Epgpn&s, Sties, an& $ongs, 
 
 'HE 
 
 DIALECT OF THE 1MTRV 
 
 
 u 
 
 JBaFlads, and a Glossary .f Words in. 
 ' use. 
 
 R R< 
 LY, ST. JOHN SIR 
 
 : : DAY1KS i: S< IN.
 
 Thames Head. 
 
 , anb 
 
 IN THE 
 
 OF 
 
 With several Ballads, and a Glossary of Words in 
 General iise. 
 
 LONDON : KENT & Co., 23, PATERNOSTER Row. 
 
 CIRENCESTER : C. H. SAVORY, . ST. JOHN STREET. 
 
 GLOUCESTER : DAVIES & SON.
 
 This work will be sent Post Free, on receipt of 13 
 Stamps, to any country place in the County, on application 
 to C. H. SAVORY, Steam Press, Cirencester.
 
 // is customary for Authors and Editors to address 
 their readers before introducing them to the work they 
 are asked to peruse. The Editor of this little book will 
 conform to the custom, and introduce his work most 
 respectfully to his readers. 
 
 In submitting the little volume for perusal it is believed 
 that no other work containing examples of the dialect of the 
 peasantry of the county can be obtained, and many of the 
 pieces are difficult to procure, while much of the matter is 
 original. 
 
 The Editor would also mention the fact that the 
 Government schoolmaster is abroad, and that it is likely 
 the broad Saxon dialect now in use in the rural districts 
 of the county will gradually give way to School Board
 
 VI. PREFACE. 
 
 training, and the objection of the ploughman who refused 
 to send his son to the village school because he was taught 
 to spell " taturs " with a "p," will be over-ruled. 
 
 In the various examples throughout the work, not only 
 the dialect, but the character of the peasantry will be seen 
 in various phases. 
 
 The Editor was amused at the conversation of a 
 country boy with his son, on trying their skill at jumping, 
 when the country athlete proclaimed himself superior in 
 the following words : " Thee hast bin to thuck thur 
 
 school and lurn'd aal thick thur jomettry and cassn't 
 
 tf 
 
 jump thuck thur box." He gloried in his ability to out- 
 do one whom he thought was more learned than himself. 
 
 In conclusion, the ivork lias been a labour of love, and 
 if the readers of the following pages experience the same 
 amount of pleasure he has felt in research, his labour will 
 not have been lost. 
 
 To several gentlemen and clergymen of the county the 
 best thanks of the Editor is tendered for contributions 
 original and select.
 
 t&anttntt. 
 
 Introduction ... ... ... ... 6 
 
 George Ridler's Oven ... ... ... 17 
 
 i 
 
 The Witch of Berkeley ... ... ... 19 
 
 The Hornet and the Bittle ... ... ... 20 
 
 Gwain to"Cizzeter Mop ... ... ... 21 
 
 Zong of Zaint Zwithun's Day... ... ... 25 
 
 Fairford Church- Windows the old Clerk's des- 
 cription of ... ... ... ... 29 
 
 The Moolberry Tree ... ... ... ... 49 
 
 The Harkyhollurgists ... ... ... 51 
 
 A Gloucestershire Zong o' Zocial Zience ... 53 
 
 The Tithe Pig ... ... ... ... 55 
 
 The Churchwardens' Complaint ... ... 57 
 
 The Moovin Pannurrammur ... ... ... 6r 
 
 Zayins an' Maxims of Zolomun the Rantur ... 63 
 
 A Tetbury Ghost ... ... ... ... 65
 
 Vlll. CONTENTS. 
 
 Hawfinch on Lady Helps 
 
 Gloucestershire Harvest Home Choruses 
 
 Gloucestershire Courtship 
 
 Dialogue between Willum and Tummus 
 
 Zendin a Valentine ... 
 
 Union Meeting 
 
 The First Bridge on the Thames 
 
 The Skull at Binkney Park ... 
 
 The Three Old Men of Painswick 
 
 The Battle of Barber's Bridge 
 
 Tewkesbury Dialogue 
 
 The Market Cross ... 
 
 Gloucestershire Proverbs 
 
 The Foxcote Find ... 
 
 Glossary 
 
 ILL USTRA TIONS. 
 Title Thames Head. 
 
 Ancient Cross, Ampney Crucis ... ... 50 
 
 Cirencester Church East View ... ... 73 
 
 First Bridge on the Thames ... ... ... 84 
 
 Cirencester Market Cross ... ... ... 100
 
 INTRODUCTION, 
 
 ;HE dialect as spoken by the peasantry of Glouces- 
 tershire is not, as many suppose, mere vulgarisms. 
 The tillers of the land many centuries ago, on the 
 Cotteswold hills, spoke with the same impressiveness, 
 power, and pathos as may still be heard in the retired 
 rural districts of the county. 
 
 In the old words still in use, roots are discoverable 
 from the Dutch, Saxon, Scandinavian, and Gaelic; but 
 the great majority are Saxon. 
 
 As long ago as 1265 a work was written by Robert 
 of Gloucester, in prose and verse, entitled "Chronicles 
 of Robert of Gloucester," in the language still in use 
 by the ploughboys of sequestered districts of the 
 Cotteswolds. 
 
 This dialect is not peculiar to the county of 
 Gloucester, but it is spoken in Wilts, Dorset, and parts 
 of Somerset and Hants. 
 
 This may be accounted for by the well-known fact 
 that in 495 a third settlement of the Saxons took place 
 under Cerdic, who founded the kingdom of Wessex, 
 and the Saxon dialect was planted in the counties 
 before named.
 
 10 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 As century after century succeeded each other there 
 were changes in the language of the Saxon inhabitants 
 of the island, and Cambden gives an interesting illus- 
 tration in his " Remaines concerning Britaine " of the 
 Lord's Prayer as read during several centuries. In 
 A.D. 700 it commences thus 
 
 " Vren Fader thic in heofnas." 
 Two centuries later thus : 
 
 " Thu vre Fader the eart on heofenum." 
 
 More than one hundred and fifty years later, in the 
 time of King Henry the Second, he finds " this rime 
 sent from Rome by Pope Adrian, an Englishman, to 
 bee taught to the people " 
 
 " Vre Fadyr in heauen rich, 
 Thy name be halyedeuer lich." 
 
 The form in the reign of Henry the Third was : 
 
 " Fader that art in heauin blisse, 
 Thin helge name it wurth the blisse." 
 
 Considerable advancement was made, and in the 
 reign of Richard II. it was written as follows : 
 
 Our Fadyr that art in Heaven, halloed be Thy name. 
 Thy kingdom comto, be Thy will done, so in heaven and 
 in erth. Gif to vs this day our bread, ower other substance, 
 and forgif to vs our dettis as we forgeven our detters, and 
 leed vs not into temptation, but deliuer vs fro euill. 
 Amen. 
 
 In Gloucestershire at the present day the dialect 
 varies in pronunciation. On the Cotteswolds they 
 speak strong broad Saxon as their vernacular ; while 
 the inhabitants of the vale on the East side of the Severn 
 differ in their pronunciation, and on the opposite side
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 of the river they use the objective pronoun freely, as 
 " Him's a good un." Near Dursley an.d Cam there 
 will be found a mixture of the Fleming, and w is 
 substituted for r. In the neighbourhood of Tewkes- 
 bury the pronunciation is influenced by the Midland 
 Counties, while the Forest of Dean is peculiar to itself. 
 Throughout the county of Gloucester persons are found 
 who constantly pronounce a as e, and think they are 
 giving a correct pronunciation in saying "Put the 
 beecon on the pleet on the teeble, near the teeturs." 
 
 With the few foregoing remarks by way of intro- 
 duction, we will now give an account of the old song, 
 from one of the annual reports of the Gloucestershire 
 Society, given in the commencement of this little 
 volume : 
 
 GEORGE RIDLER'S OVEN. 
 
 The old song thus entitled was at one time very popular 
 in this county. Of George Ridler himself we know very 
 little, but we gather something of his habits and appear- 
 ance from the report of the Gloucestershire Society in 
 London, in 1803, when a model of this worthy was sent 
 round the table " to avoid trouble to the stewards in 
 collecting donations." This model was a curiosity in its 
 way : the upper part contained " a statute of the cele- 
 brated old George Ridler, reclining upon a barrel with pipe 
 and jug, emblematical of his conviviality. From these his 
 attention has been drawn by the entrance of his dog 
 bringing a fowl. George, caressing him with a counten- 
 ance expressive of his attachment to that faithful animal, 
 seems to exclaim, in the words of the ancient ballad, 
 
 " This dog is good to catch a hen, 
 A duck or goose is vood vor men" 
 
 Upon the plinth on the right hand of the figure is repre- 
 sented in bass-relief George Ridler's Oven, upon which is 
 traced his name, supposed to be done by himself; the 
 date is nearly obliterated. On the front, in bass-relief,
 
 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 two boys exhibiting an indenture, alluding to the purpose 
 of the Gloucestershire Society, and on which is expressed 
 the number of boys that have been apprenticed by it. On 
 the left hand of the figure is the following motto : 
 
 It droppeth like the gentle rain from heav'n 
 Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest t 
 It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. 
 
 Behind is introduced the pelican an emblem of benevo- 
 lence surrounded with rays of glory, denoting the Divine 
 blessing accompanying so laudable an institution. The 
 model was fixed on a frame with castors ; it ran easily and 
 merrily round the table, and was very successful in its 
 tour. The old song of George Ridler was sung by three 
 voices with great effect. Many other songs were given 
 in the course of the evening, and the company seems to 
 have been a very jolly one. The following version of the 
 song, with elucidatory notes, is from one of the annual 
 reports of the Gloucestershire Society : 
 
 It is now generally understood that the words of this 
 song have a hidden meaning, which was only known to the 
 members of the Gloucestershire Society, whose foundation 
 dates from the year 1657. This was three years before the 
 restoration of Charles II., and when the people were 
 growing weary of the rule of Oliver Cromwell. The Society 
 consisted of Loyalists, whose object in combining was to 
 be prepared to aid in the restoration of the ancient consti- 
 tution of the kingdom whenever a favourable opportunity 
 should present itself. The Cavalier or Royalist party were 
 supported by the Roman Catholics of the old and influen- 
 tial families of the kingdom ; and some of the Dissenters, 
 who were disgusted with the treatment they received from 
 Cromwell, occasionally lent them a kind of passive aid. 
 Taking these considerations as the key note to the song, 
 attempts have been made to discover the meaning which 
 was originally attached to its leading words. It is difficult 
 at the present time to give a clear explanation of all its 
 points ; the following, however, is consistent throughout, 
 and is, we believe, correct :
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The Stwones that built George Ridler' s Oven, 
 And thaity keuin from tke Bleakeney's Quar; 
 
 And George he wur a Jolly old Man, 
 And his Yead it graw'd above his Yare. 
 
 By " George Ridler " was meant King Charles I. The 
 " Oven " was the Cavalier party. The " Stwones" which 
 built the Oven, and which "came out of the Blakeney 
 Ouar," were the immediate followers of the Marquis of 
 Worcester, who held out to the last stedfastly for the 
 Royal cause at Raglan Castle, which was not surrendered 
 till 1646, and was, in fact, the last stronghold retained for 
 the King. " His head did grow above his hair " was an 
 allusion to the Crown, the head of the State, and which the 
 King wore " above his hair." 
 
 One thing of George Ridler I must commend, 
 
 And that wur vor a notable Theng ; 
 He mend his Braags avore he died 
 
 W? any dree Brothers his Zons zhoifd zeng, 
 
 This meant that the King, " before he died," boasted 
 that, notwithstanding his present adversity, the ancient 
 Constitution of the kingdom was so good, and its vitality so 
 great that it would surpass and outlive any other form of 
 government, whether Republican, Despotic, or Protective. 
 
 There's Dick the Treble and John the Mean 
 {Let every Man zing in his auwn Pleace), 
 
 And George he wur the elder brother, 
 And therefore he would sing the Beass. 
 
 Dick the treble, Jack the mean, and George the bass, 
 meant the three parts of the British Constitution King, 
 Lords, and Commons. The injunction to " let every man 
 sing in his own place " was intended as a warning to each 
 of the three estates of the realm to preserve its proper 
 position, and not to attempt to encroach on each other's 
 prerogative. 
 
 Mine Hostess's Moid (and her Neaum fwur Nell), 
 A pretty Wench, and I loitd her well; 
 I lov'd her well, good Reauzon why, 
 Becase she lov'd my Dog and I.
 
 14 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 " My Hostess's Moid " was an allusion to the Queen, 
 who was a Roman Catholic, and her Maid the church. 
 The singer we must suppose was one of the leaders of the 
 party, and his " Dog" a companion or faithful official of 
 the Society, and the song was sung on occasions when the 
 members met together socially : and thus, as the Roman 
 Catholics were Royalists, the allusion to the mutual attach- 
 ment between the " Maid" and " My Dog and I" is plain 
 and consistent. 
 
 My Dog has gotten zitch a trick 
 To visit Molds when thauy be zick; 
 When thauy be zick and like to die, 
 O thether gwoes my Dog and I. 
 
 The " Dog," that is the official or devoted member of 
 the Society, had "a trick of visiting maids when they were 
 sick." The meaning here was that when any of the mem- 
 bers were in distress, or desponding, or likely to give up 
 the Royal cause in despair, the officials or active members 
 visited, consoled, and assisted them : 
 
 When they be sick and like to die, 
 thither go my dog and I. 
 
 My Dog is good to catch a hen, 
 A Duck and Goose is voodvor Men; 
 And where good company I spy, 
 O thether gwoes my Dog and I, 
 
 The " Dog," the official or agent of the Society, was 
 "good to catch a hen," a "duck," or a "goose," that is any 
 who were well affected to the Royal cause, of whatever 
 party ; wherever " good company I spy, O thither go my 
 Dog and I " to enlist members into the Society. 
 
 My Mwother told I when I wur yojtng, 
 If I did vollowthe Strong Beer Pwoot, 
 
 That Drenk womd prui> my auverdrow, 
 And meauk me wear a thzread-bare Cwoat. 
 
 " The good ale-tap " was an allusion, under cover of a 
 similarity in the sound of the words " ale " and " aisle," to
 
 INTRODUCTION. 15 
 
 the Church, of which it was dangerous at that time to be 
 an avowed follower, and so the members were cautioned 
 that indiscretion would lead to their discovery and " over- 
 throw." 
 
 When I have dree sixpences under my Thumb, 
 O then I be welcome wherever I come; 
 But when I have none, O then I pass by, 
 ' Tis Poverty pearts good Company. 
 
 The allusion here is to those unfaithful supporters of the 
 Royal cause who "welcomed" the members of the Society 
 when it appeared to be prospering, but " parted " from 
 them in adversity, probably referring ironically to those 
 lukewarm and changeable Dissenters who veered about, 
 for and against, as Cromwell favoured or contemned them. 
 Such could always be had wherever there were " three 
 sixpences under the thumb," but " poverty " easily parted 
 such " good company." 
 
 If I should die \ asat may hap, 
 
 My Greauve shall be ^tnder the good Yeal Tap; 
 
 In voulded Earmes there wool us lie, 
 
 Cheek by Jowl my Dog and I. 
 
 " If I should die," &c. An expression of the singer's 
 wish that if he should die he may be buried with his faith- 
 ful companion, as representing the principles of the society, 
 under the good aisles of the Church, thus evincing his 
 loyalty and attachment to the good old Constitution and 
 to Church and King, even in death 
 
 With folded arms there let me lie, 
 Cheek by jowl my dog and I. 
 
 The song was always sung by the Harmonic Society of 
 Cirencester, whak there used to be musical performances 
 at the WoodhouM 
 
 While upon the subject of " GelHe Ridler's Oven" we 
 must not omit to state that quite recently a theory has been 
 broached by a member of the Cotteswold Naturalists' 
 Society that the song had nothing to do with the Forest of 
 Dean, nor with a " Quar" at Blakeney, but had its origin
 
 l6 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 at Bussage, near Brimscombe. Quoting from a report 
 which appeared in the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard 
 on the 28th September, 1867, we may say that the claim 
 rests upon these facts : 
 
 1. In passing from Quarhouse to Bussage the road leads 
 through a small hamlet, or rather a few houses, called 
 " Black Nest" 
 
 2. On the hill overlooking Black Nest the ground has 
 been quarried for centuries, and one of the beds of great 
 oolite found in these quarries is called by the quarrymen 
 " Oven Stone." 
 
 3. " Ridler" is the surname of a family of yeomen who 
 are known to have resided in the immediate neighbour- 
 hood of Black Nest for three centuries, and " George " 
 has always been one of the family Christian names. 
 
 4. The song is, and always was, popular in the neigh- 
 bourhood, and the vernacular in which the words are pro- 
 nounced exactly resembles that of the locality in question. 
 
 Substitute "Blacknest" for " BlakeneyV and in 
 singing the words they almost invariably sound like 
 "Blakeney's" and nothing more is required to fix the 
 locality with reasonable certainty. Indeed, many of the 
 working men who are acquainted with the song use the 
 word " Blacknest," and not " Blakeney's." 

 
 or 
 
 pEOT\GE RlDLER'S OvEN. 
 
 I. 
 
 E Stwons that built George Ridler's Oven, 
 And thauy keum from the Bleakeney's Ouar ; 
 And George he wur a Jolly old Mon, 
 And his Yead it graw'd above his Yare. 
 
 II. 
 One thing of George Ridler I must commend, 
 
 And that wur vor a notable Theng : 
 He meud his Braags avore he died 
 
 Wi' any dree Brothers his Zons zhou'd zeng.
 
 1 8 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 III. 
 
 Thers's Dick the Treble and John the Mean 
 (Let every Mon zing in his auwn PleaceJ, 
 And George he wur the elder brother, 
 And therevore he would zing the Beass. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Mine Hostess's Moid (and her Neaum t'wur Nell), 
 A pretty Wench, and I lov'd her well ; 
 I lov'd her well, good Reauzon why, 
 Becase zshe lov'd my Dog and I. 
 
 V. 
 
 My Dog has gotten zitch a Trick, 
 To visit Moids when thauy be zick ; 
 When thauy be zick and like to die, 
 O thether gwoes my Dog and I. 
 
 VI. 
 
 My Dog is good to catch a hen, 
 A Duck and Goose is vood vor men ; 
 And where good Company I spy 
 O thether gwoes my Dog and I. 
 
 VII. 
 My Mwother told I when I wur young, 
 
 If I did vollow the Strong Beer Pwoot, 
 That Drenk would pruv my auverdrow, 
 And meauk me wear a thzread-bare Cwoat. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 When I have dree zixpences under my Thumb, 
 O then I be welcome wherever I come ; 
 But when I have none, O then I pass by, 
 'Tis Poverty pearts good Company.
 
