Note 139 — PLATE LXVI. CHURCH OF TRÉPORT.

The whole of the passage is curious.—“Item in Ulteriori Portu et in Auco oppido; decimam denariorum de Vice-comitatibus, et in utrâque villâ quicquid abbas et monachi acquirere poterunt. Quod si homines Abbatis piscem, qui vocatur Turium, capiunt, totus erit S. Michaelis: crassus piscis si captus fuerit, ala una et medietas caudæ erit monachis.”—From this passage, it is plain what importance was attached to the crassus piscis, under which denomination were probably included the porpesse, the dolphin, and all kinds of cetaceous animals, as well as the grampus. Ducange, with his usual ability and learning, has brought together a considerable quantity of curious matter upon the subject, under the word, Craspiscis. From him it appears that, in the year 1271, the question was argued before the Norman parliament, to whom such fish belonged, in the event of its being thrown upon the shore; and the decision was in the following words.—“Quod consuetudo generalis est in Normanniâ, quod, quando talis piscis invenitur in littore maris, nec Baro, nec Miles, nec alius, qui a Rege teneat, talem piscem habet, si valeat ultra 50 libras, nisi per cartam eum habeat.”—See also Turner's Tour in Normandy, II. p. 21, respecting the existence of a whale-fishery near Jumieges, upon the authority of the writer of the Gesta Sancti Philiberti.