home, where they have room enough to hazard their money at unlawful games, where I leave them to take their pleasures.”—Ibid. This was one of the great uses of publick houses in former time, namely, for game and exercise, rather than for drinking excessively; but now of a long while the pleasure and pastime of these houses is chiefly fuddling and devouring vast quantities of wine and ale, and stout, and brandy. Shrove Tuesday. "EVERY year on Shrove Tuesday, the school boys do bring cocks of the game to their master, and all the forenoon they delight themselves in cock-fighting. After dinner all the youths go into the fields to play at the ball. The scholars of every school have their, ball or bastion in their hands. The antient and wealthy men of the city come forth on horseback, to see the sport of the young men and to take part of the pleasure in beholding their agility."— FITZSTEPHEN in STOW.1 wwwww Lent Fridays. "EVERY Friday in Lent, a fresh company of young men comes into the field on horseback, and the best horsemen conduct the rest. Then march forth the citizens sons, and other young men with disarmed lances and shields, and there they practice feats of war. Many courtiers likewise when the King lyeth near, and attendants on noblemen do repair to these exercises, and while the hope of victory doth inflame their minds, they shew good proof how serviceable they would be in martial affairs."—Ibid. The reader will find these extracts subjoined to Srow's Survey.-J. W. W. 2SO SOUTHEY has headed it from Srow; but in the original Latin of Stephanides, or FitzStephen, it is "Singulis diebus dominicis in Quadragesima."-J. W. W. Easter Water-tilts. "IN Easter holydays, they fight battles on the water; a shield is hanged on a pole, fixed in the midst of the stream. A boat is prepared without oars, to be carried by violence of the water, and in the forepart thereof standeth a young man ready to give charge upon the shield with his lance; if so be he break his launce against the shield, and doth not fall, he is thought to have performed a worthy deed; if so be without breaking his launce he runneth strongly against the shield, down he falleth into the water, for the boat is violently forced with the tide. But on each side of the shield ride two boats, furnished with young men, which recover him that falleth, as soon as they may. Upon the bridge, wharfs and houses, by the river side, stand great numbers to see and laugh thereat."—Ibid. Summer Holiday Evenings. "In the holydays all the summer the youths are exercised in leaping, dancing, shooting, wresting, casting the stone, and practising their shields. The maidens trip with their timbrels, and dance as long as they can well see. In winter, every holyday, before dinner, the boars prepared for brawn are set to fight, or else bulls or bears are baited."-Ibid. Whittington's Epitaph, St. Michaels, "Ur fragrans Nardus testis sit cetus eorum. 'Anglicè Whittington, i. e. whiting-town. Omnibus exemplum, barathrum vincendo morosum. divinis res rata turbis. sis sibi Christe quies. Amen." STOW. St. Paul's Buck. "SIR William Baud, knight the 3rd of Edward I., 1274, on Candlemas-day, granted to Harvey de Borham, Dean of Pauls, and to the chapter there, that in consideration of 22 acres of ground or land, by them granted within their manor of Westley, in Essex, to be inclosed into his park at Curingham, he would for ever, upon the feast day of the Conversion of Paul, in winter, give unto them a good doe, seasonable and sweet and upon the feast of the Commemoration of St. Paul, in summer, a good buck, and offer the same at the high altar; the same to be spent among the canons residents. The doe to be brought by one man, at the hour of procession, and through the procession to the high altar; and the bringer to have nothing. The buck to be brought by all his meyney in like manner, and they to have paid unto them by the church 12 pence only, and no more to be required. "Now what I have heard by report and have partly seen, it followeth : On the feast day of the Commemoration of St. Paul, the buck being brought up to the steps of the high altar in Pauls Church, at the hour of procession, the dean and chapter apparelled in coaps and vestments, with garlands of roses on their heads, they sent the body of This epitaph is not in the copy of STOW before me. These lines are evidently defective. WEEVER, in his Funeral Monuments, calls it "crazed and imperfect," p. 407.-J. W. W. the buck to baking, and had the head fixed on a pole, born before the cross in their procession, until they issued out at the west door, where the keeper that brought it blowed the death of the buck, and then the horners that were about the city presently answered him in like manner; for the which pains they had each man, of the dean and chapter, 4d. in money and their dinner. And the keeper that brought it, during his abode there, for that service, meat, drink, and lodging, at the dean and chapters charges, and 5d. in money at his going away, together with a loaf of bread, having the picture of St. Paul upon it. "There was belonging to the church of St. Paul, for both the days, two special suits of vestments, the one imbroidered with bucks, the other with does.”