1 3 8 \ 8 i 2 i ■fornia inal ty Ex Ubris C.K. OGDEN 1 A COLLECTION OF LOCAL PROVERBS, AND POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. By FRANCIS GROSE, Esq. F. R. &A.S.S. iptto €liimn, Contctctr. LOKDON: PRINTED FOR EDWARD JEFFERY, No. 11, PALL MALL. 1811. White ords used in several counties in the same sense, are pointed out by the letter C. to express that they are connnou ; and sometimes these are distinguished by tlie abbreviation ^'ar. ])ial. signifying that they are used in various dialects. The East country scarcely atlbrded a sufiicieney of Avords to form a division. As the Lot AL l*i;ovEKi5s all allude to the particular history of the places mentioned, or some ancient customs respecting them, they seem worth j)re- .serviiig, particularly as both the customs, and many of the places alluded to, are sliding silently into oblivion. For these Local l*roveri>s I have consu'.ted Fuller's Worthies, Ray, and a variety of other writers, uu^ny of whose explana- tions I liave ventured to controvert, and, I hope, amend. The PoruLAK Slpeustjtions, likewise, tend to illustrate our ancient jjocms and romances. Shakespeare, in particular, drew his inimitable scenes of magic fr(;m that source; for, on consulting the v.riters on that subject, it will be found he has exhibited the vulgar superstitions of his time. Indeed, one cause of these scenes having so great effect on us, is their calling back to our fancies, the tales and terrors of the nursery, which are so strongly stamped on our tender minds, as rarely, if ever, to be totally ed'aced ; and of these tales, spite of the precaution of parents, every child has heard something, more or less. The different articles under this head, that are collected from books, are all from the most celebrated authors on the subject. Among them are King James L Glanvil, Dr. Henry More, Beaumont, Aubrey, Cotton Mather, Richard Eaxter, Reginald Scot, and Bourne's I^opular Antiquities, as augmented by Mr. Brand. Other articles on this subject, and those not a few, have been collected from the mouths of village historians, as they were related to a closing circle of atten- tive hearers, assembled in a winter's evening, round the capacious chimney of an old hall or manor-house ; for, formerly, in eoimtries remote from the metropolis, or \\hich had no immediate intercourse with it, before news-papers and stage- coa( lies had imported scepticism, and made every ploughman and thresher a politician and free-thinker, ghosts, fairies, and witches, with bloody murders, committed by tinkers, formed a principal part of rural conversation, in all large- assemblies; and particularly those in Christmas holidays, during the burning of the yulc-block. GLOSSARY OP PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL WORDS. A. ABITED, mildewed. Kent. Aboon, above. N. Ackersprit, a potatoe with roots at both ends. N. Achiown, acknowledged. N. Ackivards ; when a beast lies backwards and cannot rise, he is said to lye ackwards. N. Advised; I a'n't advised of it, I can- not recollect it, or am ignorant of it. Norf. Acy, yes. N. and S. Ajterings, the strokings, or last of a cow's njilk. Qer. Ajtermallis, the pastin-e after the grass lias been mowed. N. and S. A<>'re ; probably of yEldeni, elder ; and bot>se, a botch. Ex. AIpe, Nolpc, or Blood Olpit, a bull- hnch. Norf and bud". Amell, lietween, used in dividing time; amell one and two o'clock. li Ammat,^ AR V AWN jinima/, a liinclieon hefoif (linncr ; dr- liveil from tlie Fniitli word, Molli\ a lump. W. Aiiipcr, a fault, defect, or flaw ; an ani- prey tootli, a decayed tootli. Kent. AiKiitntrins, peradventuie, if so be. JNoitliuni. AhcJioi; of a buckle, the chape. Glou. Judi/f, tlie aucle. N. Ahg'ic-Boinng, a method of fencing sheep-u;r()uuds, used at lixuiore iu Somersetshire. Aiig-nails, corns on the feet. Cumb. Anenl, opposite. Derby, and N. Aiiioml of an Aneouxttiess, nearly the same. (ih)u. Aiieust, about the matter, nearly. Berks. Anllioiiy Pig, tlie favourite, or smallest piii of tlie litter or farrow. Kent. Antle-lher, cross-wise, irregular. Exra. A-piirt, sullen. Exm. Aquuhoh, an isicle. Kent. Atjuo'tt, weary of eating. Ex. See Quot. Aidiii, a spider ; from the French, Araignec. N. Arderx, tallowings, or ploughings of ground. N. and S. AiJ, afraid. N. Ise arf, I am afraid. Aigut, tartar, or lees of wine. N. & S. A)gosics, ships. N. Arh; a large chest ; from the Latin word, Area. INorthumb. Aries, or Earles, money paid to bind a bargain, called earnest, or an earles penny. N. Arr, a mark or scar. Cmnb. Hence pock-arr'd, marked by the small pox. Arse-ivard, backward. Cmnb. Arsy-vursy, head over heels ; down came tTit, an>u'it/i c/ii/(f,hree(\\n^, a;i'avid. N. Jiatllcs, coinmous, or board. Oxford and Caiub. Uatlli/igs, the loppiii2;s of trees, larircr than faiigots and less than tinjber. Psor. aiul Suf. liatUc-tuig, an ear-wig;. Dcrb. liuttnl, a batting .staff used by laun- dresses. Lan. JSau/t, the summer, beam, or dorman ; also a pole or beam, s^iicli as are used under the roofs of small buildings; also land left uuplonglied, to divide the property of different persons in connnon or open fields. INoriluimb. J3airhs, a hay loft. Cunib. Jiiiurgiiivans, horse-collars. N. Umitert. See JiarAit. JJiiiiu, a brush, faggot. Kent. Jituhinent, a measure containing four (piarts. N. Heulimig, or batliing wood by the fire, setting or straiglitening iniseasoned uood by heat. Norf. and Suff. Jiecic, or JiccL, a rividet or brook. N. Jh'iii, iiind)le, clever. Lan. Jiceos, cows. Jicest, or Beestings, milk immediately afler the cow has calved. Lan. and Glou. Seeslliiig-pudding, pudding made of beest. JJeclavted, besmeared or bedawbed. N. Jieeld, shelter. N. Beent-need, help on particular occa- sions. Lane. JDeer, or Bare, force or might ; w itli aw my beer, with all my force. Chesh. JU-er-gi od, yeast. Norf. and Suff. Bees, rows. Cumb. Brisoiii, or Bifssum. a broom. N. Beig/it (of d.e elbow), bending of the elbow. N. JBegoue, decayed, Avorn; the thatch of this house is lamentably begone. Morf and Suff. Jie/iil/ier, on this side; in opposition to beyond. Sussex. He/ioiiiir/u/, tricked up and made fine; a metaphor taken from an ornament worn by acart horse, called hounches, uhich lies spread upon his collar. This term is in general used ironi- cally. Su.ssex. 23e//'(i/iiiis, i. e. by the lady-kin, or lit- tle lady; a Lancashire and Derby- shire interjection. lie/ike, probably, perhaps. N. JJc/icri', anon, by and by, in the even- ing, towards niglit. Northumb. & N. lictiuii, a bull or bearward. IN. lien, or JJend; to the true ben or bend ; possibly of hendan, Saxon, to stretch out; to yield to; to the purpose, or sufliciently ; to the utmost stretch. Lxmore. liind, a border of a woman's cap. N. ; perhaps from band. Jlmid'kdl, a kind of great cann with a cover. N. Jieucjit, a church living, or benefice. N. Sensel, to beat or bang. Vox rustica. Yorksh. Jierry ; to berry, to thresh out corn. N. lierryer, a thresher. Sesom, a broom. N. JBefiratiled, confounded, out of one's senses, also bewrayed. N. Beiering, trembling. N. Heiriierd, lost to one's self, bewildered, confounded. Exmore. Dibber, to tremble ; I saw his under lip bibber. Kent. See Severing. Hid, to bid or bede, to pray. N. ; whence bedesman. Side, to stay or abide. C. It w ill bide billingeat, it will bear working at. N. Let un'bide, let him stay. W. Bidden, invited, suffered; whence, for- bidden. N. B LE Jiio\ barley. Cuiiih. Big; to big-, to build. Ciiinb. JBigge, a pap or teat. Essex. Jiigseiiniiig ; I wish yoii a good big- geniiing, /. c. a good getting up after lying ill. N. Jiillurd, a bastard capon. Suss. Bird of the Eye, the pupil or sight of the eye. Suff. Bind, or Bird, bread. Exni. Birk, a birch tree. N. Birladif, by our lady. York & r)cr1)y. Birth, a place or station ; a good birth ; mine is the next birth. Kent. This word is used by seamen of all coun- ties iu the same sense; to birth a floor, to place or lay down a floor. Bishop, the little spotted beetle, com- monly called the lady-bird, or lady- cow; in some countries the golden knop. S. C. The bishop has set his foot in it, a saying iu the North, used for milk that is burnt too in boiling. Formerly, in days of super- stition, whenever a bishop passed through a town or village, all the inhabitants ran out, in order to re- ceive his blessing; this frequently caused the milk on the fue to be left till burnt to the vessel, and gave origin to the above allusion. Bizi'iid, Beezcii, or Bison, blind. Northum. Blake, yellow ; spoken of butter and cheese ; as blake as a paigle. N. Cow blakes, cow-dung dried for fuel. Blaking, crying, out of breath. Exm. Blaring, the crying of a child ; also the l)leating of a sliecj), or lowing of an ox or cow. Suft'. Blashif, thin, poor; blashy milk or l)eer. N(uthuuil). Binivhij, black or dirty. (Jlou. Blazuvj;, spreading abroad news or scandal. Ex. Bleare, to roar and crv. N. B O L Bleb, a blister; also a bubble in the water. N. Blee, blueish, pale, blue. N. Bleed, to yiehl or jjroduce well ; the corn bleeds well. BU'it, or Blate, bashful. N. Blenches, faults. IV'. Blen-corn, wheat mixed with rye, i. c. blended corn. Tork. Blcndings, beans and pease mixed to- gether. N. Bligh, a faint resendflance; methinks he has a bligh of his father. Iv. Blirt, to cry. N. Blind-icorni, the snake called a slow- worm. A. and S. Bloacher, any large animal. Nortlunnb. Blog'gi/; to blog'gy, to sulk or be sul- len. Ex. Blolen-fond, that kind of aiTection shewn by a child for its nurse; the child is bloten of her. Ches. Bloiv inanngcr, a fat full faced person, one whose cheeks seem pufled out. Ex. Bloiv-milk, skimmed milk, perhaps blue milk; milk when closely skim- med being of a blueish colour. N. Bliijfe; to blufle, to blindfold. Nor- th umb. Blush; to blush, to resemble. N. Bodle, a Scotch coin, one sixth of a penny. N. Body, a simpleton. N. Boggart, a spectre; to take boggart, said of a horse that starts at any object in the hedge or road. N. Boggc, bold, forward, saucy. S. A vei'y bogge fellou. Boggle, or Bogle, a ghost. N. Boke; to boke, to point at. Chesli. Booke and ^'ane, lusty and strong. N. Bule, a bole new, a measure; four ken- nings and three new boles make an old bole, in barley and oafs only. N. Boll of Salt, two bushels. Northum. Boll BOW B RE JBoll of a Tree, the stem, trunk, or body. N. Holders, round ilint stones used in Itiiilcliujis. Suss. lio/fi/iiis, pollards ; trees whose heads anil branclu'S are cut off. JBoiics, bobbins for making lace, pro- bably iirst made of bones ; hence bone lace. N. JBones/uae, a bony or horny excres- cence or tumour, growing on horses heels, perhaps so called from a dis- tant resemblance to the substance of a bone spavin ; also the scratches. Exmore. Boon, to boon or buen, to do service to another as a landlord. N. Boon, a gratuitous day's work. N. Boor, the parlour, bed-chamber, or inner room. Cuinb. Boose, an ox or cow-stall. N. Booster ing, labouring busily so as to sweat. Ex. Bore-tree, an elder tree. N. From the great pith in the younger branches, which children commonly bore out to make pop-guns of them. Borse, a calf of half a year old. Hamp. Bosh, to cut a bosh. Norf. To make a figure. Jiostul, a way up hill. Suss. Bonds, wevils, an insect bred in malt. Norf. Bonk, a pail for holding water; whence bouket or bucket. Staff. A whirl- bouk, a churn, which is worked by turning round. Boulder, a large round stone. C. Bonn; to boun and unboun, to dress and undress. Nortlium. Boiird, to ijourd, to jest. N. Bourn, yeast. Ex. Bout, without. Northum. Boufed-hread, bread made of wheat and rye. Northumb. Bonn, swelled. Norf, Boukc, to nauseate, to be ready to vomit ; also to belch, sometimes pro- nounced boke. N. Bruggel or Bracket, a compound drink made of honey and spices. N. Broken, or Brakes, fern. N. Brand-irons, corruption of Andirons. N. Branders, the supporters of a corn- stack. N. Brandrith, or Brander, a trivet or other iron stand to set a vessel over the fire. N. Brandire. Ex. Brank, buck wheat, called in some counties crap. Ess. Suff. and Norf. Brant, steep; a brant hill. Northumb. Brash, a lit, or tumblmg one about. Northum. Brat, a coarse apron, a rag. Line. Brauche, or Brawche, rakings of straw to kindle fires. Kent. Brauchin, a collar for a horse, made of old stockings, stuffed with straw. Cumb. Braug/tuham, a dish made of cheese, eggs, bread and butter, boiled toge- ther. Lane. Brannds, or Broans, i. e. brands, cleft or split wood for the fire. A seam of braunds, a horse-load of billet wood. A rick of braunds, a stack of wood cleft for the fire. Woaken or elmer braunds, oaken or elm timl>er. Braun, a boar. Cumb. The brawn's head, the boar's head. Bray, to bray, to neigh ; the horse brays. Berks. Breade, to spread or make broad. Northum. Break, to break, to tear. Hamp. In this county break is used for tear, and tear for break ; as, I have-a-torn my !»est decanter or china dish; I liave-a-broke my fine cambric apron. Break ^ a break is land that has lain long BRO B U L long fallow, or in sheep-walks, is so callt'd the tirst year after it has been ploii^^hed or broken up. Norf. Sreckiiis, iern. N. Bree, to bree, to frighten. Breeds; the l)ree(ls of a hat, the brims of a hat. Glou. Breiff, or Brude; to breid, or brade of any one, tliat is to resemble tiiem in disposition, as if of the same breed. Northunib. Breeks, breeches. N. Breut-bron; a steep hill, metaph. N. Brian; to hrian an oven, to keep tire at the mouth of it, either to give light or preserve the heat. INor- thiimh. Elsewhere this lire is called a spruzzing. Brickeii ; to bricken, to bridle up, or hold up the head. Bride-wain, a custom in Cumberland, where all the friends of a new mar- ried couple assemble together, and are treated with cold pies, furmity, and ale; at the conclusion of the day, the ])ride and bridegroom are placed in two chairs, in the open air, or in a large barn, the bride with a pewter dish on her knee, half co- vered with a napkin; into this dish the company present put their offer- ings, the amount of which is some- times forty or hfty pounds. Brigg, a bridge. N. Brimme ; a sow goes to brimme, that is to boar. S. Brine, to brine, to bring ; brine it hither, bring it hither. Norf. Brixs, dust. Exmore. Brile, tobrite or britt; spoken of hops, which, when they are over ripe, and fall out or shatter, are said to britt or brite. S. Broach, a spit, also a piercer; whence to broach a cask. Kent and N. De- rived from the French. Broucli-steepie, a pyramidical spire, from its being pointed like a broach or spit. N. Brock, a badger, or grey. N Brook, to luook up, spoken of the clouds when they draw together.and threaten rain. S. Broaden, to brow den on a thing, to be fond of it. N. Brnckc, to brucke, to make dirty. ISorlhum. Bruckled, dirty. Brnslc, to dry ; the .=!un bruslcs the hay; brusled pease. IS'orthum. Probably from the old French w ord, brtisler, to burn. Brntte, to brit or brutte, to browse ; the cow bruttes the young wood. Kent. From the French word, bron- ter, to nibble. Bubbley, snotty ; the bairn has a bnb- bley nose. N. Bnckard, or Bucked, spoken of milk soured by keeping too long in the milk-bucket, or by a fuul bucket. Exmore. Buck, of a cart or waggon, the body. Hamp. Buck, the breast. Suss. Buckcij-cheese, a sweet, rank cheese. Hamp,. Perhaps from a rank, goat- ish taste ; bone, in French, signifying a he-goat. Bucksome, blithe, jolly. S. Bad, a weaned calf of the first year, the horns then beginning to bud. Suss. Budge, brisk, jocund : budge also means to stir, move, or w alk away ; do not budge from hence. Buer, a gnat. Northumb. Buffet, a stool. Derb. Bug, to bend. Kent. Bug up. Buidering (weathei) hot, sultry. Exm. Buikar, a beam. Btdlen, hemp-stalks, pilled. N. BuUimong, oats, pease, and vetches. mixed. Ess. Bullock, BUR BYE linllock, a heifer. Berks. Jiull-Sciin; a -elditl l)ull. N. JiuU-Sittiig, a (lra<;(ni-Hy. Ciinib. Hiimbei), a qiiagiiiire, from sitagiiant w ater, dung, kc. such as is often seen in a farm-yard. PSorf. and Suft". liiiiiiicrsome, clumsy. Berks. JJiiiiiDieil, or Jiii)nblc-Kilc, a bramlile or l)hukl»erry. Ciinih. 80 calUnl also in Hanipsliire ; perhaps a cor- luptioii of l)ranible kates. liiiniie/, a dried lieiiip-stalk, used by smoakers to lij;lit their pipes. C'unib. Uimucij, a swelling from a blow, Norf. and Snff. Bun; the sweetbread. Derb. JBurnc, a brook, a small stream of water. N. liurnish ; to bxrnlsh, to grow fat or increase in flesh, look jolly, or rosy. Exmore. Hurtle, a sweeting. Northuiiib. liur-tice, an elder-tree. IN. Jiu.s; to bus, to dress. N. Jiutt, a bee-butt or hive. Exmore. li utter- Jags, the tlowers of trifolium sili(|ua eornuta. Hutler-s/iao; a slice of bread aud but- ter. Cunib. But till, or Jiulter-hump, a bittern. S Called in the North a Mire-drum. Byer, a cow-house, Cumb. c. C AL \^A, to ca, to drive. Caddow, a jack-daw. Norf. Cndc-lamh, a tame lamb, Norf. & Suf. Cadge ; to cadge, to carry ; a cadger to a mill, a carrier or loader. Nor- ihumb. Cadging the belly, to stuff' the belly; also to bind or tie a thing. Lan. Cadma, called also a whinnock, the least pig of the litter. S. Cuil; to cuil a stone, to throw a stone. Norf. I'rnnounced in the West country scale, also, and squale. See Sqiiale. Caiiigel, a crabbed fellow. N. Cale, (urn ; it is his cale to go. Derb. Call, occasion, oi)ligation ; he had no call to do it. J>erb. Calling, giving jiublic notice by the cryer ; I had it called, 1 had it cried. Northumb. Callar, frt sh, cool ; the callar air, the fresh air. N. Callar ripe grosiers, ripe gooseberries fresh gathered. CAN Calleting, scolding ; a calleting house- wife. To callet, to scold. Northumb. Caviping, playing at foot-ball. Norf. r^ T' > to talk of any thing. N. Lank, 3 jo Canipable, able to do. N. Cumperknoics, ale-pottage, made with sugar, spices, &c. Campo, or Camble, to prate saucily. N. Canker, a poisonous fungus, resembling a mushroom. Glou. Likewise the dog-rose. Devon. Called also the canker-rose. Cankerd, cross, ill-conditioned. N. Canking, whining, diisatished. Derb. Cannij, nice, neat, housewifely, hand- some. Newcastle, Northumb. & N. Cant, strong, lusty : very cant, God yield you ; i. e. very strong and lusty, God reward you. Chesh. Cant, to throw. Kent. He was canted out of the chaise. Cant, an auction : to be sold bv cant. N. Cant, CAT Cant, a corner of a field. Kent. Cfl«^ to recover or mend. N. A health to the good woman canting, i. e. rc- coverini;- after lying' in. N. Cap, or Cob, head, chief, or master. Cumb. Capo, a working horse. Chesh. Capl, or Cappd, overcome in argument. Cundj. Carking, anxious, careful. N. Carle, a clow n, an old man. N. A male ; a carle cat, a lie cat. Cark-licmp, that hemp which bears the seed. Carpet-ivaij, a green way, a way on the turf. S. Carve, to Karve, or Kervc, to grow sour, spoken of cream ; also to cur- dle. Chesh. Carherri/, a gooseberry. N. Car-hand, the left hand. N. Carling-daif, or CarliHgSnndai/, the second Sunday preceding Easter, when parched peas are served up at most tables in Northumberland. Carre, a hollow place in which water stands. JN. Also a wood of alder or other trees, in a moist boggy place. Car-sick, the kennel, from car and sike, a furrow or gutter; q. the Cart- gutter. Yorks. Cart-rake, a cart-track. Essex. Casings, or Cassoits, tiried cow-dung used for fuel. Northumb. Catcliland, laud which is not certainly known to what parish it belongs, and the minister that tirst gets the tithes of it enjoys it for the year. Norf. Cater-crass, cross : yon must go eater- crass dat dare hi ; i. e. you must go cross that field. Kent. Cats-foot, grouiid-ivy. Northund). Cat'iciti'i-lico-tails, an earwig. JNortlium. Cat-ham d, fumbhng, auk ward, with- out dexterity. Exmore. CII A Caller, to keep ui>, to thrive in the world. N. Catteraaiding, rambling or intriguing in the night, after the manner of cats. N. and S. Cauchcri/, a medicinal composition, or slop. Cairhuby, an aukward timid boy. Dev. Caivsie-tail, a dunce. IN. Cair, to call ; caw'd, called ; caivu, they call. Lan. Cavels, lots; casting cavels, casting lots. North uui. Chaff'o, to chew. Chain, 1 am. Somersetsh. Chani, awry. N. Champ, a scutHc. Exm. Changes, shirts and shifts. Berks. Channest, to challenge. Exmore. Chare, to stop; as, chare the cow; i.e. stop or turn the cow. Also, to coun- terfeit; as, to chare laughter, to counterfeit a laugh. N. Char, a particular business or task ; that char is chard, that job is done ; I have a little char for you. Hence char-woman and going