"BURNING THE WITCH" I shall climb up those high and rugged cliffs Without a hand. * [From the "Huntingdon Divertisement," an Interlude," for the general entertainment at the County Feast, held at Merchant Taylor's Hall, June 20th, 1678, by W. M."] Humour of a retired Knight. Sir Jeoffry Doe-right. Master Generous Gen. Sir Jeoffry, good morrow. Gen. Your early zeal condemns the rising sun Sir J. Did you know The pleasures of an early contemplation, You drowsy on your bed; but rouse, and spend Gen. Your practice, Sir, merits our imitation; Where the least particle of night and day's Improv'd to th' best advantage, whilst your soul (Unclogg'd from th' dross of melancholic cares) Makes every place a paradise. Sir J. 'Tis true, I bless my lucky stars, whose kind aspects C. L. My transcript breaks off here. Perhaps what follows was of less value; or perhaps I broke off, as I own I have sometimes done, to leave in my readers a relish, and an inclination to explore for themselves the genuine fountains of these old dramatic delicacies. AT BRIDLINGTON, &C. For the Table Book. of Yorkshire about fifty years ago, and A custom was very prevalent in this part earlier, which has since been gradually discontinuing, until it has become nearly extinct-called "burning the witch" in the harvest-field. On the evening of the day in which the last corn was cut belonging to a farmer, the reapers had a merrimaking, which consisted of an extra allowance of drink, and burning of peas in the straw. The peas when cut from the ground are left to dry in small heaps, named pea-reaps, Eight or ten of these reaps were collected into one, and set fire to in the field, whilst the labourers ran and danced about, ate the "brustled peas," blacked each other's faces with the burned straw, and played other tricks; the lads generally aiming for the lasses, and the lasses for the lads. Such of them as could add a little grease to the grime seldom failed to do it. Even the good dame herself has sometimes joined in the general sport, and consequently fallen in for her share of the face-blacking. The evening's entertainment consisted also of the cream-pot, which was a supper of cream and cakes, provided and eaten in the house prior to the commencement of the sport in the field. Cream-pot cakes were made rather thick, and sweet with currants and caraway-seeds. They were crossed on the top by small squares, owing to the dough being slightly cut transversely immediately before baking. The practice of "burning the witch probably had its origin in those days of superstition, when the belief in witchery so generally and, indeed, almost universally prevailed, and was considered necessary under an idea of its being available in preventing the overthrowing of the wains, the laming of the horses, and the injuring of the servants, and of securing general success in the removing, housing, or stacking of the produce of the farm. Bridlington, July, 1827. T. C. P.S. October, 1827.-One evening in the harvest of this year I was at North Burton, near Bridlington, and three distinct fires were then seen in the fields. T. C. WITCHCRAFT. For the Table Book. RECOLLECTIONS OF PRACTICES FORMERLY Having a small, smooth limestone, picked up on the beach, with its edges rubbed down by friction and the continual action of the sea, and with a natural hole through it, tied to the key of a house, warehouse, barn, stable, or other building, prevented the influence of witches over whatever the house, &c. contained. Sailors nailed a horse-shoe on the foremast, and jockeys one on the stable-door, but to be effective the shoe ought necessarily to be found by accident. On meeting a suspected witch the thumb of each hand was turned inward, and the fingers firmly closed upon it; care was also taken to let her have the wall-side or best path. Caution was used that gloves, or any portion of apparel worn next to the skin, came not into the possession of a witch, as it was strongly believed she had an highly ascendant power over the rightful owner. A bit of witch-wood, or a hare's foot, was carried in the pocket, under an impression that the possessor was free from any harm that otherwise might accrue from the old hag's malignant practices. One thing of importance was not to go out of the house in a morning without taking a bite of bread, cake, or other eatable to break the fast. A thick white curtain was hung inside the window, to prevent an "evil eye being cast into the room. way; a dish made of ash-wood was in- Bridlington, July 30, 1827. OLD HOUSES AND FURNITURE. To the Editor. Sir,-A