—August 16, 1798, Hereford. Ostrich-eggs, how hatched.1 "WE read in an old Arabian manuscript that when the ostrich would hatch her eggs, she does not cover them as other fowls do, but both the male and female contribute to hatch them by the efficacy of their looks only; and therefore when one has occasion to go to look for food, it advertises its companion by its cry, and the other never stirs during its absence, but remains with its eyes fixed upon the eggs, till the return of its mate, and then goes in its turn to look for food. And this care of theirs is so necessary, that it cannot be suspended for a moment; for if it should, their eggs would immediately become addle."-HARRIS'S Collect. of Voy. P.VANSLEBE, Relat. d'Egypte, p. 103. This is said to emblem the perpetual attention of the Creator to the universe. The note book which furnishes these extracts has been kindly lent to me by Mrs. Southey.-J. W. W. 2 "Oh! even with such a look, as fables say, The mother ostrich fixes on her egg," &c. Thalaba, book iii. p. 24.-J. W. W. Gladiators, why suppressed. "UNDER the Emperor Honorius, when Prudentius, a Christian poet, had endeavoured to obtain the abolition of the gladiatorian spectacles, Telemachos, a hermit of the East, appeared in the amphitheatre. As soon as the combat had begun, he descended, with a dignified simplicity, inflamed by the spirit of benevolence and holy zeal, into the arena, and endeavoured to prevent the combatants from murdering each other. The spectators, enraged, rose and stoned him. Perhaps there may be some who will feel inclined to ridicule the simplicity of this dignified man, though had it been the act of a heathen philosopher, they would have admired and cited it as exemplary. Telemachos, however, was the last sacrifice to this accursed custom. Honorius was moved, forbad the games of the gladiators, and from that period they were entirely abolished.-STOLBERG'S Travels. This S. has another name, Almachius. who happen to die at this season, go directly to heaven."-GEMELLI. BROUGHTON'S Dict. of all Religions. Feast of Lights. "HANUCA or Channuccah, the feast of lights, or feast of dedication, an anniversary festival among the Jews, in memory of Judas Maccabæus's repairing and dedicating anew the temple and altar, which had been plundered and prophaned by Antiochus Epiphanes. It was observed on 25th of the month Cisleu, and was continued eight days. On the first day they light one lamp, on the second, two, and so on to the eighth day, when they light eight lamps. The occasion of this is as follows. The enemies having prophaned the city and temple, were driven out by Jonathan and his sons. Upon his return, he found there was not oil enough left to light the lamps of the great branch for more than one night, but by a miracle it lasted eight."-Broughton. St. Peter ad Vincula.-Lammas Day.1 "THE first of August was celebrated in honour of Augustus, who on that day had occasion to change the name of the month been saluted with that name, and so given Theodosius, having made a journey to Jefrom Sextilis to August. Eudoxia, wife of Death of Ali's Sons celebrated. "THE Persians observe a festival in memory of the death of Hassan and his brother, the sons of Hali, who were killed by Omar, near Bagdad. It begins on the 23rd of August, and lasts ten days, during which every square is adorned with lights, and a long banner or streamer, near which a Mul-rusalem, was there presented with the fetlah or priest gets up into a pulpit to preach, and makes a most hideous noise. All the inhabitants of that quarter go to hear him, clad in red and blue silk gowns, as a token of sorrow. The women supply the Mullahs with sweatmeats and rose-water, to cool them when they are heated with preaching. On one of the ten days, they set a figure of straw, which they call Omar, on an ass, and after having led them about the town, they kill the poor ass, and set fire to the image. They are fully persuaded that during these ten days, the gates of heaven stand continually open, and that all Mussulmen, ters which St. Peter had been loaded with in prison. These she presented to the Pope, who afterwards laid them up in a church built by Theodosius to the honour of St. Peter. She also obtained a decree of her husband, that the first of August should be kept holy in remembrance of St. Peter's bonds, thinking it unreasonable that a heashould have a holy day." then emperor Certainly July and August ought to be christened. This day has another remarkable name, the GULE of August. See SPELMAN in v.-J. W. W. "THIS day is called Lammas day, from a conceit the people had that St. Peter was patron of the lambs, because our Saviour said to him, 'Feed my lambs.' Upon which account they thought the mass of this day very beneficial to make their lambs thrive." -Ibid. till the consummation of all things, when they were to be thrown into the gulph of fire. Uriel was sent to Noah, to warn and instruct him."