out charing. N. Pronounced in Wilts, a cheure. Charger, a platter, or large dish. N, Chnrk, a crack. N. Cham, a churn. N. Charn-curdte, a churn-staff"'. N. CAwv/, careful, or painful ; sparing: he is chary of his labour. N. Chat, a small twig. Derb. Chats, keys of trees ; as ash-chats, sycamore-chats, &;c. N. Chalfocks, refuse-wood, left in making faggots. Glouc. C/<«t;w//, a chattering or prattling noise of many persons speaking together. Sus. Chaundler, a candlestick ; from chan- delier. Chaungeling, an ideot ; one w hom the fairies have changed. Exm. Chaunges. See Changes. Exm. C Chee,. CLA C LO CItee, a lu'u-roo^t ; to go to rlice, to ^o to loost. Chtjts or Cluijts, chops; as iniittoii- fliaf'ts, kc. ■Nortlimub. Cliell, 1 sliall. Soiuers. and Devon. Cheure. See Char. Chibder, cliildivn. Deib. C/iicrc, to succeod in or acconiplisli any business; iVoni the Frciicii word, ar/ieier, to accomplish. Jt ciiieves mni^Iit with him. N. C7iij>, to break, or crack ; aii egg is said to cliip when tiie voung bird cracks the shell. N. Clthzlc, or Chizzcll, bran. Kent. Chock, to choak. Suss. Chnalij, fat, chubby; a choaty boy, a fat, (hubby, or broad-faced boy. Kent ; commonly applied to infants. Chdckliu;^, hectoring, scolding. Exm. ■Chomp, to chew ; also to crush, or cut things small. ]N. Chotinliiii^-, quarrelling. Exm. Chuck! Chnrk! a word conunonly used in calling swine. Hamps. Chuck, a great chip. Suss. In other counties called a chunk or junk. Church-lilten, the church-yard. Suss. and A. Church tea nieii, a shag or cormorant. Suss. Churn-gotting, a nightly feast after the corn is out. N. Ch>i.sc-//uf, avoid. Northum. Chushcrc/, a w horeuja^ter, a debauched fellow. S. Cichllc, or Kiltie, to tickle: kittle wea- ther, ticklish, changeable, or uncer- tain weather. S. Clags, sticks. N. Claily, dirty. Cnmb. Clum'd, or Clcm'd, starved ; T am welly clem'd, I am almost starved. IN. CluvicI, in Gloucestershire, means to be choak'd up ; as the mill is clamVI, i e. over-loaded. Clammas, to climb; also a great noise. N. C/ampx, andirons, creepers, or dogs, INorthnmb. Ctapsc, a clasj). S. Clarl, to spread or smear ; clarty, smear- ed, sticky. Clalhing, clothes. Exm. Cfaut; to claut, to scratch or claw. Clavcij, or Clarcl, a mantle-piece. Cllon. and Som. Cleam, to glue together, or fasten a thing with glue. Line. CUckiiigs, a shuttlecock. Cundj. Cledgy, stifl"; cledgy ground, stiff land. Kent. Ctcek, to catch at a thing hastily. N. CIcgning, the after-biith of a cow. N. Cicpps, a wooden instrument for pull- ing weeds out of corn. Cmnb. Clcvcl, a grain of corn. Kent. Clerer, neat, smooth, cleanly wrought, dexterous. S. Clever; to clever or claver, the endea- Aour of a child to climb up any thing ; also to catch hold of any thing. N. Cleickin, a sort of strong twine. N. Ctelch, or Clutch, a brood ; as a cletch of chickens. Clinkers, deep impressions of a horse's feet. Glonc. Click, to catch or snatch away. Cumb. and N. Clite, or Clai/t, clay or mire. Kent. cut ; I would sow grass seeds, but the ground will be clit. Hamp. Clittery, or Clutteri/ weather, change- able weather, inclinable to bestormj^ Hamp. Cham, coarse earthen ware. Exm. Clock, a dor or beetle. N. Clocking, or Clucking hen, a hen de- sirous of sitting to hatch her eggs. N. Cloggs, wooden shoes, such as are worn in Cund)erland. Cumb. Clothix, clothes. Berks. Clots, Clouts, or Cluts, burdock. N. Clough, COB COI CloHgh, a valley between two hills. Northum. Hence Clem of the Clongh, one of Robin Hood's men. CloKuliy., a woman dressed in a tawtlry manner. Northnm. Cloul, to piece or mend with cloth or iron ; also to beat. N. Clozzoiis, talons,clntches, ])ossession.N. C/nmc-biizza, an earthen pan. Corn. Clumps, Clumpst, i. e. Clumsy, idle, lazy, nnliandy. Line. iVly hands are clumpst with cold, my hands are be- iinmlied. CIniio; closed up or stopped; spoken of hens that d<» not lay, and com- monly used for any thing- that is shrivelled or shrunk; from (V/?*«-. N. In Norfolk it means soft, flabby, re- laxed. Cfussimf, swoln with cold. N. Chff, to strike a blow. N. Cluttert, in heaps. N. Chives, hoofs of horses or cows. Cumb. Coad, unhealthy. Exmore. Coujerze'eiid, a cordwainer's end, or shoemaker's thread. Exiuore. Coaken, the sharp part of a horseshoe; also to strain in the act of vomiting. N. Coander, a corner. E.xm. Coutliy, surly, easily provoked. Norf. Also, in Hampshire, rotten, applied to sheep.. To throw, also. Coh, a blow; likewise to throw. Derb. Also a basket of w icker to carry on the arm; a seed-cob, or seed-lib, a seed-basket used in sowing. Cohbells, or Jce-caudlcs, isicles. Kent. Cobble, a pebble: to cobble with stones, to throw stones at any thing. Nor- th umb. Cobbles, round coals. Derb. Cobbo, a small hsh, called a miller's thumb. Rent. Cobbs, testicles. Cumb. Cobbi/, head-strong, tyraimical. Cumb. In Northumberland it means stout, hearty, brisk ; in Derbyshire, well or in good spirits, clever, &c. ; as I'm pretty cobby t'day. Cob-coals, large pit-coals. N. Cob-iron, an andiron. S. Cob-joe, a nut at the end of a string. ])erb. Coh-Hiit, a game, which consists in l)itching at a row of nuts pihd up in heaps of four, that is, three at bot- tom and one on the top: all the nuts knocked down are the pro|)irty of the pitcher; the nut used for pitch- ing, is called the cob. (jIouc. Cobstones, stones that may be thrown ; also large stones. N. Cob-n-cb Morning; a misty morning.. Norf. Cocker, to fondle; also an old stocking without a foot. N. Cockers and Trashes, old stockings without feet, and worn-out shoes. N. Cocket, brisk, apish, pert. Northum b. and N. Cock-leef, i. e. cock-light, day-])reak ; or sometimes the dusk of the even- ing. Exmoie. Cock's-neckliiio-; to comedown cock's- neckling, /. e. ht'ad foremost. >\ ills. Cod, a pillow or cushion; princod, a pin-cushion; a horse-cod, a horse- collar. N. Princod is also tigura- tively used for a little fat man or woman. Codders, persons, chiefly Welch women, employed by the gardeners about London to gather peas. 8. Cod-glove, a thick glove, without fin- gers, to handle turf. Exm. Cods, bellows. N. Cuduare, pulse growing in cods or pods. S. Called in Kent l\)dware, and in Hampshire Kidware. tsee Kidivarc. Coe, an odd old fellow. Norf. Coil; a hen-coil, a hen-pen. N. Coil also signifies in the North, a great stir, and a lump ou the head bv a blow. Coke, COP eo u Coke, pit or sea-coal, cliarred for tlic smelling of metals. S. Cokers, rims of iron round wooden slioes. CuMih. Cokes, or Corks, cinders. N. Cokiiil, unsound, applied to timber. Norf. Cole, Kcal, or Kail, pottage or hroth made of cabbage. N. Coley, a cur dog. N. Colic;/, the black or soot from the ket- tle'. Clou. Collovk, a great piggin or pail. N. Coll ; to colt in, the sliding of the earth, or falling in, as of a ly from the Low Dutch word, voj)en,\o\i\\\, sell, ordeal: whence a dealer is called a coupman. Cope, to cover ; to cope a wall, to co- ver the top of it, generally with stoiLe, called a co|)eing. IN. and 8. Copesmate, a companion. N. Cojtjier-eloiils, a kind of spatter-dashes worn on the small of the leg. Exni. Coppet, saucy, mal{)ert, peremptory ; also merry, jolly, the same with Cocket. N. Cop-rose, |iapaver rhaeas ; called also head work. N. Copl-knoir, the top of a conical hill, from eopt, caput, and knoir, or knolle, the top of a lull. N. Copt also sig- nifies proud, ostentatious. Corby, a crow. N. Also carnivorous. ?s. ; from the French, corbean. Corse, a dead body. Cossel-lamb, or Colt, a cade lamb or colt brought up by hand. jNorf. and Sufi". Costard, the head ; a kind of oppro- brious word, used by way of con- tempt, probably alluding 'to a cos- tard apple. Costril, a little barrel. N. Cothisli, morose. Norf See Coat/ty. Gotten ; to cotten, to beat soundly. Ex. Naught cottens )"ight, nothing goes right. Yorksh. Colter, or Coltrel, a linch-pin, a pin to fasten the wheel on the axle-tree. N. Cotlrel, a tranuml for hanging a pot over the lire. S. Cove, a part of a building so called ; Kent. Also a little harbour for boats. S. Couch, the roots of grass collected by the harrow in pasture lands, when first ploughed up. Glou. ; vulgarly pronounced Squitch. Coidler, C R A c i\ o Conifer, a plougli-sliare. CouulerfcUs aiul TriiiAels, pornngers and saucers. Cliesli. Coup or Cooj), a ninck coop, a lime coo|), a cart or wain made close with boards to carry any tliin;^ tliat would otherwise fall out, a tnnd)ril. N. Cotv-cleaning, the al'ter-birtli of a cow. Con-di/, a little cow, a Scotch runt witimut horns. N. Coirhcr, a straining to vomit. N. Cowl, a tub. S. Cimr, or Come, to crouch down or squat upon one's hams. N. Cow-scam, cow-dung. ('umb. Crack; to crack or crake, to boast. Norf. Crackling, a thin wheaten cake. N. Also the rind of pork roasted. Craddculy, co\Aardly. N. Craddins ; to lead craddins, to play mischievous tricks. N. Craggc, a small beer vessel. S. Crags, rocks. N. Crake, a crow, hence crake-berries, crow-berries. N. Crumble, to hobble. Derb. Crammer, a bo\\ le sewer. Crank, merry. Kent. Also a boat or ship over-masted, apt to roll and in danger of oversetting; a common sea tern). Cranks, offices. S. Cranky, ailing, sickly; from the Dutch, crank, sick. N. Cranny, jovial, brisk, lusty ; a cranny lad. Chesli. Crap, darnel. Suss. In the north it is sometimes useil for money. Crassanl/y, cowardly ; acrassantly lad, a coward. Ches. Crash, the noise of any thing when it breaks. N. Down fell the table and crash went the crockery. " Cratch, a panier. Derb. Also a rack. See Crttch. S. Crutchiniif, feeble, weak. N. Crates, paniers for glass and crockerj . .N . Crattlc, a crumb. N. Craulei) 31awley, indifferently well. Norf. Craicp-arsed, hog-breech'd. N. Crazi/, ailing, out of order or repair. Deri). Crazzild, coals baked or caked together on a fire. N. Creak, a corn creak, a land rail ; so called from its creaking note, natu- rally imitated by scratching on the teeth of a comb. Cream ; to cream, to mantle or froth, spoken of beer; a metaphor taken from milk. N. Crease, to fold or doul)le up. N. Cree ; to cree wheat or barley, to boil it soft. N. Creeas, the measles. N. Creem; creem it into my hand, slide it slily or secretly into my hand. dies. Creem; to creem, to squeeze or press together. Exm. Creil, a short, squat, dwarfish man. N. Crevin, a hole, a crack, or crevice. Creviscs, i. e. Eccrevises, cray-fisli. N. Cre'wnting, grunting or complaining. Exm. Crib, a kind of rack for holding hay for cows, also for holding sucking calves. N. and S. Cribble, coarse meal, a degree better than bran. Cricket, a small three-Iegg'd stool ; also a domestic in^i^ct like a grass-hopper, found in chimneys. ]N. Cricks And Jlowds, pains and strains. N. Criinble tlti'poke ; to go back from an agreement, to be cowardly. N. Crinch, a small bit. (jIouc. Crinkle, to bend under a weight ; also to rumple a thing or wrinkle it. IN. Crttch, or Cratch, a rack. S. Crock, soot from the chimney, a pot or kettle. Essex. To crock, to black any one with soot. Crock, CRO C YP Crocic, an eartlicii pot. Exinore, Crockei/, a little Scotc li cow. N. C'lojt, a sinall close or lielcl. N. Crom, or Crum, to stiift"; also to put a tiiini!.- ill a place. \. lliiicecruminy, fat, or well sliilitd. Croiiw, a hook : to cromc, to hook any thing. Norf. Cronie, a sort of rake with a long han- dle, used for pulling weeds out of a drain after they are cut. Ps'orf. and ]:lss. Dunti-cronx', a dung-hook used in unloading it. Crones, old ewes vho have lost their teeth. S. Cro/i/i, the noise of a raven ; also to prate. N. Cranking; croaking. N. Croodle, to creep close together, like chickens under a hen. N. Crook-liig, a long pole with a hook at the end of it, used for pulling down dead branches of trees. Glou. C;o/c/<-tail, a kite. Crowd, a fiddle. Exmore. Croivdling, slow, dull, sickly. N. Crowdy, oatmeal, scalded with water, and mixed up into a paste. N. Crone, an iron lever. N. Croicse, brisk, lively, jolly ; as crowse as a new washen-house. N. Cruh, or Crousl, a crust of bread, or rind of cheese. Exmore. Cnte/iet, a wood-pigeon. N. Cruel, very, extremely: as, cruel crass, very peevish ; cruel sick, very ill ; cruel line, very fuiely dressed. Devon. and Cornwall. Crump, the crau)p ; also to be out of temper. N. Crumple, to rulHe, or rumple. N. 6V«///^', to stoop down, to fall. N. Cufj', an old end', an old fellow. Mid. Cuffing, expounding (applied to a tale) Exmore. Culch, lumber, stufl", rubbish. Kent. Cull, a small tish with a great head, found under stones in rivulets, called also a bull-head. Glouc. "Jo cull, to pick and choose. Kent, and S. Culvers, pigeons. Exmore. Cumber, trouble. N. Cuu ; to cuu or con thanks, to give thanks. S. Cuimiffling, dissembling, flattering. Ex. Cupula, a smel ting-house. Derb. Cup o'Sueeze, a pinch of snuff. N. Cus/iets, wild pigeons. Yorksh. Culler, to fondle or make much of, as a hen or goose of her young. Cyphel, houseleek. N. D. D AC DAJ3, a blow : a dab at any" thing, expert at it, perhaps corruption of an adept. iX. and S. Also a small qnantitj'. Dubbit, a small quantity, less than a dab. Glou. Duekcr, to waver, stagger, or totter. Line. Backer weather, uncertain or unsettled weather. N. D AF Dacian, a vessel used in Derbyshire, for holding the sour oat cake. Derb. Dud, a linnp ; also a father. N. Duddle, to walk unsteadily like a child; to waddle. N. Daddock, rotten wood, touch-wood, (dime. Bajf'e, to daunt. N. Ddjf'ock, a dawken, a dirty slattern. N, Daft, DE A DIG Daft, stupid, blockish, daimtcil, fool- ish. N. Dag, (lew upon tho i>rass ; hence a wo- nian who has ilirtieil her clothes witli wet. or mire is called daggle-tail, cor- rupted to draggle-tail. Dag-loeks, locks of wool spoiled by the dag or dew. S. Dag; to dag, to run thick. N. Daggle ; to (laggle, to run like a young child. Devon. DairoKS, bold. Devon. Dallop, a patch of ground among corn thiit has escaped the plough; also tufts of corn where dinig-heaps have long laid. Norf. and Ess. Dangiis, a slattern. Dansey-headcd, giddy, thoughtless. Norf. and SufF. Dapse, likeness ; the very dapse of one, the exact likeness in shape anil man- ner. W. Dare, to pain or giieve ; it dares me, it grieves me. Ess. Daier; to daver, to fade like a flower. Devon. Datv, or Dow, to tinive, to mend, to recover; he neither dees nor daws, he neither dies nor recovers. N. Daw, to rouse or awake one ; I was just dawed, I was just awakened from a sound sleep. N. Dawgos, or Dawkin, a dirty, slatternly ^^<)man. N. Duwnt, to fright or terrify; whence daunted. N. Diiiciille, to fondle. N. Datj-laie, or l>««//e-v^(«w, a day-labourer. Yorksh. Dayes-man, an arbitrator, or umpire. N. jD«~fg-boi(nd, much swelled in the bell v. N.^ Dellfin, a low place, overgrown with un- derwood. Glouc. Denclid, dainty, finely mouthed, cu- rious. N. Dessably, constantly. N. Desse ; to desse, to lay close together; to desse wool, &c. Also cutting a section of hay from a stack. N. In Cumberland to put in order. Dibble, an instrument used in husljan- dry to make holes in the earth, for setting beans, &c. Didal, a triangular spade, as sharp as a knife; called also a dag-prick. Norf. and Ess. Didder, Ditler, or Dallier, to quake or shiver from cold. N. Dig, a mattock. In Yorkshire they distinguish between digging and grav- ing; to dig is Mith a mattock, to grave with a spade. Diglit ; to (light, to foul or dirty one. (Jhesli. Perhaps used ironicallv. D'lgla, DOK DOW Dighl ; to diiiht, to cloan or dress ; j)ijj,!it the snivel froiu jour ueb, blosv your iu)se. Cunib. Diglitcd, tlressed. Diiling, a darling or favourite child. S. Dhnmct, the dusk of the evening. E.\. Din, a noise. Dinder, thunder. Exinore. J)i/idercx, a ihundorholt. Dindlc, to reel or stagger, from a blow. Duded, or Dindlcd, staggered. N. Dinch-pivli, a threc-g'raiud fork, used for loading dinig. (ilour. Dihered, worn out with watching. Norf. Ding, to beat; Ise ding him, 1 shall beat him. N. To throw with a sling. Ess. To throw in general. Norf. Dingle, a small ciough or valley, be- tween two hills. N. Disli-cradlc or crcdle, a w ooden iitensil for wooden dishes, much in use in the IS'orth of England, commonly made like a cube, sometimes like a paral- lelipipidon. N. Disk-meat, spoon-meat. Kent. Diting, whispering. N. Ditten, mortar, to stop up the oven. N. Dizen, to dress. N. Hence bedizen'd out, over, aukwardly, or improperly dressed. Dize; to dize, to put tow on a distaff, or dress it. N. Doagc, wettish, a little. N. Docd, money given at a funeral. See Dole. N. Dohhy, a fool, a childish old man. N. Dncifij, docility, quick comprehension. Glouc. Doric, a crupper to a saddle. Devon. Dodd ; to dodd sheep, to cut the wool away about the tail. Dodded Sheep, sheep without horns. N. Dodded, Dodderd, or Doddied Wheat, red wheat without beards. N. Dodman, a shell snail. See Hodma- dod. Doff, to put off; doff your hat. W. Doke, a deep dint or furrow. Ess. Also a flaw in a boy's marble. Norf. Dole, a charitable donation. C. Dole of land, an indetinite part of a held. N. Dollourx; the wind dollours, the wind falls or abates. K. Dome/, stupid ; as stupid as a beetle, (.jlouc. Don, do on, or i)ut on ; don your clothes, put on yoiu" clothes. Glouc. Dondinncr, the afternoon. Elmore. Doiinaiight, or Donnat, i.e. Doe-naught, a good tor nothing, idle person. York. Donic, a little wettish, damp. N. Dool, a long narrow green in a plough- ed lield, with ploughed land on each side of ii ; a broad balk, perhaps a dale or valley, because when stand- ing corn grows on both sides of it, it appears like a valley. S. Used also in the North. Doo.se, thrifty, careful ; also cleanly, though coarsely clothed. N. Dor, a cockchafer. AV. Darns, door-posts. Exmore. Dosome; a healthy dosome beast, one that will be content with little; also one that thrives or comes on well. Chesh. Doss, or Pess, a hassock used for kneeling on at church. Norf. Also to toss or push like an ox. Dother, to totter or tremble. N. Douch, to bathe. Doundrins, afternoon drinkings, or lun- cheon. Derb. Dout, to do out, or put out ; as, dout the candle, put out the candle. Glou. Donter, an extinguisher; Dontcrs, in- struments like snuffers, for extin- guishing the candle without cutting the wick. N. Doutler, an earthen dish or platter. N. Doveth, it thaws. Exmore. Dovening, a slumber. N. Dow, a cake. N. Doiid, DR I D \> I Dowd, dead, flat, spiritless. N. Doirins:, hcallliful. N. Doul, the devil. Exin. From tlieWelcl). Don /eel, dead, tlat, vapid, not brisk. N. Dowlcy, luelaiicholy, lonely. Down-(i/ing, just going to be brouglit to bed. N. Do/rsr, a blow ; a dowse in the choi)s, a blow in the face. N. Doyle; to look a-doyle, to squint. Cdoiio. Duijlch-hacks, fences. N. Dozancl; dozand leuake, an old with- ered look. N. D'ntbhit it, a vulgar exclamation or abbreviation of God rabbit it, a fool- ish evasion of an oath. N. Draff, brewers grains. Cumb. Drait, a team of horses with the wag- gon or cart. N. Drang, a narrow lane or passage. Dev. Draii/i, leiium, festuca altera. N. Drape, a cow whose milk is dried up. N. A farrow cow. Drate ; to drate, to drawl out one^s words. N. Drazil, a dirty slut. S. Dread, thread. Exmore. Dream-holes, the openings left in the walls of steeples, towers, barns, &c. for the adniission of light. Glouc. Dredge, a mixture of oats and l)arley, now little sown. Norf. and Ess. Dree; to dree, to hold out, to be able to go. Dree also signifies long, te- dious beyond expectation: likewise a hard bargainer, spoken of a per- son. N. In the Exmore dialect it signifies three. Dribble; a true dribble, a laborious and diligent servant. N. Drill ; to drill a man on, to decoy or flatter a man into a thing; also to amuse with delays. S. Drinking, a refreshment between meals, used by the ploughmen, who eat a bit of bread and cheese and drink some beer when tliey come out of the fields, at ten in the morning and six in the evening. Kent. Droits, rights. Kent. From tin: French. Drope, a crow. Yorksii. Droii, to dry. J£xm. Drouglit, the passage, ^^'est. Drozc ; the candle drozes, the candle melts in burning, from a current of air. Kent. Droze, to melt as a candle. N. Drozen, fond. N. Drunibtedrane, a drone; also a hum- ble bee. Ex. Drum/c//, muddy, or thick water. N. Driire, a muddy river. Cumb. Diib, a pool of water. Dubbed, blunt. Exm. Dabbler, a [ilate. Cum!). Duck; to duck, or dook, or dive in th& Avater. Ex. Duilds, rags. N. Also clothes. W. Dudman, a scarecrow; also a ragged fellow. W. Dngged, or Diulded, draggle-tailed. Ex. Dumb-founded, perplexed, confounded. N. Dumbledore, a humble, or