rare and valuable copy of "Holinshed's Chronicles of Englande, Scotlande, and Irelande," a black letter folio volume, with curious wood-cuts, "imprinted at London" in 1577, has lately fallen in my way, and afforded me considerable amusement. One chapter especi ally, in "The Seconde Booke of the Description of Britaine," namely, “Cap. 10. Of the Maner of Buylding, and furniture of our Houses," cannot,fail, I think, to interest your readers. After a very entertaining account of the construction of our ancient cottages and country houses before glass came into general use, this historian of the age of queen Elizabeth proceeds as follows: "The auncient maners and houses of our gentlemen are yet for the most part of strong tymber. Howbeit such as be lately buylded are commonly either of bricke, or harde stone, their rowmes large and stately, and houses of office farder distaunt fro their lodginges. Those 17 of the nobilitie are likewise wrought with bricke and harde stone, as provision may best be made; but so magnificent and stately, as the basest house of a barren doth often match with some honours of princes in olde tyme; so that if ever curious buylding did flourish in Englande it is in these our dayes, wherein our worckemen excel and are in maner comparable in skill with old Vitrunius and Serlo. The furniture of our houses also exceedeth, and is growne in maner even to passing delicacie; and herein I do not speake of the nobilitie and gentrie onely, but even of the lowest sorte that have any thing to take to.** Certes, in noble men's houses it is not rare to see abundance of arras, riche hangings of tapestry, silver vessell, and so much other plate, If a few drops of the old creature's blood could be obtained, they were considered sufficiently efficacious in preventing her secret, black, and baneful workings." Although the practices abovementioned are spoken of in the past tense, they are not, at the present time, altogether done away; not a few, who are now living, are credulous enough to believe in their potency. The following may be mentioned as a fact, which occurred a short time ago in the neighbourhood where the writer of this article resides :-A person bought a pig, which after keeping for some time grew very badly," and witchery was suspected to be the cause; to ascertain the certainty of the fact nine buds of the eldertree (here commonly called buttery) were laid in a straight line, and all pointing one 66 "To tack to," a very common expression among the lower classes hereabouts. as may furnish sudrie cupbordes, to the summe ofte times of a thousand or two thousande pounde at the least; wherby the value of this and the reast of their stuffe doth grow to be inestimable. Likewise, in the houses of knightes, gentleme, marchauntmen, and other wealthie citizens, it is not geson to beholde generallye their great provision of tapestrie, Turkye worke, pewter, brasse, fine linen, and therto costly cupbords of plate woorth five or sixe hundred pounde, to be demed by estimation. But as herein all these sortes doe farre exceede their elders and predecessours, so in tyme past the costly furniture STAYED THERE, whereas now it is descended yet lower, even unto the inferiour artificers and most fermers, who have learned to garnish also their cupbordes with plate, their beddes with tapestrie and silke hanginges, and their table with fine naperie, whereby the wealth of our countrie doth infinitely appeare. Neither do I speake this in reproch of any man, God is my judge, but to shew that I doe rejoyce rather to see how God hath blessed us with hys good giftes, and to behold how that in a time, wherein all thinges are growen to most excessive prices, we doe yet finde the meanes to obtayne and atchieve such furniture as hath heretofore been impossible. "There are olde men yet dwelling in the village where I remayne, which have noted three things to be marveylously altered in Englande within their sound remembraunce. One is, the multitude of chimnies lately erected, wheras, in their young dayes there were not above two or three, if so many, in most uplandish townes of the realme, (the religious houses and mannour places of their lordes alwayes excepted, and peradventure some great personages,) but eache one made his fire against a reredosse in the hall, where he dined and dressed his meate. "The second is the great amendment of lodginge; for, sayde they, our fathers, and we ourselves, have lyen full oft upon straw pallettes, covered onely with a sheete under coverlettes, made of dagswain or hopharlots, (I use their own termes,) and a good round logge under their heades in steade of a boulster. If it were so that our fathers, or the good man of the house, had a matteress or flock bed, and therto a sacke of chafe to rest hys head upon, he thought himself as well lodged as the lorde of the towne; so well were they contented. Pillowes, sayde they, were thoughte_meete onely for women in childbed. vants, if they had any sheete above them As for ser it was well; for seldom had they any under their bodies to keepe them from the pricking strawes that ran oft thorow the canvass, and raced their hardened hides.