-Ibid. year Egregori of the Book of Enoch. "THE Egregori, or watching angels, to the number of 200, having fallen in love with the daughters of men, on account of their excellent beauty, descended on the top of mount Hermon.' Their princes were twenty, Semiazas the chief. In the of the world 170, they took themselves wives, and committed leudness with them till the flood, in which time the women bore to them three generations. The first was the giants; they begat the Nephilim, they the Eliud. Their chief taught them the force of poisonous roots and herbs. Azalzel, the art of working metals and precious stones, also of making swords, and other instruments of war. Pharmarus, charms and in cantations. Chobabiel (astrology, Araciel), the signs of the earth. Sampsich, those of the sun. Sariel, those of the moon; and in like manner each of them revealed certain secrets to their wives and children. But impiety and all manner of corruption increasing upon the earth, the four archangels, by the command of God, bound the princes of those transgressors, and threw them into the abyss, there to remain till the day of judgement."-Ibid. "THE angel Raphael was commissioned to heal the earth of the wounds caused by the secrets these Egregori had revealed. Gabriel's charge was, to destroy the giants. Michael was commanded to bind Semiazas and his companions, and to lead them to the uttermost parts of the earth, where they were to be confined for seventy generations, 1 See Abp. LAWRENCE's edit. of the Book of Enoch, vii. 7. p. 6-J. W. W. River Dee, and Ceirioc. It seems as it would rive the rocks alone, strong; On both the sides are bankes and hilles good store, And mightie stones that makes the river rore. It flowes with winde, although no raine there bee, And swelles like sea with waves and foaming flood; A wonder sure, to see this river Dee A cause there is, a nature for the same, and frame.1 Coracles. THE Coracles are still used in some parts of Wales.1 “They are generally 5 feet long, and 4 broad; their bottom is a little rounded, and their shape nearly oval. These boats are ribbed with light laths, or split twigs, in the manner of basket work, and are covered with a raw hide, or strong canvas, pitched in such a mode as to prevent their leaking. A seat crosses just above the centre, towards the broader end. They seldom weigh more than between 20 and 30 pounds. The men paddle them with one hand, while they fish with the other; and when their work is completed, they throw the coracles over their shoulders, and without difficulty return with them home. "Riding through Abergwilly, we saw several of these phoenomena resting with their bottoms upwards, against the houses, and resembling the shells of so many enormous turtles; and indeed a traveller at the first view of a coracle on the shoulders of a fisherman, might fancy he saw a tortoise walking on his hinder legs.”—WYNDHAM. 1 They are still commonly used on the Severn and the Wye. As a boy I could manage one dexterously in fishing, and have often carried it across my shoulders. Herodotus first mentions them, see Clio. c. 194. And it is curious that Captain Keppel ascended the Euphrates in just such another conveyance : See Travels, vol. i. p. 192. This note is used up in Madoc in Wales, xiii. p. 348.-J. W. W. 2 I do not feel justified in omitting such extracts as this, though used up, like others, in SOUTHEY'S works. See the ballad, p. 454. J. W. W. pascebat, nescio quid garrire cœpit. Quo audito, mulieris cultellus de manu excidit, simul & facies pallescere cœpit, & emisso rugitu, Hodiè, inquit, accipiam grande incommodum, hodiéq; ad sulcum ultimum, meum pervenit aratrum. Quo dicto, nuncius doloris intravit. Muliere verò percunctata ad quid veniret, Affero, inquit, tibi filii tui obitum, & totius familiæ ejus ex subita ruina interitum. Hoc quoque dolore mulier permota, lecto protinus decubuit, graviter infirmata. Sentiensq; morbum subrepere ad vitalia, liberos quos habuit superstites, monachum videlicet & monacham per Epistolam invitavit. Advenientes autem voce singultiente alloquitur. Ego, inquit, o pueri, meo miserabili fato dæmoniacis semper artibus inservivi. Ego omnium vitiorum sentina, ego illecebrarum omnium fui magistra. Erat tamen mihi inter hæc mala, spes vestræ religionis, quæ meam solidaret animam desperatam, vos expectabam propugnatores contra dæmones, tutores contra sævissimos hostes. Nunc igitur quoniam ad finem vitæ perveni, rogo vos per materna ubera ut mea tentetis alleviare tormenta. Insuite me defunctam corio cervino, ac deinde in sarcophago lapideo supponite, operculumque ferro & plumbo constringite, ac demum lapidem tribus cathenis ferreis & fortissimis circundantes, clericos quinquaginta psalmorum cantores, & tot per tres dies presbyteros missarum celebratores applicate, qui feroces lenigent adversariorum incursus. Ita si tribus noctibus secura jacuero quarto die me infodite humo. Factumq; est ut præceperat illis. Sed, proh dolor! nil preces, nil lacrymæ nil demum valuere cathenæ. Primis enim duabus noctibus, cum chori psallentium corpori assistebant, advenientes dæmones ostium Ecclesiæ confregerunt ingenti obice clausum, extremasq; cathenas negotio levi dirumpunt. Media autem, quæ fortior erat, illibata manebat. Tertiâ autem nocte, circa gallicinium, strepitu hostium adventantium, omne monasterium visum est à fundamento moveri. Unus ergo dæmonum & vultu cæteris terribilior, & staturâ eminentior, januas Ecclesiæ impetu violento |