bundile-bce. W. Duticli, deaf. W. Dungeonable, shrewd, rakehelly ; a dungeonable body. J\'. Diinny, deaf. Dimt, stnpi/ied, numbed. Norf. ITow you dunt me ! a saying of a mother to a crying child. A dunt sheep, one that mopes about, from a disorder in his head. Dur-ctieeks, the fi'ame of wood to which the door hangs, the door-posts. ]\. Durdam, a great noise or stir. IS'. Durn, gate-posts. N. Durz'd, or Dorz'd out, spoken of coi'n, beaten out by tlie agitation of the wind. N. Du-aili/ig, talking nonsense, as if deli- rious. Exm. Divine, to waste gradually : hence to dwindle. N. D EEV EYE E. JbiAGER, (Aiiiit) sour, or tending- to sourness; sliurp, .sometimes applied to the air. C. Tlnld, w^e ; lie is tall of his eald, he is tall of his age. i\. Earn; mine eani, my uncle; also, ge- nerally, my gossip, compeer, friend. N. Ennider, the afternoon. Eurti, to rnnilo, to earn as cheese dotli. Earning rennet orreuning, to make cheese. N. Earl, sometimes : cart one, earl t\)ther ; now one, then the other. Exin. Easter ; tin; easier, the back of the chimney, or ciiimney stock. N. Easings (of a honse), the eaves. N. Eatli, or Eilh, easy; it is eath to do, it is easy to do. N. Eclde, or Eltle, to aim, intend, or de- sign. N. Efhier, fence wood, commonly put on the top of fences. Norf. and Ess. E(h/ls//, roughings. N. Ground where- on wheat or other corn has grown the preceding year; called in Norfolk and Essex an etch. Also, in the North, after-grass. E'd-tliing, i. e. ill-thing ; St. Anthony's tire. Ex. Ecin, leisure ; I cannot eem, I cannot »spare time, I have no leisure. Cumb. Ecu, the eyes. N. J^ever, a corner or quarter of the hea- vens ; the wind is in a cold eever. Cumb. Elden, fewel. Exm. Elder, the udder. N. Elding, wood and sticks for burning. N. Election ; in election, likely : we are in election to have a bad harvest this year. Norf. E long, slanting. Exm. Ele'iVH, eleven. Exm. Else, before, already. N. Ellingc, solitary, lonely. Kent. El-motlier, a step-mother. N. Elson, a shoemaker's awl. Cumb. Elt, to knead. N. Elt, or lit, is also a spaded sow. Exm. Elvers, eel's fry, or young eels. Bath. Ennemis, lest ; eunemis he come, lest he com€ ; sometimes pronounced nemis. SufF. ErnJ'ul, lamentable. Kent. Ers/i, the same as Eddish. See Eddish. Esse, ashes ; skeer the esse, sepatate the dead ashes from the embers. Cumb. Esliin, a pail or kit. Ettle, to intend. N. Eltlcment, intention. Eicn, an oven. N. Ewer, an udder. N. Eirte, to pour in. Ex. Exen, oxen. N. Expect, suppose. N. Ei/cbrckcs, eyelids. N. N. N. F. FAI Fain, glad. N. He would fain have gone, he would gladly have gone. Fuii-ij-Sparks, or iSltctl-fire, electric PAL sparks, often seen on clothes at Tiight. Kent. Faltered, revelled, dishevelled. N. Fan. a' FEN FLA Fang, a paw or claw. N, Fmio'ctst, a nianiageablp inaid. Norf. Juintoi»e-coni, lank, or liiilit corn N. Faratid, disposition, kind, nature; as, fighting-faraud, in a lighting humour. N. Fare; a fare of pigs, all the pigs brought forth by a sow at one birth ; a farrow, Fam-tidded, freckled. N. Farranf/i/, neat, cleaidy. N. Fus/i, to trouble, or teaze ; donne fash rae, don't teaze me. N. Fasfino'-cen or Fveniiig, Shrove-Tnes- day, the succeeding day being Asii- Wednesday, the first of the Lenten fast. N. Fasting-Tuesday, Shrove-Tuesdaj'. N. Fause, fiilse, cunnhig, subtle. N. Feabes, or Fcaherries, gooseberries. N. Feal, to hide ; he thatfeals can find. N. Feald, hidden. Feat, nasty tasted. Berks. Feausan, taste or moisture. N. Feairs, ragged beggars or gypsies. Northuuib. Feckly, mostly, most part of. N. Fee; to fee, to winnow: perhaps the same with fey, to cleanse, scour, or dress. N. Feed; to feed, to grow fat: he feeds surprisingly; he is much fed o' late. N. Feft, to persuade, or endeavour to persuade. Norf. Feg, fair, handsome, clean. N. Feg; to fe^ or fag, to flag, droop, or tire. N. Feit, neat, dexterous ; a feit felly, a dexterous fellow, a dab at any thing, a dead hand. Feitfy, dexterously. N. Fel/, a hill or mountain; also, sharp, clever, hot. N. Felly, a fellow. Derb. Fendable (man or woman), one that can shift for themselves. N, Fend, to shift for; I ha twa bairns to fend for. Also, to take care of", to beware. N. Fending and Proving, disputing, ar- guing ])ro and con. C Fenny, mouldy. Kent. Fcssing, forcing or obtruding a thing on one. Essex. Fest, to fasten, tie, or bind. N. Fesling, or Fastinfi-Pcnny, earnest mo- ney, given to servants when hired, or to bind a bargain. N. Fetch, the ai)parition of a person living. N. Fete; a pretty fete parcel, a middling quantity. Berks. Fettle ; to fettle, to set or go about any thing; to dress or prepare; to fettle tir tits, to dress the horses. N. Few; to few, to change. N. Fey; to fey, or feigh it, to do any thing notably ; to fey meadows, tu cleanse them ; to fey a pond, to empty and cleanse it from mud. N. Figs, raisins. W. Fimhle, the female hemp, soonest ripe and fittest for spinning, but is not Avorth half so much as the carle \\il!i its seed. Ess. and Suss. 'J'he liui- ble to spin, and the carle for his seed. Tusser. Finnery. See Fenny. W. Fire-fiauit into the other, for the purpose of carrying- it on a stick. W. Ham, coarse linen. N. Hams, brains. Cumb. Harr ; a sea harr, a tempest rising at sea. Line. Harr, to snarl like an angry dog. N. Harrcst, harvest. Exm. Harry-gaicd, a rigsby, a wild child. N. Hurt-clarer, melilot. N. Hask, dry, parched. j\. Haspat, or Haspcnal-lail, a youth be- tween man and bo\ . Hattle, wild, skittish, mischievous; tie tlie hattle kye by the horns. N. Haftock, a shock of corn, containing twelve sheaves. N. Havance, manners, good beha\ iour. Dev. Haver, oats. Huver-mcal, oatmeal. N. Haver-bread, oat bread. N. Havif-cavi/, undetermined, wavering, (fiabc cave) doubtful w liether to ac- cept or reject a thing. jN'ottingham. Haiise, or Hose, the throat. IN. Hausfe, or Hoste, a dry cough. N. Haiv, a close. Kent. Hau'cliamoiif/i, one that talks inde- cently Exm. JIairhn, or llclia, stubble gathered after the corn is luiusod ; also pease straw. S. Han-tlurn, a kind of liitcli or pin, cut out in an erect board, to hang a coat on, or the like. Exm. Haioze, or Hoze, to hug or embrace. N. Hazes; it hazes, it mizzles, or rains -small rain. N. Head, face; I told him to his head, 1 told him to his face. Berks, Ilea/, to cover. Berks. Hcald, to pour out ; to heald tiicpot. IN. Heasi/, hoarse. N. Heck, the door; also a latch. Sterk the heck, |)ull the iatcli. A heck is likewise a rack for cattle to feed in. N. Heckle ; to heckle tow, to dress it. N. Heckler, of tow. N Helder, rather, |)rcferable to. N. Helm, a hovel. N. Heloe, or Helaiv, bashful. N. Hemmel, a fold. N. Hcn-haicks, a hen-roost, from the l)a\\ ks of which it consists. See liauks. N. Henn ; to henn, to throw, lixmore. Henting, a clownish fellow. IV. Heppeu, or Heplei/, neat, liandsome. N. Hetter, eager, earnest, keen. PS. Hen-string-, short-breathed, wheezing. Exm. Hie, to make haste. S. HigJtl, called. N. Hill, to cover ; a bed-hilling, a quiit or coverlet. N. Hind, a husbandry servant. N. Hind-herries, raspberries. N. Hine, hence; of a while, 'ere long; •, a parcel or load of any thinj^-, \vlietlier on a mans back, or in a carriage. Norf. Jcmnock, oaten bread, made into great loaves. N. Jurr, tiie door stands a-jarr, /. c. the door stands half open. Norf. Ji(sfrin; a common pasture or meadow. N. /iig/e, lire or flame. N. Jiililiiig, a desire. N. Jimoni-liarlcif, such barley as is sown the seconil crop, after the ground is fallowed. liiscnse, to make a man understand :i thing; I cou'tl na insense him, 1 could not make him comprehend it. JnlcrmiHing, the ague. N. lie has gotten an iuterniitting. luirctrds ; the inwards of a hog, the en- trails, chitterlings, Sec. Glouc. Job, a j)iece of labour, undertaken a) a stated price. Norf. Jobbet, a small quantity, commonly of hay or straw. Hampsh. Calletl in - Gloucestershire, JobJ)el. Joist, summering cattle: from as'isie. N. = ' « Joiik Coat, a great coat. N. Jounce, a jolt or shake ; a jouncing trot, a hard rough trot. Norf. Ire, iron. Berks. Indng, rennet. N. Jse, Ees, Ic/i, I. Devonsh. Jiigglemear, a quagmire, W. Jnntut, an earth-nut, bulbo castanum. N. Ju-um, empty. N. K. K E A Kale, or Kad, pottage. N. Kale-pot, pottage-pot. N. Kuzzardli/, unlucky; kazzardly cattle, cattle subject to casualties or death. N. Keule, a cold or cough. Line. KEE Kcdgc, to till one's self with meat. N. Also brisk, lively. S. Kedgebelli], a glutton. N. Kee, kine, or cows. E.\ni. Keeve, a large vessel to ferment li- quors in. I)evonsh. Keeve, K I D KYR Keeve ; to keeve a cart, to overthrow it. N. Keil; a keil of hay, a cock of hay. N. KelUs, a heating', l)lo\vs ; I gave him two or three tfood kelks. Also the roe of a fish. IV. Krlter, or Kilter, frame, order, condi- tion. N. Hence Itcltcrs-lallcr, a cor- ruption of helter, to hano;, and /alter, order; /. e. hang order, or in dcliance of order. In good kelter, in good case or condition. Kemnel, KinincI, or Kcmliii, a powder- ing tub. N. Ken, to know ; also to observe at a distance : I ken him afar off". N. Out of ken, out of sight. Kenning, a measure. N. Kenspecked, marked, or branded for distinction. N. Kep, to reach or heave, as being ready to vomit. Also to catch a ball. N. Kcp, a cap. Exm. Keppen, to hoodwink. N. Kerping, fmding fault, carping. Exm. Kern-habij, an image dressed up with corn, carried before the reapers to their inell-supper, or harvest-honie.N. Kerse, the furrow made in a board by the saw. S. Keslop, the stomach of a calf. N. Kcster, Christopher. N. Kesnias, Christmas. N. Keitij, nasty ; a ketty cur, a nasty or dirty fellow. N. Key-Beer, ale, or a better sort of beer, kept under lock and key. Kent. Kickle, or Kittle, uncertain, fickle. N. Kid, a small faggot of brush-wood. N. Kiderow, a place for keeping a suck- ing calf Chesh. Kilps, pot-hooks. N. Kind, intimate. N. Kiii/i, laughter. To Janh; as spoken of children, when their breath is long slopped, through eager crying or laughing. Hence the kink-cough, called also the chin-cough. N. 7w7, a milking pail, like a churn, with two ears and a cover. N. Kite/ten ; to kitchen, to use thriftily. N. Kilcliiiicss-lirend, thin soft oat-cakes, nuule of thin batter. N. Kite, a belly. Curub. Killing, a young cat or kitten. N. Kiltie, to tickle. N. KitfleinJi, ticklish. N. Kivc J, (juoth I. N. Klick; /« klick up, to catch up. Line. Klutsen, to shake. N. Knaek, to speak tinely or afl'ectedly. N. Kndckcr. See Nacker. KnigJitle-man, an active or skilful man. Knor, or Kntirer, a short, stubbed, dwarf- ish man; a metaphor from a knot in a tree. In the South we use the di- minutive knurle in the same sense. Kiiolt, a little round hill, the top of a hill or mountain. N. Knuchcr, to giggle, to chatter. Surrey. KnoUes, turnips. Kent. Kouy-thing, a line thing; perhaps canny. See Canny. N. Knss, a kiss. N. Kye, cows. N. Kyrk, church. N. Kyrk-mastcr, church-warden, N. L AC L. LAG LABB, a blab, one that cannot keep Lackee, to be wanting from home. Ex. a secret. Exm. Lud, a boy, youth, or young man. N. Lack, to dispraise. S. i«o-^c'/-, a narrow strip of ground. Glo. JLaier, L AZ LES Laier, soil, dung;. Ess. and Siiff. Ldif, (o seek ;uiy tiling hidden. N. Lake, to play ; from tlie Saxon huiUun. Lttkc-wake, watching a dead body. N. iMuime, to beat. N. Lumps'd, laiiR'il, or hurt. Exni. Land, a division in ploughing. N. Land, or Lanf, urine ; to lant or leint ale, to put urine into it to make it strong. N. Lancing-; they will give no laneing, i.e. ihey will divulge it. IN. Langot (of the shoe), the strap of the shoe. N. Lape, to walk aukwardly. N. Larc, or Lair, learning, scholarship. N. Lare, a quagmire. IN. Largess, a bounty. The reapers in Es- sex and Sufl'olk ask all passengers for a largess, and when any money is given to them, all shout together. Largess ! Largess ! Lass, a girl or young woman. N. Laster, or Laivter, thirteen eggs to set a hen. Also the coming-in of the tide. N. Lat, slow, tedious. Also a lath. N. Latc/i/ng, infecting. N. Late, slow. N. Lathe, a barn ; also ease or rest. N. Lathing, entreating, invitation : dinna look for lathing, dont want entreat- ing. N. Lathed am] oierhelathcd, strongly press- ed, or entreated over and over. Dsed also in the Exmore dialect. Lave ; the lave, the remainder or leav- ing. N. Lawn, an open space in the midst of a wood. JN. Law) id; Oh lawful case ! an interjec- tion. Deib. hai/e, the same as lowe, in the North, the flame of a lire; but more parti- cularly used for the flame of charcoal or any other burnt coal. N. I^azy, naught, bad. Le-ach, liard work, which causes le- ache in the worknu-n's jiiints, Ui-.- (imntly used by the northern njiners. N. L^cak, to play like children. N. L^eaddcn, or Liddcn, a noise or din. N. Lean; to lean nothiuir, to conceal no- thing. N. Leap, or Lib, half a bushel. Suss. In. Essex a lib is a basket for carrvinjr seed corn. Lear, to learn. N. Leary, enipty. J)orsets. Lease; a cow-lease, cow pastui'o. W. Perhaps lees. Also a small ])ie(e of ground of two or three acres. Ess. and Suff. Leath, ceasing, intermission ; as no leath of pain, no intermission from pain. N. Leather, to beat; I'll leather you hear- tily. N. Leasing, picking u|) the corn left by the reapers, &c. called in some coun- ties gleaning, (ilouc. Zi<'cA-o«, j)Our (Ml more liquor. N. i'er- haps from leek. IN. Lee, or Leir, calm, under the wind, shelter. S. Le-egging, \\m\ dl i ng. Leech-waij, the path in A\hich the dead are cairied to be ijuiicd. Exm. Leef, or Lieve, willingly ; 1 had as leef not go. S. Leer, empty. Wilts. A leer \>aggon, an empty waggon. In the l:l\niore dialect, leery. Leet ; a three or four way Icet, a place where three or four ways meet. 8. Leeten, you pretend to be. Chesh. You are not so mad as you leeten you. I^celhwakc, limber, pliable. N. Letts, nominaiion to oliices in election, often used in Archbishop Spots- wood's History. N. Lestal, saleable, that weighs well in hand, that is heavy in lifting. IN. Letch. LOC LOW Let I'll, or Lcc/i, a vessel for holding aslie-s, for the process of making lye for washing a buck. S. Lib ; to lib, to castrate. A libber, a sow-gekler. N. Lilibct, a. great cudgel, used to knock down fruit from the trees, and to til row at cocks. Kent. Licli, to beat. N. and 8. JLiecer, rather. N. From the Saxon. Lifl, a stile that may be opened like a gate. iVorf. Lig, to lie ; lig ye dow n there, lie down there. jN. Limbers, tliills or shafts. Berks. Limmers, a pair of shafts: also an epi- thet, meaning base, low. N. iJuch, a handet, generally on the side of a hill. Glouc. Liiich-pin, or luch-pin, the penis of a .stag. Shropsh. Ling, l-.eath, hether. N. Liiigeij, limber. N. Links, sausages. Suft'. Lipi», to forewarn. S. Lippe;/, moist, wet; a lippey season, or ground. W. Lit, to colour or dye. Lith, limber. N. Lillicr, lazy, idle, slothful. N. Lite; a lite, a few, or little. N. Lite on ; to lite on, to rely on. N. Lit/ling, thickening of liquors. N. Littcii, cr Liten, a garden. N. The church-litten, the church-yard. N. and 8. Lit locks, rags and tatters. Berks. Lizen'd; lizeuVl corn, q. lessened ; lank or siiruuk corn. 8. Lob-lolly, an odtl mixture of spoon- meat. Exm. On board of the ships of war, w ater-gruel is called loblolly, and the surgeon's servant or mate, the loblolly boy. Lock! an exclamation of surprise; as, w hat ! hev-dav ! Exm. Loc, a little round liill, or a great heap of stones. N. Loert, ane, who lorded it there, and lived such a slothful, idle life. Loiiking, gawky, aukward. N. Lonslrcc, to loustree, to work hard. Exm. Lout, a heavy, idle fellow. N. Lotvc, flame ; a lilly-lowe, or ballibleiz, a comfortable blaze. To make a lowe, to stir the tire in oriler to make it blaze. W. Lowing, piling up one thing on ano- ther. Exm. Loick, LU M Loiik, to weed ; to lowk corn, perhaps to look for and take out the weeds. N. LoH-n, or Loon, a vulgar rustic, a heavy .stupid fellow. N. Loirl, to criui^e, or bow down the body. They were very low in their lowtiugs. N. LvJ'c, the open hand. N. J^iigg', a pole or jjerch. Also iised in (jloucestershire for any long pole. Lnggs, ears. N. Lium, a woody valley. N. JLvmper, to stumble ; a lumperiug horse, a stunibling hor.-se. W. L Y T Liin, or Leue, under cover, or shelter. Under the lun or lewe of a hedge. W. Lnug-sadlc, or sctl/e, a long fmni, wilii a back and arms, usually placed iw the chimney corner of a farni-housu. . N. L,%mgeoHs, spiteful, mischievous. Der. and Leic. Lundge, to lean on any lliing. Exm. Lure, a sore on the hoof of a cow, cured by rutting it cross-ways. W. Lymptuigg, a lapwing. Exm. Lynchetl, ii green balk or interval to divide lands. S. Lylc, or Light, a few. M. MAR ?, a slattern. To mah, to dress in a careless, slatternly manner. N, Mahbiers, chickens. Cornw. Mad, an earth-worm. Ess. From the German Maden. Maddlc, to be fond of; she maddles after that fellow, she is fond of that fellow. N. 31aiu, very; main good, very good. Also the chief; madam's the main, i. e. madam is the chief or ruler. C. Malxc, a match or equal. N. Malcerly, tolerable. N. Make-ueiglit, a small candle, thrown in to complete the pound. N. Blalls, the measles. Exm. Mam-sicorn, perjured. N. 31untle, to embrace kindly. N. Marl, a marvel or wonder. Exm. Marroir, a fellow, or companion. Exm. This pair of gloves or shoes are not marrows, i. e.>are not fellows. N. Martlemas-beef, beeftlried in the chim- ney like bacon, so called, because it usual to kill the beef for this purpose MEE about the feast of St. Martin, No- vember the eleventh. Ess. and Sutf. Mitss, acorns (Masf.) E\ni. 3Iuuks, iMakrs, Mudducks, \\liims or maggots. N. Mauls, mallows. N. 3Iaund, a liand-basket with two lids. N. 31auiuly, abusive, saucy. Hence maun- dering. Glouc. 3Iaur, oi- lUore, a root; a strawberry- maur, or more. See 3Iore. Glouc. Perhaps hence the word uiored for rooted. 3Iatcks, maggots ; also a slattern. N. Maz\l, OY Mazed, mad. Exm. A mazed man, a crazy or mud man. 3Iazards, black cherries, (jilouc. 3Ieag, or 3Icak, a pease-hook. Ess. 3Iealh, option, preftTcnee. Line. 3Ieatchl('y, perfe(!tly well. S. 3Ieaug/i ; my meangh, my wife's bro- ther, or sisters husband. 3Ieer, a ridge of land between different properties in a common tield. Glouc. 3lei'diess^ MI N MO S 3Ice(Uess, unruly. N. Meelcvlii, Mceiltcrlij, Mccderly, haud- somelj', uiodcstly. N. Mell, or Maul, a wooden mallet or beetle. N. Mell-Suppcr, a supper and merry-mak- ing, dancing, &c. given by the fanners to their servants on the last day of reaping the corn, or harvest-home. N. Melsh, modest, damp, drizzling; melsh ueather. N. 3Ienei/, a family ; from the ancient French word mestiie. 3Ieits(fi(//, coniclv, graceful, creditable. N. Merryhauks, a cold posset. N. 3[ess; by the mess, by the mass, an oath. Derb. and Lane. 3Ief, a strike, or four pecks. N. 3Icte, or Meat, measure. N. Mews, moss. Exm. Mcirs, a general name in London for stables, from the Mews at Charing Cross, formerly the place where the king's hawks as well as horses Avere kept. flickers, thieves, pilferers. Norf. 3 fickle, much. N. 3Ii(I(lcii, a dunghill. N. 3Ii(]<>e, a gnat. N. 3Iilkiu's.sc, a dairy. N. 3Iill-holms, watery places about a mill- dam. N. 31il)ier, a miller. N. 3Ii/)n/H, green fish. Lane. 3iimi)tam, a bog. Berks. 3IiH, or Men, tliem ; e. "•. put min up, i. e. pat them up. Exm. 3Ii)igols, chitterlings ; also a calf's pluck, Exm Miiu'oetij-pic, a pie made of calf's entrails. Cornw. ]\fiii>trort, wormword. N, JMtilvli, straw, half rotten. S. Mull; to mull, to pull and tumble one about. Exm. ]\litllock, dirt or rul)bish. N. Mummi/, mother. Norf. 31>ai, must; 1 mini go, I must go. N. Muug, food for cliickens. Bluuger, to mutter to oneself, or mur- mur. Shrops. 