 THE WITCH OF BERKELEY. 19 
 
 IX. 
 
 If I should die, as it may hap, 
 
 My Greauve shall be under the good Yeal Tap ; 
 
 In voulded Earmes there wool us lie, 
 
 Cheek by Jowl my Dog and I. 
 
 I 
 
 HE WITCH OF BERKELEY. 
 
 that time a certaine woman in Berkeley accus- 
 tomed to evil arts, when as upon a certaine day shee 
 kept a feast, a Chough which shee used delicately to feede 
 cackled more loud and distinctly than shee was wont to 
 doe, which when shee heard, the knife fell out of her hand, 
 her countenance waxed pale, and havinge fetched a deepe 
 groane, with a sigh said, ' nowe this day is the plowe come 
 to my last furrowe ; ' which beinge said, a messenger 
 cominge in, declared to her the death of her Sonne, and 
 of all her Family exposed to present ruine ; The woman 
 presently laye downe and called to her such of her other 
 children as were Monkes and a Nunne, who cominge shee 
 thus spake unto them ; ' I a wicked follower of an evil art 
 and worse life vainely thought to have been defended by 
 your praiers, nowe I desire to be eased by you of my 
 torments, because judgement is given against my soul, but 
 peradventure you may keepe my body if it bee fast sewed 
 in a stag's skin ; make yee for mee a chest of stone, fast 
 bound and cemented with iron and lead, settinge the 
 same upright, and also bound .about with three iron 
 chaines ; use singers of Psalmes for forty nights, and pay 
 for soe many Masses by daies ; and if I shall soe lie for
 
 20 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 three nights, on the fourth day bury my body in the 
 ground ; ' But all was in vaine, for in the two first nights 
 which the psalmes were in soundinge, the Di veils havinge 
 easily broken the doores, as lightly brake the two utmost 
 iron chaines ; and on the third night about cock-crowinge, 
 the place shakinge, one with a terrible countenance and 
 of a mighty tall stature, havinge broken open the cover of 
 the chest commanded the dead body to arise, who answer- 
 inge that shee could not by reason of the bonds ; bee thou 
 loosed quoth hee, but to thy woe ; and presently all the 
 barres being broken, hee draweth her out of the Church, 
 and setteth her upon a blacke horse, neighinge before the 
 doore, and soe went away with loud sounding cries, heard 
 four miles of. Polichronicon oj Reinulph of Chester. 
 
 THE -frAI\NET AND THE BlTTLE, 
 
 HARNET zet in a hollur tree, 
 A proper spiteful twoad was he ; 
 And a merrily zung while he did zet 
 His stinge as shearp as a bagganet , 
 " Oh, who so vine and bowld as I, 
 I vears not bee, nor waspe, nor vly ! " 
 
 A bittle up thuck tree did clim, 
 And skornfully did look at him ; 
 Zays he, " Zur harnet, who giv thee 
 A right to zet in thuck there tree ? 
 
 Vor ael you zengs zo nation vine, 
 
 I tell 'e 'tis a house o' mine."
 
 GWAIN TO CIZZETER MOP. 21 
 
 The Harriet's conscience velt a twinge, 
 But grawin' bowld wi' his long stinge, 
 Zays he, ' Possession's the best laaw ; 
 Zo here th' sha'snt put a claaw ! 
 Be off, and leave the tree to me, 
 The mixen's good enough for thee ! " 
 
 Just then a yuckle passin' by 
 
 Was axed by them the cause to try : 
 
 " Ha ! ha ! I zee how 'tis ! " zays he, 
 
 " They'll make a vamous munch vor me ! " 
 His bill was shearp, his stomach lear, 
 Zo up a snapped the caddlin pair ! 
 MORAL 
 
 All you as be to laaw inclined 
 
 This leetle stowry bear in mind ; 
 
 Vor if to laaw you aims to gwo, 
 
 You'll vind thy 1 !! allus zar'e zo ; 
 
 You'll meet the vate o' these here two, 
 
 They'll take your cwoat and carcass too ! 
 
 GWAIN TO CIZZETER MOP. 
 
 aal be gwain to Cizzeter Mop 
 On Munday marn zo jolly, 
 Along wi' Bill an' Carter Jo 
 An' Lizer Jane and Molly. 
 
 We aal turn'd out in clane white smocks 
 
 An' billycocks so grand, 
 An' Joe he twisted whip cord 
 
 Aal roun' him vor a band.
 
 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Twur girt big blue and yeller viewers 
 
 Was in our Lizer's hat ; 
 Bill show'd out in his karderoys, 
 
 Rid hankicher an that. 
 
 The voks did stir as we wur gwain, 
 
 An' meny hollered out 
 " Go and get hir"d at Cizzeter, 
 
 Ya lumbrin country lout." 
 
 We walk'd aal droo the naisy mop 
 
 Along wi' Bill and Moll, 
 An' seed the wenches stan' for hire 
 
 In aal thur fol-de-roll.* 
 
 And thur wur Sarny men an' bwoys, 
 
 Wi' gurls from Ashun Kayns ; 
 An' Barnsla voks cum ridin' in 
 
 A wagin weout rains. 
 
 Chup Jack he wur a sellin' nives, 
 
 And wink'd his eye at I ; 
 He draad the nife rite up an' down 
 
 And ast who wants to die ? 
 
 Uh sed the nife ud cut it fat 
 
 An purpose made for I : 
 A country bumpkin, Chawbacon, 
 
 The bwoys they all did cry. 
 
 * Tho country girls waiting to be hired as servants, formerly 
 stood on the edge of the pavement, in a row. The Corn Hall 
 is now used for the purpose.
 
 GWAIN TO CIZZETER MOP. 23 
 
 Ee bout a nife and wagin whip, 
 
 Jack caald I sich a bloke : 
 The nife he soon wur doubled up 
 
 An' whip, be gum, he broke. 
 
 The painted hosses twirlin' roun' 
 
 Clase by the irun pump, 
 Was rode by Joe an, Lizer Ann 
 
 They fell off sich a vlump. 
 
 The swingin' bwots was allus vull 
 
 Wi' country gurls an' bwoys ; 
 Tha screecht and hollerd nashun loud 
 
 An' kikt up sich a naize. 
 
 A sojer with his bagginit 
 
 An' ribbuns aal zo vine, 
 Clapt I upon the back, and zed, 
 
 " Bee George, an' thee must jine." 
 
 " I beant agwain to list," zays I, 
 
 " For Queen nor King to-da ; 
 I'z gwain whom wi' varmer Turk 
 
 Ta drive his tame vor pay." 
 
 While zargint was a taakin loud 
 
 Bout regiment an' th' penshun, 
 Punch an' Judy tha marcht by 
 
 An' tracted all th' tcnshun. 
 
 Twur vun to zee the merry pranks 
 
 That Punch an' Judy shevv'd ; 
 Ee was a grinnin' aal the time, 
 
 An' all the volk laft loud.
 
 24 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Twur nation vine when Meyster Punch 
 Drow'd out the blessed babby ; 
 
 An' Missus Punch at once faut up 
 The pleeceman caald a bobby. 
 
 An' when Jack Ketch brings up the gallows 
 
 Ta hang the rascal Punch, 
 Punch pulls the string an' ketches him 
 
 An makes un veel zo dunch. 
 
 Wen Punch and Judy shet up shop 
 We went down to the zhows ; 
 
 An' wi' the naisy drums an horns 
 Tha kikt up nashun rows. 
 
 The picturs aal hung out in vront, 
 
 An' beasts did roor zo loud ; 
 Lor, wat a janglin zound thur wur, 
 
 An' wat a mortal kroud. 
 
 The man up top he hollur'd out 
 
 " Ye need not veel alarm ; 
 Coom zee the roorin' lions jump 
 
 Droo hoops an' then perfurm." 
 
 The peep-zhows and the waxen dolls, 
 
 The vat bwoy and the peg ; 
 We aal went in, a penny each, 
 
 The vat bwoy show'd his leg. 
 
 Tha aal zung out " Wak up, wak up," 
 
 Wen voks were kummin out ; 
 An' at the sparrin' tent, " Cum in 
 
 An' hev a fitin bout."
 
 ZONG OF ZAINT ZWITHUN'S DAY. 25 
 
 An' furder doun twur zinging zongs 
 
 'Bout wiskee, gin, an' rum ; 
 Tha wanted I to buy a ditty 
 
 About the " Harvest Whom." 
 
 We went into the " Dree Kauks Inn" 
 
 An' hed a pint of yale, 
 An' call'd to zee the old " Blak Hoss," 
 
 The " King's Aims" an' the "Bell." 
 
 Twur late wen we got on the rood 
 
 Wi' Lizer, Jane, an' Jo, 
 An' vound our \va' to village whom, 
 
 Vrom Cizzeter Mop to gwoa. 
 
 ZONG OF ZAINT ZWITHUN'S DAY. 
 
 (Bv A SHIP OF His VLOCK.) 
 Air " Young Thomas? 
 
 IRAA us up a drap more liquor, 
 
 'Tis the vifteenth of July ; 
 Blow your clouds, mates, all the thicker 
 
 If thurs nun athirt the sky. 
 'Tis a zaint's da doan't vorget un 
 
 Whiles you zets an zoakes your clay ; 
 'Cause as how a wus a wet un 
 This is now Zaint Zwithun' da. 
 
 CHORUS Rural, tooral, ooral, lural, 
 Tooral, ooral, rural lay.
 
 26 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Old Zaint Zwithun was a Bishop 
 
 When the Vriers fust arose, 
 \Vhere Bob Moody once hucked fish up 
 
 And the River Itchen vlows. 
 Winchester was that 'are city 
 
 Where Zaint Zwithun used to bide ; 
 Thur a lived and moor's the pity 
 
 Thur at last Zaint Zwithun died. 
 
 CHORUS Rural, &c. 
 
 Many a sign and many a wonder 
 
 In his lifetime he'd a done ; 
 But when he the ground was under 
 
 He outbeat 'em every one. 
 Like malt liquor in a cellar, 
 
 Zaints is for to be bung'd down ; 
 Then in time when they gets meller 
 
 They works marvels an' renown. 
 
 CHORUS Rural, &c. 
 
 When Zaint Zwithun his confession 
 
 An' last dyun speech did make : 
 " Do my will, without transgression," 
 
 Zays the Zaint, " an no mistake. 
 Not in the cathaydral berried 
 
 'Tis my wish that I should be ; 
 Out o' doors I'll be interred, 
 
 In the churchyard bury me." 
 
 CHORUS Rural, &c.
 
 ZONG OF ZAINT ZWITHUN'S DAY. 27 
 
 "Tis my order and injunction, 
 
 Take care you my word obeys ; 
 Doan't give way to no compunction 
 
 'Bout performun wat I zays. 
 Doan't you thenk as I was jokun ; 
 
 Do the theng which I require, 
 Nor my sperrit goo provokun 
 
 By neglectun my desire." 
 
 CHORUS Rural, &c. 
 
 When Zaint Zwithun thus hed spoken 
 
 He gied up the ghost straightway ; 
 But his strict commands was broken 
 
 Arter life hed left his clay. 
 Him they unbelievun vriers 
 
 Under the cathaydral laid, 
 Long wi' all the lords and squires, 
 
 Not regardun what a zaid. 
 
 CHORUS Rural, c. 
 
 Thur his imidge, wi' a spannel 
 
 At the veet, wus carved in stwon, 
 On his tomb the Proffut Dannel, 
 
 In the paainted windur shone. 
 This way thenkin vor to doo un 
 
 Proper honour and respect, 
 They instead of hearknun to un 
 
 Chose his biddun to neglect. 
 
 CHORUS Rural, &c.
 
 28 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Whereupon the raain descended 
 
 Varty days an' varty nights, 
 'Cause Zaint Zwithun was offended, 
 
 An' when zaints be zo they zmites. 
 Why it rained zo out of sayzon, 
 
 Never seemun like to hold ; 
 By an' by they guessed the razon 
 
 Hadn't done as they was told. 
 
 CHORUS Rural, &c. 
 
 Zo in conscience zorely wounded 
 
 Up again the zaint they dug ; 
 And vor vear of being drownded 
 
 In the churchyard laid un snug. 
 Then the sky, till then a pourun, 
 
 Sased vrom rainun cats and dogs, 
 When the zaint slept without snorun 
 
 Wi* the humble Hampshire hogs. 
 
 CHORUS Rural, &c. 
 
 On Zaint Zwithin's Day each scollard 
 
 Knows that eversince, always, 
 When thurs raain by raain 'tis voller'd, 
 
 Moor or less, for vorty days. 
 Here's the memory of Zaint Zwithin, 
 
 In our churchyard where 'a lies ; 
 What I zays is, " Pace be with un, 
 
 An' along o' we likewise. 
 
 CHORUS Rural, &c. 
 
 Punch.
 
 FAIRFORD CHURCH WINDOWS. 29 
 
 FAIRFORD PHURCH WINDOWS. 
 
 QH)t 9ttJ Clcrfc'S 
 
 read three or four weeks ago that a certain party of 
 archaeologists \vhovisitedFairfordChurchwere mightily 
 entertained with an original description of the famous 
 windows there, given by the parish clerk, and delivered, as 
 it was stated, in a sustained monotone throughout. 
 
 I am an individual cherishing a great love and respect 
 for relics and reminiscences of the olden times, but having, 
 understand, little or no sympathy with the views of the 
 professional antiquary, whose mind is encrusted with dust 
 and formality. My chief delight is in originality that 
 rare quality to find in these days when ingenuity seems to 
 have been exhausted in developing and maturing every 
 thing and every topic under the sun. 
 
 I would walk any distance, within reason, in order to 
 converse with a man linking in speech and idea the past 
 with the present. And so it fell out that happening one 
 day lately to be in Fairford, and having offered me, during 
 the hour I had to spare, the choice of seeing the park and 
 the deer and the artificially-widened river, with its cray- 
 fish and picturesque adjuncts, or listening to the old clerk's 
 description of the windows, I readily chose the latter 
 alternative. 
 
 I should say, perhaps, that my curiosity had been greatly 
 stimulated by the very capital mimicry of the clerk's tone 
 and style given me by a friend who had been born and 
 bred in Fairford, and had often heard what I was going to 
 hear.
 
 30 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 I found my guide-to-be seated on his board busily 
 plying his needle and thread. He was most willing to 
 accompany me, and we entered the church. I told him 
 that I should want to recollect all I could, and that I should 
 probably take a few notes. He offered no objection, 
 seeming, in fact, rather pleased. 
 
 Now, I had, in former time, taken some interest in 
 learning the use and advantage of the mysterious hooks 
 and crooks of shorthand. So, with the aid of book and 
 pencil, I succeeded in getting down the old man's descrip- 
 tion much as he gave it ; and I here transcribe what I 
 heard, as, I hope, to the entertainment of my readers. 
 Yet I pray, whoever reads this, not thereby to be content 
 and refrain from visiting the church ; for I certainly am 
 inclined to think that the tone the chant, in short of the 
 old man's voice, is far more amusing than the description. 
 
 I must confess that all I know of the windows I heard, 
 for I only looked up from my notes at intervals frequent 
 enough to satisfy my expositor that I was attending I 
 had intended to see the chief window, though it will be 
 seen hereafter that I changed my mind. We therefore 
 began with the great 
 
 "The upper part o' that winda, you zee," he said, 
 "is a representation of the daay o' judgment. In 
 the centre is Christ. He's a sittin' on the rayn- 
 bow. Ther's th' earth for 'is footstool. He's sur- 
 rounded, you zee, by cherabins and zeraphins all a 
 zittin' round the blue circle lookin' up to 'im, and it is zup- 
 posed that the zword on 'is right and the lily on 'is left are
 
 FAIRFORD CHURCH WINDOWS. 31 
 
 intended to represent th' hattrihutes of Justice and Mercy. 
 
 Now at the very bottom ther* that's wer ther 'a rizin 
 from ther' graves to go to judgment with ther 1 graveclothes 
 on, jest a comin' up. Farther on, you zee, is a large 
 figur* ther 5 most of it yalla. That's St. Michul, and tiler's 
 the beam goes across 'is thighs. He's a waighin' a good 
 person in one scale against a bad un in another. Wer the 
 good un ought to ha' bin ther's a bit o' common glass. In 
 that yalla scale close at 'is right 'and ther's a little red 
 devul sittin' ther 1 with yalla hyes a hendeavouring to turn 
 the scale, but the good outwaighs the bad. In the next 
 cumpartment is a hangel ther 1 with yalla air that's a 
 hangel receivin' the saint into 'eaven. Ther's the 'and of 
 th' hangel a comin' down and cere's the saint a gwain up. 
 In that next is a large figure meant for St. Peter ; he's got 
 a owld-fashin key in his 'and, a yalla key ther's even the 
 wards of the key farmed he's a lettin the blessed spirits 
 in, and thay'r every one afore'n. And after ther past in 
 in the last cumpartment ther clothed in wite with crowns 
 on ther 'eads. 
 
 These three next cumpartments eere you zee is the 
 representation of 'ell. In the corner there is owld Belzebub 
 with red an' wite tith a pretty good zet on em e's got 
 ther farmed o' ther skulls like a spear. He's got a scaly 
 face and a big fish's mouth. And jest above 'is 'ed to the 
 right ther's small figurs a sprawlin' their arms out like 
 children, as it wer that's wer ther put in tarment and up 
 t'ards the top part in the same cumpartment ther's a wite 
 circul goes on round like the velly of a weel, and jest at 
 the bottom o' that wite circul ther's a small red figur a
 
 32 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 owldin' is right arm up ther that's wer ther rackin and 
 grindin on em ; and you look how thay puts 'em across 
 one auother ther's the red weels most one in another. 
 And close against the wheel ther's a little red devul with 
 a crown on 'is 'ed and yallow hyes to turn the andle for'n. 
 This heere is a curious hidea but it's accardin to owld 
 'istory this is warnin to all females that's a devul a 
 weelin a ooman to 'ell in a weelbarra for scowldin er 
 usband. She looks to be a scowld, sir, a gwain off back- 
 'ards sir. Ther's the wheel of the barra painted yalla, and 
 ther's the andle and the blue devuls delighted anough a 
 bowlin of her off ther. And now just above is a white figur 
 sittin ther in a red cart a gwain off with er ands tied. The 
 cart's red and goes off awaay by er body ther, and ther's 
 the weel of the cart goes down the devul's body then 
 Ther's the red shaft goes along the blue devuls sittin in 
 a drawin of her along, and he's got a pair of wite stockins 
 on ther e's turnin round lookin back to see as he got her 
 all zafe in the place ther. I had a party o' gen'lemen and 
 ladies ere the other week, ther was a owld gent who didn't 
 agree with it at all he said he felt for she altogether as 
 was gwain in the cart, she looked so good-tempered ; but 
 as for th' hother, he adn't no pity for her. 'E zet the 
 ladies a laffin eere, and thay didn't stop durin the time 
 thay was in the church. 
 
