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ARMS OF GEORGE HERIOT.

This armorial bearing is carved on many parts of the edifice.

Gorge hermote

The present fac-simile of his signature, is from one engraved from his subscription to an "acompt," in his "Memoirs" before quoted.

SWAN-HOPPING SEASON.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. June 24, 1826.

Sir, It was about this season of the year, though I am not aware of any precise day being fixed for the excursion, that the chief magistrate of the city, in the stately barge, attended by all the "pride, pomp, and circumstance" of flags, gilding, and music, used, when I was a boy, which is a good thirty years ago, to proceed up the river Thames as far as Staines, and, I believe, pour a glass of wine, or perform some such ceremony, upon a stone, which, standing in a meadow a short distance above Staines-bridge, marks the city's watery jurisdiction. The custom may, for aught I know to the contrary, be still continued, though I suspect it has become obsolete, and my conjecture is strengthened by not observing in your Every-Day Book any mention of this civic excursion, or " Swan-hopping," as I believe it was called. My reason for reviving the memory of it now, is to introduce an authentic anecdote. Your invitations 10 correspondents have been

frequent; and should I be fortunate enough to assist you to a column in a way that will be gratifying to you and your numerous readers, I shall rejoice in the opportunity.

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I am, Sir, &c.

City Swan-hopping.

N. G

The following curious circumstance occurred, several years ago, at a tavern in the vicinity of Putney-bridge. Several members of one of the city companies having accompanied the chief magistrate on an excursion up the river, quitted his lordship, and landed at the house in question. A boat containing a party of six ladies, elegantly dressed, and rowed by two watermen, in scarlet jackets, put in at the same time.

The happy citizens relieved from the controul of their dames, could not resist this opportunity of showing their gallantry and politeness. They stepped forward and offered their aid to assist the ladies this act of civility was followed by others. in landing; the offer was accepted; and They walked, talked, and laughed together, till dinner was announced. The gentlemen went to the larger room; the ladies sat down to a repast laid out for them by their order in a smaller one.

After some time the ladies again returned to the lawn, where the gentlemen occasionally joined them and continued their civilities till the watermen informed them the tide served for their return to town. The gentlemen then assisted the ladies on board, and wished them a safe voyage. Soon after they called for their bill, which was handed to the chairman in due form; but it is impossible to express the surprise which marked his countenance on reading the following items:-" Dinner, desert, wine, tea, &c. for the ladies, 77. 10s. ;" together with a charge of twelve shillings for servants' refreshments. The landlord was sent for and questioned as to this charge, who said the ladies had desired the bill should be delivered to their spouses, who would settle it. An explanation now took place, when it appeared the parties were strangers to each other; for these sprightly dames, taking advantage of the occasional civilities of the gallant and unsuspecting scan-hoppers, had imposed themselves on honest Boniface, nothing loth perhaps to be imposed on, as the wives of the city company, and, as such, had been served with an elegant

dinner, desert, wine, &c. which they had left their husbands to pay for. The discovery at first disconcerted the gentlemen, but the wine they had drank having opened their hearts and inspired them with liberality, they took the trick put upon them in good part, and paid the bill; and the recollection of the wives of the city company, long afterwards afforded .them an ample subject for conversation and laughter.

ORIGINAL POETRY.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book.

Sir,-The following beautiful lines were written in the summer of the year 1808, at Sheffield, and have not been published; as they are no mean effusion, perhaps they will not disgrace your interesting little work.

Believe me, Sir, &c.
July 9, 1826.

C. T.

THE OAK AND THE WILLOW.

When the sun's dazzling brightness oppresses the day,
How delightful to ramble the forests among!
And thro' the arched boughs hung with woodbine so gay,
To view the rich landscape, to hear the sweet song!

And lo! where the charms of the wild woodland vale,
Expanding in beauty, enrapture the sight;
Here the woods in dark majesty wave in the gale,

There the lawns and the hills are all blazing in light.