3Iurk, dark. N. Bluvkius, in the dark, N. Mnrl, to crumble. N, Murf/i, abundance; a murth of corn, abundance of corn. N. 31ux, dirt, Exm. N. NAY JYAB, the summit of a rock or moun- tain. N. Nacker, a harness-maker, Norf. Nacking, i. e, necking, a handkerchief, Coi"nw. Nail; a nail of beef, eight pounds. S. Nape, or Nepe, a piece of wood that hath three feet, used to support the fore part of a loaded waggon. N. Napkin, a pocket handkerchief. N, Narle, a hard swelling on the neck, arising from a cold, Glouc. Narle is likewise a term for a knot in an oak, thence stiled a narly oak. A narle is also a knot in a tangled skein of silk or thread, Nar-sin, never since. N. Naunt, aunt, N, Nay, no ; a nay-word, a catch, or by- word. N» NES Neeald, a needle, Exm. Nearre, Lincoln. In use for iieather. Ab A. S. Nerraii, posterior. Neb, or Nib, the nose ; also the beak of a bird, N. Neckabouf, a woman's neck handker- chief, N, Neeve, or Neiffe, a fist, N, Neme; mv neme, my compere, my gos- sip, N, Nemis, least, for fear, Suff, Mauther, gang the grizen into the vaunceroof, bring my hat from off the spurket, ding the door after you, nemis tlie cat should get in and eat the sun- cate: girl, girl, go uj) stairs into the garret, and fetch my hat from offtiie peg ; shut the door for fear the cat should get in and eat the dainty. Nes/i, or Nas/i, tender, N. and S. F Nerled, NOG NUS Nerled, ill-treated, as bv a step-mother. N. Nestling-, the smalK'st bird of the nest or clutch. IN. NefJier, lower : hence the Netherlands or Lower lands. N. Nellierd, starved with cold. N. Nctliui>\, chaniber-lye, urine. N. Neiciiig; yca-st, or barm. Ess. Nice, clever, agreeable, line, applied to any thins?. C. Nickeri/ig, neighing. N. Nicker-pecker, a wood-pecker. N. Niddick, the nape of the neck. Exm. Nigli; to nigh a thing, to be close to it, to touch it. N. Ni ! Ni ! an exclamation expressing amazement on seeing any one finely dressed. N. Nim, to take up hastily. N. Ninniivatch, a longing desire or expec- tation of a thing. Exm. Nitch, or Nidge; a nitch of hay or corn, a small quantity, less than a jobbet. Hampsh. Nittle, handy, neat, handsome. N. Nulling, much valuing, sparing of; he is nithing of his pains. N. Nog, ale. Noggin, a little pot or piggin, holding about a pint. N. Nook, a corner; the toll-nook, the corner of the nrarket-place where tiie toil used to be taken. N. Nonce; he did it for the nonce, he did it designedly, or on purpose. N. & S. Nor, than; more nor I, more than I. N. Nose-gigg, a toe-piece on a shoe. Exm. Not, smooth, polled or shorn ; not- sheep, sheep without horns. Ess. That field is not, that field is well tilled. Berks. Not, a game used in Gloucestershire, where the parties, ranged on oppo- site sides, with each a bat in their hands, endeavour to strike a ball to opposite goals. The game is called not, from the ball being made of a knotty piece of wood. Glouc. Note, to push, strike, or gore with the horns, as a bull or a ram. N. Note-herd, a neat-herd. N. Nonglit, nothing ; nought good to, good for nothing. N. Noivt, neats ; i. e. cows and oxen. Nus/id, starved in bringing up. S. o. OPE Oaf, a foolish fellow. N. and. S. Oavis, the eaves of a house. Exm. Old, great; here has been old doings, here has been great doings. C Old Land, ground that has lain long unfilled, and just ploughed up. The same in Essex is called new lands. Omy, mellow (spoken of land.) N. Oneder. See A under. Onstead, a smgle farm-house. N. Oj)e-la7id, ground ploughed up every OSK year; ground that is loose and open. S. Orts, fragments of victuals ; don't make or leave orts, don't leave any frag- ments on your plate. C. Ore, or Ore-need, sea- weed, or sea- wrac, used for manuring land. S. and W. Orndorns, afternoon's drinkings : cor- rupted from onedrins. Cunib. Osken; an osken of land, a corruption of O VE OXT of ox-gang, which in some places contains ten acres, in some more. N. Oss, to try, attempt, endeavour. N. Olhei aliilcs, sometimes. S. Olliergiiess, another sort; corruption of other guise. C. Ouscii, oxen. N. OksI, or OasI, a kihi for drying hops. Kent. Called in the West, an East. Oier, important, material. Exm. I have an over errand to you. Over-ammt, opposite. Glouc. Over-get, to overtake ; he is but a little liefore, von will soon over-get him. N. Oversivic/if ; an ovcrswitcht housewife, i.e. a whore; a ludicrous word. IN. Onzh; a hiackhird. N. Ou/; to take owl, to be offended, to take amiss. Exm. Oinily, empty. Exm. Ox-hoosc, an o\, or cow-sfall. Exm. Oxlip, a cowslip. Ess. This flower probably derives its name from its sweetness, compared to the bnutli or lip of a cow or ox. O.vtcr, the arm-pit. N. PEA Paddock, or PadiUcl; a frog. N. and S. Paddle, to tipple. Exm. Paigle, a cowslip. N. Palcliing, patching or mending clothes. Also walking slowly. Exm. Pame, a christening blanket, a mantle. Exm. Pan; to pan, to close, join together, or agree. N. Pancrock, an earthen pan. Exm. Paiik, or Pink, a minnow. N. Paiikhig, painting. Exm. Parbieaking, fretful. Exm. Parcyand, the figure <^^ N. Purllct, a woman's ruff". N. Push, brains ; a mad-pash, a mad- brains. Chesh. Pate, a brock or badger. N. Also a general ludicrous word for a head in many counties. Pax-waix, the tendon of the neck. Norf. Pays, strokes, threshing, beating. N. Peale, to cool ; peale the pot. ]N. Pease-bolt, pease-straw. Ess. Peasen, peas, Berks. PIC Pee, to look w ith one eye. N. Peed, blind of one eye. N. Peck, a prong or pitchfork. Exm. Peevish, witty, subtle. N. Pelt, a skin ; chiefly a sheep's skht when the wool is off'. Also, in fal- conry, the skin of a fowl, stuffetl, or the carcase of a dead fowl, to throw out to a hawk. N. and S. Pelt is also used to signify a blow; as, I hit him a pelt. In old English, peltry is used to signify all sorts of wool- len stuff'. Pen-buuk, a beggar's cann. N. Perry, a little cur dog. N. Pestle of Pork, a leg of pork. Exm. Pel, a favourite ; a pet landt; a petted child, a favourite, humoured, or in- dulged child. N. Petted, favoured, indulged. N. Pettle, pt'ttish. N. Petticoat ; in some places used for a mans waistcoat. Kay. Picksey, a faiiy. I)ev( :isli. Picksey stool, a mushroom. Devonsh. Picks, sj)adcs ; fiom jfiqiies, Fniich. N. Pick- Ace, P LU r R I Pich-Acc, tlie ace of spa«]es. N. Pijli\ to lilcli, or pilfer. N. Pioijiti, a little pail or tub, with an erect liaiullo. N. ,7*/i,'.s/oasT, a pii;-stye. Devonsh. Pillerils, hailey. (Jornw. Pilmer ; a piliiier, a shower of rain, small and thick as dust. Dexonsli. Pi/ii, or Pttin, (lust raised ljy the wind, road-dust. Devonsh. Pine ; it's pine,!/, pein, it's difficult. N. Ping; to push. W. Pi))gle, a small craft orpycle. N. Pingsirill, a boil. Exni. Pi)i-jHt)t)iichly-fi'lloir, a miserable, cove- tous, suspicious fellow, one who pins up or fastens his paniers and baskets. N. Pip; to take pip at a thing, to take oH'ence, Exni. Pipperidges, barberries. Ess. Pistciitig, whisperiui;-. E.vm. Pixy, a fairy. Exm. Pla'sud, in a fine condition. Exm. Phnicliiiig, a wooden door. Devonsh. Play; to play, to boil, spoken of a ket- tle, pot, or other vessel full of liquor; playing hot, boiling hot. In Norfolk they pronounce it plaiv. Var. Dial. Plcck, a place. N. Plim ; to plini, to swell, to encrease in liulk ; as this bacon will plim in the pot. Also to make any thmg swell by beating. Exm. Ploat, to pluck. N. Plodge, to plunge. N. Plough, a waggon. W. Ploudiug, wading through thick and thin. N. Plum, very ; plum pleasant, very plea- sant. Kent. Plump, a puinp. Exm. Plump, when the paths after rain are almost dry, they are said tobeplumj). Kent. Phmt, a walking-stick with a large knob. Glouc. P«rA-rtr>-V/, marked with the small-pox. N. Pod, to put down aukwardly. N. Podgcv, a platter, or |)ew ter dish. Exm. Policiid, a tadjjole. N. To play by the ))oli('ads, to play by the notes ; they being somewhat iu figure like tad- ])()les. N. l*ol,(\ a sack, or bag. N. PolhumptioHs, restive, unruly. Kent. Polt, saucy, audacious. Kent. Pomslcr ; to pomster, to act the em- piric. Exm. Poops, gulps in drinking. N. Popple, cockle. N. Poochee ; to poochee, to make mouths at a person. Exm. Pooh, a cock of hay or barley. W. Poon, or Pun, to kick ; Ise pim him till the billing, I'll kick him into the kennel. N. Pooling; crying. N. Por, a poker, or salamander. N. Porriiriggles, tadpoles. N. Pose, a running of the head or nose, from a cold. S. Postisis, posts; plural of posts. Mid. Potcli, to poke or push suddenly. Glou. Pof-cleps, pot-hooks. N. Because they clip or catch hold of the pot. Polee; to potee, to push with one's feet. Exm. Po/-dung, farm-yard dung. Bei-ks. Pote, to pote the clothes off; to throw, or kick off the bed-clothes. N. Pot-sitlen, burnt too. N. Pond, a boil or ulcer. S. Pound; to jjnnid, to beat or knock. Who's that pounds at the door so? Who's that knocks at the door? Glou. Pou; the head or skull. N. Poict, to stir up. N. Pont ; a hay-powt, a hay-cock. Kent. Prat lily, softly. N. Pr/c//,'thiii drink. N. Prigge, a small pitcher. S. PriUd, soured. PUB Prill, a pin. N. Frin-cod, a |)iii-onsliion. N. Figtira- tively, a short fat man or woman. Princox, a pert, lively, or forward fel- low. N. Prhigle, a small silver Scotch coin, uorth abont a penny, with two XX on it. Prill/ad, well-dressed, fine, neat. Exm. Print; print star or moou light, clear star or moon light. Kent. PritcJi; to pritch, to check or with- stand. Also a term for making holes in the leather of cards for weavers, to admit the wires. Bxni. Prod, an awl. Pro/els, hnskins. Exm. Pubble, iat, full, usually spoken of corn or fruit, in opposition to fan- tome. iN. PYC Puckets, nests of cattcrpillars. S. Piidding-pi/e-doll, the dish called toad- in-a-hole, meat boiled in a crust. Norf. Piigging-rud (of a hons(;) the gable- end. Devonsh. Pug-drink, water cyder. W. Pnllc, a hole of standing water. N. Pang, pushed. Exm. Purr, a poker. Norf. In Dorsetshire a j)urr signifies a boy ; also a malct lamb. Parting, or A-purt, sullen. Exm. Patch, to hand u|) (pitch) sheaves or the like, with a i)itchfork. Exm. Puttock: a puttock-canille, a small candle put in to make weight. N. Pi/ot, or Pi/nct, a magpie. N. Pi/cle, a small field. Berks. Q. QUE QUAMP, still, quiet. Glouc. Qudtch, a word. Berks. Que, quoth he. N. Qneltring, hot, sultry, sweltring. Exm. Qucrking, grunting. Exm. Quest; the quest of the oven, the sides thereof. Pies are said to be quested, whose sides have been crushed by each other, or so joined to them as thence to be less baked. N. QU Y Quern, ahandmill to grind malt. N. Quice, a wood |)igeon. (jilouc. Quilt, to swallow. Glouc. Quirking, complaining. Wilts. Quop ; to q nop, to throb. Glouc. Quott, or Aquott, weary of eating; also sat down, or s(piat(ed. ]ixm. Quotted, cloyed, glutted. S. Quy-calf, a cow-calf. N. R. RAG RAG JxABBLE-ROTE, a repetition of Backless, or Reckless, careless, improvi a long round-about story, a rigme- dent. N. role, or tale of a tub, Exm Race, rennet, or renmng. ]\. Rack; to rack or reck, to care: never rack you, never care. N. Radlings, w indings of the wall. N. Raje, or Raf/', a low fellow; rifl-rafl; the mob. JNorf. Ragro'wtering, plaving at romps. Exm. Raid, HEC RI P Raid, or Rear, early. Kent. Rait ; to rait timber, luiii|>, or flax, to put it into a pond or ditch, to water or season it. N. Rake; to rake a fire, to lieap small coals on the tire, that it may liiirii all the niyht, practised in the North, Avhere coals are cheap, a kitchen tire being rarely suHered to go out. TS'. Rame, to reach. N. Randy, riotons, obstreperous, disor- derly. N. Rauis/i, ravenous. Exin. Jiap, to exchange or swop. IV. Ras/i ; rash corn, corn so dry in the straw that it falls out with handling. N. Rasps, raspberries. N. Ratrhed, spotted. N. Rathe, early, soon. Exm. Leet rather, a little sooner. Why do you up so rathe? why do you rise so early ? In Kent the words raid and rear are used in the same sense. See Raid and Rear. Rather of the rat her est, meat under- done. Norf. Rank, to scratchy a rauk with a pin, a scratch or rake with a pin. Rainning-, reaching any thing auk- ward ly. N. Readj/ ; to ready the hair, to comb it. N. Readuino-comh, a wide-toothed comb. N. Ream; to ream, to stretch. Exm. Ream-peruiif, {i. e. Rome-penny) Peter- pence. He reckons up his ream- peanies ; that is, he tells all his faults. Rear (corruptly pronounced rare), ear- ly, soon. Meat under roasted, boil- ed, or broiled, is said to be rear or rare, from being taken too soon off the fire. See Raid and Rathe. Kent. Reart, right ; rearting, i. e. righting, mending. Exm. Reariii your gown sits all in a ruck. N. Ruck, to sorough. Pot- scars, pot-shreds, or broken pieces of pots. Scode, to scatter. Cornw^ Score, the core of an apple. Clone. iScorse, or Scoace, to exchange. Exm. Scml, an hermaphrodite, used of men and animals. N. Scrags, blackthorn. N.' Scroobij-grass, scurvy-grass. N. Scroop, to make a noise from friction ; the jack scroops. W. Scroug'd, crowded. Middlesex. "NVe are so scroug'd and squeeg'd. See Squeeg'd. Scrylc, couch-grass. W. Scumjish'd, smother'd. N. Seame of Corn, eight bushels, or a quarter. S. Seume of Wood, a horse-load. S. Sear, dry, opposed to green; spoken only of wood or the parts of plants. S. Seavcs, rushes; seavy-ground, ground overgrown with rushes. N. Scan, a kind of net; probably a con- traction of sagcnu. Lincoln. Seeing-glass, a mirror, or looking-glass. iV. SH A Seel, or Seat, time or season ; it is a fine seel for you to come at! spoken ironically to persons coming too late. AVhat seel of day is it? What time of day is it? Ess. See}; several, divers ; they are gone seer wavs, they are gone several ways. N. Set, self. N. Self, chance; it is but a selt whether he comes or not. Chesh. Sonant, slender. N. Semanze, glue or mortar. N. Senimif, limber. N. Sen, smce; sensine, since that time. N. Senfy, sign, likelihood, appearance. N. Serve, to impregnate; the cow is served. Berks. Setter \ to setter, to cut the dew-lap of an o.\ or cow, into which hellebo- raster, called setterwort, being put, an issue is made for ill humours to vent themselves. N. Seu^li, or Sov<{1t, a wet ditch; also a subterraneous vault or channel, cut through a hill to drain a mine. N. Sew, or Ziie\ the cow be a-zue, the cow is dry, or yields no milk. W. Seiv\ to go sew, to go dry; spoken of a cow. S. Sewent, or Suent, even, regular, all alike. Exm. Shajf'man, Sliaumet, or SJtarpment, the measure of the fist, with the thumb set up. N. From the Saxon, scccft muud, semipes. Sliale, to peel ; perhaps to shell Also to slide down, as the side of a bank. N. 57/flM, shamefacedaess, bashfulness. Lin. S/iandi/, wild. N. Sliard, a gap or notch ; this knife has a great shard. Glouc. Sliavc, a coppice, or little wood. Kent. Sliaw, a small wood, or shave. Kent. Sliawle, a shovel to winnow withal. S. Perhaps a contraction of shovel. Sheat, SHU S I Z Sheal, to separate, mostly used of milk. To sheal milk is to curdle it, to se- parate the parts of it. N. Sharking; or Slier king, an eager desire to cheat or defraud auother. Exm. Shear, to reap ; to shear wheat, oats, barley, k.c. N. Sheat, a young hog. S. In Essex call- ed a shote. Shed, difference; no shed, no difference between things ; from to shead. Lane. to distinguish ; ab A. S. sccadun, to distinguish, disjoin, divide, or sever. Sheenstrads, spatterdashes. Exm, Sheld, party-coloured, flecked, or speckled. Thence sheld-drake and sheld-fowl. S. Shelviiigs, additional tops to the sides of a cart, or waggon. N. Shidc, a piece split off (spoken of wood) ; a cleft shide. Glouc. Shimper, to shine. S. Shippen, a cow-house; ab A. S. scy- pme, stabulum, bovile, a stable, an ox-stall. Shirt-hand, a band. N. Shoard; to take a shoard, to drink a cup too much. Exm. Shock, to spunge; to shock a dinner, to spinige a dinner. Norf. Shoo, she. N. Shoods, oat-hulls. N. Shool, a shovel. Exm. Shoort; to shoort, to shift for a living. Exm. Shot-flago7i, or Come again, the host's pot, given where the guests have drank above a shilling's worth of ale. Derb. Shotts, a species of small trout. Cornw. Shoivel, a blind for a cow's eyes, made of wood. S. Shranid, chilled ; I am shram'd to death, I am dead with cold. W. Shrooding, trimming up or lopping trees. Glouc. Shuggy-sheiv, a swing. N. Shuck, (he husk of a walnut, or shell of a bean. S. Shim, to save. S. Shiippick, a hay-fork, or two-grained fork. Glouc. Sibberidgc, the banns of matrimony. Sib'd, a-kin; no sole sil)'d, nolhing a- kin : no more sib'd than sieve and riddle, that grew botli in a wood to- gether. Chesh. Prov. Syb, or sybbi: is an ancient Saxon word, signifying kindred, alliance, affinity. Sick, a small stream, or rill. N. Sickerly, surely ; ;\ Lat. .secure. Sidda, peas or vegetables that boil soft; these peas will sidda. Glouc. Side,\\ong ; my coat is very side; i.e. very long. Also proud, steep. From the Saxon, .side, sid, or the Danish, side, signifying long. Sidlnp, a small box, containing about half a bushel of seed corn, worn by the sowers. See Hoppct. Sidy, surly, moody. Sig, urine, chamberlye. S. Sike, a little rivulet; ab A. S. .\ich, sul- cus, a furrow ; vel potius sulcus, aquarius. Lacuna, lira, stria, elix, a water furrow, a gutter. N. Soinner. Sike, such: sike a thing, such a thing. N. Var. Dial. Sile ; to sile down, to fall to the bot- tom, or subside. N. and Lincoln. Sile, filth, because it usually siles or subsides to file bottom. Sill (of a door) threshold, calKd also groundsill, in divers (•(unities. »SV//* (of a waggon) the shafts, the same as thills. N. Simpson, grounsell. Ess. Siss, a great fat woman. Exm. Size of Hread, and Cue oJlSread. Cam- bridge. The one signifying iiaif, the other one-fourth part of a liaifpenny loaf, cue being Q. the abbreviation of a quarter, and size comes from scindo, I cut. G SizcJy, SLE SNA iSVceZy, nice, pi'oiul, coy. Exm, Sizziiig; yeast. S. 67mt//, loss, liariii, wronjj, pvejnilicc. Deri). One doth tlie skath, and ano- ther hath the scorn. Ab A. S.sca:d«'r, the chinmey-post. Chesh. Rear'd against the specr, standing up against the chinmey-post. Spelder, to spell. N. Spewring, a boarded partition. Exm. Spice, raisins, plums, figs, and such like fruit. Yorksh. Spice, t\ species. Spice-pudding, plum-pudding. Spick and span new, every part new. vS. Some derive this from a spear, the head of which was vulgarly called the spike, the handle or staff, the span ; so that spick and span new, was both head and staff, that is, the Avhole weapon, new. Speene, or Spene, a cow-pass. Kent. Spill, a spill of money, a sum. N. Spink, a chaffinch. N. Spoil, wood, grown brittle through dryness. The rafters of the church of Norwich are said to be^spolt. Norf. Sprag, lively, active. Sprey, spruce, ingenious. Exm. Spudlee; to spudlee, to stir, or spread a thing abroad. Exm. Spurk ; to spurk up, to spring, shoot, or rise up briskly. S. Spurkit, a peg. Suff. Spurrings, banns of marriage. N. Spur-tvay, a bridle-way through any ground, a passage for a horse by right of custom. S. Sqnale,to throw a stick as at a cock. W. Squat, to bruise or make flat by letting fall 5 acfjW. S. Sijnalted, splashed with mire or dirt. Kent. Squeeg'd, squeez'd. Middlesex. Squelslring, sultry, sweltering. Exm. Sqninn, to wriggle and twist about briskly, after the manner of an eel ; it is usually spoken of that fish. S. Sladdlc, a mark or impression made on any thing by somewhat lying upon it; so scars or marks of the small-pox are called staddles. Also the bot- tom of a corn mow or hay-stack is called the staddle. N. Sladle; to stadle a wood ; i. e. in cut- ting a wood, to leave at certain dis- tances a sufficient number of young plants to replenish it. Norf. Staffe; a staHe of cocks, a pair of cocks. S. Stale, a hurdle. N. Stam-wood, the roots of trees, stubbed up. S. Slang, a wooden bar ; ab A. S. Stang. This word is still used in some col- leges in the university of Cambiidge ; to stang scholars in Christmas-time being to cause them to ride on a colt-staff, or pole, for missing of cha pel. It is used likewise in the East Riding of Yorkshire, for the fourth part of an acre, a rood. Stank, a dam, or bank to stop water. S. Stansions, iron bars that divide a win- dow. N. Stark, stiff, or strongly; as, stark mad, stark nought. C. From the German stark, strong. Stark, stiff, weary; ab A. S. sterc, strace, rigidus, durus; Belg. & Dan. sterck; Teut. starck, validus, robustus, firm , us. Vide Skinner. Starky, dry, shrivelled up: my shoes are all starky, (or starkled) owing to their being zet before the vire when wet. Glouc. Start, a long handle of any thing; a tail, as it signifies in Low Dutch ; so S TO S TR so a rcd-starl is a bird with a red tail. Staw'd, set. N. From the Saxon stoic, a place ; originally from statio and statuo. Hence, 1 suppose, stowing of goods in the hold of a ship, or in a store-house. Stea, or Steicic, or Slclic the Dure, shut the door, a Tent. &. Belg. sfec/ce/i, stcken, to thrust, or put, to stake. N. Stead, is generally used for a place ; as, it lies in such a stead, i. e. in such a place: whereas elsewhere only in stead, is made use of for in placC, or in the room of. Steal; the steal of any thing, the han- dle. S. Stee, a ladder. In the Saxon, steglier is a stair, gradus scale, perchance from stee. Stee'hoppiiig; playing the hobby-horse. Exm. Steem; to steem a thing, to bespeak a thing. N. Steg, a gander. N. Steveling, blundering or stumbling in walking. N. Steivardly, like a good housewife. Steyan, or