards on Ducal cap). He detected a look on C's face which excited his suspicion, and was about to slip a stiletto 143