 Now farther off ther's a wite figur a zittin upon a terrable 
 devul's showlders ther the devul's carryin of er off 
 wether it's a female or not I can't say and ther's er ands 
 and er feet tied across on er breast under is chin. And 
 above that's a wite figur pitchin eadmost down a red devul's
 
 FAIRFORD CHURCH WINDOWS. 33 
 
 back, and e's got is red arms round the legs, and ther's is 
 wite mouth and hyes and all the rest of is body's red and 
 ther's a himp a drawin up be'ind, you zee zir. Eere's a 
 devul zir he's scaled like a fish in the next cumpartment 
 all over ; is air's yalla ther, and e's got a wite figure across 
 e's showlder a carryin off ther's one arm a sprawlin one 
 over th' hother, ther sir ; and e's got a red fark to walk 
 with as a walkin stick to elp'n along, 'pears by the swet 
 at the point of is nose e's got some trouble to get along 
 sir. And jest be'ind im is a wite figur sat ther owldin is 
 right arm up that's Divus in tarments owldin is 'and up 
 to Lazrus for a drop o' water to cool is tongue. And jest 
 above im ther's a little red devul sittin ther with yalla 
 hyes a scorchin im with that prickly thing like a piece o' 
 'ood ; ther's a place above full o' prickles, with the 
 
 club stick in is devul's 'and, e's a feedin Lazrus ther 
 
 jest above that 'ood is the tail of a devul ther twistin like 
 a zerpunt all vull o 1 prickles ther ; an e's got a red 'ead 
 you see an a green body an a long tayl twistin. 
 
 And now you come to Divus a beseechin for mercy to 
 Lazrus in Abrum's bussum a small ead wite like a child 
 ther. And then if you notices Abrum's bussum e's bringin 
 a yalla speerd down across that light coloured glass into 
 a devul's mouth the devul a got is mouth a yawnin and 
 Abrum got the yalla speerd into 't ; and if you notices 
 Abrum's left arm e's got wrapped round Lazrus in is 
 bussum ther got Lazrus in his bussum and is left arm 
 wrapped round im, and puttin the speerd into the devul's 
 mouth. That's the whole of that winda. 
 
 Now a gen'leman was eere th' other week as said a body
 
 34 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 might look at it zeven yeers and never make it out till 
 twas explained it wants practice you zee, that's wat it 
 wants. I was put to explayn this church wen I was ten or 
 twelve years of age." The old man took me to another 
 window, which in the description he has published, and 
 sells in a sixpenny book, he calls 
 
 He told me that the window was once damaged in a 
 hailstorm, and this led to Lady Farmer providing lattices 
 for all the windows. 
 
 " Now in that round piece of glass ther," he began, 
 " that's wer Zamsun's slayin a Philistin with the jawbone 
 of an ass e's got im on is back ther, and ther's the jawbone 
 with the tith in im. And that's Delilah that bereft im 
 of is great strength by cutting off his air. And that's 
 King Zolomun determinin a wich of the two arlots the live 
 child belonged to ; and ther's the arlots and ther's the 
 two Jewish doctors disputin points of the law, ther's the 
 'ands fanned with the fingers thur, and that's the bit of 
 glass as is considered of zo great value zupposed to 
 represent rubies and diaments ; it's said yeers ago as 
 people gave ,500 for that bit o' glass. Now a gen'lemun 
 got it and felt it and looked at it eere not long ago and 'e 
 said 'e never zeed such a representation of a ruby in all is 
 life afore it's rough o' both zides like as tho' it was cut 
 out and let in, and when the sun shun at this time of the 
 daay, providin the sun did shine, 'twould glitter all the 
 waay down the church. You zee 'twould be no use, or 
 else 'twould a bin gone yeers ago some o' this glass but
 
 FAIRFORD CHURCH WINDOWS. 35 
 
 you zee if 'twas to be any on it sowld and offered for zale 
 'twouldn't be nothing to do but advertise in the papers and 
 sure to get zent on it couldn't sell it ; and it was put 
 under ground for a underd yeers in Oliver Crumwull's time. 
 
 Now these are the four evangelists writin ther gospel 
 with ther books and pens, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 
 These next three windas eere," he said, passing on, " are 
 prophits that's Osea, Amos, Maleki and Jole. Zee the 
 nots wer ther tyin the girdle you zee, the nots farmed as 
 nearly as can be ther and the clasp anging ther jest the 
 same as is now-a-daays. Ther again, if you notices you'll 
 zee 'twas jest the same as the present daay, as I ad a 
 genlemun eere not long back and e said 'twas jest the 
 same, and the smokin cap jest the same as e'd got it and 
 the first figure Isaiah ther, see the large blue sleeves that 
 a bin worn lately ; and ther's one 'at agen, the jim-crow 'at 
 as you may call it, jest the same as the present daay all 
 things workin back agen. 
 
 And that's," he said, going on farther, "Zephaniah, 
 Ezekiel, Daniel, and Obadiah zee the girdle ther, ow 
 its farmed, th' buckle and th' tossel anging from ther ; 
 zee th' arms upon the ips as thay angs down the ips ow 
 ther zhadid : the figure you zee zleepin ther, ow its zhadid 
 ther. 
 
 Ther you zee," he remarked, with a twinkle of the eye 
 and a chuckle, "as I often tells ladies as comes 
 to Fairford church to 'ave got ther fashions time a 
 bin, for ther you zee is the bishop zleeves and the 
 bit o' velvet round the wrist jest the same as they wears
 
 36 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 it now-a-days and thay agrees wi' me and say that little 
 thay expected to come to Fairford church and zee it worn 
 by wimin. One party said 'twas jest like er sleeve but 
 I said no 'twasnt such a good colour, and she said she 
 b'lieved it. 
 
 And that's," passing on, "Jeremiah, David, Izaiah, 
 and Zachariah. Ther now you zee ther Zolomon says ther's 
 nothing new under the sun it's th' owld fashin agen ; 
 ther's the redicule as thay carries um now-a-daays, and a 
 lady said little did er think to come to Fairford church 
 and zee it worn by men as thay did ther thay said thay 
 never b'lieved such characters as them." 
 
 He passed on to the first of another series of windows, 
 and proceeded " Now you zee that's the beginning of 
 the 'istory of the church. That's the representation of the 
 serpunt temptin' Eve. Ther's the serpunt and the fruit on 
 the tree. Ther's Mosis a keepin is vather's flocks ther's 
 the sheep an the goats a feedin ; that's the fiery bush God 
 'peared to Mosis in part of it broken and gone ; ther's 
 part of the vire left. You zee all this eere glass was taken 
 out of this church and buried underground for a undred 
 years in Oliver Crumwull's time, and ther's no knowit 
 >twas all perfect wen 'twas brought eere and I ad a genle- 
 mun eere this summer, and before I towld im enything 
 about it,'e towld me 'e went to St. Mary's Church in Rome 
 and 'e captured the vessel and bought this maner off King 
 Henry VII., and ad the church built Sir John Tame did." 
 
 I should mention, what, however, is well known, that the 
 glass was captured from a ship, and the church was built 
 to receive it.
 
 FAIRFORD CHURCH WINDOWS. 37 
 
 "That," continued the clerk, after his parenthesis, 
 " that's Gideun a feelin the fleece, and tiler's th' hangel a 
 ministerin unto im. That's Sheba queen of the south both 
 earin and trying to ask of King Zolomon, hoffering of 
 im gifts ; she's got er gift in er and, and tiler's King 
 Zolomun ; ladies always admires that colour ther you zee 
 therms caps and 'ats. It's all in small pieces, as I've ad 
 genlemen in this church times and times ther seems to 
 ha' bin a deal o' study to fit it you zee, cause it's all in such 
 small pieces. I ad six glass paynters this summer from 
 Birmingham zed they never zee nothing to compare with 
 it zed thay'd be down again before the zummer was over 
 and after I'd zhowed them round thay satisfied me very 
 well, and then thay wanted me to allow them to stop in 
 the church to sketch the figurs off ; I told 'em I adn't 
 power to do it, but if I was the vicar I'd satisfy em, and 
 Mr. Rice said you might let um sketch the figurs if I didn't 
 leave he udn't trust them eere by theirselves. And thay 
 stopped and sketched the figurs, and said thay should come 
 eere agen." 
 
 Readers who lately laughed extravagantly must some- 
 what contract their already expanding features ; for my 
 guide has well nigh passed from the region of devildom, 
 and no longer exhausts his very original eloquence upon 
 " red and white tith," and " blue and green and yalla and 
 scaly exteriors." Notwithstanding, he is as quaint as ever 
 in the description of more solemn scenes. After he had 
 finished the description of the series of windows as 
 narrated, we went to the 
 
 " That," said the old man, resuming his chant, " is the
 
 38 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Salutation of Zacherias and Ulizabeth, and that is the 
 birth of John the Baptist and that's th' only place wer 
 the colours be fayled in the church ; and eere you zee 
 ther's a vace tiler's one o' three and the yalla colour goes 
 round and thay glass paynters we haves eere very offen 
 zes as 'twasn't burnt through, that was the fault o' the 
 colours flyin ; and ther wus a glass paynter eere meny eers 
 ago wen my vather was dark, and 'e was of jest the same 
 'pinion as 'twasn't burnt through. 
 
 That's the birth of John the Baptist ther's the bed, and 
 ther's the post and the 'angins the same as the present 
 daay the two tossels of the bed you zee 'angin ; the ladies 
 be quite zurprised wen thay zees it ther jest the same as 
 now-a-daays. Ther's Mary gwain on a visit to er cusun 
 Lizabeth. Ther's Josif an' Mary gwain to be contracted, 
 and also the weddin ther's the marriage wer ther bein 
 joined 'and in 'and together you zee ; zee the yalla air 
 down Mary's back you zee that's got in fashin now-a- 
 daays ; ther agen in the man's air, zee under the 'at 'ow 
 it's farmed ther ; thay facis are considered wunderful ther. 
 Ther you zee, as I ofen tells ladies as comes to the church, 
 thay ave got there owld tricks ther at the weddin the same 
 as thay ave now-a-daays, zir. 
 
 That is the 'Nunciation ther's Mary, ther's the lily in 
 the pot and the blossum of fayth by her side. That is the 
 birth of our Saveer 'ere e's lyin in the mainger, and ther's 
 Mary kneelin over im ; there's the oxen all a feedin in ther 
 stawls and the sheperds with ther crooks ; ther's Mary 
 and the child in er lap Mary's face is broken and gone 
 ther, but thay robes be very much admired, and the gurdle
 
 FAIRFORD CHURCH WINDOWS. 39 
 
 ther. And ther 'r the wise men with ther gifts in ther 
 'ands zee the beerd and the bawld ed, and ow thay wared 
 ther air all down ther showlders yeers ago ; and ther's the 
 gurdle you zee and the jewuls farmed now zee ow rich 
 that is round the waaist ther. That is the circumsision 
 of our Saveer ; here is Simeun e's a receivin of 'n into 
 the temple ; and also the perspective view, that is noticed 
 very much zir, that winda and the pillurs be'ind it zee 
 the distance it appears be'ind you, zee ow it is shaped. 
 That is the Purification of the Virgin Mother ; she is 
 hofferin a pair o' turtle doves a hinside of a cage you zee 
 ther's the dove farmed inzide. That harse's ed and the 
 man by the zide, the trappin ther, are considered good ; 
 ther's the 'tendants of the wise men. Zee ther the towers 
 ther, ther farmed in differunt placis you zee there zir ; zee 
 ther agen the French beds harched over jest in the same 
 shape as thay be now-a-daays zir, and the tossels anging 
 ther, jest the same fashin back agen you zee. That is 
 Josif and Mary and the young chiuld a flyin into Egypt 
 to void the cruelty of 'erod ; ther's Mary and the child in 
 er lap, and ther's th' hass on the road a feedin ; ther's 
 Josif e's a gatherin froot in the wildernuss, e's got is 'and 
 at the froot a gatherin the froot off of the tree ther, in that 
 light culured glass ther ; and ther's the hangel in the tree 
 a bendin down the branches for'n. Zee the leaves, the 
 colour o' that tree, ow good it is, the green ther. That is 
 th' 'Sumption of the Virgin Mary. That is Josif and Mary 
 seekin our Saveer in the feast of J'ruslum, wer e's found in 
 the tempul with the docturs both a 'eerin and a haskin 
 them questions wen 'e was but twelve yeers of age
 
 40 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 hobserve ow young looking 'e is for 'is age and ther*s the 
 docturs a owldin ther 'ands up all surprised at 'n." 
 
 He then turned to a table-tomb with recumbent effigies 
 of man and woman, the man in armour, and announced it 
 as that of Robert Legan, of Worcestershire, related to 
 Lord Beauchamp's family. " One of the family," he 
 remarked, "died not long back, and I 'ad zome of the 
 family at the church eere, and thay was quite zurprised 
 thay didn't know that eny of the family was eere." 
 
 Turning to another tomb " Now eere you zee the 
 founder of the church, John Tame, and his wife lyin ther. 
 That gentlmun as I ad eere this summur e zed as the glass 
 ought to 'a gone to the Church of St. Mary's in Rome, and 
 I zed, ' Well, Zir,' I zed, ' ther isn't ner such a church in 
 Ingland, I'm well aware o' that,' and he zed, ' No, ther 
 isn't such a church in the world.' Hart's intire lost you 
 zee," he observed confidently " ther is no such thing 
 now. I often as wimin in this church as zes ther wus 
 clever men now-a-daays, but ther wus cleverer yeers ago. 
 Zee th' owld grand work ow good it is, the carvin all round 
 this chancel." With this he waved his wand with a grace 
 of pride and sympathy ; and having exchanged ideas on 
 the point, we again addressed ourselves to the task I 
 would say entertainments, regards myself of reading the 
 windows. We went to the 
 
 Centre Cfiancrf. 
 
 " That is the Hadvent of our Saveer eere. E's a ridin 
 to J'ruslum upon the hass" - The reader had better 
 chant the description slightly through his nose if he wishes
 
 FAIRFORD CHURCH WINDOWS. 41 
 
 to have an idea of its original character. " Ere e's pointin 
 to them wer ther spreadin branches in the waay, and the 
 hass is liftin is legs over them. Ther's Zaccheus in the 
 zycamore tree, and ther ther cryin ' Osanna in the 'ighest' 
 and zingin off some notes before them ther's the scroll 
 you know. Eere is our Saveer a prayin in the garden that 
 the cup of affliction might pass from J im ther's the cup 
 ther's the discipuls asleep wen e ast them if thay could not 
 watch one our, That book's much admired, the clasp and 
 the colour of that zur. Ther's Pilut and the 'igh priest 
 sittin in judgment agenst im ; Pilut is washin is 'and in 
 the basin that e wud not be gilty of the blood of a just 
 person and ther ther a barin water out of a owld-fashin 
 jug into the basun tor Mm ; and ther they compellin one 
 Simun to bear 'is crauss ; and ther 'r the theeves with ther 
 'ands tied be'ind them as was to be crucified with'n. And 
 ther ther a preparin the tomb ther's one with a shuvul 
 and another a bringin grubbin haxes down as it wer. 
 And that's Pilut is wife as towld them to 'ave nuthin to do 
 with that just pursun. And the hupper part o' this winda 
 is the Croozifixion of our Lard with the pen'tunt thief on 
 the right and the blaspheemus one on the left ; and ther 'r 
 the Romun sowljers a tendin is hexecution the trappins 
 of that 'arse is very much admired. Now you look in that 
 cumpartment ther." 
 
 I lifted my eyes, for the old man had turned towards me 
 in the periodical twist of his head, and was waiting. 
 
 " That ther is the blaspheemus thief. Ther's the little 
 red devul a sprawlin over him and th' arms a gwain down; 
 over the penitunt thief ther's a hanjul, and e's blue an'
 
 42 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 yalla. Therms Mary waitin ther ther a supportin o' er 
 and owldin er up; zee the blue dress o' Mary you zee ow 
 it is shaped, long an full, jest the same as the present daay, 
 as I 'ad a gen'lmun and lady in the church eere not long 
 back, and wen I pointed out to them 'bout these things as 
 she zed, ' Well, indeed, you may zaay clark, as it's long and 
 full, the same as at the present day ; and not only that, 
 she zed, ' it's looped up the same as mine.' " 
 
 We passed on " That is Nicademus and Josif of Hari- 
 methea a takin down the body of our Saveer from the 
 cross ther's the dead body a angin across 'is arm there's 
 the crownd of tharns upon is ed and the print of the nayls 
 in is 'ands and feet wer thay wer nayled to the cross ; and 
 if you noticis ther's is harm goes up, is right harm up to 
 the round of the ladder the green sleave you zee caught 
 owld of the rownd of the ladder, bringin the dead body 
 down ; ther's even th' owld-fashin pinchers, the yalla 
 pinchers stuck in is gurdul for drawin of the nayls with ; 
 and ther ther a owldin ther harms up to receive the dead 
 body. And that is the representation of the wunderful 
 darkness, wen ther was darkness all over th' irth. And 
 ther ther laayin of im in the sepulchre e's a layin ofn 
 down you zee ; ther's Mary weepin she got one 'and up 
 at er face you zee, and th' other comes down in her lap. 
 
 In th' hupper part in that next cumpartment is Saynt 
 Michul and 'is hanguls a fightin agenst the Dragun and 
 the fall'n hanguls whom thay overcum. That's Belzebub 
 a looking thro the fiery grate there e is be'ind the bars 
 you zee all the bars 'peers to be wite-ot and part not to 
 ave come to the wite 'eat yet you zee that's considered,
 
 FAIRFORD CHURCH WINDOWS. 43 
 
 the shadin o' that, be'ond heverythin zir therms the 'and 
 you zee up be'ind and therms 'e vixed right be'ind it. Tiler's 
 Belzebub ther." 
 
 I was enabled to notice that the bars of the grate 
 seemed in such a glow that one would almost have 
 hesitated to touch them, painted as they were. 
 
 Pointing to another compartment where I saw common 
 glass interloping, he continued " Now you zee the facis 
 are broken and gone ther that's meant for Christ preachin 
 to the wicked spirits in prisn ; but ther you zee " this with 
 a chukle of satisfaction, as heretofore "tiler's the magenta 
 ther's the colour, as I've often towld ladies thay think 
 thay've got fresh colours and fresh fashins, but it's th' owld 
 thing agen but thay can't get the colour now-a-daays." 
 He passed to the 
 
 ^-Dtitlj Chancel. 
 