Stean, an earthen pot like a jar. Exni. Stife, obstinate, inflexible, stiff; from the old Saxon. A stife quean, a lusty quean ; stife bread, strong bread, made with beans and peas, &c. w hich makes it of a strong smell and taste. N. Stile; to stile, or stilee, to iron clothes. Exm. Stimey, dim-sighted. N. Stirrups, a kind of buskins. Exm. Stit/ie, strong, stift ; ab A. S. Slidh, stiff, hard, severe, violent, great, strong : stitlie cheese, strong cheese Stithy, an anvil, from the aforesaid Stid/i, for what is harder than an anvil ? Stiven, sternness ; perha})s from stiffe. Stock's-hiU, geranium Robertianum. N. Stood, cropt; sheep are said to be stood, whose ears are crept, and men who wear their hair very short. N. Stoly, dirty, disorderly ; a stoly house, a cluttered or disorderly house. Stooks, a collection of sheaves of corn, being ten, set up together, and co- vered by two. N. Called also thrave. See Thrave. Stoop, or Sfoirp, a post fastened into the earth ; from the Latin slujxi. N. Slot, a young bullock or steer ; a young horse, in Chaucer: ab A. S. Stod, or steda, a stallion, also a w ar-horse, a steed. N. Stoud, a young colt in a stud. W. Stotind, q. Stand, a wooden vessel to put small beer in ; also a portion of time, a small stound. N. & S. Stover, fodder for cattle, or any food, except grain. Norf. Stoick, q. Stalk, the handle of a jiail, also a shock of twelve sheaves. N. Stoivles, the bottoms or trunks of trees, grubbed up and left. Glouc. Stotvre, a round of a ladder, a hedge- stake ; also the staves in the side of a wain, in which the eve-rings are fastened, though the large and flat ones are called slotes. N. Stra/t, angered, angrily. Norf. Stra'mmer, a great lie. Exm. Strandy, restive, passionate, spoken of children ; such they call strandy-mires. N. The word landy is sometimes used in much the same sense in the South, and is particularly applied to a restive or frolicksome horse. Strange ; I's strange at you, 1 wonder at you. N. Strig, the foot-stalk of any fruit. S. The strig of a cherry. Strike, four pecks, or a bushel ; a strike of corn. N. Stroakiiigs, milking after the calf has suckleil. Exm. Stroil, strength and agility. Exm. Stroop, the gullet. Norf. Stroop, S WA S WO Stroo]), to bawl out, or cry aloud, from stroop, tlio ijullet. tShittil, lli(> tail or rump ; ab A. S. sleorf, stert ; Belg. stcrt, stecrt ; Teut. stertz, Cauda : vei i\ Belg. stront ; Fr. &c Gr. cstron ; Ilal. stroiizo, stercus, per nietonym. adjunct!. Skiuner. Stom, the iiistruuicut used to keep the malt in the vat. N. Strm/ii/is, orts ; Ironi destruction, I suppose. We use tiie word stnisluoii for destruction ; it lies in tlie way of strusliion, ^. e. in a likelihood of being- destroyed. N. Slry, to spoil or destroy. Norf. Stub ; a good stub, a large sum of mo- ney. Exra. Stuckling, an apple-pie or pasty. S. JStuJnet, a posnet, or skillet. S. Slu//, a luncheon ; a great piece of bread, cheese, or other victuals. S. Stunt, stubborn, fierce, angry. Lincoln, nb A. S. stunta, stunt, stultus, fatuus, forte quia stulti projferoces sunt; vel k verbo, to stand, ut resty, a restando, inetaphora ab equis conturaacibus sumpta. Skinner. Stnre, a steer ; also a dust raised. Ex. Stark, a young bullock or heifer. N. ab A. S. sti/rh; buculus a. Sturken, to grow, thrive. Throdden is the same. N. Sturry, inflexible, sturdy, stiff. S. Stut, a gnat. W. S lidded ; the meadows are sudded, i. e. covered with drift sand left by the floods. W. Suffing, sobbing. Exm. Siig, siig, a word used to call pigs to eat their wash. Norf. Sun-cute, a dainty. Suff. Sunk, a canvas pack-saddle, stuffed Avith straw. N. Suppings, broth, &c. ; spoon-meat. N. Swad, siliqua, a cod ; a pease-swad : used nietaphoricaliy for one that is slender ; a mere swad, N. Stcache, a tally, that which is fixed to cloth sent to dye, of which the owner keeps the other part, N. Swale, windy, cold, bleak. N. Swale, or Siceal, to singe or burn ; as, to sweal a hog ; a sweal'd cat, a cat whose hair or fur is singed off, by sleeping in the ashes. Sweal is also some- times applied to a candle that drozes and melts, called in Middlesex, Jluring. Ab A. S. swcelan, to kindle, or set on fire ; to burn. N. and S. Swung, a fresh piece of green swarth, lying in a bottom, among arable or barren land ; a dool. N. Swnpp, the handle of a pump. Norf. Sivurlh, the fetch, or ghost, of a dying man ; perhaps from the A. S. swcarf, black, dark, pale, wan. Cumb. Swurf/i, grass just cut to be made up into hay. C. Swatch, a sample. N. Swut/ie, calm. N. Swathe-bank, a swarth of new-mown grass or corn. N. Swatter, to scatter or waste ; he swat- tered away all his money. N. Swattle; to swattle away, to waste. Sweumish, i. e. Squeamish, used foi' mo- dest. N. Sweb, or Swclt, to swoon. N. Swill, a keeler to wash in, standing on three feet. Also to guzzle, or drink greedily. N. Swi/ker, or Swelker, to make a noise, like water shaken in a barrel. N. Swilker o'er, to dash over. N. Swillet, growing turf, set on fire for ma- nuring the land. E\m. Swillings, hog's-meat. N. Swine-hull, or Swine-crue, a hogstye. N. Swinge, to singe. N. Swipper, nimble, quick ; ab A. S. swip- pre, crafty, subtle, cunning, sly, wily. Swither, to throw down forcibly. N. Swizzen, to singe. N. Swor/e, to snarl like a dog. S. Si/ker, S Y L Si/1eer, such ; sylicr-likc, such like. N. Syle, or Sile, to pour or run ; the pot siles over, the pot boils over. ]\. He S YL siled a gallon of ale down his throat, lie poured a gallon of ale down his throat. TAT Tab ; the tab of a shoe, the latohet of a shoe. N. Also chiidrens' hang- ing sleeves. Tabcrn, a cellar; c\ Lat. tuherna. facking-cnd, shoemaker's end. Tagge, a sheep of the first year. Suss. Tail-ends, the refuse of wheat or other corn, not saleable in the market, but kept by faruiers for their own con- sumption. Glouc. Tahc-to-ini ; to take-to-un, to attack any one, either with blows, wurds, or law. W. Tn'Nef, (i. e. top-loft) a hay-loft. Exm. Ta'nhadc\ or Tanhusi', scuffling, strug- gling. Exm. Tung, to sting. Tung also signifies a sting. N. Tunglcing, slattendy. N. Tautlc, to walk feebly, to todole, or toddle. Lincolnsh. Tantrells, idle unsettled people, who will not fix to any employment. N. Tupley, or Tupefi/, early in the morning. Exm. Turn, a lake, or meer-pool. N. Taste; to taste, i.e. to smell, in the North; indeed, there is a very great affinity between the two senses. It is not uncommon, in the South, to hear a man desire another to let him taste his snuft'. Tastrill, a cunning rogue. N. Tussel, a silly fellow. N. Tatchy, touchy, peevish. W. Tatter, cross, peevish ; old mistress is tedious tatter. Kent. Taum, to swoon. N. TEN Turc, to rage. Lincoln. ; a Belg. Tof)- bcn, Toppen, Durcn; Tout. Toven, furere. Sick people are said to tave with their hands when they catch at any thing, or to wave thir hands when the want the use of reason. N. Taiv, a whip. N. Team, or Teem, to pour out, to lacJe out of one vessel into another : per- haps from the Danish word, tommer, to draw, to draw out or empty; but tommer comes from torn, empty. N. TeamjVl, brimful, as much as can be team'd in. In the old Saxon it signifies fruitful, abundant, plentiful. Teuming-limc, time of bringing forth. Teaster, or Testy, the head-piece or ca- nopy of the bed: also a vuliiar term for a sixpenny piece, all over England. Techy (i. e. Touchy) peevish, cross, apt to be angry. S. Ted, or Tct, to be ordered or permitted to do a thing ; as, I ted go home, /'. c. I am to go home. lixm. Ted, to spread abroad the new-cut grass, to make it into hay. C Teen, angry. N. From the Saxon tynan, to provoke, stir, anger, or enrage. Teety, fretful, fractious. N. Teezle, a kind of thistle, used in the cloth manufactory. To teezle wool, to pull it asunder with the fingers. N. Temse, a small sieve ; from the French tamise, Ital. tamiso; whence comes the word Tcmse-brcud, i. e. bread, the meal of which has been made tine by temsiug or sifting out the bran. N. Tent, to tend or look to. Var. Dial. "Ill TlliO TIC " I'll tent thee, qnoth Wood: If I cannot rule my daughter, I'll rule my good." Chosh. Prov. Also, to pre- Aent. Terra, a turf. £xm. Terrce-; to tervee, to struggle and tum- ble to get free. Exui. Telties, (from teats) breasts. Exm. Tciv ; to tew, to j)ull or tow ; also to work hard. N. Ten-Jet, a lapwing. N. Teirley, poorlv, weakly, tenderly. See Tooty. W. ' Thaeli, thatch ; a fhacJcer, a thatcher. N Tliar-calces, the same with bannocks. N. See Bunnocks. Tharlxij ; very tharky, very dark. S. T/iani, guts prepared to receive pud- dings. Line. : ab A. S. dearm; Belg. fhtrm, derm; Teut. daim, dearm, in- testines. T/mik, to thatch. N. Theat, firm, close, staunch ; spoken of barrels v\hen they do not run. N. Theuve, an ewe of the first year. Ess. Thebes, or Tliapes, gooseberries. Norf. Thea'd, towardly. N. Thek, The'ckce, or The'eka; this, in the Western dialect, is generally, not al- ways, used for that, when it is a pro- noun demonstrative, but never when it is a pronoun relative, or conjunc- tion ; in which case, tliat, or thalc is the word used. Exm. Thible, or Thivel, a stick to stir a pot ; also a dibl)le or setting stick. Thill-horse, the shaft-horse. N. Thin-drink, small beer. S. Thir; to /////•, thear, der, dear, or dere, to frighten, hurt, or strike dead. Ex. Thirl, to bore a hole, to drill. Lincoln, From the Anglo-Saxon, dhrijl, dhyrel, entrance ; dhirliun, Belg. drillen, to perforate. Tho, then, at that time. Exm. Thokish, slothful, sluggish. Norf. Thole, to brook or endure. Derb. Thole a while; i. e. stay a while. Chaucer has tholed for suffered. Ab A. S. iho- lian, of the same signification. Tlione, Thony, thawn, damp, moist. N. Throve, a shock of corn, containing twenty-four sheaves ; ab A. S. threaf, a handful, a bundle, or bottle. N. To thrave, to urge. Lincolnsh. Ab A. S. thruinan, urgere. Threap, or Threapen, to blame, rebuke, reprove, or chide; ab A. S. threa- ])a?i, titreapian, of the same signifi- cation. To threap kindness upon one, is used in another sense. To threap is also to urge or press: it is no threaping ware ; ?'. e. ware so bad as to require a person to be urged, pressed, or persuaded to purchase it. N. & S. Also to persist in saying a thing. Cumb. Thrippa, to beat. Chesh. I'll thrippa thee, I'll beat or cudgel thee. Tlirong, very throng, busily employed. N. Throdden, to grow, thrive, encrease. N. Thropple, to throttle or strangle. Also the windpipe. Var. Dial. Yorksh. Throstle, a thrush. N. Throw, to turn, as turners do ; ab A. S. thrauan, which, among various sig- nifications, means to turn and wind. N. Thrvff, a table-tomb. Cumb. Also through. N. Thruntif, healthy, hardy. N. Thruteh, for thiust. Chesh. Maxfield measure, heap and thruteh. Prov. Thumping, great, huge; a thumping boy, a large child. Exm. and difier- ent counties. Thivite, to wittle, cut, make while by cutting. He hath thwitten a mill-post into a pudding-prick. Prov. Ticking, setting up turves to dry, in order to prepare them for fuel. W. Tickle, uncertain ; tickle weather, un- certain weather. N. Tider, TOM TWl Tider, Tidder, or Titter, soon, quicker, earlier, first, or earliest ; from Tide. Vide Astite. Tider up, caw, let him that is up first, call the others. N. Tijic, to turn, to stir, to disorder any thing- by tumbling in it; so standing corn, or high grass, when trodden down, is said to be titled. N. Tike, a dog. N. Till, to. N. Timorous, used by the vulgar in the North, to signify furious or pas- sionate. Tine, to shut or fence ; tine the door, shut the door: ab A. S. tynuu, to in- close, fence, hedge, or teen. Tine; to tine, or tind a candle, to light a caudle in a fire. Hence tinder. Dev. Ting; to ting, to chide severely. Exm. Tiiig-tang, the little bell of a church. N. Tipperd, dressed unhandsomely. Tiny, |)uny, little. It is usually joined with little as an augmentative; so they say, a little tiny thing. Tip, or Tup, a ram. N. Tit, a horse. N. Tite; a tite, a fountain of water, or rather a small run or rill of water, damd across for the convenience of catching water for family uses. Glouc, Tole; to tole, to entice. Vide Mr. Lock. Berks. Toll-bar, a turnpike. N. Toll-nook, a corner of the market-place where the toll used to be taken. N. Tome, a hair line for fishing. Cumb. Too-too, used absolutely for very well, or good. N. Tooly, tender, sickly; a tooly manor woman. Ilainpsh. Toom, or Tume, empty ; a toom purse makes a bleit (i. e. bashful) mer- chant; evidently derived from the Danish word!Z\?»?, empty. Toorcan, to wonder or muse on what one means to do. N. Tor, a high rock, as Mum-tor, a higli rock in Derbyshire. N. To tic, a slow, lazy person. E.\m. Totting, slow, idle. Exm. Tovet^oY Tofict, half a bushel. Kent. Touru, a spinning-wheel. E.\ni. Tougher, a dower or dowry. Cumb. Tou'ser, a coarse apron worn by maid- servants in working. Devonsh. Toze; to toze, to pull abroad wool, &c. Perhaps from towze. Exm. Town-place, a farm-yard. Cornw. Toothy, peevish, crabbed. S. Toyle-zouk, a disorder in a cow's tail. W. Trammel, au iron instrument in the chimney for hanging pots and kettles over the fire. Tranty, wise and forward above their age; spoken of children. The same with Audfurand. Treaf, peevish, froward. S. Troant, a foolish fellow, and sometimes a lazy loiterer: a truant. Exm. Trolubher, a husbandman, a day-la- bourer. Exm. Trolly-bags, tripe. Cumb. Trouts, curds taken of}' the whey when it is boiled ; a rustic word. In some places they are called trotters. N. Trousing; trousing a hedge or fag- got; trimming off the superfluous branches. Warvv. Trub, a slut. Exm. Trull, to bowl witli a cricket-ball. Kent. Tum; to turn wool, to mix wool of divers colours. N. Tumvls, heaps; he has tumuls of money. Cornw. Tush, the wing of a ploughshare. Glouc. Tussle, a struggle ; we had a tussle fur it. N. and S. Twiddle, a pimple. Sufi". Ticill, a spool, from quill. In the South they call it w inding of quills, II because TVVI T YL because anciently, I snppose, they ^vound the yarn npon quills for the weavers, though now they use reeds, or else reeds were called quills, as, in Latin, caUiini; for quills, or shafts of birds feathers, are now called ca- lami, because they are employed for the same use of writing, which, of old, reeds only were, and to this day are, m some parts of the world. The word pen, now used for the in- strument we write with, is no other than the Latin penna, w hich signifies the quill, or hard feather of any bird, and is a very proper w ord for it, be- cause our pens are now made of such quills, which, as 1 said, were formerly made of reeds. Treenirare, earthen vessels. Tivam, to sw oon. N. I^ivirter, a year old sheep. Cumb. ''Twitter, to tremble; A Tent. Tittern, treinere, both from the sound pro- duced. This is a wurd of general use. My heart twitters; I am all in a twitter. To twitter thread or yarn, is to spin it uneven, generally used also in this sense. Tyc-top, a garland. N. Ttjle-skard, a fragment of a tile. Norf. V. UN yAN, a fan or machine for winnow- ing corn. Glouc. Vang, to take or receive; from fangen, German. Exm. To vavg, to stand sponsor for a child. Exm. Vaunce-roqf, the garret. Suff. U-hack,U-bIock, &c. ; a christmas-block, See Yu-batch. N. rV^Av'w^j, fretfulness, peevishness. Exm. ladling, ploughing up the turf or iqjper surface of the ground, to lay in heaps to burn. S. liS'S'ifiS'- See Potce. Vinerous, hard to please. N. Vinnied, fenny, mouldy. Exm. Vinny, a scolding-bout. Exm. Vit; to vit, to dress meat. Exm. Vitty, decent, handsome, well. Exm. Neatly dressed. V/ick, or Fliclc, a blow with a stick. I ged un a vlick. \V. Umber, number. Exm. Unistrid, astride, astridlands. N. Un, him ; I told un. W. ; particularly llampshiro, where every thing is mas- VO R culine, except a boar cat, which is always called she. Unbeer, impatient. N. Unbethowt, retlected, remembered. Ungain, aukward, clumsy. N. & V. Unkard, aukward. Unkid, lonely. Unknown; an unknown man, one who docs good secretly. N. Unleed, or Unlcad, a general name for any crawling, venomous creature, as a toad, &c. It is sometimes ascribed to man, and then it denotes a slj', wicked fellow, that, in a manner, creeps to do mischief, the very pest of society. See Mr. Nicholson's Ca- talogue. X><7//, etherings, or windings of hedges. S. Vokcy, moist. Exm. Voor, a furrow. Exm. Vo}-e, forth; to draw vore, to twit one with a fault. Exm. Vorc-rcert, foriliright, without circum- spection. Exm. Vorc-days, URE VUR Vore-days, oi* Voardays, late in the day. Exii). Upazct, in perfection. Exm. JJpbrdid, to rise in the stomach. N. My dinner nj)l)raid.s. Uphoud, to warrant. N. Ujizetting, agosisipping, or christening- feast. Exni. Urchin, a liedge-hog. N. Ure, udder. Urled, to be stinted in tlieir growth; said of such as do not grow. Hf ik <; an uriing is in the North, a little dwarlish |)erson. In the Sonth such ]iersons are called kuiirlcs. Vidl-shded. See Full-sluled. E.\ni. Vmiff, received. Vvrdin, a farthing. Exm. Vur-vore, far-forlii. Exn). w. W A L Wad, black-lead, Cumb. It also means a neighbourhood, as such and such and such places lie in the same ^vad or bea. Wain, a waggon. N. Wa-ist heart ! woe is me ! N. IVulce, the feast of the dedication of the parish church. N. Wakker, easily awakened. N. Walch, insipid, fresh, waterish. In the South we say ivallouish, meaning somewhat nauseous. Walker, a fuller ; a walk-mill, a fidling mill: fl Belg. ualcher, fullo; hoc i\ verb. Belg. icalchen; \ia\. gualcare, pannos j)remere, calcare ; Teut. trulcken, j)annum polire ; all proba- bly from the Latin calcare. Skinner. Wall; he lies by the wall ; spoken of a person dead but not buried. P\orf. and SuH". Walling, i. 6. boiling ; it is now in fre- quent use among the salt-boilers at Northwych, Namptwych, &;c. Per- haps the same as wallopping ; whence in some boroughs, persons who boil a pot there are called pot-walloppers, and entitled to vote for representa- tives in parliament. Walloping, a slatternly manner. N. \V A R Wally, to cocker or indulge. N. Walt, to totter, or lean one way, to overthrow : from the old Saxon ivce/- tan, to tumble or roll ; whence our weltering in blood : or rather from the Saxon uealtian, to reel or stag- ger. N. W ankle, weak. N. Wa'ngery, flabby. Exm. Wang-tooth, the jaw-tooth ; ab A. S. Wang, zrong, the jaw ; irone todh, or rather wo?ig-todh, the canine tooth. Wankle, limber, flaccid, ticklish, fickle, wavering. N. Want, a mole. N. and V. From the Sax on urind. Wanti-tump, or Onti-tinnp, a mole-hill. Glouc. Wap, a bundle of straw. N. Wapper'd, restless or fatigued ; spoken of a sick person, (ilouc. Waps, a wasp. Var. Dial. War, worse ; irar and war, worse and worse. Var Dial. Warch, or Work, to ache, to w ork ; ab A. S. wark, j)ain, also a work. Ware ; to ware one's money, to bestow it well, to lay it out in ware. N. Warisht, that hath conquered any dis- ease or difliculty, and is secure against W E A WHE against the future; also well-stored or fiiniished. N. Warisoii, tlie stomach. Cunib. IVar/i, a pain. N. Warp, to lay eggs ; a hen warps or warys. JN. Wary, to curse. Lane. Ab. A. S. tva- riaii, weriffan, to execrate or curse. To icari/ is also to lay an egg. N. Worth, a water-ford. Wartli, in the old Saxon, signifies the shore. Wurstead, used in that sense ; q. Wa- tersteatl. Wasset-mun, a scare-crow. Wilts. Wuslunnoutlie, a blab. Exni. Washbrcic, ftuniniery. Exm. Waste, a consumption. N. Was vie! woe is me! Var. Dial. Watchet, wet shod, wet in the feet. Oxf. Wattles, hurdles ; also the lowest part of a cock's comb. N. Watsail, a drinking song, sung on twelfth-day eve, throwing toast to the apple-trees, in order to have a fruit- ful year, which seems to be a relic of the heathen sacrifice to Pomona. Wassail. Exm. Waughing, barking ; probably from the sound. N. Waughisf, faintish. N. Way-bit (or rather a tree-bit), a little piece; a mile and a wee-bit, or way- bit. Yorksh. Wee is Scotch for little. Way-bread, plantain ; from the Saxon tv(eg-br(ede, so called, because grow- ing every where in streets and ways. N. Waze, a small round cushion, put un- der, or on the crown of the hat, to carry hannels orgegzinsupon.Cumb. Weaky, moist. N. Wealk, a wilk, a shell-fish, called cho- chlea marina. Wear, to lay out money with another in drink. N. Weari to wear the pot, to cool it. N. Weat, to weat the head, to look it for lice. N. Wcu-wortli yon, woe betide you. N. Wee, little, N. Wcekcy, moist. N. Weel, ^^ell. N. Weel, or Witc, nimble, swift. N. Used also in tliat sense in the South. Weir, or W'aar, sea-wrack, or