* "The thirde thinge they tell of is the exchange of treene platters into pewter, and woode spoones into silver or tin. For so cōmon were al sortes of treene vesselles in old time, that a man should hardly find four peces of pewter, of which one was, peradventure, a salte in a good farmer's house; and yet for al this frugalitie, (if it may so be justly called,) they were scarse able to lyve and paye their rentes at their dayes without selling of a cow or a horse, or more, although they payde but foure poundes at the uttermost by the yeare. Such also was their poverty, that if a fermour or husbandman had been at the alehouse, a thing greatly used in those dayes, or amongst sixe or seaven of hys neyghbours, and there in a bravery to shewe what store he had did cast down his purse, and therein a noble, or sixe shillings in silver, unto them, it was very likely that all the rest could not lay downe so much against it: wheras, in my tyme, although peradventure foure pounde of olde rent be improved to fourty or fiftye pound, yet will the farmer think his gaines very small toward the middest of his terme, if he have not sixe or seaven yeres rent lying by him, therewith to purchase a newe lease, besides a faire garnish of pewter in his cowborde, three or foure feather beddes, so many coverlettes, and carpettes of tapestry, a silver salte, a bowle for wine, (if not an wholet neast,) and a dussen of spoones to furnishe up the sute. Thys also he taketh to be his owne cleare; for what stocke of money soever he gathereth in all his yeares, it is often seene that the landlorde will take such order with him for the same when he renueth his lease, which is commoly eight or ten yeares before it be expyred, sith it is nowe growen almost to a custome, that if he come not to his lorde so long before, another shall step in for a reversion, and so defeat him outright, that it shall never trouble him more, then the heare of his bearde when the barber hath washed and shaven it from his chinne." Thomsoniana. To the Editor. Sir, I shall be greatly obliged, and there can be no doubt your readers will be considerably interested, by your insertion of the subjoined article in your valuable Table Book. It was copied from the "Weekly Entertainer," published at Sherborne, in Dorsetshire, in the year 1800. I am, sir, Yours, very respectfully, G. H.I. Memoranda of Mr. Thomson, the poet, collected from Mr. William Taylor, formerly a barber and peruke-maker, at SeptemRichmond, Surrey, now blind. ber, 1791. (Communicated by the Earl of Buchan.) Q. Mr. Taylor, do you remember any thing of Thomson, who lived in Kew-lane some years ago? A. Thomson?- Q. Thomson, the poet. ་ A. Ay, very well. I have taken him by the nose many hundred times. I shaved him, I believe, seven or eight years, or more; he had a face as long as a horse; and he sweated so much, that I remember, after walking one day in summer, I shaved his head without lather by his own desire. His hair was as soft as a camel's; I hardly ever felt such; and yet it grew so remarkably, that if it was but an inch long, it stood upright an end from his head like a brush. (Mr. Robertson* confirmed this remark.) Q. His person, I am told, was large and clumsy? A. Yes; he was pretty corpulent, and stooped forward rather when he walked, as though he was full of thought; he was very careless and negligent about his dress, and wore his clothes remarkably plain. (Mr. Robertson, when I read this to him, said, "He was clean, and yet slovenly; he stooped a good deal.") Q. Did he always wear a wig? A. Always, in my memory, and very extravagant he was with them. I have seen a dozen at a time hanging up in my master's shop, and all of them so big that nobody else could wear them. I suppose his sweating to such a degree made him have so many; for I have known him spoil a new one only in walking from London. It appears that this gentleman was very intimate with the author of the "Seasons," but we know nothing farther respecting him. of supr. od 379th 18 P Q. He was a great walker, I believe? A. Yes, he used to walk from Malloch's, at Strand on the Green, near Kew Bridge, and from London, at all hours in the night; he seldom liked to go in a carriage, and I never saw him on horseback; I believe he was too fearful to ride. (Mr. Robertson said he could not bear to get upon a horse.) Q. Had he a Scotch accent? 