 " That's the perspective view of the pool in the garden, 
 you zee, wer our Saveer used to resort, the gardin of 
 Gethsemane ; the towers ther, ther farmed one be'ind th' 
 other ther, and the trees a growin in the gardin. That is 
 the Transfig'ration of our Saveer thar's Mosis and Elias 
 with the Ten Cummandments and the two tabuls of stone ; 
 ther's St. Peter, James, and John, and ther'r the three 
 tabernacles. That is th' 'nointin of our Saveer with the 
 pot of ointment. Ther's the hangel that rowled away the 
 stun a sat with 'imself and sayin l 'Oom seek ye, the living 
 among the dead? 1 ther's the ooman a comin with the 
 spices to 'noint the body ; and ther'r the linin cloths 
 wrapped together jest a cumin out of the toom. Eere's 
 our Saveer a peerin to is mother, and eere e' peered to
 
 44 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Mary Magdalene after is res'rection. Zee the lady workin 
 in the dressis with diff'runt colours. You zee wat truble 
 it must be to get it together zee the doorwaays ow they 
 farmen ther, and the tower be'ind it and the perspective 
 of that winda, the harchwaay ow its zhadid, and the top of 
 the door ther. That's Christ 'peerin to two of is disciples 
 as thayVe gwain to Emmayus ; eere e's makin of himself 
 known unto them by brekin o' bread before them ; and 
 eere e's explaynin the scriptures to the twelve apostles, 
 who all b'lieve except Tummus e would not till e ad thirst 
 is 'and into is side : ther e is thirstin is 'and into is side. 
 
 Now that face ther, zur" pointing to the face of the 
 Saviour " is a different sart of glass. Meny yeers ago 
 thay wer gwain to ristore the church, and thay stopped 
 them and would not let them go on eny further ; and I 
 think it was a good thing, far thay zed thay would ha' 
 spoiled the church all throughout " this also confident- 
 ially. 
 
 " That's wer our Saveer ardered them to lanch down 
 into the deep for a m'raclus draft ther's the net vull of 
 fishis and ther's th' one a pullin it in the boat th' one 
 side and one on th' other ; and ther's the owl-vashined 
 boat farmed you zee, and ther's some fish broilin on the 
 gridiron for them to eat thay ad gridirons in thay daays 
 you see in jest the same fashin. I had two gents eere not 
 long back, and one of the gents named it and zed, ' Well, 
 they're dun well ' and one took the other up very sharp, 
 and e said, ' They are dun well, and they had bin there 
 many yeers ; ' and the other said, ' They're painted well, 
 why don't you zee them '
 
 FAIRFORD CHURCH WINDOWS. 45 
 
 This is the 'Sencion of our Saveer from the Mount of 
 Olives, wer e's gone up in the clouds, but only "is feet 
 are left visible, the rest part of the body's in the clouds, 
 and ther's the disciples at the foot of the mountain wer e 
 ascendid from ; and eere thay're lookin up with ther "ands 
 up after the 'Sencion on each side you zee. Eere's also 
 a piece of water ther you zee is even the boat and men 
 in it, and ther's the swan in the river and the mauss (moss) 
 farmed growin by the riverside you zee, and the boat on 
 tother side. That's the descendin of the 'Oly Ghost in 
 the likeness of a dove on the daay of Pentecaust zee the 
 facis ther ow good they are you zee thay're considered 
 wunderful them faces be ; ther you zee some very good 
 bildins farmed ther is Cathedruls you zee." On the 
 
 we came to twelve figures which as a matter of certainty 
 have been put down to represent the twelve Apostles, 
 though, as an antiquarian friend suggests, the hypothesis 
 may be only due to the coincidence of number. However 
 this may be, the old clerk has given names to each, which 
 he trolls glibly from his tongue's end. 
 
 " In these next three windas farmed eere is the twelve 
 Apostles, with the 'Postles' Creed that is round ther eds, 
 you zee ; ther's a part o' the Creed which begins with ' I 
 b'lieve in God,' and so it goes on. That is Saynt Peter, 
 Saynt Andrew, Saynt James, and Saynt John ; and that is 
 Saynt Tomus, Saynt James the less, Saynt Philip, and 
 Saynt Barthalemew ; and that is Saynt Matthias, Saynt 
 Simon, Saynt Jude, and Saynt Matthew vour in each 
 winda.
 
 46 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 And now these 'r four Primitive Fathers of the Church 
 that is Saynt Jerum, Saynt Greg'ry, Saynt Ambrus, and 
 Saynt Augustine ; thay've got ther caps you zee farmed on 
 em thay're the munks you zee ther's one you zee, e's 
 the same as a Cath'lic priest ther." He looked to a 
 
 " This winda eere is King David a sittin in judgment 
 agenst th' Malakite for slaayin King Saul ther's the 
 Malakite es got King Saul's ed in 'and by the air of is ed 
 ther, and the zword in is other 'and ; and ther 'r the 
 sowljers by the side of 'im in the other cumpartment ther 
 zee the sheeld ther, the colour ther ow good it is. Now 
 eere you zee the glass is broke and damaged by the 'ayl- 
 starm that was many yeers ago, an' then the lady gave the 
 lattices for the windas. Now zometimes wen I shows this 
 winda the ladies will saay 'twas a pity the starm came 
 but if it 'adn't the lattice 'udn't ha' bin given and the 'ole 
 o' the windas ud a bin damaged p'raps.'' 
 
 I didn't dispute this very logically sound proposition, 
 and we passed on. 
 
 " Now ther you zee ther's some facis ; ther wer the 
 winda's brok and gone, you zee the diff'rent facis with ther 
 caps an' 'ats ther ther's the turban jest the same as the 
 present daay ; zee the face ther and the star in frunt of the 
 cap ther, zee the vether (feather) ow it's corried jest the 
 same as Julip Zing (the Maharajah Dhuleep Singh, I pre- 
 sume he meant) as bought a cassel about two mile from 
 eere e wears a cap jest like that un." We then went to 
 the
 
 FAIRFORD CHURCH WINDOWS. 47 
 
 $0rtf) 
 
 My guide either suffered from short sight, or else he had 
 never got near enough to the windows to master their 
 designs with the delicious fulness he displayed elsewhere ; 
 for he ran very rapidly through their contents. " Now 
 ther you zee," biginning with the north side, "is the 
 Romun Hemp'rors, the persecutors of the church, and all 
 the way along over ther eds in the small cumpartments 
 from winda to winda ther's devuls, ne'er two alike on um 
 all the way ; and if you notices in the second winda ther's 
 a green un with a white fark over his showlder. Next to 
 im's a blue un with red hyes you zee and ther thay goes 
 on all different. Th' other colours 're green and yalla and 
 all sarts of colours you got summut to do to vind um all 
 out. 
 
 In this eere first winda are Deshus (Decius), Ananiaz, 
 and Calib zee the brown stockins ther, and the slippers 
 ther, 'ow the'r farmed ; the trimmin of the blue chairs also. 
 
 Now this next winda eere ther, that figur to the right 
 ther you zee that's King 'Erod a destroyin' of young 
 children e's a peercin one through the body ther's the 
 arms an' legs wite hangin down cross 'is arm, and e's a 
 peercin the zord through the body with th' other. The 
 next to 'im is Sevurus, and the next to 'im is Maxim- 
 inus 'a got a ed in 'is left 'and, and the zord goes up 
 across 'is breast ; you zee, if you notices that figur to the 
 right thur that's Nero drawd with a red face for 'is 
 croolty. On the right 'and next to 'im is Marcus Awrelus 
 e's got a spot upon th' bend of 'is zord ; and the next to 
 'im is Antomine with a double row of buttons down "is
 
 48 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 coat, fanned like two rows of pearls ther ; e's got the zord 
 in 'is right and the zheeth in 'is left across 'is thigh, and 
 there's the arm and the elbas very good ther zir. And 
 that farthest figur in the last winda is Domishun (Domitian) 
 and the middle figur is Trajun, and the next is Andreean." 
 
 We turned to the 
 
 >0ut!) Clmdtnrg. 
 
 " These now are the twelve preservers of the church 
 who suffered martyrdum thay 'ave hangels over thayre 
 eds in contrast with the wicked uns. Ther's no names 
 given to them, but I've had gen'lemen in eere times and 
 times to saay as the middul figur in the first winda ther is 
 meant for Saynt Sebastin, which suffered death by being 
 shot to death." 
 
 I saw that the windows were much broken, and I could 
 well excuse the inability to describe them, though I own 
 I should have liked well to have had my entertainment 
 prolonged. However, it had become so dark that I could 
 scarcely take a note, and as on looking through the dim 
 light I discerned in the open doorway the smiling counten- 
 ance of an intelligent police-sergeant who had undertaken 
 to be my guide to the obtaining of some cray-fish, I was 
 fain to depart. One of the archaslogical party I have 
 mentioned told me that the old clerk's was the best des- 
 cription of a painted window he ever listened to. I agree 
 with him. Do not my readers ? A man of technical 
 education could not enter into the spirit and conception of 
 the designs as our friend does. I have little doubt that 
 my experience with him has ere this formed part of his 
 stock-in-trade. Gloiicestershire Chronicle.
 
 THE MOOLBERRY TREE. 49 
 
 THE MOOLBERRY TR^EE. 
 
 in the merry month of May, 
 The birds wur singin on the le-e-e-ea, 
 When fust I zaw the lovely Molly 
 Oonder ne'uth the Moolberry Tree. 
 
 I axed her if she would be trew, 
 " Oh, 'ees I 'ool," zays she to me ; 
 
 A piece of goold we broke in two, 
 Onder ne'uth the Moolberry Tree. 
 
 T'were on a dark Dezember night 
 When Molly went across the Moor, 
 
 The znow coomd down and hid the light 
 An' Molly missed the cottage door. 
 
 We vound poor Molly stiff and dead, 
 
 A shockin zight it wus to zee ! 
 We putt a stoon abuv 'er 'ead 
 
 Oonder neuth the Moolberry Tree. 
 
 The maids with May-day garlands come, 
 
 All out of love vor she an' me, 
 An' strew we viewers 'er last long home 
 
 Oonder neuth the Moolberry Tree. 
 
 Punch. 
 
 A countryman with original ideas, on seeing the steam- 
 tug Telegraph submitted to repairs in the dry dock at 
 Gloucester, horrified a by-standing merchant with the 
 inquiry, " I say, zur, be thuck the ship as brings in all the 
 telegrams ? "
 
 THE HARKYHOLLURGISTS. 
 
 THE WAI\KYHOLLURGISTS. 
 
 2UM cwoaches druv to village church 
 In rare an' spankin style, 
 Wi' smokin' hosses vour in han', 
 From Cizeter dree mile. 
 
 Twur genelmen wi' boxers on 
 
 An' drest loik parsons all, 
 Wi' cwots zo black and chokers witc 
 
 An' zum wur short an' tall. 
 
 Tha gethered roun' the Churchyard Cross 
 
 An' pulled out aal thur books, 
 Tha ax'd his age, an' nun could tell : 
 
 Vive hundred yer he looks. 
 
 An' wen tha ax'd his age zo zolum 
 
 An' parsun shook ees hed ; 
 Tha pwointed to the karven stwons 
 
 An' out a book tha red. 
 
 Ee thowt tha wur agwain to read 
 
 Th' sarvice over hee, 
 As parsun reds when volks be brot 
 
 And ded and cowld tha be. 
 
 At last a tall chap hollurs out 
 
 " Let's march into the chirch, 
 Thur's more thur to tauk about 
 
 Vor which we are in zurch."
 
 52 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 I vollerd tha to see the game 
 
 Th' lot wur gwain to plai ; 
 I thowt as how the old parson 
 
 Wi' tha wur gwain to prai. 
 
 Tha lookt at aal the anshunt tooms 
 
 Au' cherrybims, ya zee, 
 An' wun ole fogy spoke and zed 
 
 'Twas harky-ol-o-gee. 
 
 Tha look't at aal the arches roun' 
 
 Wi' zig-zag pattern thur ; 
 An' aal the stwonin angels brown, 
 
 Tha made a mity stur. 
 
 Uh ax't the Clark what tha ded want 
 He zed thay'd buy, perhops, 
 
 The angels and the cherrybims 
 To put into thur shops. 
 
 Tha zoon cleer'd out an' look'd aal roun' 
 
 The battlemints an' tour, 
 An' ta'ked aboot th' old church poorch 
 
 An' stood in out the shour. 
 
 Tha zoon wur up an' off agen, 
 
 Rit droo th' village street ; 
 Ta zee the haunted Manur house 
 
 In ruins tha did meet.
 
 GLOUCESTERSHIRE ZONG. S3 
 
 GLOUCESTERSHIRE ZONG 
 
 O 1 ZOCIAL ZlENCE. 
 
 sarvant, my betters in station and wealth, 
 And thank 'ee fur drinkun the labourer's health ; 
 And, Zur, I can't tell you how grateful we be 
 For the good advice you've a bin givun to we. 
 
 'Tis true, my grand friends, as afore me I finds, 
 There's nothun like rubbun together our minds ; 
 For zo we both taches and larns zummat new 
 And now let me zay just a few words to you. 
 
 Extravagunce I bean't afeard to spake plain 
 
 To the shrewd higher ranks is the gentlevolks bane. 
 
 What lots of you 7^;nvorkun men falls a prey 
 
 To that sad love o' yourn for show-off and display. 
 
 No doubt you doan't spend all your incomes in beer, 
 But what do your honse-rents, now, come to a year ? 
 Eight hundred, a thousand and moor, I be told, 
 And by-m-by the furnitur comes to be zold. 
 
 There's likewise your footmen in all zarts o' plush, 
 Bedizened enough to make e'er a man blush ; 
 Wi' the hair o' their heads full o' powder an' grease ; 
 My friends, this here nonsense 'tis time vor to zease. 
 
 In hoss-flesh and carridges, too, what you spends 
 Is dreadful to think of, my unemployed friends ; 
 I doan't zay you ha'n't got no right vor to ride, 
 But charruts and hosses you keeps out o' pride.
 
 54 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 And then thurs hoss-rheasus, I'm zorry to zay, 
 On which you bets fortuns and fortuns away ; 
 Oh ! do, my grand friends, these here courses gie o'er 
 And doan't go a wagern and gamblin no more. 
 
 And what's that there uproar whereof I've heard tell, 
 When zum on ee goes up to Lunnon to dwell 
 One night wi' another as costs, for a sate, 
 What med find ee in lodguns and clothun and mate. 
 
 How shockun expensuf's the lives as you lives ! 
 What atun and drinkin ! what feastes you gives ! 
 How vur 'ood the valley of what you gets droo 
 At one grand blow out, in a carter's keep goo. 
 
 The gout comes a wastun your substance and wealth 
 And now I be got on the subject of health, 
 'Tis one whereupon you needs much to be taught ; 
 You don't attend to ut at all as you ought. 
 
 A practice too common, a deal, in your class, 
 Is dancun in ball-rooms chock vull of voul gas ; 
 Zo, talk about parties pent up in close air, 
 There's no crowded dwellings wi' yourn to compare. 
 
 The end on it all is you runs into debt, 
 
 And risks all your fortuns moor income to get, 
 
 Wi' zum gang o' rogues ; when by-m-by comes a smash, 
 
 And you zee you be choused out o' your cash. 
 
 My friends, as our labour in luxury maintaains, 
 
 To live on your means you must use your own braains ; 
 
 Without self-reliance you'll never learn how 
 
 Your puddun to ate in the sweat of your brow.
 
 THE TITHE PIG. 55 
 
 I hopes as how these arnest words I've expressed, 
 Like stoans in a millpond 'ool zink in ache breast. 
 Wi' thenks vor your warnin agin beer an' pipes : 
 You drank we in clarrut Here's to ee in zwipes. 
 
 Punch. 
 
 T' 
 
 'HE TITHE jPic. 
 
 A Ballad. 
 !OOD mornin', Sir," the Paason zed, 
 
 " Good mornin', Sir, to you ; 
 I've come to claim a zuckin'-peg 
 You knaw it is my due ! " 
 
 The varmer wunk upon his wife 
 
 Who was a-standin' by, 
 An' zed, " Ees, Paason, there they be, 
 
 All vine uns, in the sty. 
 
 " An' gwo in, Paason, jest gwo in 
 
 An' peck the biggest out ; 
 For 'tis but roight thet ye should have 
 
 The best, beyond a doubt," 
 
 The Paason smole a saintly smile, 
 
 He gazed upon the pegs ; 
 He wore his suit o' Zunday black, 
 
 Zilk stockins on his legs. 
 
 He op'd the door o' thic there sty 
 
 An' went the best to claim. 
 A little thought as in a went 
 
 A would be brought to shame !
 
 56 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 The vinest peg a zeized an' haaled 
 
 By t' leg vrom out the sty, 
 But ere a got anigh the geate 
 
 The zow at he did vly. 
 
 In vain a kicked, in vain a cried, 
 She knock'd un in the slush ; 
 
 An' when a tried to rise hisself 
 At un, behind, did rush. 
 
 She trampled on his hat an' gloves, 
 She tore his Zunday clothes ; 
 
 He wur a pretty zight to zee 
 Blood pourin' vrom his nose. 
 
 " Hey, varmer, let me out," zings he ; 
 
 " Nay, that would be a zin," 
 The varmer said, "My business was, 
 
 Good sir, to let you in, 
 
 Here t' owld zow got madder, and 
 
 Began to tear his leg : 
 " Let me out, varmer, an' I'll gwo 
 
 Away wi'out the peg ! " 
 
 " All right then paason, ef we 're quit 
 I'll let 'ee out " " No more," 
 
 Ses paason, " O' thic work vor me ;" 
 He nearly cuss'd an' zwore. 
 
 " Good mornin', sir," the varmer zed, 
 
 A lookin' rather sly ; 
 Then turn'd an' wunk upon his wife 
 
 Who stood a laafin by. 
 
 F. E. W.
 
 T 
 
 THE CHURCHWARDENS' COMPLAINT. 57 
 
 HE UHUI\CHWARDENS' LOMPLAINT. 
 
 AN INCIDENT IN THE LIFE OF "THE VILLAGE PARSON." 
 
 *HE Bishop sat in his high-back'd chair, in episcopal 
 
 study at home. 
 And the carved oak presses were garnished with many a 
 
 portly tome. 
 A rare old place, with wainscot dark, and tapestry old 
 
 bedight, 
 And through stained glass did softly pass "a dim religious 
 
 light." 
 But the Bishop's brow was clouded with care, in the midst 
 
 of his learned repose, 
 And what the cares of that Bishop were, there is none but 
 
 that Bishop knows. 
 Perhaps his flocks showed signs of decay, with pasturage 
 
 not content ; 
 Perhaps in shoals they were drifting astray, in the mazes 
 
 of Dissent ; 
 Perhaps the wolf was prowling about, and the under 
 
 shepherds asleep, 
 Or taking their ease, thinking more of the fleece than the 
 
 fodder for the sheep. 
 But the Bishop's brow was clouded with care in the midst 
 
 of his seeming repose, 
 And what the cares of that Bishop were, there is none but 
 
 that Bishop knows. 
 " Come in," said he to the footman's knock, discreet at the 
 
 study door.
 