alga-mari- na. Northumb. From the old Saxon tvaar. The Thanet-men, according to Somner, call it wore or woorc. Weir, or Ware, a pool of water or pond. S. Wclk, to dry. N. Mown grass in dry- ing for hay is said to welk. To ivilty for wither, spoken of green herbs or flowers, is a general word. Wellaneer ! alas! N. Well-u-day ! alas! Various. Welling (of w hej) ; it is heating it scald- ing hot, to take oft" the curds. S. Welling, or tvalling, is old English for boiling. Welly, almost, nearly. N. Welter; to welter, to waddle, to go aside, or heavily, as women will) child, or fat persons ; from the old Saxon wealtian, to reel or stagger ; or else from the Saxon wellan, to tumble or roll ; whence weltering in blood. N. Weni, a small blemish, hole, or decay, especially in cloth. Ess. Wem, the womb, or belly. N. Wend, to go. N. Wennel, a young beast, ox, bull, or cow. Ess & Suff. Wents, the teasels, or fuller's thistles when worn out. Glouc. Weuted, grown acid, spoken of wort. Norf. Westy, dizzy, giddy. N. Wethcrly, with rage and violence. Exm. Whangs, leather thongs. N. Wheel, a whirlpool. Lane. From the Saxon tvcel, a vortex of water, or whirlpool. N. Whapper, W II I W HO Whopper, any tliin?;lar2;e ; a lluimper. C Whapple-way, a bridk-\\a\ , or road where oiil\ a horse can puss. S. Wlume, crab apples, or verjuice; as sour as wharrc. Cliesh. Wheadij, h)iig, tedious; a whoady mile, a mile seemiiinly of an extraordinary length, Shropsli. Wlieam, or W/ieeui, near at hand, close, so that no wind can enter it. Also very handsome and convenient for one; as, it lies wheem for ine. Chesh. From the old Saxon gecweme, grate- ful, acceptable, pleasant, tit. Wheamoic, nimble; I am very whea- inow, quoth the old w oinan, when she stept into the middle of the bittlin. Derb. Frov. Whee, Whi, or Whey, an heifer; the only word used in the East Riding of Yorkshire in that sense. Wheen-cat, a queen-cat, or female cat. Queen, in Saxon, was used to sig- nify the female; cx.g. Queen fugol, a queen fowl, or hen. Wheeden, a simple person. W. Whelm, half of a hollow tree, laid under a gate-way, to form a passage for Avater. A kind of substitute for an arch. Norf & Suft'. Wheint, queint, tine; a wheint lad, a tine lad ; used ironically. Chesh. Var. Dial. Also cunning, subtle. Whenet, a great blow ; perhaps a back- handed stroke, called also a whister- poop. Exm. See Whisterpoop. Whcrrited, teased ; q. ferreted. N. Wheirf, to whistle. N. Ifhic/c, quick, lively. N. Whicket for Whacket, or Quittee for Quottce, an equivalent ; quid pro quo, Kent. Whifflcrs, men who make way for the corpoiation of Norwich, by flourish- ing their swords. Norf. Whins, furze. N. Whinner-nch, a meager, thin-faced man, with a sharp no>e; perhaps \\\\\i\ some l)ird that feeds, or is bred among ■vvhms. N. Whinneriu; >'arth-worm, particularly those called dew-worms. I'Vmwo', noisy ; perhaps jarring. Exm. Yctlutid, Edward. Derb. Yelling, a small iron boiler. N. Yets, oats. Northuml). Yeicd, or Yod, went. Yciving, going. Ab A. S. Eodc, ivit, iter fecit, con- cessit, he went; Chaucer, yed, ycdcn, yode, eodem sensu. Spencer also, in his Eairy Queen, lib. 1. c. 10. He that the blood-red billows, like a wail. On either side disparted with bis rod. Till all his aruiy drv-foot thro' them yod. Speaking of Moses. Yewers, embers, hot ashes. Exm. Yold-riug, a yellow-hammer. N. Yolt, a newt, or eft, Glouc, Yoted,OT JV/tcsed, watered ; the brewer's grains must be w ell yoted, or whesed for the pigs, W. Youl, to cry, or howl. N. Yoo7i, oven. Var. Dial. Yoid/i; a fine old youth, a healthy old man. N. Yoiiifler, to fester. Yu, or Yvte-tide, Christmas. N. Yu-batch, Christmas-batcli. Yu-hlock, yule-block, yide-clog,CA\n^im2iS-\)\ock. Yu-ga)iis, Cliristnias-ganu^s; ab A. S. Geliul; Dan. JuUdiig, the day of the nativity of Christ. This, p(>rha|)s, from the Latin and Hebrew jubi- lum. N. In farm-houses, the ser- vants lay by a large knotty block, for their Cliristmas-iire, and, durinj, the time it lasts, ihey are entitled, b) cus- tom, to ale at their meals, N. Yuc/c, Line, to itch ; perhaps from the Scotch, or from the l^ntch, J^urAcn, joockeii; (Jerman, Jcuckeu, or jurken: ZIN ZUA Z. ZaTE, soft. Glouc. Zennel, a week, a sev'night; Exm. Zess, a pile of sieves iu a barn. Exm. Zetv, a sow. Exm. Zeimteen, seventeen. Exm. Zigg, urine. Exm. Zinnila, a son-in-law. Exm. Zive, a scythe. Exm. Zock, a blow ; I geed im a zock. VV. Zowerswoppcd, ill-natur'd. Exm. Zowl, a plough. Exm. See Zvll. Zuant, regularly sowed; the wheat must be zown zuant. W. END OF THE GLOSSARY. LOCAL PROVERBS. ENGLAND. IN compliance tvith Fullers arrmigement, I shall hegin icith those Proverbs tvhich have reference to ike whole kingdom ; many of these, I must observe, are by no means complimentary ; but seem formed by foreigners, from jxrrjudice and misinformation. VVhen our Lady falls in our Lord's lap, rpi n I J u ^ sad clap, llien Jbuffland beware a < • , ^ * I mishap. Alias, Then let the clergyman look to his cap. This is supposed to be a kind of popish pro- phetical menace, coined since the Reformation, iu- timatinj;, that tiie Virgin Marj', oflended at tlie English nation, for abolishing the worship oflered her before that event, waited for an opportunity of revenge, and when her day, the tweiity-fillh of March, chanced to fall on the same day willi Christ's resurrection, then she, strengthened by her soil's assistance, would inflict some remarkable punishment on the kingdom. This conjunction it was calculated would happen in the year 1722; but we do not learn that any thing ensued in con- sequence thereof, either to the nation, or the caps or wigs of the clergy. When Hempe is spun, England is undone. This was another popish prediction, edited be- fore the defeat of the Armada. The word Heuipe is formed of the letters H. E. M. P. E. the initials of Henry, Edward, Mary, Philip, and Elizabeth, and supposed to threaten, that after the reigns of those princes, England would be lost, /. c, con- quered. Fuller remarks, that to keep this sayin'» in couutenance, it may pretend to some truth ; for, on the death of Elizabeth, and accession of King James I., the kingdom, by its junction with Scot- land, took the title of Great Britain, by royal pro- clamation, and thereby the name of England was, in one sense, lost. Some inteipreted this distich more literally; supposing it meant, that when all the hemp in I^ngland was expended, there would be an end of our naval force; which would in- deed be fact, if no more could be procured. When the black fleet of Norway is come and gone, England build houses of lime and stone. For after, wars you shall have none. This likewise seems to have a prophetic mean- ing, if one could but tiiul it out. Fuller supposes it alludes to the Spanish .Vrniada, and quotes Sir Francis Bacon to prove that the sur-name of tlie King of Spain was Norway; but, suppo.-ing it was, nothing is explaiiieil by it; the number of wars iii which England has been since engaged, as well civil as foreign, shew that this prophecy was dictated by a lying spirit. England is a ringing island. Fuller says it is so called by foreigners, as hav- ing more bells iii number, greater in size, and bet- I tcr 58 LOCAL PROVERBS, ter tuned belh than any other countrj' in Europe, Italy not exieplcd ; although Nola, the place where bells are said to have been first invented and made, and whence they took their name, is in that coun- try. Whether ihe^ie assertions are strictly true, is a subject to be discussed by the Society ol' Col- lege Youths. Wlien the sand feeds the clay, England cries well-a-day; But \vlien tlie clay feeds the sand, it is inerfy with England. The clay lands in Enijland, are to those of a sandy soil, as five to one, and equally, or more fertile. If, from a wet season, the sandy lands succeed, and the clay lands miss, only one tifth of the crop is produced that there would have been, liad the contrary happened : this, as the proverb expresses, is a national misfortune. England were but a flins:. Save for the crooked stick and the grey-goose wing. That is, Enghmd would be but a lost land, or not tenable, were it not for the bow and arrows. This was a saying in praise of archery, in v\hich the English formerly excelled ; but the many bat- tles gained by them since the hivention of gunpow- der, shew they are now as terrible to their enemies with the straight tube, as formerly witli the crooked stick. England is the paradise of women, hell of horses, and purgatory of servants. The liberty allowed to women in England, the portion assigned by law to widows, out of their husband's goods and chattels, and the politeness with which all denominations of that sex are in ge- neral treated, join to establish the truth of this part of the proverb. The furious manner in which people ride on the road, horse-racing, huutina;, the cruelties of postil- lions, stage-coachmen, and carmen, with the ab- surd nmtilations practised on that noble and useful animal, all but too much prove the truth of this part of the adage. But, that this country is the purgatory of servants I deny ; at least, if it ever was, it is not so at present ; I fear they are ra- ther the cause of bringing many a master to that legal purgatory, a gaol. A Fainine in England begins at the Horse-nianger. If oats fail, there is generally a bad crop of every other kind of grain throughout this kingdom: in- deed, oatmeal makes a great part of the food of the poorer sort of people in the north. The king devils. of England is the king of The German emperor is termed the king of kings, because he has many princes under him ; the king of Spain, the king of men, from the cheerful obedience shewn him by his subjects ; the king of France, the king of asses, from the pa- tience of his people in bearing all the loads lie is pleased to lay upon tliem ; but why the king of England is styled the king of devils, is not so ap- parent, unless on account of the constant Jealousy Englishmen have of their governors, and their apt- ness to take tire at even the legal exertions of pre- rogative. The English are the Frenchmen's apes. However true tbis might formerly have been, the case is at present (|uite altered ; and we have now, in our turn, the honour, if it is any, of dic- tating the mode to the I'leucli. It has moreover been observed, that the English have at all times been rather improvers of French fashions, than mere servile imitators of them, as may be in- stanced in the article of ruffles, which, though a Gallic invention, was much improved by the Eng- lish addition of the shirt. Long beards, heartless ; painted hoods, witless ; Gay coats, graceless; make England thriftless. This satirical distich is said to have been made by the Scotch, in the reign of King Edward II. when elated with their victory at Stirling: it how- ever serves to give us some insight into the dress of those times, shewing that the English then wore their beards, and hoods instead of caps ; these hoods, Fuller says, were stained with a kind of co- lour in a middle way between dying and pahiting, whence painter-stainers have their name. That line which accuses the English of being heartless, was confuted at the battles of Flodden Field, and Mussleborough. As to the gracelessncss of the ^ay coats, I tear the case is not at present much mended : ENGLAND, 59 mended ; probably wc sliould not find much {;race, of tlie kind lierc muant, among the beaux of tbc present generation. The English glutton. Tliis is another foreign sarcasm, arising from the envy of tiiosc wlio are obliged to satisfy tiieir ap- petites witii sou|>-maigre, frogs, and roots, instead of roast beef, veal, pork, mutton, mid lamb. It is conlidently asserted by many accurate observers, tliat, «ith re-ipect to quantity, foreigners greatly exceed tlie English in the article of eating, but that the English eonsume more animal food. English poke-pudding. A Jocular a]>pellation given by the Scotch to the English, alluding to that national di^h, a pluui-pu<)- diui;. Poke signifies a bag; so thai the sum and substance of the title is, an English bag-pudding. An English bug. This is an Irish nick-name for an Englishman, founded on the supposition that the English first brought bugs into Ireland. England is a little garden full of very sour weeds. This is said to have been an observation fre- quently in the* mouth of Louis XIV. during the vic- torious Duke of Marlborough's campaigns. He that England will win, iVIust with Ireland first begin. Ireland furnishes England with a number of able men, both soldiers and sailors, and likewise beef, pork, butter, and other provisions, for victualling our fleets and foreign garrisons : if these supplies were cut off, by that country being in tiie liauds of an enemy, it would be extremely detrimental to England. In England a bushel of March dust is worth a king's ransom. England consisting chiefly of clay lands, a dry March makes them bear great crops of corn ; wherefore, if in that monlh the weather is so dry, as to nuike the roads dusty, the kingdom will be benefited to the amount of a king's ransinn, which, according to the sum paid for King Richard I. to the Emperor of Germany, was one hundred thou- sand pounds. England, a good land and a bad people. This, according to Fuller, is another French proverb, no better founded than many of the pre- ceding ; and perhaps, like several of them, squint- ing a little at the reformation. The High Dutch pilgiims when they beg, do sing ; the Frenchmen whine and cry; the Spaniards curse, swear, and blas^)he^ne ; the Irish and Eng- lish steal. This is a Spanish proverb, and may possibly be founded in truth. Pilgrims, gypsies, and other vagabonds, not being very scrupulous obervers of the distinctions of property. In settling an island, the first building erected by a Spaniard will be a church,- by a Frenchman, a fort; by a Dutchman, a warehouse; and by an Englishman, an alehouse. This proverb was meant to shew the striking- traits in the different national characters of the people here mentioned : — those of the Spaniards are devotion and bigotry ; of the French, military arrangements ; of the Dutch, commerce ; and the English, conviviality. John Bull. A name commonly used to signify an English- man, from Dean Swift's ludicrous History of Eu- rope ; wherein the people of Ennland are personi- fied under that appellation; the sovereigns of Aus- tria, France, Spain, by those of 'S(piire South, Louis Baboon, and Strut; the Republic of Hol- land by the name of Nick Frog. Jack roast beef. A jocular name given by the French to English- men ; who, as many of them suppose, cannot exist without roast beef, pliim-puddiiig, and punch; which li(iu<)r they term coiitnidiclivn, from being conipouiided of h^non, to make it sour, and sugar, to make it sweet ; water, to make it weak, and spirits, to make it strong. BARKSIIIRE. e>o LOCAL PROVERBS. BARKSIIIRE. The Ticar of Bray will be vicar of Bray still. Fuller, in Iiis quuint manner, thus explains this saying: — " Brav, villai,'e, well known iu this coun- try, so called from the I5ibroces, a kind of ancient Britons, inliahitiu;; thereabouts. The vivacious vicar hereof, livins; under Kinj; Henry Vlil. King Edward VL Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, was first a papist, then a prolcstant, tlien a pa- pist, then a protestant aijain. He had seen some martyrs burnt (two miles oft") at Windsor, and found this tire too hot for his tender conscience. This Vicar being taxed by one for being a turn-coat and an unconstant changeling ; ' not so,' said he. ' for I always keep my principle, which is this, to live and die the Vicar of Bray.' Such are many, now-a-days, who, though they cannot turn the wind, will turn their nulls, and set them so, that wheresoever it ldo«eth, their grist shall certainly he grinded." The Vicar of Bray has since been modernized in a well-written song, w herein his ver- iatJlity is brought down to later times. The same story is often told as having happened to the Vi) more ca- pable of preferment. Several reasons are assigned for their name. " That tradition is senseless, and inconsistent >n i(!i his princely magniticence, of such who fancy, liiat King Henry the Eighth, coming to Cambridge, stayed all the sophisters a year, who expected a year's grace should have been given imto tlieni; inore probable it is, because that king is com- monly conceived of greal strengliiand stature, that these Sopliist;e Ileuriciani were elder and bigger than the other. 'I'iie truth is thi>, in the reign of King Henry the Eighlli, after the dotrnction of monasteries, learning was at a loss, and the univer- sity, (thanks be to Ciod, more scared llum hurl) stood at a gaze what would become of her; liere- ui>on many students stayed themselves, two, three, some four years, as wlio would see how tlieii signiBcth < an head > Heuce Pol-wheel. 3 Pen S fa. top \ "t?" J''"':^"^ Pen-rose, ^ V^ ^ J Pen-kevil, Arc. Some add to these a fourth invohatinn, riz. Car, whieh signilies a rock, as Car-mine, Car-zeu, \c. To give one a Cornish hug. A Cornish hug is a lock in the art of wrestling, peculiar to the Cornish men, who have always been famous for their skill in that manly exercise, which they still continue to practise. Hengston-down, well ywrought. Is worth London-town dear ybought. Ilengston-down was supposed not only to be ex- tremely rich in tin, but also to have in its bowels Cornish diamonds, vulgarly estimated superior to those of India. In Fuller's time the tin began to fail here; having fallen, as he terms it, to a scant- saving scarcity. As to the diamonds, no one has yet judged it worth his while to dig for them. He is to be summoned before the mayor of Halgaver. This is a joculary and imaginary court, wherein men make merriment to themselves, presenting such persons as go slovenly in their attire, untrnsscd, wanting a spur, etc. where judgment in fonnal terms is given against them, and excculcd more to the scorn than the hurt of the persons. When Dudman and Ramhead meet. These are two headlands, well known to sailors : they are near twenty miles asunder; «lieiire this proverb is meant to express an inii)ossibilily. Fuller observes that, nevertheless, these two ])oints have since met togelhcr (though not in position), in possession of the same owner; Sir Pierce Edge- condje enjoying one iu his own right, and the other in right of his wife. The 64 LOCAL PROVERBS. Tlie devil will not ronic into Cornwall, lor tear of being put into a pie. The people of Cornwall make pics of almost every tiling eatable, as squah-pie, lierl)y-i)ic, jiil- cluird pie, mugelly-pic, &c. iVc. He doth sail into Cornwall without a bark. This is an Italian proverb, signifying *•'•'♦ =' m^'i's wife has made him one of the knights of the IniU's feather. The whole jest, if there be any, lying in the similitude of the words Cornwall, and corniia, horns. Fnller quotes a prophecy in the Cornish language, the sense of which is, that Truru consists of three streets, but a lime will come when it shall be asked where Truru stood : on this he obser\'es, that he trusts the men of that town are too wise to mind this prediction, any more than another of the same kind, presaging evil to the town, because ru, rii, which in English is woe, woe, is twice expressed in the Cornish name thereof; l)ut, says he, let the men of Truru but practise the lirst syllable in the name of their town, (meaning truth, i. e. integrity) and thev maybe safe and secure from all danger arising from the second. The gallants of Foy. The inhabitants of Foy were, in (he time of King I^dward IV. famous for their privateers, and their gallant behaviour at sea; whence they obtained that denomination. CL3IBERLAND. If Skiddaw hath a cap. Scutlel wots full well of that. These are two very high hills, one in this coun- ty, another in Anan-dale, in Scotland ; if the for- mer be capped with clouds or foggy mists, it will not be long before rain falls on the other. It is spoken of such who may expect to sympathise in their suft'erings, by reason of the vicinity of their situation. Skiddaw, Lauvellin and Casticand, Are the highest hills in all England. So says the Cumberland proverb ; the Yorkshire- men make nearly the same claim in behalf of some of their hills, in the following distich ; Ingleborough, Pendle, and Penigent, Are the highest hills between Scotland and Trent. DERBYSHIRE. He is driving his hogs over Swarston- bridge. This is a saying used in Derbyshire, when a man snores in his sleep. Swarston-bridge (or bridges, for there are several of them, one after another) is very long, and not very wide, which causes the hogs to be crowded together, in which situation they always make a loud grunting noise. He comes from the Devil's A— s— e at Peak, and a peak beyond. Said of persons whose birth-place and former re- sidence are unknown. The Devil's A — s — e is a natural cavern, at Castleton, called one of the won- ders of the Peak. Elden-hole w^ants filling. A saying commonly used to great boasters, who vaunt thev can do wonderful feats ; pointing out to them one worthy of their undertaking ; that is, the filling up Elden-hole, a fissure in the earth, vul- garly deemed bottomless. Cotton, in his descrip- tion of the Peak, relates some fruitless attempts to measure its depth. DEVONSHIRE. DEVONSHIRE. 