From yonder high rocks, down the foaming stream rushes,
Then gleams thro' the valley o'ershadowed with trees,
While the songsters of spring, warbling wild from the bushes,
With exquisite melody charm the faint breeze.

The peasant boy now with his cattle descends,

Winding slow to the brook down the mountain's steep tide;
Where the larch o'er the precipice mournfully bends,
And the mountain-ash waves in luxuriance beside.

And mark yonder oak-'tis the cliff's nodding crest,
That spreads its wide branches and towers sublime;

The morning's first glances alight on its breast,

And evening there spends the last glimpse of her time.

But hark! the storm bursts, and the raging winds sweep-
See the lightning's swift flash strikes its branches all bare!
E'en the leaves, where the sunbeams delighted to sleep,

Are scorched in the blaze, and are whirled thro' the air.

Yet the shrubs in the vale closely sheltered from harm,
Untouch'd by the tempest, scarce whisper a sound;
While the mountains reecho the thunder's alarm,

The winds are restrained by the rock's massy bound.

Thus the rich and the great who engross fortune's smiles,
Feel the rankling of care often torture their rest,
While peace all the toils of the peasant beguiles,
Or hope's higher raptures awake in his breast.

Then mine be the lot of the willow that weeps,
Unseen in the glen o'er the smooth flowing rill,
'Mongst whose pensile branches the flow'ret creeps,
And the strains of the night-bird the ear sweetly thrill

Some nook in the valley of life shall be mine,
Where time imperceptibly swiftly glides by,
True friendship and love round my heart shall entwine,
And sympathy start the warm tear in my eye.

Then haply my wild harp will make such sweet notes,
That the traveller climbing the rock's craggy brow,
May stop and may list, as the music still floats,
And think of the bard in the valley below.

NATURALISTS' CALENDAR. Mean Temperature 6132.

July 6.

...

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LAYING OUT OF LANDS

In the Parish of Puxton, Somerset. The subjoined letter was duly received according to its date, and is now in due time inserted. The editor has very few omissions of this kind to apologize for: if he has prematurely, and therefore unduly, introduced some communications which arrived too late for their proper days, he may be excused, perhaps, in consideration of the desire expressed by some correspondents, that their papers should appear in a "reasonable" time or not at all. Unhappily he has expe, rienced the mishap of a "reasonable" difference, with one or two of his contributors. From the plan of this work, certain matters-of-fact could only range, with propriety, under certain days; while it has been conceived of, by some, as a magazine wherein any thing could come, at any time. In this dilemma he has done the best in his power, and introduced, in a few instances, papers of that nature out of place. On two or three occasions, indeed, it seemed a courtesy almost demanded by the value of such articles, that they should not await the rotation of the year. The following curiously descriptive account of a remarkable local custom is from a Somersetshire gentleman, who could be relied on for a patient endurance of nine months, till this, its due season arrived.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Bristol, October 19, 1825. Sir,-Having observed in your Every

Day Book, p. 837, vol i. mention of an ancient custom of dividing lands, which formerly took place on the Saturday before old midsummer-day, in the parish of Puxton, in Somersetshire, (taken from Mr. Collinson's history of that county,) I now send you a more explicit and enlarged account, with the marks as they were cut in each person's allotment.

The

The two large pieces of common land called Dolemoors, which lie in the parishes of Congresbury, Week St. Lawrence and Puxton, were allotted in the following manner. On the Saturday preceding midsummer-day O. S. the several proprietors (of the estates having any right in those moors) or their tenants, were summoned at a certain hour in the morning, by the ringing of one of the bells at Puxton, to repair to the church, in order to see the chain (kept for the purpose of laying out Dolemoors) measured. tained by placing one end thereof at the proper length of such chain was ascerthe body of the church, and extending it foot of the arch, dividing the chancel from through the middle aisle, to the foot of the arch of the west door under the tower, in the stones for that purpose. at each of which places marks were cut The chain used for this purpose was only eighteen yards in length, consequently four yards shorter than the regular landAfter the chain had measuring chain. been properly measured, the parties reTwenty-four paired to the commons. apples were previously prepared, bearing the following marks, viz. Five marks called "Pole-axes," four ditto "Crosses," two ditto "Dung-forks, or Dung-pikes," one mark called "Four Oxen and a Mare," one ditto "Two Pits," one ditto "Three Pits," one ditto "Four Pits," one ditto "Five Pits," one ditto "Seven Pits," one "Horn," one "Hare's-tail," one "Duck's-nest," one" Oven," one "Shell," one "Evil," and one "Hand-reel."