 58 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 " Two farmers, my lord churchwardens they and 
 
 guardians of the poor, 
 From the neighbouring parish of Thichead and of Sanstone 
 
 on the Moor." 
 " Sit down, my friends, and your business state as quickly 
 
 as may be, 
 And, James, tell Mrs. Jobson I shall lunch precisely at 
 
 three. 
 I am very busy," the Bishop said no doubt what he said 
 
 was true, 
 Though what the Bishop was busy about, there was none 
 
 but the Bishop knew. 
 " We be come, my lord, to lodge complaaint eh naibour 
 
 Jooanes?" "Iss sure." 
 "Agian the curut of Thichead, and of Sanstone on the 
 
 Moor." 
 " Indeed ! " with a pause of grave surprise the Bishop at 
 
 length began, 
 " I always thought that Jameson was a most exemplary 
 
 man." 
 " That's what's we be come to complaain about he's a 
 
 zempery man, my lord." 
 (He meant an extempore preacher, but had quite forgotten 
 
 the word.) 
 " And sticks hiszelf up aboave the rest, as ef none than he 
 
 wer bigger, 
 Thaw a yent fit to hould a candle to our poor ould Passon 
 
 Trigger ; 
 And thaw we paays un out of the tithe amoast a hundred 
 
 a year,
 
 THE CHURCHWARDENS' COMPLAINT. 59 
 
 Thers never a pipe, or a glass o' grog, or zo much as a 
 
 mug o' beer. 
 Twer but zix months ago (it mid be moor) we zend un a 
 
 good beg hare, 
 And a never com'd to the coorsin match, thaw aal tha 
 
 parish wer there." 
 " Does he visit the sick ? " " Aw iss, my lord, and thay 
 
 zaay as a fissicks um too, 
 Vor sence he bin livin at Thichead the doctor got nothin 
 
 to do. 
 Which, zeein the doctor lives ten mile off and charges vor 
 
 visits, I b'live, 
 Yent doin as he ud be done onto tyent livin and lettin 
 
 to live." 
 " Does he tend to the poor ?" " No doubt o' that ! sence 
 
 he've bin there I'll be bound 
 We've had to incrase the rates vor the poor a varden or 
 
 moor in tha pound. 
 And tha Hazy tooads thay praaises un up, in a waay as 
 
 miakes one zick, 
 But to varmers as got to paay tha raites tes a shabby 
 
 onnaibourly trick." 
 The Bishop mused on this novel complaint. " What you 
 
 say, my friends, may be true, 
 But with merely secular parish affairs, you see, I have 
 
 nothing to do. 
 If your pastor leads an exemplary life, though some may 
 
 be grieved, 'tis clear 
 In matters past cure twixt the rich and the poor a Bishop 
 
 may not interfere.
 
 60 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 If he's sober and steady " " Why there, zur, you zee, a 
 
 sticks in along wi' his wife, 
 While Passon Trigger ud come to the Crown and get 
 
 drunk ev'ry night of hes life. 
 But a worthy ould man wer Passon Trigger, and pipple 
 
 aal liked he the best, 
 What's the use of a passon onless he can be hail fellow 
 
 well met wi' the rest ? 
 And a capital sarmon too he'd praich he'd a dozen or 
 
 moor I'll be bound, 
 And we allus knawd what wer comin when Kursmuss or 
 
 Whitsun com'd round. 
 But Passon Jemsen jest houlds up hes yead, when hes 
 
 text vrom the Bible he'v took, 
 And goos on moast awful at naibour arid I, athout lookin 
 
 on to hes book. 
 Zo I thought, yer lordship, I'd jest come and axe ef 
 
 zempery praichin es right, 
 Vor thaw what a zes mid be perfectly true, he's as bad as 
 
 a Methodist quite." 
 " I'll consider the case," the Bishop replied, " you have 
 
 cause of complaint, no doubt 
 Excuse me, but luncheon is ready, I find ; James, show 
 
 the gentlemen out." 
 Thus endeth my tale I have nothing to add, except that 
 
 the story is true ; 
 And what the Bishop thought of the case there was none 
 
 but the Bishop knew. 
 
 OUTIS.
 
 THE MOOVIN PANNURRAMMUR. 6l 
 
 THE M.OOYIN PANNUI\I\AMMUR. 
 
 If^OW, Willum, th' bosses be in vor the nite, zet down 
 ** an' I'll tell e about the dooins at Cizzeter. 
 
 Thee knows mcaster sent I into toun histerda an' hed 
 to wait till late. In the Markut Please bi the Karn Hall 
 thur wur stuck zum big coloured picturs, an' tha zed twur 
 a Furrin Movin Pannurrammur, an' thenks I wat a girt wild 
 beast he rmm be. Tha show'd the country ware he moved 
 about, an' a big pleas twur, but tha wur cute enough not to 
 gie a pictur of the beast hisself, the movin pannurrummur. 
 
 I wur wantin' to zee the animal, fur the pepul did stop 
 an' stur zo. I axd a bwoy wat zort of a beast it wor, an' he 
 zed twur like a drummerdumdary, an' he wur as high as 
 the housen ; he'd a girt trunk an' stripes like a tiger, and 
 swished his tail and roor'd. 
 
 Th' peepul wur gwain in, an' zo, as I hed best smock an' 
 billycock on I gwos wi' the rest on em and zeed a coloured 
 kurtin akrass the top o' th' hall, an' th' music wur a playin. 
 Thowt as how uh sh'd hear un roor an' hes chain rattle, 
 an' th' gentle volks in vront wur very near toon. The chap 
 stopt th' gingle an' another cum'd up wi' a long stick an' 
 zed he wur a gwain to zhow th' moovin Pannurrammur, 
 an' th' kurtins draad back thursens, an' thur wur a pictur 
 jest like th' wun outside. Sez I to a mon, wur's th' Pan- 
 nurrammur, an' he pwints to the pictur ; an' jest then I 
 seed a fiery eye a lookin' droo a hole, an' thowt as how 
 twur th' beast a lookin at th' peeple, but twur nuthin but 
 a gaslite. 
 
 The chap kep pwointin wi' his stick an' zum vresh
 
 62 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 picturs com'd on, wen a dapper vellow show'd hisself an' 
 zung a zong about a battle an' a bwoy, as sed thet "jest 
 before th' battle mother he shud skedaddle whom again." 
 An' the peepul stampt thur heavy boots on the vloor an' 
 hollur'd zong kur, an' as the chap hedn't dun it well enuf 
 fur em he cum'd back an' zung anuther zong. 
 
 Now, thenks I, th' animal is a kummin out, but tha sed 
 the Irishman ud dance a jig while tha changed the Pan- 
 nurrammur. I thowt this nashun bad, as I hedn't seed un 
 yet an' hed paid me money. The chap wi' the stick an' 
 black cvvoat com'd out agen an' zed the Pannurrammur 
 would now be show'd ; an* to kip the peepul in good trim 
 he zed thet he shud also show um a Dyerrammur, the like 
 o' wich hed never been seed afore. Tha lower'd the lites 
 an' the Pannurrammur behind went off like a roorin 
 cannun, an' the housen in the pictur wur aal in vlames. 
 
 Sez I to a bwoy "When is the Pannurrammur and 
 Dyerrammur a cummun out?" 
 
 As the zong ses, Willum 
 
 He put his finger to his nose, 
 An' winKd art shet one eye. 
 
 He sed as how Hookey Walker ud breng um out we a 
 girt chain on. 
 
 An' arter aal tha never show'd the beastes, fur the peepul 
 stampt and went out. 
 
 Twur dark wen I got whom, an' thur wur a bill stuck 
 on me back of the moovin' Pannurrammur.
 
 ZAYINS OF ZOLOMUN THE RANTUR. 63 
 
 ZAYINS AN' MAXIMS OF 
 
 THE RANTUR. 
 
 DRESHIN. 
 
 'HE Joos hed thur dreshin vloors fur thur earn, but 
 we hev dreshin machines as nocks it out, blows, an' 
 zacks it. Zum uh the old Joos ud a stur'd to zee thur earn 
 dreshed, winnowed, and zacked redy fur markut. 
 
 JOSEF THE KARN MARCHANT. 
 *YOSEF was a dabster of a karn merchunt. He kep th' 
 ** kay o' the karn krib yur t' yur, tel uh wus chock vull, 
 an' the karn never got fousty. He never mooched vrom 
 his bisness, an' corn trade was never zlack ; an' fur seven 
 yer he scrabbled arter earn and then fur anothur seven 
 yer, wat between the dumbledores an' the wether ther wus 
 no craps to 'arvest, an' Josef fot out his earn weout 
 badgerin, an' let the peepul of Egipt hev earn to grind in 
 thur housen an' fur thur cattle. No dout sum of um lookt 
 glum as tha zold thurselves fur earn, as not a lugg uh 
 groun ud bring a handful, but the aith yer thur was sich a 
 jorum thur was enuf fur all 
 
 DAVID THE SHEPHURD. 
 
 JlttELIKE David wus the best shephurd of his da. He 
 C*' wur no gawky, fur wen he now'd his ship wur fech't 
 away he watched vrom th' dream holes of the barn an' 
 zeed a lion an' a burr cumin on the vlocks to goo snacks, 
 an' weout a dawg he clouted um tell tha coodn't roor, an' 
 arter that the vlock wur left aal right.
 
 64 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 ZARMUN OF THE COCK. 
 Tvvur a mity vine zarmun th' Jarusalem cock preached 
 
 to Pater 
 
 " Cock-a-doodle doo 
 
 Pater, it yunt troo." 
 
 No dout Pater wus moythered wi' the sarvunt gurls, an' 
 he got crass an' tuck to cussin an' swerin', an' wen he went 
 out by hisself the zarmun of the cock was soundin in his 
 ears, an' the bitter teers rolled down his face. 
 
 MOOSES AND FARO. 
 
 Twur nashunvine to zee Moses lading out the Izraelites 
 from the old brown-skinned King as wus zo crankey as not 
 to let um goa tell the plages wur finished up wi' deth 
 dancin at every door. An' then, thenks he, wen tha be 
 started I'll be arter um an' massacree the lot. All the 
 hosses wur hitched too an' off tha gooad a blowin thur 
 orns to driv um all into th' say. When old parchmunt skin 
 kum up tha wur aal gwain over the red say ; an' in a goos 
 arter um, stark mad, an' the water roll'd over um aal. A 
 woman on th' bank zounded a toon 
 
 " Th' hoss an' the rider is lost in the say ; " 
 an' aal the thousands kum in korus as the king an' his 
 hosses wur a drownen. Nat wun went back to tell the 
 wimmen thet the brick-makers hed nat chaw'd thur 
 husbands up. 
 
 DO YER DOOTY. 
 LLUS do yer dooty, an' never be sich a dommel as 
 
 to take to guzzling. 
 H T* OWCE me, woot," zed Willum, one nite wen he 
 *** thowt owld Miffy hed him, but meyster ketch'd 
 un rabbutin an geed un a clout o' th' yud.
 
 A TETBURY GHOST. 65 
 
 ETBURY LrHOST. 
 
 i i /jWOASTES, Zur," said Dan Tucker, a stalwart 
 *7 Tetbury labourer, in reply to my enquiry, " I 
 carn't gwo vur to zay as I iver roightly seed a. gwoast like, 
 but I ha' met wi' thay as /lev, of'en and of 'en. Whoi, jest 
 'andy 'ere, at the White 'Art- but as we be zo near to't, 
 Zur, prehaps you wood jest step in an' take a drop o' 
 zummut, jest to take the edge off your stummik this vrosty 
 marnin' ; leastways stan' treat loike, vor in coorse I 
 shooldn't thenk of axing a quality-man like yerself to 
 drenk at my expense ; " and this dexterous adaptation of 
 my desire for " spiritual information " to' the direction of 
 bodily refreshment, led to my informant and myself being 
 snugly seated in the "settle" of the White Hart in less 
 time than it takes to write this, with a foaming tankard 
 before us. " Well, Zur," continued Dan, " you must know 
 thet zum years agone, this public, or hot-el as it oughter 
 be called, was kep' by a varnily o' the name o' Chapman, 
 dacent volk they wur, an my feyther knawed 'em well. 
 Very healthful man, my feyther, an' he lived to be nigh on 
 a hundred an' hed aighteen sons an' daughters beside 
 myself, of which sum be livin' an' sum be dead, but thet's 
 neither here nor there. Well, these 'ere Chapmans con- 
 sisted o' John, the lan'lord ; the wife, who sort o' tended 
 to the house, loike ; an' three as pratty chil'en as iver you'd 
 wish to zee ; bloomin' young uns they was, an' jest gettin* 
 on nicely, when what should turn up but a visitation of the 
 toypus fever, an' the little uns all took it, an' dropped off 
 one arter tother. Arter thet the mother zickened an' she
 
 66 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 dropped off; an' then the feyther hed a touch on't, but 
 thet didn't kill he 'twur a vexin' vor them as was gone ; 
 an' the long an' the short on't is, they was all a lyin' 
 togither within two months o' each other. Well, arter they 
 was laid in th' ground, the hot-el was shet up vor a whoile, 
 an' then a brother o' Chapman's Will'm his name wur 
 came an' took to't, an' by-m-by the custum all come back, 
 an' things progressed well wi' 'em. Well, zur, one noight, 
 after shettin' up, thay thet's the second Chapman an' his 
 wife (they was a fruitless pair,) was a settin' by the vire 
 a talkin' over thengs in general an' takin' a drop o' comfort, 
 the rest bein' in bed an' none about, when all of a zuddent 
 thay heerd the deuce an' all of a knockin' at the door o' 
 the room they was a zettin' in. " Come in," ses Chapman, 
 wi'out lookin' round, thenkin' as 'twas someone tuk bad 
 an' wantin' a drop o' gin mebbe ; but when a did turn to 
 zee who 'twas a gev a sort of a hop-step-an'-a-jump loike, 
 vor there was his brother an' his brother's wife as was gone 
 a standin' in the room as nat'ral as cood be. "Well, 
 brother Will'm," ses the gwoaft, " I an' my missis," a ses, 
 " tho't as we would give you a look in," a ses. 
 
 " G-g-glad to zee you, brother John," ses Chapman, not 
 to be outdone, " an your missis, come an' zet down, boath 
 on ye ; but," ses he, a thought sort o' strikin' 'im, " where's 
 the childern?" ses he. "Jest outside," ses the gwoast. 
 " Ax 'em in, brother John," ses Chapman, " ax 'em in, an' 
 tell 'em to zet down too." " Well, brother Will'm," ses the 
 gwoast, " I will ax 'em in ; but as to zettin' down, thet's 
 another theng," ses he ; " they can't do thet, brother 
 Will'm," ses he, sort o' sorrowful loike, "they can't do 
 thet, vor they ha' got nothhf to zet on"
 
 HAWFINCH ON LADY HELPS. 67 
 
 You zee, Zur, thay was turned into cherrybums \ an' as 
 ivery gentleman of your booklarnin' knaws, thay consistes 
 o' nothin' but heads an' wings, loike you zee 'em on the 
 gravestwuns ; zo there's no more zettin' down vor them, 
 poor thengs, tho' one might jedge diff'rent vrom their 
 names ! " Zum zes as meyster Chapman, Zur, hed bin 
 hevin' a drap too much, and dramed he zee 'em. But he 
 stuck to't hard an' fast. F. E. W. 
 
 HAWFINCH ON LADY HELPS. 
 
 PHIL Fielder he farmed his own freehold estate, 
 And he'd long thought o' lookun' about for a mate ; 
 But Phil, though well-off enough single to bide, . 
 Wus afear'd 'toodn't run to the keep of a bride. 
 
 So high now the prizes of all things be rose, 
 And Ladies consooms sitch a kit o' fine clo'es ; 
 'Mongst e'en the small gentlefoks where you looks round, 
 There's few gals a standun 'mid less nor twelve pound. 
 
 And zum can't do nothun Jyond zing and plaai, 
 And lollup and laze on a sWer all daai. 
 Phil wanted a gal as could work undergoo, 
 And demane herself greaseful and elegant too. 
 
 He went to the Hall on a Michaelmas Day, 
 
 Some rent for a bit of a holdun to pay ; 
 
 When the Squire he axed Phillup to stop there and dine 
 
 In a plain way the famully party to jine. 
 
 There sat a gal next to 'n, drest nate but not gay, 
 As purty in pursun, as plain in array ; 
 Thinks Phil, " That ther maaiden 's above my degree, 
 Or else she 'd be zackly the missus for me."
 
 68 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 When dinner was wauver, Phil larn't from the Squire 
 
 Who was that nice young gal in sitch quiut attire ; 
 
 " A poor doctor's daater that sarvus ha' took 
 
 'Twar she dressed the dinner ; that thare's our head cook. 
 
 " She 've got too much pride fur to marry fur bread ; 
 But she bain't above labour'n to earn it instead. 
 That thare's our Lady Help ; so now drink up thy wine." 
 Thinks Phil to his self, " I shuld like her fur mine." 
 
 He wrote her a billy, gentale and purlite, 
 Whereunto she consented 'twur love at fust sight. 
 And so they got married without moor delay ; 
 And the Squire he wus willun to gie her away. 
 
 Sarch the countree around, and you wun't find a pair 
 As lades a moor happier life than them there. 
 She keeps his whoam tidy, and 'tends to his boord, 
 And his manes makes go furdest good thengs to affoord. 
 
 No doubt but she'll bring up her daaters likewise, 
 To roast and to bile, and me^fcpuddens and pies ; 
 To rub, scrub, and polish, anc^ash, bake, and broo, 
 As every chap's wife should be yeable to do. 
 
 The lass for me 's her that can sweep out a room, 
 Not by wearun a train, but by usun a broom. 
 Lady Helps and Fine Ladies comparun, I says, 
 Dirty work done wi' clane hands afoor dirty ways ! 
 
 Now every young feller to wedlock inclined, 
 Thee look out a nawtable huzziv to find ; 
 Fine Ladies, fandangoes, and filligrees flee. 
 Thee'st a Lady Help find the best helpmate for thee. 
 
 Punch.
 
 HARVEST-HOME CHORUSES. 69 
 
 WARYEST WOMB CHOJ\USES. 
 
 No. I. 
 CERE'S a health unto our master, 
 
 The founder of the feast ; 
 I hope to God wi' all my heart 
 His soul in Heav'n may rest ! 
 That all his works may prosper 
 Whatever he takes in hand ; 
 For we are all his servants 
 And all at his command ! 
 