65 DEVONSHIRE. To Denshire, ^. c. to Devonshire land. This is to pare the turf from ofF the surface, iiiut to hiy it ill lieaps and hum it ; the ashes have been found ureal ly to einicii barren laud, l)y means of the ti\ed sail wliich lliey eoiilain. This, probably, was first praetised in Devonshire, whence it derived its name; it is now prailised on all barren spungy lands tlirous;hout Kiigland, previous to ploughing. Lands so prci)aied will bear two or three good crops of corn, and must tlicu be laid dovfu again. A Plymouth eloak^ A bludgeon, walking-stick, or staff. As a landsman prepares himself for a journey, by put- ting on his cloak, so a sailor equips himself by cutting a stick out of the first wood he comes to, the active service required of them on board never suffering them to encumber themselves with cloaks. As Plymouth is chieHy inhabited by sea- faring persons, this proverb was fathered on it, though, in fact, it as much belongs to Portsmouth, Chatham, or any other sea-port. It must be re- membered, that when this proverb was first in- troduced, what are now called great coats were uot in use. He may remove Mort-stone. A saying of any one who is master of his wife. Mort-stone, or More-stone, is a huge rock that blocks up the entrance into Mnrt's-bay, in this county, which there is a tradition cannot be re- moved, but by a man who is tiioroughly master of Lis wife. First hang and draw, Then hear the cause by Lidford law. Lidford is a little and poor, but ancient corpora- tion, in this county, with very large privileges, where a court of stannaries was formerly kept. This i^roverb is supposed to allude to some absurd determination made by the Mayor and Court of this corporation, who were formerly, in general, but mean and illiterate persons. Westcott, in his History of Devonshire, has preserved some droll verses on this town ; which, as 1 do not remember to have seen in ])rint, are here transcribed : I oft liave heard of Lydford law. How in the morning they hange and draw. And sit in judgement afler; At first I woiidred at yt much. But since I fynd the reasons such As yt deserves no laughter. They have a castle on a hill, I tooke it for an old wyndmill. The vanes blowen off" by weather: To lye therein one night, 'tis guest, Twere better to be ston'd and presf. Or liang'd ; now chuse you whether. Tenne men Icsse ronie within this cave. Than five myce in a lanthorn have ; The keepers they are sly ones: If any could dyvise by art. To gett yt iipp into a cart, 'Tweer fytl to carry lyons. When I beheld yt. Lord, thought !» What justice and what clemencye Hath Lydford, when 1 saw all! I kuDwe none gladly tiiere would stay; But rather hang out of the way, Than tarry here for tryal. The prince a hundred pound hath sent, T' amend the leads and ))!anchers rent. Within this lyviug tonibe; Some folly fayr pounds more had paid. The debts of "all that shall be layde Ther, till the day of doombc. One Ivos ther for a seam of malt, Anollier for a peck of salt. Two sureties for a noble; If this be true, or else false news. You may goe ask IMore, to the men that lye in lurch, Ther is a bridge, ther is a church. Seven ashes and an oake ; Three houses standin and tenn downc ; They say the parson hath a gowue. But I saw never a cloake. K Wliereby 60 LOCAL PROVERBS, Whereby you may consider well, Th:it playiie siiii|ili('iti(' dolli dwell. At l^ydtbrd, witiiout bravery ; And in the towne both youn%' and grave Doe love the naked truth to have, No cloak to hyde their knavery. The people all witliin this clyme. Are f VoziMi in the v inter tynie ; Ha* sure I do not i'liyne ; And when the .-uunner is hegunn, They lye lyke siikwornis in the suui), Aud come to lyfe again. One told nie, in King Caesar's tynie, The towne was buylt with stone aud lynie, Rut sure the walls were clay; And I hey are fallen, for I see, And since the howses are yett free. The town is run away. Ciesar ! yf thou then didst raigne. While one howse stands, com ther agayn; Com quickly, while ther is on: If thou but stay a little fytt, But fyve years more, they will coinmyt The whole town to a prison. To see it thus, much griev'd was I ; The proverb sayth sorrowes be dry, So was I at the matter ; Now, by good luck, I know not how, Ther hytlier cam a strange strayd cowe. And we had niylke and water. To nyne good stomachs, with our wigg. At last we gott a rosting pigg; This diet was our bounds: And this were just, and ytl' 'twere knowen. One pound of butter had been throwen Amongst a packe of hounds. One glasse of drinck I gott by chance ; 'Twas claret when yt was in France, But now from yt much wider: 1 think a man might make as good. With green crabs boyl'd in Brazil wood. And half a pint of syder. 1 kist the mayor's hand of the town. Who, though he wears no Scarlett gown, Honours the rose and thistle ; A piece of corall to the mace. Which there 1 saw, to serve in place. Would make a good child's whistle. At six o'clock I caine away. And priiy'd for thoes that were to stay Within a place so arrant; Wyde and ope the wynds do roar. By God's grace I'll come there no more, Uulesse by some tynn warrant. N. B. The prison is only for stannary causes. As fine as Kerton, /'. e. Crediton spin- This spinning was very fine indeed ; which to expressc the belter to your belief, it was very true, 140 threads of woollen yearne, spunn in that towne, were drawue togeallier through the eye of a taylor's needle ; which needle and threads were, for many years together, to be seen in Watling- Street, in London, in the shop of one Mr. Duns- comb, at tliu sign of the Golden Bottle. — IVest- cofs Hist. Dtvon. Harl. MSS. No. 2307. If Cadburye-castle and Dolbury-hill dolveii wei'e, All England might plonghe with a golden sheere. Cadbury-castle, (alias Caderbyr) the lund of William de Campo Arnulphi, and after of Wil- lowby, Fursden, and now Carew. This castle may be scene farr ofFe (so they tearme of highe upright, topped hill) by nature and slyght art anciently fortified, which, in those Roman or Saxon warrs, might be of goode strength, conteyninge within the compass thereof, near acres.. Here you may see some fyve mile distant, to the south-east, in the parish of Broad Clyet, another down, called Dolbury-hill : — between these two hills (you may be pleased to hear a pretty tale) that is said (I sett not downe those wordes to lessen your belief of the truthe of (he matter) but to lett you knowe that, nil prater audit um hdbeo : Take yt on this condition, Yt holds credyt by tradition ; That a fiery dragon, or some ignis fatuus in such lykeness, hath bynne often seeue to flye between these hills, komming from the one to the other in the night season ; whe^-eby it is supposed ther is a great treasure hydd in each of them, and that the dragon is the trusty treasurer and sure keeper thereof, as he was of the golden fleece in Choi- cos, DORSETSHIRE. 67 cos, which Jason, by tlie help of Mctlea, brought thence ; for, as Ovid sayth, he was very vigilant. A watchfull dragon sett. This golden tleete to lieep, Wiliiin wliose careful eyes Come never wuik of sleep. And, as the two relations may be as true one as the other, for any tiiinge I knowe, for it is con- stantly believed of the credulous heer, and some do averr to have scene yt lately. And of this hyd- den treasure the ryniing proverbe here (ptotoil goes commonly and anciently. — Ibid. DORSETSHIRE. Stabbed with a Brydport dagger. That is, hanged. Great quantity of hemp is grown about this town ; and, on account of its superior qualities. Fuller says there was an ancient statute, now disused, that the cables for the royal navy should be made thereabouts. As much a-kiii Pilsen-piu. as Lenson-hill to That is no kin at all, though both are high hills, and both partly in the same parish, rh. that of Broad Windsor. These hills arc eminent sea- marks, known to the sailors by the names of the Cow and Calf. This is commoidy spoken of per- sons who are near neighbours, but neither relations nor acquaintance. If Pool was a fish-pool, and the men of Pool, fish, There'd be a pool for the devil, and fish for his dish. This satyrical distich was written a long time ago. Pool is, at present, a respectable place, and has in it several rich merchants trading to Newfoundland. When do you fetch the five pounds ? It is said that a rich merchant of Pool left by his will the sum of five pounds to be gi\cn every year, to set up any poor man who had served his apprenticeship in that town, on condition that he should jiroducea cerlitiiate of his honcstv, pro- perly authenticated. This bequest has not, it is jiretended, been yet claimed ; and it is a common water Joke to ask the crew of a Pool ship, whe- ther any one has yet received that live pounds. Shoot zaftly, doey now. Another gird at the Poolites. A privateer of that town having, it is said, loaded their guns, on their return to jiort, wished to draw oul the shot, but did not know how; nor could thev lliink of any other method, than that <>(' tiring tiiciu o/T, and receiving liic shot in a kettle: llic pcison em- ployed to hold the kettle being somewhat a|i|)rc- hensive of danger, prayed his companion, who was to discharge the gun, to shoot zaftly. This is told of divers other ports; and in all likelihood, with equal truth. The devil pist piddles about Dor- chester. This saying arises from the nnndier of small streams running through dilferent villages herea- bouts, which, from that circumstance lia\e their names terminating in puddle, pronounced piddle; as Piddle-town, Toll-piddle, AH-jiiddIc, c'i:c. Ac. These waters are very impro|)erly called puddles, being most of them clear and ruunuig. Dorsetshire Dorsers. Dorsers are pcds or paniers, fixed on the backs of horses, in which higglers carry fish, poultry, and other provisions and wares. Pmbahly these were either invented, or first generally used, in Dorsetshire ; as the fish-jobbers, according to Fuller, usfd to carry their fish from Lyme to London. E^SEX.. 63 LOCAL PROVERBS, ESSEX. Essex stiles, Kentish miles, Noi'folk \viles, many men beguiles. TSvo very different explanations are given of that part of tiiis iingraniniatical proverb which rclales to Essex. Tiie iirst says, the entlosures ill Essex are very small, and the stiles, conse- queiitlv, very fre(|uent ; and being also very high and bad, are extremely troublesome to strangers. Tlie other is, that by stiles are meant narrow bridges, snrli as are laid between mar,-.h and marsh in llic hundreds of this county, only joeularly call- ed stiles, as the loose stone walls in Derbyshire are ludicrously called hedges. Kentish miles were not, in reality, longer than those of other counties; but before the general introduction of turnpikes, most of the Kentish roads, especially those in that part called the Weald, were almost ijnpassable ; so that a carriage could not travel more than a couple of miles in an hour, whereby the miles seemed of an extraordinary length, and deceived or beguiled many travellers, who calculated their jouniies according to the number of miles they had to go, witliout consi- dering the state of the roads. Norfolk wiles. Norfolk is said to have been remarkable for litigation, and the cpurks and quib- bles of its attornics. This was so great a griev- ance in the reign of Henry VI. that A. D. 1455, a petition was presented from the Commons, shew- ing that the number of attornies for the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk had lately increased, from six or eight, to eiglitv, whereby the peace of those counties had been greatly interrupted by suits ; they therefore petitioned it might be ordained, that there should be no more than six common attor- nies for the county of Norfolk, six for Suffolk, and two for the city of Norwich ; these to be elected by the chief justices for the time being : any other person acting as an attorney, to be fined twenty pounds, half to the King and half to the plaii.iitt'. The King granted the petition, pro- vided it was thdught reasonable by the judges. — Jlut. Purlin, in anno Esse.x calves. Essex has long been famous for its calves, and at present chiefly supplies London with veal. Ful- ler observes, that this trade must liave been for- merly very profital)le, if one may judge by the fine sepulchral monuments of nuirble, inlaid with brass, erected for butchers, in digshall, Chelmsford, and other churches, where, in their epitaphs, they are inscribed rtmiijices. These tombs were, in Weaver's opinion, befitting more eminent men ; and according to Fuller, serve to shew, that the butchers of this county have been richer (or at least prouder) than those iu other places. Essex lions. Calves, great numbers of which arc brought alive iu carts to the London markets. He was born at Little Wittham. A pimning insinuation that the person spoken of wants understanding. Ray places this proverb iu Lincolnshire. The weaver's beef of Colchester. That is sprats, caught thereabouts, and brought tliither in incredible abundance ; whereon the poor weavers, (numerous in that town,) are frequently fed. Jeering Cogshall. " This," (says Ray) " is no proverb, but an ignominious epithet, fastened on this place by their neighbours, which, as I hope they do not glory in, so I believe they are not guilty of. Other towns in this county have had the like abusive epithet. I remember a rhyme which was in common use formerly, of some towns not far distant the one from the other: ' Baintiee for the pure, and Bocking for the poor ; ' Cogshall for the jeering town, and Kelvedon for the whore.'" Go to Riimford, to have your backside new-bottomed. Formerly Ruuiford was famous for breeches- making, and a man going to Rumford, was thus jocularly GLOUCESTERSHIRE. 69 jocularly advised to provide himself with a jiuir of new breeches. Dover-court, hearers. all speakers and no Dovcr-i Hirt is a villaijc about tlircc iiiiics west of i'larwitii, to wliicli its rliuirli is tlie niotlier- cliui 'h. ilorc a court is amiuall\ lield, wliitli, as it cl, efly 'onsists of soauien, tlu- irrej;ularity de- scribe 1 in tliis proverb is likely to jHevail. They may claim the bacon at Dun- mow. This proverb alludes to a custom instituted in the manor of Little Dunniow, in tiiis county, by the Loigi!ant; and therefore, by this proverb, sup- ))osed to conmiunicate those (pudities to persons ted with it. The Tracies have always llic wind in their faces. A superstitious legend. Sir William Tracy was one 70 LOCAL PROVERBS. one of tlic four knights who killed that turbulent prelate Thomas Bcrket ; for the punishment of which oti'ence i( miraculously lia|t|)ened, that whene\er any of the Tr.icy family travelletiire yeomen anri farmers. Club is an old term for a booby. This .sayiiii; was probably fa- bricated bv sonie iiihabitaul of l.oiii!(>n; but it shoiiiti be considered that alllumgli llaitfordsliire is situa(»;d in the ncishbou'.hood of the metropolis, yet, great part of it beini; no !;eneral tliorouglifare, nor much frequented high road, the inhabitant.-, are likely to be as eounlritied as persons living at a gre.iter dUtance from town. Clouted shoon is part of the dr;'^s of a husbandman and farmer; and, as Fuller ob-crves, being worn bv the tenants, enables their landlords to wear Spanisli leather boots and pumps. Ware and Wade's mill arc wortli all LdihIuii. The solution of this saying tunis on the equivocal meaning of the word irrnr, by which s hero meant wari-, goo(U, or me^<■llanlll^e, and not the town of Wme, anciently s|>elt Wear, from ilie stojipages which there obstructed tiie ri\er. Wade's mill i* a village two miles north of Wear or Ware. Hartfordshife kindness. That is, anyone drinking back to his riiilildiand man; i. e. the person who inniiediatelv before diank to him. Perliaps a melhod practised by some persons of this county. Fuller says, this adage is meant to express a return for a favour or benefit conferred. It rather seems to mean returning a favour at the expencc of others; as .by this inver- sion in the circulation of the glass, some of the. company are deprived of their turn. HEREFORDSHIRE* Blessed is the eye, That is between Severn and Wye, This proverb. Fuller supposes to refer not only to the beautiful and fertile country so situated, but also to allude to the safety from hostile invasions arising from the protection of those two rivers. Lemster bread and Weably ale. Both, undoubtedly, very good of their kind, though not superior to the bread and ale of divers other counties ; probably this saying was calculated for the meridian of the county of Hereford only, where tliese towns might have a striking superiority in the articles abovcnientioned. Fuller, iu explain- ing this proverb, tells us, from Camden, that the wheat growing about Heston, in Middlesex, vielded so tine a flour, that for a long time the manchets for the Kings of England were made thereof. Everyone cannot dwell at Rotheras. Rotheras was a fine seat in this county, belong- ing to the Lord Bodmans. Sutton Wall and Kenchester are able to buy all London, were it to .sell. Two places in this county, probably supposed to contain mines, or some bidden treasure. lIUNTINGTONSniRE. 