Here is a copy of a short piece by Vincenc Jan Zíbrt (Čeněk Zíbrt), Český lid, I (1892), page 186. This too was made part of Karl Meyer’s collection in his Fontes. It describes a visitation by higher clergy in a local parish. These were common, usually undertaken by a bishop (in this case an archdeacon) to see how things were going in the country side for the local priests, check out their progress in evangelizing, to show their authority and to spy around. Apparently, during a visitation to a town (Kralovice by Plasy) it came to light that one of the inhabitants, a tailor, was a of the belief that he had a sprite living in his house who helped to watch over the house. The gosling or sprite referred to in the below note is likely a skřítek (Czech) or skrzat (Polish).
“The local priest says that some Holybrius, a tailor, likewise says, that he has a household godling in his home of whom he [the tailor] says that he looks out [listens] for thefts and helps with other [house] problems. Thereupon, the lord archdeacon Paul ordered that the same tailor should personally appear in front of the archdeacon the next morning.”
Plebanus dicit, quod quidam Holybrius sartor ibidem dicit, se habere penatem in domo sua, a quo dicit se audire furta et excessus alios releuari. Ibi quoque dominus Paulus archidiaconus mandavit, quod idem sartor cras mane coram eodem archidiacono personaliter compareat. – Vicarius ibidem dicit de Holibrio sartore ut supra.
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