 No. II. 
 Here's a health unto our mistress, 
 
 The best of one and twenty ; 
 Heigh-ho, is it so, is it so ? It is so ! 
 
 P'ill it up a little fuller, for I think it looks quite empty, 
 And down let it go, let it 2^1et it go ! 
 
 And if you drink too di^P 
 
 You can go to bed and sleep, 
 And drive away sorrow and woe. 
 
 No. III. 
 Here's a health to the man this house do belong, 
 
 For providing of us this good cheer ; 
 Here's health to his wife all the days of her life, 
 
 Lord send him good crops for next year. 
 And prosper his flock, and all his whole stock, 
 
 His family well to maintain ; 
 Then take up this cup and drink it all up, 
 
 For there's plenty to fill it again.
 
 70 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 LrLOUCESTEr\SHIRE LOURTSHIP. 
 
 'HILE on a holiday in the country I took up my abode 
 at the house of an old Farmer, who having resided 
 in the neighbourhood from his youth, was much respected. 
 His conversation, teeming with stories told in his simple 
 but unadorned manner, could not but render his company 
 most interesting to me. 
 
 Honest old Farmer Giles had an only son, who had 
 reached the age of forty without entering into the matri- 
 monial state ; in fact he was rather " half-saved," and as 
 true a specimen of a country bumpkin as ever graced a 
 pitchfork. Our conversation one day happening to turn 
 on the said bumpkin, I expressed my surprise that he had 
 not had the good fortune to get married. 
 
 " Well," said the farmer, " it beant th' faut o' his 'feace 
 I reckon, for he be as pretty a bwoy as here and there one, 
 an' he have had his chances Jtt my fakins, an' had he ha' 
 bin as cute as I be he med^^had a buxom lass, wi' no 
 end o' money neither ! " 
 
 " How was that then ?" I asked. 
 
 "You must know," said the farmer, ''that my bwoy used 
 to work wi' I in the vield, that is, he ploughed an' sowed, 
 ripped an' mowed, an' all t' other 'cultural works loike, an' 
 a steady, hard-workin' lad he wer too, 'till all on a zudden 
 bless ee he becum lazy loike, an' wouldn't work at all, an' 
 if I blow'd un up 'twere all th' same ; so at last, thinks I 
 to myself, I'll spake to en about it, ca'mly loike, an' so I 
 did, an' axed un what wur the matter wi' un, and so ses 
 he : "I don't dissactly know, ha ! ha ! ha ! but ever since
 
 A GLOUCESTERSHIRE COURTSHIP. 71 
 
 I seed Molly Grundy at our village church, fayther, I've 
 felt all over in such a conflaggeration loike ; ha ! ha ! ha !" 
 " But you beant in love, be ye," I ses. " Well," ses he, 
 " I doant know dissactly, may be I med be, but dang my 
 buttons, fayther, ef I doant think Molly 's in love wi' I ; 
 ha ! ha ! ha ! " " But did a spake to ye," I ses. " Ees, to 
 be sure a did," ses he, " an' sed I wur a pretty bwoy, ha ! 
 ha ! ha !" " An' what did ye zay back to her ? " " Zay ? 
 whoy I laft, ha ! ha ! ha ! " " Well," ses I, " you should 
 ha made love to her," I ses. " But I didd't know how, 
 fayther," ses he; "What be I to zay?" "Well," 'ses I, 
 " I'll tell ee, my sonny. When you zees her agen, jest you 
 address her summut loike this (I knaw'd what to tell un 
 cos' I had lamed it out of a book) : Oh, thou most incom- 
 parable of thy sex ! thine eyes of diamond light have 
 pierced my heart's core, thy cheeks are carnation red, thy 
 lips like coral, thy skin alabaster ; thy teeth, good lack ! 
 and graceful mien, have scorched and burned up all the 
 particles of my heart. tfJK n ) then, to expend thy passion 
 upon me alone, thy grawBn swain, who is at this moment 
 ready to espouse thee, thou irresistable and adorable 
 woman ! 
 
 " And did he say all this ? " I enquired. 
 
 " Noa, noa," replied the farmer, " a sad blunder a made, 
 bless ee, all droo his bein' no scolard ; and a lost both his 
 sweetheart Molly an' her money into the bargain. When 
 a got to Molly Grundy's door a drapt an his knees, scrat 
 his head, an' began : ' Oh ! Molly Grundy, fayther ha' 
 sent I here to undress ye oh ! thou most unbearable of 
 thy sex ! Thy eyes dimmed light ha' pierced my heart 
 sore thy cheeks be tarnation red thy lips like mackerel
 
 72 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 thy skin plastered thy teeth, so black an' hateful an' 
 mean thou hast scorched and burned up all the articles 
 in my heart. Feign, then, to expend thy passion on I 
 alone, thy hateful swine, who is at this moment ready to 
 expose thee, thou detestable and deplorable 'ooman.' " 
 
 Molly Grundy no sooner heard this speech than she 
 caught up a long broom and " whopped" Robin out of the 
 house, and from that time to this he has never been able 
 to get a wife, or muster courage enough to essay love- 
 making. 
 
 An epitaph in Dymock graveyard is engraved as 
 follows : 
 
 " Too sweetur babes you nare did see 
 Than God Amity gave to we ; 
 But they wur ortaken wee agur fits, 
 And hear they lys hjfcdead as nits." 
 
 A native of the Forest of Dean, aspiring to the poets 
 bays, writes with reference to Noah's Ark : 
 
 Next there corned the monster Zin, 
 
 And him with all his train went in : 
 
 A purty theng, upon my word, 
 
 I wish they 'd knock'd un overboard ; 
 
 But if they had no good 'twould a bin, 
 
 For the devil would a teached him how to zwim.
 
 Cirencester Church East View. 
 
 DIALOGUE BETWEEN WILLUM AND 
 V *MUS. 
 
 Tummus Do 'c know, Willum, thur's a vool atop uh 
 Cizzeter church ? 
 
 Willum Wat do 'e zay, Tummus ? 
 
 Tummus I zay, do 'e know thur's a Tom vool atop uh 
 Cizzeter church ? 
 
 Willum Noa, I doant. Hev heerd ov a munkey atop 
 ov a house, but never zeed a vool atop of a church. 
 
 Tummus Thur is one then, Willum, vor schoolmaster 
 in village told I zo ; an' twur a stwonin vool wi' a kap an' 
 aal on, wi' veathers stuck in.
 
 74 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Willum Doo 'e zay zo, Tummus. Never heerd sich a 
 theng afoor. 
 
 Tummus Schoolmaster zaid as how thur wur aal th' 
 figgurs play'd at Whitsuntide thur. Thur wur th' lord 
 and lady an' the mon wi' th' zword, and he as carried th' 
 money with a pus in his girdle, an' twur rote under one on 
 urn, " Be murry." * 
 
 Willum Wat jolly chaps thay must a bin as bilt 
 Cizzeter church. Noa doubt tha play'd th' Witsun ale in 
 them days. 
 
 Tummus Quite troo, Willum. Schoolmaster zed as 
 how th' Roman Catholics karv'd them out and bilded th' 
 church, and thet they zung masses vor th' souls ov the old 
 Cizzeter volk. 
 
 Willum Thay doant zing vor thur ded people now, do 
 um, Tummus ? 
 
 Tummus Noa, but thay hed the Virgin Mary large as 
 life, so I hev heerd zay, an' brot thur presents to hur. Tha 
 hed a pictur painted we devi^avheelin the wimmin down 
 to hell on the wall, zo theFroe chink must a pour'd in 
 nation vast. Th' old Cizzeter volk dedn't want to be 
 wheeled off be old Nick to be roasted arter tha' wur ded. 
 
 Willum Pace to thur zouls, Tummus. 
 
 * Below the battlements, on the north side of the nave, 
 are stone carvings, representing the chief actors in the 
 Whitsun Ale, once so celebrated in this part of the country. 
 The Lord wears a cap and feathers, and holds a scroll on 
 which is written in ancient Saxon characters, BE MERRIE. 
 The steward has purse at his girdle. There are also 
 representations of the lady of the feast, the fool, musician, 
 sword bearer, &c. It may be seen to advantage from the 
 leaded roof of St. Mary's ChapeL
 
 ZENDIN A VALINT1NE. 75 
 
 ZENDIN A VALINTINE : OR, DOIN 
 THE GI\ECIAN BEND.* 
 
 zays I to myself one nite, 
 I got a mine, 'tis true, 
 I'd zen a ugly valentine 
 Ta thick are stuck up Sue. 
 
 Vor zunce she went to Lunnen town, 
 
 Las Crismas, vor a week, 
 Ta zee hur airs an hur pride 
 
 'Tis nuff ta meak ee zick. 
 
 She ardly know'd I, she declared 
 
 When tak ta hur I tried, 
 An zed she shudden wak we I, 
 
 I wur za countrified. 
 
 Spouse not, za I, spouse ye've voun 
 
 A chap in Lunnen town 
 That is a gwain to be your beau 
 
 Insteads a boor Mike Chown. 
 
 She toss'd hur head an zed, praps zo ; 
 
 I tell ee, we out joke, 
 Na moure I do intend ta wak 
 
 We zich a country bloke. 
 
 * From l Rhymes of the Wiltshire Peasantry] by Edward 
 Slow. Published by F. A. Blake, Salisbury.
 
 76 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 I never wants ta zee ee moure 
 Nor speak, ya may depend. 
 
 Then hoff she went, a tryin ta do 
 Thick ugly Grecian bend. 
 
 I did think that she ad moure zense 
 
 Avore she went away; 
 But let hur goo, praps zoon she'll me 
 
 Vor this, another day. 
 
 However, zince St. Valentines 
 
 Is purty ni at han, 
 I'm dang if I doont zend hur won 
 
 As ugly as I can. 
 
 Vor then it med bring down her pride, 
 An praps hur ways she'll mend 
 
 If I da zen hur won that's tryin 
 Ta do tha Grecian bend. 
 
 Zo jist avore tha day I rote 
 
 To couzin Jim, i^own, 
 Ta goo an buy a valentine 
 
 An seafly zen un down. 
 
 Structions I gied un wat ta buy, 
 Purty straite ye may depend : 
 
 Twur ta be a country girl 
 A dooin the Grecian bend. 
 
 Nex day the poustman he did breng 
 
 A letter dressed ta I, 
 An mother cudden meak un out 
 
 She looked at un purty sly.
 
 ZENDIN A VALINTINE. 77 
 
 Upstairs I rushed we un to me room, 
 
 Tha invelope did rend, 
 An ther a girt flash gal wer tryin 
 
 Ta do tha Grecian bend. 
 
 Zich a pictur never did I zee 
 
 In ael my life avore. 
 Apon me zong twur jist like Sue, 
 
 Jist like tha things she wore. 
 
 An ow I grinn'd at thick ar zite, 
 
 I neer tha house did rend, 
 Ta zee thick are girt stup a trying 
 
 Ta do tha Grecian bend. 
 
 Well, beant I plaz'd, I'm zurc ower Jim 
 
 Ne'er coud av round a better. 
 'Tis jist tha very thing vor Sue 
 
 She shall av un in a letter. 
 
 Zo then I popp'd hoff inta town 
 
 Ta pwost thick valentine, 
 Bekaws she shudden know tha mark, 
 
 Nar who twur zen un vine. 
 
 An then nex marnen I did hide 
 
 Ta watch tha pwostman by, 
 An out come Sue, an she did zay, 
 
 Is there ar one vor I ? 
 
 An pwostman laff d, and zed " Ees Sue, 
 
 I think ther's one vor thee ; " 
 An ater lookun ael om o'er, 
 
 Zed, "Ay, an yer he be."
 
 78 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Sue nearly snatch'd un vrom his han, 
 
 Then rin'd behind a tree 
 Wur she cud open un, bekaws 
 
 No biddy else shid zee. 
 
 But gess hur temper wen she zeed 
 Wat thick letter did contain, 
 
 She vow'd, she cried, she roar'd za loud, 
 I thought she wur in pain. 
 
 Jist ooden I let em av it if 
 I know'd who did this zend, 
 
 Zich lying things, ta zay I tries 
 Ta do tha Grecian bend. 
 
 I vow I will vind out who tis 
 
 Av zen this yer ta I ; 
 A goo for nothin loppin stup. 
 
 Jist wunt I at em vly. 
 
 An ael thick day she wur za mad, 
 She cried and bellered zo 
 
 I raaly think she ad a mine 
 Away hurzelf ta drow. 
 
 Aelthough I liv'd nex door I diden 
 
 Zee hur goo out ael day, 
 Zays I, I shant goo in ta she 
 
 I'm seafer, much, away. 
 
 I auver yeard hur mother zay, 
 As she went out thick nite 
 
 Ower Sue iv ad a valentine, 
 An tis a purty vrite.
 
 ZENDIN A VALINTINE. 79 
 
 Girt stup, I tould hur ow tid be 
 Wen frim Lunnen she com down, 
 
 If she did ape tha voolish ways 
 Of they there voke in town. 
 
 I warn till do hur lots a good, 
 
 Vor now, ya may depend, 
 Na moure you'll vine will she be tryin 
 
 Ta do tha Grecian bend. 
 
 Na moure she did, 'tis true, begar, 
 
 Thick ugly vashun try ; 
 She wak'd jist like she used ta do, 
 
 An strait as you ar I. 
 
 Tha very bwoys, they noticed hur, 
 
 An zed, ya may depend, 
 I'm blow'd if Sue ant left off trying 
 
 Ta doo tha Grecian bend. 
 
 Thick valentine, he done her good, 
 
 Tho much he did offend, 
 It tirely cur'd Sue a tryin 
 
 Ta do the Grecian bend. 
 
 But now she've long vorgot tha time 
 
 Wen she wur Lunnen struck ; 
 An now she caals I hur dear Mike, 
 
 An I caals hur me duck. 
 
 We be married now, an I avow 
 
 A happy life I spend, 
 Tho zometimes in a joke I zay, 
 
 " Sue, try the Grecian bend."
 
 80 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 MORAL. 
 
 Now ael young lasses never try 
 Zich voolish vashuns vain, 
 
 Vor if ya do, I'm zure no man 
 Of zense you'll ever gain. 
 
 Vor pen on it, thers nothin like 
 
 A plain modest attire, 
 Vor ael young men of common zense 
 
 Zimplicity admire. 
 
 Vor mead up gals will never meak 
 Good wives, ya may depend, 
 
 Na moure ill they that ayes zich whims 
 As that ar Grecian bend. 
 
 THE UNION MEETING. 
 
 ff WqPNION meetin, maister; that's wot this row is about. 
 ^*** You be a stranger now, I rayther ventur to doubt? 
 Thought I zeed your vace a lookin out o' the Crownd, 
 When all the chaps wi' banners an' vlags were marchin 
 into the townd. 
 
 " Summut in newspaper line, baint yer ? ay, jus' so ; 
 
 An' about this Labourers' Union I s'pose yer wants to 
 
 know ? 
 Well, I carn't zay mooch in its vavour ; one thing tho' I 
 
 can zee 
 It's fast a-makin enmity where 'armony used to be.
 
 THE UNION MEETING. 8 1 
 
 Hark ye, thet Bill Jones them Union zongs will zing 
 (An 1 th' Squoire, whene'er he meets un, looks as black as 
 
 anything) ; 
 Bill ses the parsons be all on em thieves let thet be how 
 
 as twill 
 I knaw th' Rector were terrible kind .to Polly when she 
 
 wur ill. 
 
 " A slip of a gurl wur Polly, she ever wur reyther vine, 
 An' zomehow I sort o' thought as she'd go off in a decline; 
 And go she did too, maister 'tis true I've Loo and Sal, 
 But that theer little Polly wur allus my favourite gal. 
 
 " Th' rector's lady came every day, an' his daughter a 
 
 lovely miss 
 
 Bent down her beautiful head an' guv poor Polly a kiss ; 
 She lifted up her weary eyes, to return that kiss she tried, 
 Then looked at us all so sorrowful, an' then veil back an' 
 
 died ! 
 
 " An' it's awful oncot maister, when one as is dear to ye 
 
 dies 
 
 How this here tarnation dust do blow in a body's eyes ! 
 Makes em watery zomehow. Cryin' ? not it ! No vear ! 
 I aint a goin' to turn to a babby at aighty year. 
 
 " Here comes the local agent, jest you watch un jump, 
 As sassy an' slick as can be, right atop o" th' pump ; 
 But you carn't heer mooch as a ses, becos o' the noise of 
 
 the boys. 
 Sniffin' sir ? I s'pose you vinds o' the smell o' th' corduroys. 
 
 " I thinks that pump and he, maister, zomehow be zort o' 
 zorter,
 
 82 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Vor all as you gets from the one is trash, an' all from 
 
 tother is water ; 
 An' I likes a drop o' good beer, 7 do. Teetotaller ? not 
 
 for me ! 
 Vor no sort o' kind o' sense in that I niver could zee. 
 
 " An' all these revolutions doant kind o' seem right to me, 
 I ses, let everything bide just as it used vor to be. 
 I niver did hold wi' changes, and thet's how I be here, 
 Livin' in my owld cottage, maister, vor nigh upon fifty 
 year. 
 
 " In thet old cottage, maister, I hopes as how I shall die ; 
 (Th' Squoire whenever a passes allus acknowledges I ! ) 
 There's a pretty patch in front on't too, an' tho' now 'tis 
 
 sumwhat clear, 
 'Tis bright wi' gillies an' columbines an' sich in th' spring 
 
 o' th' year. 
 
 " I mind th' ould Squoire too, he were a hare-brained man, 
 Allus after the lasses, an' many's the game he'd plan ; 
 He was the death o' one pretty girl, but not a pin cared he, 
 But cracked his bottle an' joke, as merry as merry could be. 
 
 "They say a walks o' nights I niver have met un mysen, 
 But Timothy Hale, the poacher, ha' met un agen an' agen; 
 A ridin' his coal-black hoss, an' lookin' as glum as can be : 
 Sakes alive ! 'tis a awful theng for a mortal man to zee. 
 
 "Anything like the larnin' I sartinly niver seed, 
 There's ne'er a brat in the village but now can write an' 
 read.
 
 THE UNION MEETING. 83 
 
 Thet's a theng as / niver could do and, maister, I be here, 
 And what is more, I'm hearty an' strong, at nigh upon 
 aighty year. 
 
 " I wonder who'll do the ploughin' wi' all these newfangled 
 
 ways ? 
 They'll vind the volly on't, mark me, on one o' these vuture 
 
 days, 
 All on em, ladies an' gentlemen. By-'m-by you'll see 
 
 they'll shirk 
 Every sort o' labour, and turn up their noses at work. 
 