4. Very broad; he always called me Wull. Q. Did you know any of his relations? A. Yes; he had two nephews, (cousins,) Andrew and Gilbert Thomson, both gardeners, who were much with him. Andrew used to work in his garden, and keep it in order, at over hours; he died at Richmond, about eleven years ago, of a cancer in his face. Gilbert, his brother, lived at East Sheen, with one esquire Taylor, till he fell out of a mulberry-tree and was killed. Q. Did Thomson keep much company? A. Yes; a good deal of the writing sort. I remember Pope, and Paterson, and Malloch, and Lyttleton, and Dr. Armstrong, and Andrew Millar, the bookseller, who had a house near Thomson's, in Kew-lane. Mr. Robertson could tell you more about them. Q. Did Pope often visit him? A. Very often; he used to wear a lightcoloured great coat, and commonly kept it on in the house'; he was a strange, illformed, little figure of a man; but I have heard him and Quin, and Paterson, talk together so at Thomson's, that I could have listened to them for ever, Q. Quin was frequently there, I suppose? A. Yes; Mrs. Hobart, his housekeeper, often wished Quin dead, he made her master drink so. I have seen him and Quin coming from the Castle together at four o'clock in a morning, and not over sober you may be sure. When he was writing in his own house, he frequently sat with a bowl of punch before him, and that a good large one too. Q. Did he sit much in his garden? A. Yes, he had an arbour at the end of it, where he used to write in summer time. I have known him lie along by himself upon the grass near it, and talk away as though three or four people were along with him. (This might probably be when he was reciting his own compositions.) Q. Did you ever see any of his writing? A. I was once tempted, I remember, to take a peep; his papers used to lie in a loose pile upon the table in his study, and I had longed for a look at them a good while so one morning while I was waiting in the room to shave him, and he was longer than usual before he came down, I slipped off the top sheet of paper, and expected to find something very curious, but I could make nothing of it. I could not even read it, for the letters looked like all in one. Q. He was very affable in his manner? A. O yes! he had no pride; he was very free in his conversation and very cheerful, and one of the best natured men that ever lived. Q. He was seldom much burthened with cash? A. No; to be sure he was deuced longwinded; but when he had money, he would send for his creditors, and pay them all round; he has paid my master between twenty and thirty pounds at a time. Q. You did not keep a shop yourself then at that time? A. No, sir; I lived with one Lander here for twenty years; and it was while I was apprentice and journeyman with him that I used to wait on Mr. Thomson. Lander made his majors and bobs, and a person of the name of Taylor, in Cravenstreet, in the Strand, made his tie-wigs. An excellent customer he was to both. Q. Did you dress any of his visitors? A. Yes; Quin and Lyttleton, sir George, I think he was called. He was so tenderfaced I remember, and so devilish difficult to shave, that none of the men in the shop dared to venture on him except myself. I have often taken Quin by the nose too, which required some courage, let me tell you. One day he asked particularly if the razor was in good order; and protested he had as many barbers' ears in his parlour at home, as any boy had of birds' eggs on a string; and swore, if I did not shave him smoothly, he would add mine to the number. "Ah," said Thomson, "Wull shaves very well, I assure you." Q. You have seen the "Seasons," I suppose? A. Yes, sir; and once had a great deal of them by heart. (He here quoted a passage from " Spring.") Shepherd, who formerly kept the Castle inn, showed me a book of Thomson's writing, which was about the rebellion in 1745, and set to music, but I think he told me not published. (I mentioned this to Mr. Robertson, but he thought Taylor had made a small mistake; perhaps it might be some of the patriotic songs in the masque of Alfred.) Q. The cause of his death is said to have been by taking a boat from Kew to |