is true,' answered the other; 'but none know of
it.' And they passed on, quietly as they had come.
Thereupon up rose the beggared farmer, and with basin
and cup set about collecting the dew; and in a very
short time performed with it the most wonderful cures;
finally curing the daughter of a neighbouring Emperor
who had been blind from her birth, and whom her
grateful father gave to him at once in marriage, since
directly she set eyes on him she loved him."[21]

[Illustration: THE PEDLAR OF LAMBETH
FROM DUCAREL'S "HISTORY OF LAMBETH," 1786]

The second non-British variant, which also attaches to London Bridge,
is to be found in the _Heimskringla_,[22] and I will quote William
Morris's translation:--

"West in Valland was a man infirm so that he was a
cripple and went on knees and knuckles. On a day he
was abroad on the way and was asleep there. That
dreamed he that a man came to him glorious of aspect
and asked whither he was bound and the man named some
town or other. So the glorious man spoke to him:
Fare then to Olaf's church the one that is in London
and thou wilt be whole. Thereafter he awoke, and fared
to seek Olaf's church and at last he came to London
bridge and there asked the folk of the city if they
knew to tell him where was Olaf's church. But they
answered and said that there were many more churches
there than they might wot to what man they were
hallowed. But a little thereafter came a man to him
who asked whither he was bound and the cripple told
him. And sithence said that man: We twain shall fare
both to the church of Olaf for I know the way thither.
Therewith they fared over the bridge and went along
the street which led to Olaf's church. But when they
came to the lich gate then strode that one over the
threshold of the gate but the cripple rolled in over
it and straightway rose up a whole man. But when he
looked around him his fellow farer was vanished."

I shall have to refer again to these Breton and Norse versions,
because of their retention of London Bridge as the locale of the
story, in common with all the versions which have been found in
Britain. In the meantime it is to be noted that the remaining
non-British variants are told of other bridges and other places.
Holland, Denmark, Italy, Cairo, have thei