 " Why do I come to the meetin' ? Becos the rest on us do ; 
 I jest hears what they a got to zay, an' I also thinks a few. 
 I mounted my Zunday cwoat, an' a collar he's stiffish 
 
 wi' starch, 
 But my old ooman zed, zes she, ' You be goin' to listen to 
 
 Arch ; 
 
 " 'An' you oughter look as decent as all th' rest o' th' chaps, 
 Or else some on em may zay you ha' got no thengs, prehaps ; 
 But mind an' kip oot o' thick o't, vor if thet cwoat you spile 
 It's sartain sure you won't get another vor no end of a 
 nation while.' 
 
 " About the Union tho' I reckon there'll soon be a day 
 When they'll vind it oot, thet all this here vools clackettin 
 
 will not pay ; 
 The volk be glad to coom back agin as to vurrin parts they 
 
 send ; 
 But they've all "gone in" for the Union in the Union* 
 
 their days will end." 
 
 F. E. W., Hornet. 
 
 * Workhouse.
 
 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 T 
 
 HE jpii\sT BRIDGE ON THE 
 
 T 
 
 ) 
 
 HAMES. 
 
 fALKING to the Tetbury Road Station of the G. W. 
 Railway one day, I met a fine team of horses, and 
 the well known dialact of the district greeted my ear 
 " Gee-wult. K'-mae-thee." 
 
 The carter met an acquaintance and the horses were 
 stopped, and I overheard their conversation. 
 
 " Well carter, did he zee a mon on th' rooad \vi' a billy 
 cock an, an' karren a book ?" 
 
 "Zeed un jest now, Willum." " He be kum as he zed from 
 Lunnon. 'A ax'd I vor the Terns Head, an' vor the life on 
 mu I dedn't thenk wat a mand. Thout as how twer a 
 public house, an' I telPd'n thur wurno housen heer abouts.
 
 THE FIRST BRIDGE ON THE THAMES. 85 
 
 Zed as how twern't housen uh wur looken vor, but Terns 
 Head, wur th' water com'd up out o' yearth. I pwinted 
 akrass th' vilds to the sprengs. Zed as how ef I'd zhow'n 
 th' place an' tell'n aal I nowd, he'd gie I half-a-crownd. 
 Zo off we gwoes, an' I tell'd un th' sprengs wur verry ni' 
 allus runnin nite an' da'. Took out hees book an' draad 
 th' trees an' waater as natral as life. We vollured th' 
 straam an' come to bridge in th' vild wi' dree arches in. 
 
 Zed as how twur fust bridge on th' Terns. An' out uh 
 pulls his book an' draas th' dree arches, wi' a labourer an' 
 bwoy gwain awver. While uh wus draain he tell'd I as 
 how he hed a zeed th' last bridge on th' Terns th' da' avoor, 
 an' twur kaal'd Lunnun Bridge ; an' wat de thenk, kearter, 
 uh zed as how th' last bridge on th' Terns cost more 
 suvrins then the fust cost vardens. Zed as how th' straam 
 got begger un' begger tell uh kum to Lunnon, an' girt beg 
 stame zhips thouzands ov tons weight, wi' hundards o' 
 peeple aboord rowd up an' down. And a zed as how the 
 zhips vram th' Indees brought in the bacca an' nutmegs on 
 th' zame waater we wur standin' by. 
 
 I axed ef he thawt as how I wur a dommel, as he tell'd 
 I sich thengs, an' he zed twur troo. He tell'd I moor 
 thengs about th' Terns, an' zed he wur delighted to zee th' 
 bridge an' th' strame. He gied I halt-a-crownd, Kearter, 
 an' we'll drenk the genelman's health to-night, an' I'll tell 'e 
 moor thengs uh zed as made I aal ov a oonderment.
 
 86 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 THE SKULL AT BINKNEY PARK. 
 
 A LEGENDARY BALLAD. 
 
 95?HERE is a skull at Binkney Hall, 
 ^^ And it is old and dark; 
 It stands beneath the window wall, 
 Which overlooks the Park. 
 
 How long t'hath stood, beneath its shade 
 
 No living man can say ; 
 For ages efforts have been made 
 
 To put the bone away. 
 
 It hath been pounded bit by bit, 
 
 And scattered o'er the green ; 
 But ere the moon her lamp hath lit 
 
 It hath again been seen. 
 
 It hath been plung'd into the sea, 
 
 A thousand fathoms deep, 
 And fill'd with lead, that it might be 
 
 Where monsters play and sleep. 
 
 But soon the lord of Binkney Hall, 
 
 With horror he discerned, 
 As he stood by the window wall, 
 
 The skull it had returned. 
 
 The sexton delv'd at midnight hour, 
 
 And buried it in clay, 
 Full twenty feet beneath the tower, 
 
 But there it would not stay.
 
 THE SKULL AT BINKNEY PARK. 87 
 
 The Lord of Binkney laughed, and said 
 
 " No more thou shalt appall." 
 But when he left his sleepless bed 
 
 He found it 'neath the wall. 
 
 Lord Binkney cried, " misery ! " 
 
 And curs'd it with a frown ; 
 " I've plung'd thee in the briny sea, 
 
 Full fifty fathoms down. 
 
 " O, I was glad to see thee sink 
 
 Beneath the ocean's wave ; 
 And I sailed home rejoiced to think 
 
 Of thine eternal grave. 
 
 " And I sailed home, with mirth and glee, 
 
 To think that grisly bone 
 Was safe beneath the deep blue sea, 
 
 Beneath the torrid zone ! 
 
 " And Binkney's doors were open'd wide, 
 
 I heard the trumpet's sound 
 And villagers, with honest pride, 
 
 With flowers strew'd the ground. 
 
 " I heard the minstrels in the hall, 
 
 No living soul was dull ; 
 When, lo ! beneath the window wall 
 
 I found the dismal skull. 
 
 " With sand and shell 'twas cover'd o'er r 
 
 And sea weeds dripping wet ; 
 Like some fresh waif cast on the shore, 
 
 When first my gaze it met.
 
 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 " Thou shalt not be for ages more, 
 
 To tax us with our guilt 
 To mind us of the human gore 
 
 Our wicked house hath spilt." 
 
 Lord Binkney curs'd, Lord Binkncy swore 
 
 He'd burn it like a brand ; 
 And in a fit of frenzy bore 
 
 The skull-bone in his hand. 
 
 He plac'd it 'neath the waggon's tyre, 
 
 And crush'd it, with a crash, 
 And put the fragments in the fire 
 
 And burnt them to an ash. 
 
 Lord Binkney quaff'd the red wine-cup, 
 
 And gave a hearty laugh, 
 To see the white ash whirling up 
 
 And scatter'd like the chaff. 
 
 Lord Binkney kiss'd his pretty bride, 
 
 For he was overjoy'd ; 
 " This cursed skull," Lord Binkney cried, 
 
 " For ever is destroy'd." 
 
 Lord Binkney rose the morrow morn 
 
 To shed a bitter tear, 
 For e'er he blew his hunting horn 
 
 The object of his fear 
 
 The horrid skull of Binkney Hall, 
 
 Which in the fire had burn'd, 
 He saw beneath the window wall 
 
 With freshness had return'd.
 
 THE SKULL AT B1NKNEY PARK. 
 
 Lord Binkney made a shocking vow, 
 And curs'd that horrid bone ; 
 
 When o'er the lawn, like bended bow, 
 There crost an aged crone. 
 
 The old dame trembled in the cold, 
 With few rags to defend her 
 
 She was as frightful to behold 
 As King Saul's witch of Endor. 
 
 " Forbear, my Lord," the dame did say. 
 
 " While Binkney owns an ell 
 Of this domain, this skull will stay 
 
 Its vengeful tale to tell. 
 
 " For ages heirs, who came and went 
 The old man and the boy 
 
 Have many fruitless efforts spent 
 This skull-bone to destroy. 
 
 " Be calm, my Lord, and yield lo fate, 
 
 Nor war with its decrees ; 
 That skull was here, on this estate, 
 
 Before yon old oak trees. 
 
 "When all the Binkney's race are dead, 
 
 And strangers hold in trust 
 Thy lands O then the skull you dread 
 
 Shall crumble into dust." 
 
 Lord Binkney jumped upon his steed, 
 Which paw'd the verdant ground ; 
 
 O'er hedge and ditch he tried his speed 
 To catch the baying hound ;
 
 QO GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 And as he chas'd the bounding stag 
 
 Adown the winding vale, 
 He thought upon the shrivell'd hag, 
 
 And all her dismal tale. 
 
 And as he gallop'd with his men 
 
 His fury did abate, 
 He vow'd he never would again 
 
 Attempt to war with fate. 
 
 And to-this day this skull is found 
 
 Beneath the crumbling wall. 
 And if you ask the people round 
 
 You will believe it all, 
 
 H. Y. J. T. 
 
 THETHREE OLD MEN OFPAINSWICK. 
 
 (A Ballad, exemplifying the longevity of the Inhabitants 
 of that famous town two hundred years ago.) 
 
 [, Painswick is a healthful town, 
 It hath a bracing breeze, 
 Where men by nature's rules might live 
 As long as e'er they please. 
 
 Before the glass and baneful pipe 
 
 Had robbed man of his strength, 
 And water only was his drink, 
 
 He liv'd a greater length.
 
 THE THREE OLD MEN OF PAINSWICK. 91 
 
 Two hundred years, or more, ago 
 
 A pilgrim passed that way ; 
 And what that pilgrim heard and saw 
 
 I will relate to-day. 
 
 And while he stopp'd outside the town 
 
 To rest his weary bones, 
 He saw a very aged man 
 
 Upon a heap of stones. 
 
 The pilgrim saw him with surprise, 
 
 And surely thought he dream'd ; 
 The poor man was so very old, 
 
 Methuselah he seem'd ! 
 
 He'd travelled o'er the wide, wide world, 
 
 Amid its heat and cold, 
 But he had never, never seen 
 
 A man one half so old. 
 
 His face was wrinkled like a skin 
 
 That's shrivell'd by the heat ; 
 His hair was whiter than the snow 
 
 We tread beneath our feet. 
 
 It made the pilgrim sad, 
 
 As he was passing by, 
 To see his old eyes filled with tears, 
 
 To hear him sob and cry. 
 
 The man was crying like a child, 
 
 His tears fell like the rain ; 
 The pilgrim felt for him, and asked, 
 
 " Old man, are you in pain ?
 
 92 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 " Oh, tell me, tell me, poor old man, 
 Why you do sob and cry." 
 
 The old man rubb'd his eyes and said, 
 " Feythur's bin a b'yutting I." 
 
 " Old man, old man, you must be mad, 
 
 For that can never be. 
 Your father surely has been dead 
 . At least a century ? " 
 
 " No, feythur be alive and well, 
 
 I wish that he wur dyud, 
 For he ha bin and byut his stick 
 
 About my face and yud." 
 
 The pilgrim pick'd the old man up, 
 And walk'd to Painswick town ; 
 
 " Oh ! show me where your father lives 
 And I will put you down. 
 
 " And I will tell die cruel man 
 Such things must not be done, 
 
 And I will say how wrong it is 
 To beat his aged son." 
 
 The pilgrim shook a garden gate, 
 An old man ope'd the door : 
 
 His back was bended like a bow 
 His white beard swept the floor. 
 
 If Adam he had liv'd till now 
 And lengthened out his span, 
 
 Then Adam really would have seem'd 
 Another such a man.
 
 THE THREE OLD MEN OF PAINSWICK. 93 
 
 The pilgrim felt amazed, indeed, 
 
 When he beheld his sire : 
 He held a great stick in his hand, 
 
 His face was flushed with ire. 
 
 " Old man, old man, put down your stick, 
 
 Why do you beat your son ? " 
 " I'll cut the rascal to the quick 
 
 If he does what he've done : 
 
 " Why up in yonder apple tree 
 
 Grandfeyther risk'd his bones ; 
 And while the old man pick'd the fruit 
 
 The rascal dubb'd with stones." 
 
 The pilgrim turned his head and saw, 
 
 Up in an apple tree. 
 A very, very aged man, 
 
 The eldest of the three. 
 
 The pilgrim was a holy man, 
 
 Whose hopes were in the sky ; 
 He fled he thought it was a place 
 
 Where men would never die. 
 
 H. Y. J. T.
 
 94 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 THE BATTLE OF BAI\BEF^S BRIDGE, 
 
 (GLOUCESTER 
 
 OUSE up, rouse up, old Gloucester, thou city strong 
 
 and fair, 
 Ye men who guard the ancient walls, be strong in fight and 
 
 prayer. 
 
 Rouse up, rouse up, before the dawn, your city to defend, 
 The floods are rising in the west, Teme, Severn, Leadon 
 
 blend ; 
 Their waters now towards your walls in torrents swift 
 
 descend. 
 
 Rouse up, rouse up, old Gloucester, against the cruel flood 
 Of men " malignant" from the west, whose deeds are deeds 
 
 of blood. 
 Men from the mountain fastnesses of Wales and Malvern 
 
 high, 
 Rouse for the fight, before 'tis light, and all your foes defy. 
 
 The city heard the summons, and the dreary streets grew 
 
 light, 
 
 Torches and tapers flaming there on faces stern and white, 
 And women clinging to the men in terror and affright. 
 
 Quoth Massey, " Shall the foemen come and find us 
 
 weeping here ? 
 
 Nay ! let us rather seek him out, that his may shed the tear. 
 Ye women weaken not the men, by prayers such as these, 
 Let them stand on the battle field, while you are on your 
 
 knees.
 
 THE BATTLE OF BARBER'S BRIDGE. 95 
 
 Show not your love by fondness, men, there is a better 
 
 way- 
 Give all you have for all you love : up then unto the fray." 
 
 The men then grew together and the women stood apart, 
 Four hundred men, both horse and foot, all strong and 
 
 true of heart ; 
 And soon the clatter of horses' feet and the tramp of armdd 
 
 men 
 Passed down the slanting Westgate Street there was 
 
 weeping loud just then 
 Passed down the street and away from this forth at the 
 
 Foreign Gate, 
 And o'er the Islands two that lie to guard us in our strait. 
 
 The morning brake all beautiful, with streaks of silver grey, 
 The sun rose over Churchdown hill just as we marched 
 
 away ; 
 So let our darkness turn to light and bring our foes dismay. 
 
 The foe lay strong at Tainton House and at Highleaden 
 
 Green 
 We made our way through Lassington and Tibberton 
 
 unseen ; 
 
 Then came to Tainton Hill, and here lay opposite the foe, 
 But could not tempt him to the fight, nor could we strike 
 
 a blow. 
 Close lay he now, but closer still when laid in " Bloody 
 
 Ho." 
 
 Then back again through Tibberton we came and crossed 
 
 the brook, 
 And lay in ambush near a house. Meanwhile our Captain 
 
 took
 
 96 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Some hundred men, and rode along as though he nothing 
 
 knew 
 Of dangers close at hand that could molest his careless 
 
 crew. 
 
 So came they near Highlcaden Green, five hundred men 
 
 there lay, 
 Who like a swooping eagle sought to make our band their 
 
 prey : 
 Goliath knew not David's strength and therefore he was 
 
 gay, 
 
 From field to field, from hedge to hedge, our men with 
 
 speed retire, 
 From field to field, from hedge to hedge, the foe maintains 
 
 his fire. 
 
 Quoth Langdale, "Soon these men must 'yield, two streams 
 
 here join in one 
 A narrow space is all now left where battle can be done." 
 
 " True," quoth our noble Massey, an he led us from our 
 
 lair, 
 " Two streams here join of living men for battle now 
 
 prepare." 
 
 But Langdale and his troop of horse unwilling were to fight, 
 Their spurs were sharper than their swords, and so they 
 
 took to flight. 
 
 The foot stood to it close and hot. Oh ! 'twas a dreadful 
 
 time 
 Men meeting death by sword and fire when life was in its 
 
 prime.
 
 THE BATTLE OF BARBER'S BRIDGE. 97 
 
 In vain the foe resists our arms, we have them front and 
 
 flank, 
 And lay them low as mower's scythe cuts grass rank after 
 
 rank. 
 As when some person great in name goes crowds of men 
 
 among, 
 Our cannon balls make easy way through all the eager 
 
 throng. 
 
 The musketeers on either hand came close enough for 
 
 blows, 
 Oh ! what a threshing bout is there, blood free as water 
 
 flows. 
 Blood here, blood there, 'twas everywhere, my sword clung 
 
 to my hand, 
 " Cleave thou to me, 1 will to thee," I said, "thou blasting 
 
 brand," 
 Our swords like Aaron's rod devour, and nothing could 
 
 withstand. 
 
 One would have cleft our Massey through, a trooper shot 
 
 him dead, 
 One raised his sword with dire intent, a shot tore off his 
 
 head ; 
 Quick like a stream came bubbling up the blood all hot 
 
 and red. 
 Our Captain was a mark for one whose pistol missed 
 
 its aim ; 
 
 The bullet laid his charger low this did our men inflame, 
 Death hung upon their eager strokes the victory to claim. 
 
 Now, like as oxen stain a stream that runs through ruddy 
 clay,
 
 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 A group in Leadon water stood, like lions brought to bay, 
 The blood-red stream increased their fire, they suffered no 
 dismay. 
 
 " Give in ! give in !" quoth Massey, "I like a worthy foe ; 
 Shall all the cowards save their lives and heroes feel the 
 
 blow?" 
 " Give in ! give in ! these doughty lads shall now in safety 
 
 go." 
 Then said they all with one accord, " We then will follow 
 
 thee ; 
 Our leaders show the way to fight, but thou to victory." 
 
 Together we buried the silent dead upon that summer's 
 eve, 
 
 Together we marched and nothing said, for all had cause- 
 to grieve. 
 
 In silence came we to the town, weary and worn and sad, 
 
 A saddened joy was in our hearts, although we victory had. 
 
 How different the even-song to that of early morn ! 
 
 The women now were jubilant, but then were all forlorn. 
 
 But soon we all had cause for joy, for those who with us 
 
 came 
 We found were Gloucester men who had gone forth in 
 
 Charles's name. 
 Their wives and little ones came forth from misery and 
 
 shame : 
 Ah ! there was quiet joy that night in homes unknown to 
 
 fame. 
 
 The muster roll was counted o'er, some twenty we had lost, 
 The battle to our enemy three hundred men had cost ;
 
 THE BATTLE OF BARBER'S BRIDGE. 99 
 
 Not often in the battle field commanders save their men, 
 And going forth four hundred strong, five hundred come 
 again. 
 
 Long may we keep in mind the day and field of Rcdford 
 
 fight, 
 When Glo'ster found her loss was gain of men with soul 
 
 and might. 
 