It is necessary to observe that each of these moors was divided into several

portions called furlongs, which were marked out by strong oak posts, placed at regular distances from each other; which posts were constantly kept up. After the apples were properly prepared, they were put into a hat or bag, and certain persons fixed on for the purpose, began to measure with the chain beforementioned, and proceeded till they had measured off one acre of ground; at the end of which, the boy who carried the hat or bag containing the marks took out one of the apples, and the mark which such apple bore, was immediately cut in the turf with a large knife kept for that purpose this knife was somewhat in the shape of a scimetar with its edge reversed. In this manner they proceeded till the whole of the commons were laid out, and each proprietor knowing the mark and furlong which belonged to his estate, he took possession of his allotment or allotments accordingly, for the ensuing year. An adjournment then took place to the house of one of the overseers, where a certain number of acres reserved for the purpose of paying expenses, and called the "out-let or out-drift," were let by inch of candle.

During the time of letting, the whole party were to keep silence, (except the person who bid,) under the penalty of one shilling. When any one wished to bid, he named the price he would give, and immediately deposited a shilling on the table where the candle stood; the next who bid, also named his price and deposited his shilling in like manner, and the person who first bid was then to take up his shilling. The business of letting thus proceeded till the candle was burnt out, and the last bidder, prior to that event, was declared the tenant of the out-let, or outdrift, for the ensuing year.

Two overseers were annually elected from the proprietors or their tenants. A quantity of strong ale or brown-stout was allowed for the feast, or "revel," as it was called; also bread, butter and cheese, together with pipes and tobacco, of which any reputable person, whose curiosity or casual business led him to Puxton on that day, was at liberty to partake, but he was expected to deposit at his departure one shilling with the overseer, by way of forfeit for his intrusion. The day was generally spent in sociality and mirth, frequently of a boisterous nature, from the exhilarating effects of the brown-stout before alluded to; for it rarely happened

but that some of the junior part of the company were desirous of making a trial of their skill in the sublime art of pugilism. when hard knocks, thumps, bangs, ana kicks, and consequently black eyes, bloody noses, and sore bones, were distributed with the greatest liberality amongst the combatants.

"And now the field of Death, the lists Are enter'd by antagonists."

In this stage of the business, some venerable yeoman usually stepped forward and harangued the contending parties, in some such speech as the following, which I am sorry to say was most commonly thrown away upon these pot-valiant champions :

"What rage, O friends! what fury
Doth you to these dire actions hurry?
What towns, what garrisons might you,
With hazard of this blood subdue,
Which now y'are bent to throw away
In vain untriumphable fray?"

seldom bore each other any grudge or ill-
Yet after these civil broils, the parties
the contest,
will, and generally at the conclusion of

"Tho' sorely bruis'd, their limbs all o'er
With ruthless bangs still stiff and sore,"

they shook hands, became good friends
again, and departed with the greatest
sang-froid to apply

"Fit med'cines to each glorious bruise
They got in fight, reds, blacks, and blues;
To mollify th' uneasy pang
Of ev'ry honourable bang."

In the year 1779, an attempt was made to procure an act of parliament for allotting these moors in perpetuity; but an opposition having been made by a majority of the proprietors, the plan was relinquished. I have now by me a printed copy of the bill drawn up on that occasion. The land, however, was actually enclosed and allotted in the year 1811, and the ancient mode of dividing it, and consequently the drunken festival, or revel, from that time discontinued.

The following marks are correct delineations of those used, being taken from the originals in the book appropriated for the purpose of keeping the accounts of this very singular and ancient usage.

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