 Now for the Laws and Parliament we will united stand, 
 And rule the streams that gather here with speed from 
 
 either hand : 
 
 The rapid rising freshet from the Welshman's barren land, 
 The " Eger" royal rushing flood that little can withstand, 
 Our Islands three shall break their force, the Severn we 
 
 command. 
 
 S. H. 
 
 NOTE. There is a place called ''Bloody Ho" a little 
 way beyond Tainton. Our " Islands three." There was 
 formerly an Island in the Smern, being that piece of 
 ground now dividing the basin from the river, commencing 
 at the Lock house, and ending at the first Dry Dock, 
 through which a channel formerly lay. 
 
 A TEWKESBUI\Y DIALOGUE. 
 
 X / / 
 
 War beest agwoin ? 
 To th' Mythe Tut. 
 Shall I coom alung ? 
 Ay, if thee 'oot.
 
 100 
 
 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 THE MAJ\KET Ci\oss. 
 
 WO worthies, evidently tillers of the soil, were wending 
 their way across the Earl Bathurst's park at Ciren- 
 cester, and when near the Woodhouse saw a gentleman 
 intently looking at the old Market Cross, removed there 
 during the present century. It proved to be a clergyman 
 of whom they knew a little, and stopped to ask " the time
 
 THE MARKET CROSS. IOI 
 
 o' day." Asking the age of the relic of antiquity before 
 them, the communicative clergyman gave them his opinion 
 and told them facts in connection with the civil war, when 
 it stood in the Market Place of the town. 
 
 The destination of the two was the village of Coates, and 
 at " Tunnel House " tkey detailed the wonderful tale the 
 clergyman had been telling them, much to the amusement 
 of a Cisseter man who helped to "draw them out" in their 
 recital to a wondering audience. 
 
 They commenced their talk with reference to the 
 Bathurst Family, giving their opinions, and a running 
 commentary on the notions expressed by those present. 
 
 Giles. I baint no scollard, but I heerd my feyther zay, 
 he wur ni' aity yeer when he died, thet he knaw'd a deal 
 about th' old Yarls. He know'd th' old Yarl wen he wur 
 'lected fur th' townd about 1 780 or zo. An' pretty geams 
 thur wur a gwain an. He wur the feythur of the Yarl now 
 livin', an' my feythur zed as how he walked into townd to 
 zee th' owld genuhnun lie in State wen he wur ded, an' 
 went droo th' beg geats in th' townd up ta beg house an' 
 walked droo th' rooms. My feyther tell'd I thet he knaw'd 
 th' day he wur berried, vor he wur at Meyster Robbut 
 Newcomb's thet da a deliverin earn, an' they shet off work 
 an' stood outside wi' a girt beg dog he hed, neamed 
 " Hector." Tak about a dog Meyster Robbut, wen he 
 zets down at our club, Whitsun time, he'll zeng about 
 George Riddler an' his dog. I wur a zayin', my feyther 
 zed twur a vine vuneral, an' th' crownd wur carried on a 
 red cushin avoor th' coffin. This wur in 1834. I wur in 
 townd wen the old Yarl wur berried in 1 866, an' voks ded 
 zay he wur good to th' poor, an' th' townds vok put up
 
 102 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 thur shutters an' vollered he to th' grave in th' churchyard. 
 An' now I zay Long life to th' old Yarl as drows oopen 
 hees beg park fur th' accommodashun ov townd and 
 country volk. Do 'c knaw, Isaac, who twur a lookin' at 
 th' old Markut Cross at th' Woodhouse? If I tell'd ye, 
 Isaac, it twern't Passun Puddin, shed ye knaw enuf who 
 twer ? 
 
 Isaac. Ay put 'im in th' oven instead uh th' pot. 
 
 Giles' Ued ye know avoor thet th' Cizzeter peeple 
 grabbed zum Yarls, trid um weout juge or jury, chopped off 
 thur heds, stuck um an sticks, an' took um up to Lunnun 
 an' show'd um to th' peeple on Tempul Bar ? * 
 
 Isaac. I didn't knaw avoor th' passun zed zo. 
 
 Giles. Th' old Cizzeter volk seem'd cantankerous an' 
 fout like Kilkenny cats. Belike th' Rooman Catholics zet 
 um an, vor wen tha chopped th' viting Yarls' hcds off tha 
 drapped in luck's way. 
 
 Isaac. Passun zed tha hed summut gied um to get 
 merree wi'. 
 
 Giles. Ayj old cock-a-lorum, vor th' king send um ivry 
 year two ov hees beg barrels ov wine vrom Bristol by 
 waggin, an' th' wimmin as much venson as tha' wanted. 
 Tha hed jolly times uh eatin' and a drinkin' along wi' the 
 jolly old vriers, an' zung thur zongs, an' wur nation merry, 
 vor thur wur no bobbies about then to turn um out as zoon 
 as townd clock hit ten. 
 
 * Earls of Surrey and Salisbury.
 
 THE FOXCOTE FIND. IO3 
 
 LOUCESTERSHIRE ROVERBS. 
 
 atf <8ati i in 
 are a man at 
 aS I0ns tn coming a (0teto0Kr JJarlcg 
 (EracteiS fiabc altoajj^ the Jmtrti in tfjetr 
 ot a^ Cetofcetfburj) muitarlr. 
 ratfic is fatter tijan rljr late. 
 
 T 
 
 HE FOXCOTE FIND, 
 
 E following account of the circumstances attending 
 the excavation of the Foxcote Tumulus which has 
 of late given rise to much discussion at the meetings of 
 the Cotswold Club is from the pen of " P. P.," a highly 
 respectable person, sometime " Clerk of this Parish." It 
 will be seen that he is a man of sound judgment and deep 
 antiquarian research, and it is possible that many whose 
 views are a little hazy upon such matters may read with 
 pleasure the simple explanation oi the facts as conveyed 
 in the homely rhyme of " P. P." : 
 
 Well, neighbour, if you axes I to tell you what I found 
 In the tump at Foxcote yonder, in the fourteen acre ground, 
 If you'll stand a drop of suminat, for talking makes me dry, 
 I'll tell you what I knows on it, and the gospel truth thereby.
 
 IQ4 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Not what I told them chaps as come up here from Chel- 
 tenham town 
 
 A axing lots of questions and a writing of it down : 
 " A doctor" and " a parson," and another gent I knows, 
 Leastways I knows his father, as I've reason to suppose, 
 For he given me seven days in quod, for nothing as you 
 
 may say, 
 Only being drunk on a Saturday night and 'saulting 
 
 Pleeseman Day.* 
 Well, you knows the fourteen acre ground and the tump 
 
 as used to be there, 
 'Twas nout but a heap of stones as was throwed promiscu- 
 
 ous-like in the air, 
 For I minds when the field was first ploughed up, and how 
 
 we gathered the stones ; 
 So when they comes a axing I, if I'd found in it any old 
 
 bones, 
 Or kwinest or brass fardens, or such like, or anything out 
 
 of the way, 
 I were stummered like just at first, and were just a going 
 
 to say 
 I hadn't found nothing at all, when I thought of a bit of a 
 
 lie; 
 So I told 'cm I'd got all they ax'd for, and had putten 'cm 
 
 carefully by, 
 
 * Sergeant Day, a well-known active officer of the Cheltenham police 
 force. This is a convincing proof of the truthful character and minute 
 accuracy or the whole statement. 
 
 t JE wines for Coin*. Our friend's orthography is a little uncertain.
 
 THE FOXCOTE FIND. 105 
 
 To home in my cottage at Foxcote, and if they'd come up 
 
 the next day 
 I'd show 'em the bones and the kwines, and tell 'em exact 
 
 where they lay. 
 
 So I gets me a lot of old kwines that the childer has often- 
 times found, 
 And the plough will turn up by the score when they breaks 
 
 up a piece of new ground, 
 And some half-a-score of old bones as I got for a pint of 
 
 beer 
 
 From old Joe Smithers, the sexton, down by the church- 
 yard here ; 
 And a piece of a broken pot as I'd throw'd at my missus's 
 
 head 
 
 When she were a aggrawating about the drink, as she said; 
 And I puts 'em out in the garden, and covers 'em up from 
 
 the rain, 
 
 And waits till these 'ere gents should be looking in again. 
 The first as come was " the doctor," and he looked so 
 
 mortal wise, 
 
 Thinks I, he is sure to find out as I'm telling on him lies ; 
 But Lord ! when he seed the bones he took to 5 em just as 
 
 kind 
 As they'd been his own grandfather's as he'd known time 
 
 out of mind ; 
 And he said 'twere a nancient Briton as somebody had 
 
 drew'd * 
 And after they'd taken his pictur the Romans had had him 
 
 slew'd. 
 
 * My worthy neighbour has evidently misunderstood the observation of
 
 106 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 But I know'd better than that, for old Joe Smithers said 
 Them bones was the bones of a woman as hadn't died in 
 
 her bed ; 
 For she'd been crossed in love, and drownded herself in a 
 
 pond, 
 
 And that's why she werdn't buried in cussicrated ground. 
 Then I gives the kwines to the parson and tells him how 
 
 they was lain 
 Along with the bones in the tump, as he said they ought 
 
 to ha' been ; 
 And give the young un the pot, which I didn't say nothing 
 
 about, 
 For he looked so grumpy and sly, I were fear'd he'd ha' 
 
 found me out. 
 So they gives me a crown apiece, and I thanks 'em for 
 
 favours past, 
 And I drinks to their healths, and hopes as this 'un won't 
 
 be the last ; 
 For I knows of another field with a main big tump of 
 
 stones, 
 But I says nothing on it as yet, for I havn't got no more 
 
 bones. 
 
 Gloucestershire Chronicle. 
 
 the learned doctor. The latter, knowing that a skeleton found in a tump 
 must be that of a Druid, the high priest of a pagan and idolatrous super- 
 stition formerly prevailing in our now enlightened land, at once pronounced 
 that the bones exhibited to him were what they ought to have been, which is 
 the same thing as if they had been so. 
 
 P. P., Clerk of the Parish.
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 107 
 
 LrLOSSAP^Y. 
 
 A. 
 
 Aater, after. 
 Adry, thirsty. 
 Afeared , frightened. 
 Afore, before. 
 Agen, opposite to. 
 Anunst, over against. 
 Athert, across. 
 Attermath, grass after 
 
 mowing. 
 Axe, to ask. 
 
 B. 
 
 Barken, the homestead. 
 Belly (a verb) to swell oi/t. 
 Belluck, bellow. 
 Bennet, standing grass. 
 Bide, to stay. 
 Bin, because. 
 Bittle, a heavy mallet. 
 Body, an individual. 
 Brake, a small coppice. 
 Brash, light, stony soil. 
 Breeds, the brim of a hat. 
 Brim, brem, spoken of a 
 sow. 
 
 Bucking, the foul linen of 
 a household collectedfor 
 washing. 
 
 Budge, to move a very 
 short distance. 
 
 Burrow, shelter. 
 
 Butt}-, a comrade in labour 
 
 C. 
 
 Caddie, to busy with trifles 
 
 Caddlement, a trifling 
 occupation. 
 
 Cant, to toss lightly. 
 
 Cess, a word used, in call- 
 ing dogs to their food. 
 
 Cham, to chew. 
 
 Char or chir, a job. 
 
 Charm, a noise. 
 
 Chaw, to chew. 
 
 Chilver, a ewe lamb. 
 
 Chock-full,////0 choking 
 
 Clammy, adhesive. 
 
 Clout, a heavy blow. 
 
 D. 
 
 Daddocky, said of decayed 
 timber.
 
 io8 
 
 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Dent, an indentation. 
 Desperd, beyond measure. 
 Dismal, an evil in excess. 
 Doff, to take off clothing. 
 Dollop, a lump. 
 Don, to put on. 
 Dout, to extinguish a light 
 Drink, used as a term for 
 
 beer. 
 
 Dunch, dunny, deaf. 
 Dynt,t/ie imprcsston made 
 
 by a heavy blow. 
 
 F. 
 
 Faggot, a word applied in 
 
 derogation to an old 
 
 'woman. 
 
 Fall of the year, Autumn 
 Flat, a common term for a 
 
 low, concave surface in 
 
 afield. 
 Flump, applied to a heavy 
 
 fall. 
 Frum,/tt//, abundant. 
 
 G. 
 
 Gamut, sport. 
 
 Glowr, to stare moodily, or 
 with an angry aspect. 
 
 Glum, glump, gloomy, dis- 
 pleased. 
 
 Grounds, commonly used 
 for fields. 
 
 Grouts, Grits, oatmeal; 
 also dregs. 
 
 Gully, a deep, narrow 
 ravine. 
 
 Gumption, spirit, sense, 
 quick observation. 
 
 H. 
 
 Hames, plural Hames-es, 
 the wooden supports to 
 a horse-collar in teams. 
 
 Handy, near, convenient. 
 
 Hank, a skeitt of any kind 
 of thread. 
 
 Hatch, a door which only 
 half fills the doorway. 
 
 Haulm, dead stalks. 
 
 Heft, weight, burden. 
 
 Highst, to uplift, to hoist. 
 
 Housen, plural of house. 
 
 Hox, to cut in an un- 
 seemly manner. 
 
 I. 
 Innards, the intestines. 
 
 Jarl (pronounced YarlJ, 
 the title Earl. 
 
 Jomettry, spoken of any- 
 thing self-stipported in 
 an unknown manner. 
 
 Jowl, the jaw-bone. 
 
 Junkets, sweetmeats. 
 
 K. 
 
 Kallenge, challenge. 
 Kind, promising well, 
 prosperous, health. 
 
 L. 
 
 Larrop, to beat, to flog. 
 Leech, a cow doctor. 
 Leer, empty, hungry. 
 Leese, to glean corn. 
 'L\nvp,fiabby, flexible. 
 Lissome, active, nimble.
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 109 
 
 Loath, unwilling. 
 Lop, to cut growing wood 
 Lug, a measure of land. 
 Lusty, strong, inf nil health 
 
 M. 
 
 M ammock. a shred, a tatter 
 Miche, Myche, Mooche, 
 to idle, to play truant; 
 to pilfer. 
 
 Mind, to remember. 
 'Mire,/0 wonder,to admire 
 Mortal, excessively, extre- 
 mely. 
 
 Mothering-Sunday, Mid- 
 Lent Sunday. 
 M ound, a fence, a boundary 
 *Ni\\n, probably man. 
 
 N. 
 
 Naron, none. 
 Nation, very. 
 Nesh, weak, tender. 
 Nunohcon, luncheon. 
 
 O. 
 
 Odds, difference. 
 
 Oont or Woont, the mole. 
 
 Paunch, to disembowel 
 game. 
 
 Pelt, to throw away. Full 
 Pelt, to run with speed. 
 
 Piddle, to trifle, to do light 
 work. 
 
 Pill, pool caused by junc- 
 tion of two streams. 
 
 Pitch, to fall down or cast 
 away. 
 
 Plim, to swell with mois- 
 ture. 
 
 Pollards or Polts, a mixed 
 crop of peas and beans. 
 
 Prong, a large hay -fork. 
 
 Pure, in good health, or 
 with good success. 
 
 Purl, to throw with violence 
 
 Q- 
 
 Quar, a stone quarry. 
 Quarrel, a square pane of 
 
 floss. 
 Quick, Quickset, young 
 
 white-thorn for hedges. 
 
 R. 
 
 Ramshackle, to move, with 
 noise, in a loose, dis- 
 jointed manner. 
 
 Rassle, to run at the roots. 
 
 Retch, to strain before sick- 
 ness. 
 
 Rime, hoar-frost. 
 
 Rince, rince out,/0 cleanse. 
 
 Rongs, steps in a ladder. 
 
 Rounds, an accustomed 
 circuit. 
 
 Rumple, to discompose 
 linen. 
 
 Rusty, Reasty, spoken of 
 rancid bacon. 
 
 S. 
 
 Scrub, shrub. 
 Shard, a breach in a fence. 
 Shore up, to prop with 
 
 timber. 
 
 Shot, Shot of, to be rid of. 
 Skilling, a cow shed. 
 Skurry, a flock in confused 
 flight.
 
 GLOUCESTERSHIRE DIALECT. 
 
 Slam, to beat, to shut the 
 door with violence. 
 
 Slammerkin, a slut. 
 
 Slick, slippery. 
 
 Sliver, a slice. 
 
 Smack, a blow with tin: 
 open hand, audible kiss. 
 
 Snitc, to blow the nose. 
 
 Snoul, a lump. 
 
 Snuggle, to lie close to- 
 gether. 
 
 Solid, steady, continuous 
 progress. 
 
 Spit, a spade. 
 
 Sprack, lively. 
 
 Spreathc, to have face or 
 hands roughened by frost. 
 
 Spur tie, to sprinkle. 
 
 Squish - Quash, walking 
 through mud, &*c. 
 
 Squat, to sit, as a hare. 
 
 Stank, a pool. 
 
 Straight ways, immediately 
 
 Swop, to exchange. 
 
 Tack, grazing for cattle. 
 
 Tallut, hayloft. 
 
 Teem, to empty. 
 
 Teg, a lamb, one year old. 
 
 Theave,7P in second year 
 
 Thic, this, that. 
 
 Thiller, Tiller, shaft horse 
 
 in waggon. 
 
 Tump, earth thrown up. 
 'Y\m, part of chimney above 
 
 roof. 
 
 Twissle, to turn about 
 
 rapidly. 
 
 U. 
 
 Unkard, Unket,7/;?0w, 
 uncouth, lonely. 
 
 V. 
 
 Ventersome, heedless. 
 W. 
 
 Wag, Waggle, to move. 
 
 Wallop, to beat. 
 
 Wap, to beat, 
 
 Wopper, unusual size, as 
 
 being able to beat. 
 Warnd, to assure, make 
 
 certain. 
 
 Wet, substantive for rain. 
 Whale, a stripe. 
 Whimper, to cry. 
 Winder, a window. 
 Wizen, to wither with age 
 
 or disease. 
 
 Wonderment, wonderful. 
 Wordled, the Cotswold 
 
 pronunciation of world. 
 Worsen, to make worse. 
 
 Y. 
 
 Yopping, Yoppeting, a dog 
 in full cry after game. 
 
 Zog, to soak. 
 
 Zwathe, grass when first 
 mowed, and in rows. 
 
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 A NEW HISTORY OF THE ABBEY AND 
 ANCIENT CHURCH OF ST. JOHN, CIREN- 
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 Brasses, &c. ; The Clock ; Chimes and Bells. Also a 
 Notice of the Restoration of the Building. 
 
 Illustrated with Steel and Wood Entjrariugs. 
 
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 The following Works ,nai/ IP had of C. H. SAVORY, Printer 
 and Publisher, Steam Press, Cirencester : 
 
 Now Heady, price One Shilling, 
 
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 ......P. 
 
 GLOUCESTER. 
 
 F