72 LOCAL PROVERBS. IIUNTINGTONSIIIRE. An Huntington sturgeon. This is the way to Beggar's-busli. It is spoken of such who use dissolutcand im- provident courses, which tend to poverty : Bci;- sar's-hiish heiiif; a well-known tree, on llie left hand of the London-road from Huntington to Caxton. Tills punnins; adasje is said to he of royal origin, niai»'cl his own laud, killed his own iiuitlDii, and wore the tleeces of his own slu'ep, .i]mn in his house. Tlie yeoMianrj of Kent were famous for ! their riciics. This class of people is now entirely ex- tinrt, the title of (ienlleinan heint; almost as uni- versally claimed in llnglaud as in Wales. The fatlier to llic l)Oiii;li, Tlie sou to the i)loiigh. Ti-.is alludes to one of the privileijes of'gavcl- kind, eiijoved hv part of this county; whereby, in luanv felonies, onlv the ijoods and chattcK, hut not tlic lands, are forl'eited to the crown, on the execu- tion of a criuiiual. Gavel-kiud was an ancient Saxon custom, enact- ing an equal division of the lands of the irarent among his children, as its name implies ; Gavel- kind being a corrn|>tion of tin- (iernian gieh nlle kind, give to all llie children. Many Kcntisli estates were disgavelled by an act of parliament of the 31st of King Henry VIII. on tlie petition of the owners. Kent is divided into thfec parts ; tlie first has health without wealth, the second wealth without hoalth, and the third both health and wealth. (The first is East Kent, the part adjoining to the sea, which is extremely pleasant and healthy, but has much poor land ; the second is the Weald and Ronniey-marsh, famous for its fine pastures and rich graziers, but extremely subject to agues ; the third is that part of Kent in I he neighbour- hood of London,"^ where the situation is healthy, tlie soil good, and the inhabitants rich. Long, lazy, lousy Lewisham. Lewishara is certainly a very long town or village, and, it is said, was once a very poor one, often the consequence of idleness; and that poor and idle persons should be infected with the vermin men- tioned in the proverb is also very natural. Though, on the whole, it is likely, that the allitcraliou of tills proverb, rather than the truth of it, has pre- served it to the present time. A jack of Dover. A Jack of Dover is mentioned by Chaucer in liis Proeme to the Cook : " And many a jack of Dover he had sold, " Which had been two times hot and two times " cold." If by a jack is mcaiil (he {\-A\ now so called, that is, a small pike, the produce of Ihe little river run- ning through that phue i, much changed, ll» re being very few, if any, pike in it. Inilecd, this proverb, if it may be called one, seems to have very little meaning in it. A Dover shark and a Deal savase. The corps of a drowned man having been driven on shore, near Dover, «illi a gold ring on his finger, one of the inhabitants of Ih.tl place found him, and being unable to take off the ring, from the swelling of his linger, bit it olf; whence the Dover-mcii have obtained the nick-name of sharks. The appellation of Deal savajic, jnobably origi- nated from the brutality and exaction of the boat- men, who take every advantage of the necessities of travellers and passengers. One tliini;, however, should be mentioned in their favour; which is, that in cases of shipwreck, they are ever readv to ven- ture their own lives, to save those of the shipr wrecked crews., Kentish long tails. This appellation is said to have been given to the Kentish-men from the following circumstance: the inhabitants of a Kentish village not only beat and abused St. Aiignsliiic and his companions, whilst preaching; but also opprobriously tied fish- tails to their backsides: on which the saint caused tails to grow on the rumps of those men and all their descendants. Fuller says this event is pre- tended to have happened near Cerne in Dorset- shire, and therefore does not relate to this county. A similar insult and punishment is said to have been transacted at Chatham or Rochester, only instead of St. Augustine, the injured party was St. Thomas Becket. Another solution given to this matter is, that during one of the crusades, the Knglish soldiers used to wear bags or wallets for carrying their neces- saries, which bags Inmg down jjchind them like tails ; whence, in some disiJiite between William Longspee Earl of Salisbury, and Robert, brother of Saint Louis, King of France, the latter called the English long-tails. IIow the name happened to stick only on the Kentish-men remains to be explained. Deal, Dover, and Harwich, The devil gave with his daughter in marriage 5 And, 74 LOCAL PROVERBS. And, l»y a codicil fo his will, He added llclvuit and the Brill. A satyrical scpiili llirown at the inn-keepers of tliose phtcrs, in rfliirn i'or the many ini|>()sitions practised on Iravellns, as well natives as stranjjers. Equally applicable to most other sea-ports. Tenterden steeple'.s the cause of God- win's sands. " This prroverb is generally grounded, " I met since,' says be, "«i(h a supplement thereunto; it i.; this : Time out of mind money was constantly col- lected out of this county, to fence the east banks thereof against the eruption of the seas, and such sums were deposited in the hands of the Bishop of Rochester; but, because the »ea had been very quiet for many years without any encroaching, the bisho|) comnmted that money to the building of a stee))le, and endowing a church at Tenterden. By this diversion of the collection for the mainte- nance of the banks, the sea afterwards brake in upon Goodwin's sands. And now the old man had told a rational tale, had he found but the due favour to finish it. And thus, sometimes, that is causelessly accounted ignorance of the speaker, which is nothing but impatience in the auditors, unwillmg to attend to the end of the discourse." Starv'em, Rob'em, and Cheat'em. Stroud, Rochester, and Chatham. A saying in the mouths of the soldiers and sailors, iu allusioti to the impositions practised upon them. LANCASHIRE. Lancashire fair women. The beauty of the women of this county has long been proverbial ; witness the well-known appellation of Lancashire witches, which, at the same time as it records the beauty of the Lancashire females, carries with it a kind of reflection on the males. for their sn)wrsfitious cruelty, in executing a num- ber of poor innocent people, under the denomina- tion of witches; this saying im|)lying, that the charms of female beauty are the only charms by which a rational man can be affected. That the women of one county may remarkably differ from those of another, seems a matter not to tEICESTERSIIIRlE. 7.? to be doubted ; air, food, and situation produciug strikini; variations in tlie size, sliapi', and colour of aninralj ; therefore why not in tiie human species. It is written upon a wall at Rome, liihrlustcr was as rich as any town in Christendom. " Soiiic monumental wall, whereon the names of tlie principal places were inscribed then subject to the Roman empire, and probably this Hibchester was anciently some eminent colony, (as by j)ieces of coins and columns tliere daily digjjed out dotli appear) : however, at this day, it is not so much :i3 a market-town; but whether decayed by age, or destroyed by accident, is uncertain. It is called Hibchester, because situated on the river Ribble." This is INIr. Ray's solution; but probably the meaning does not lie so deep. It rather seems to have been meant as a reproof to any mean person boasting of their ancestors, and to be interpreted (lius : — Suppose this poor villaf^e of Ribdiestcr t^ Imve been once as rich as any town in Christen7 dom, what is it the belter for it now ? Or else, on some one boaslinc; of former importance lie cannot prove, to quote the circumstance of llie inscription on the Roman wall, by way of a ridi- culous parallel. As old as Pendlc-hiH. This is generally understood to meancoeval willi the creation, or at least with the flood ; although if it be, as some have su|)posed, the efl'ect ot a volcano, its first existence may have a later dale. If riving Pike do wear a hood, Be sure that day will neer be good. A mist about the top of that hill is a sign of foul weather. LEICESTERSHIRE. Bean-belly Leicestershire. So called from the great plenty of that grain growing therein ; wlience it has also been a com- mon saying in the neighbouring counties, ' Shake a Leicestershire yeoman by the collar, ' and you shall hear the beans rattle in his belly.' — Fuller observes, " these yeomen smile at what is said to rattle in their bellies, whilst they know that good silver ringeth in their pockets." If Bever have a cap, You churles of the vale look to that. That is, when the clouds hang over the tower of Bever castle, it is a prognostic of nuicli rain, which is extremely unfavourable to that fruitful vale, lying in the three counties of Leicester, Lin- coln, and Nottingliam. Bread for Borough-men ; At Great Glen there are more great dogs than honest men. . Carleton warlers. So called from a rattling in their throats, of; which Burton thus speaks ; " I cannot here omit one observation, which, by some of the naturalists, hath been made of this town, that all those who are born here, have a harsh and rallljjig kind of speech, uttering their words w itli much ditliculty and warling in the throat, and cannot well pro- notnice the letter 7?." It is however said, the present generation have got over this impedi- nieut. I'll throw you into Harborough-ficld. A threat for children, Ilurborough having no, field. Put up yonr pipes, and go to Lock-- ington-vvake. Lockington stands in the utmost north angle of the shire, upon the conlines of Derby and Not- tiughamshiies, near the coullueuce of the Trent aud 76 LOCAL PROVERBS. and Soar. Probably this was a saying to a trou- blesome fellow, desiring liini to take himself oft' to a great distance. The last mail that he killed keeps hogs in Hinclej-lield. Spoken of a coward tliat never durst fight. He has gone over Assfordy-bridge back- wards. Spoken of one that is past learning. Probably the point of this lies iu the equivocal word Ass. Like the mayor of Hartlepool, you cannot do that. Ray places this among the Leicestershire pro- verbs ; but it rather seems to belong to Durham, Hartlepool being within that bishoprick. The sense of it is, you cannot work impossibilities; an allu- sion to the following story : — A mayor of a poor corporation, desirous to shew his old companions that he was not too nmcli elated bv his high otfice, told them, that though lie was mayor of that corporation, he was still but a man, there being many things he could not do. Bed worth-beggars. Probably some poor hamlet. It is not mentioned by Burton, or any of the topographical writers. He leaps like the Belle giant, or devil of IViountsorril. " About Mountsorrel, or Mountstrill," says Peck, " the coiuitry people have a story of a giant or devil, named Bell, who once, in a merry vein, took three prodigious leaps, which they thus de- scribe : — At a place, thence ever after called Mount- sorril, he mounted his sorrel horse, and leaped a mile, to a place, from it since named Oneleap, now corrupted to VVaiilip ; thence he leaped another mile, to a village called Burst-all, from the burst- ing of both himself, his girts, and his horse ; the third leap was also a n;ilc ; but the viideuce of the exertion and shock killed him, and he was there buried, and the piace has ever since been denonii- uated Bell's-grave, or Bell-grave." This story seems calculated to ridicule those tellers of miraculous stories, called shooters in the long bow. There are more whores in Hose, than honest women in Long Clawton. Hose and Long Clawton are neighbouring vil- lages, within a mile of each other: Howes, or Hose, is but a small place, Long Claxton, C'layston, or Clawston, is a very large one, near a mile long. Tra- vellers, when they come in sight of these two places, are generally entertained with this coarse proverb; and at tirst, considering the different sizes of the two places, are apt to be surprised at the oddness of the assertion ; but the entendre lies in the word Hose, which here is meant to signify stockings ; so that the assertion is, that there are more wh. ires who wear stockings, than there are honest women dwelling in Long Clawston. Hogs Norton, where Piggs play on the The true name of the town, according to Peck, is Hocks Norton, but vulgarly pronounced Hogs Norton. The organist to this parish church was named Piggs. The same again, quoth Mark of Bell- Tliis story is said to be an allusion to an an- cient niilitia-otficer, in Queen Elizabeth's time, who, exercising his company before the lord lieutenant, was so abashed, that, after giving the first word ofconunand, he could recollect no more, but re- peatedly ordered them to do the same again. AVhat have I to do with Bradshaw's wiudiuiil ? That is, what have I to do with any other man's business ? Then III thatch Gioby-pool with pan- cakes. Spoken when something improbable is promised or foretold. Burton does not mention any thing of this pool. For LINCOLNSHIRE. 77 For his death there is many a wet eye ill Groby-pool. That is, no eyes are wetted by fears for him ; spoken of a pcr^ou not much esteemed or re- eretted. In and out, lik*- Bollcsdon, I wot. Prolnibly a scattered irref,'ular village. Nothing particular res|)ecting it occurs in Burton. A Leicestershire plover. A bag-pudding. LINCOLNSHIRE. Lincolnshire; where the hogs shite soap, and tiie cows shite fire. The inhabitants of the poorer sort, wasliinj; their clothes with host's dimg, and burning dry cow- dung for want of better fuel. Lincohishire bag-pipers. AViietiier because the people here do more delight in the bag-pipes, or whether they are more cuu- aing in playing them; indeed, the former of these will infer tlie latter. As loud as Tom of Lincoln. This Tom of Lincoln is an extraordhiary great tell, hanging in one of the towers of Lincoln Min- ster: how it got that name I i\now not, unless it were imposed on It when baptized bv the Papists. Howbeit the present Tom was cast in King Jamea's time, anno l6lO. He looks at it (or him) as the devil looks over Lincoln. Some refer this to Lincoln-minster, over which, when first tinislnd, the de\il is sii])posc(l to h;ive looked, witli a fierce and terrific louiitenance, as incensed and alanued at this costlv instance of de- votion. Hay ihiiiks it more jirobahic that il took its rise from a small image of (he devil placed on the top of Lincolii-collei;e, Oxford, o^cr which he looks, seeniingl\ with much ttiry. All the carts that come to Crowland are siiod witli silver. When this sayiiifi; was first used it was true; for Crowland was situate in so moorish and rotten ground, in the Fens, that scarce a liorse, mncli lis^ a cart, could come to it. It has since been drain- ed, so that in summer-time Crowland m.iy now be visited by a common cart. Yellow bellies. Tliis is an appellation gixen In persons born in the Fens, who, it is jocularly said, have yellow bellies, like their eels. As mad as the baiting bull of Stam- ford. William, F.arl Warren, lord of this town, in (he time of King John, staniliii-.' upon the «:ills of ijie castle at Stamford, Siiw Iwo hulls in the meadow, fighting for a cow, till all the butcliers' do^s, ireat and small, pursued one of thcni, n.,uldene(l li\ llie noise anil nndlitude, (juite through the lnwn. This sight so pleased the Earl, that he gave all those meadows, called the castle mca(lo\\>, where first this bull duel Ixgan, for a common, to the butchers of the town (after the tirst grass was eatcii), on con- dition they annually tiiid a mad bull to be bailed, the day six weeks before Christ mas-day. He was born af Liltle ^^'itthalll. This has been cxi)laincd among the Kssex i)ro- vcrbs. Grantham gruel, nine grils and a gallon of water. Poor !;ruel, indeed! This proverb bears hard on the liberality ol the i^ood people of (innuhani, and is applicable to any composition wherein the chief ingredient is wanting; also tigurativily, to any dis- course. r8 LOCAL PROX'EUBS. course, wlicrclii the speaker uses a multipHcily of words foreign to the uraiu point. They liold logcllier as the men of Mar- sham, whcij they lost their coiumoii. This is most probably spoken ironically ; and means, that by being divided into different factions, tiiesc men ruined their cause and lost their com- mon. Ray says, others use it as an expression of ill success, when men strive and plot together to. no purpose. LONDON. A London jury hang half and save Jialf. Some atfirni this of an Essex, others of a IMiii- dlesex jury ; perhaps it is e((ually true of all, that is, luitrue of all three. It supposes that these jurors, either unable, or luiwilling to be at tlie pains of attending lo the evidence, endeavour to temper justice with mercy, by acquitting one half of the prisoners, and condemning the other. An hour's attendance at the Old-Bailey would shew the falsity of this adage. London-bridge was made for wise men to go over, and fools to go nnder. This proverb, since the opening and paving of the bridge, has more truth in it than it formerly had ; for, before that improvement, a man run as great, if not a greater risk, of being squeezed to death by a cart, in going over it, than of being drowned by going under it. At present the safety is in favour of the land passage. Aiie ill word meets another, and it ■were at the bridge of London. " This (says Fuller) is a Scottish proverb, anfl indeed a Scottish text needs a Scottish comment thereon ; however, I thus guess at the meaning thereof; London-bridge is notoriously known for a narrow pass and numerous passengers ; so that people meeting thereon, a quarrel will quickly be engendered, if one of them hath not the wit or patience to step into a shop, if on foot; if on horseback, to stay in void places. Thus words quickly inflame a difference, except one of the par- ties have the discretion of silence, yielding, or de- parture. Billingsgate language. Billingsgate is the grand fish-market, to whicli the fishermen bring the fish, and the fishmongers, both stationary and ambulant, repair to purchase them : among the latter there are many of the fair sex, not famous for the politeness of their address, delicacy of language, or patience and fering. long-suf^ He that is at a low ebb at Newgate^ may soon be afloat at Tyburn. Newgate, Tyburn, and the gallows, have been long the subject of much low wit. Were public executions conducted more solemnly, and the igno- miny of that kind of death strongly inculcated in- to the common people, perhaps those dreadful exhibitions might be less frequent. When Tottenham-wood is all on fire, Then Tottenham-street is nought but mire. Fuller quotes this proverb from Mr. William Bedwell, one of tlie translators of the Bible, and gives the following as his solution. " When Totten- ham-wood, of many hundred acres, on the top of an high hill, in the west end of the parish, hath a foggy mist hanging and hovering over it, in. a manner of smoke, then getierally foul weather followeth ; so that it serveth the inhabitants mstead , of a prognostication." There is another explanation of this proverb. Tottenham-wood is said to have ser^'ed that part of London nearest to it with wood for fuel ; and when that wood was all on fire; i. e. in winter, Totteu- liam-street was extremely foul and miry. Tpttenliani LONDON. 79 Tottenliam is tiirnrd French. About till' Ijc2;inirniartirularly tiiose re- sident in Newton and Dyot-streets, still retain their rags and impudence, but do not seem remark- able for their embonpoint; perhaps the proverb only meant to imlicate that they did not wear down their flesh by hard labour; in which case lazv, ragged, and saucy, would have been a better de- scription of them. He will ride backwards up Ilolborn- hill. He will come to be hanged. Criminals con- r'> mute. It is ciilled 15o«-bi'll, l)ecause haM<;iiii; iti I he steeple of Hnw-ihiirch ; aiitl Bow- rhiiiih, because Imilt on bows or arehes." — '• l?ut I have been loUi, " savs Ray, " tluit it was caih-d from the eross btoiie arches or bows, on the top of the steeple." Atcor(lii»g to Stowc, one John Dun, a mercer, cave, in 1-1-7', two teuenionts, to maintain the ring- ing of this bell every night, at nine o'clock, as a signal for the city apprentices and servants to leave ort" work. William Copelaml, tlie king's merchant, about the year 1 ;VJ(), gave a bigger bell for the same |)urpose, and had the hansel of it huuself, it being first rang as a knell at his burial, Kirbics castle, and Megses gloi-y, Spinolas pleasure, and Fisher's folly. These were four houses about the city, built by citizens, who thereby ruined themselves. Fuller says, " the tirst of these is so uncastellated, and the glory of the second so obscured, that vei-y few know (and it were needless to tell tliem) where these houses stood. " As for Spinola (adds he) a Genoan, made a free denizen, the master and fellows of a college in Cambridge know too well what he was, by their expensive suit, known to posterity by Magdalen- college case : if his own country, I mean the Ita- lian, curse did overtake him, and if the plague of building did light upon him, few, I believe, did pity him. " As for the last, it was built by Jasper Fish, free of the Goldsmiths', one of the six clerks in chancery, and a justice of peiice; who, being a man of no great wealth (as indebted to many) built here a beautiful house, with gardens of plea- sure, and bowling-allies about it, called Devou- shirc-house at this day." He will follow him like St. Anthony's P'S- St. Anthony was originally a swine-herd, and in all pictures and sculplures, is represented as fol- lowed bv a pig, frequently having a bell about his neck. Probably this pig might have been one of his fonner eleves, before he took upon himself the trade of a saint. The attachment of thb pig or hog, at length grew proverbial. Fuller gi\es another cx]>lanation, which take in his own words : — " St. Anthonie is notoriously known for the patron of lu>g.', having a pig for his page in all pictures, though for what reason un- known ; except because being a hernn't, and having a cell or hole digged in the earth, and having his general repast on roots, he and hogs did in some sort enterconuuoiis, bt)th in their diet and lodgings. " There was a fair hospital built to the honour of St. Anthony, in Rennet's Fink, in this city ; the protectors and proctors whereof claimed a privi- lege to themselves, to garble the live pigs in tlie markets of the citv ; and such as they found starv- ed, or otherwise unwholesome for man's sustenance, they would slit in the ear, tic a bell about their necks, and let them loose about the city. " None durst hurt or take them up, (having the livery of St. Anthony upon them) ; but many would give them bread, and feed them in their passage, whom they used to follow, whining after them. But, if such pigs proved fat, and well-liking, as often they did, tlic otlicers of St. Anthony's hospital would seize on them for their own use. This pro- verb is applicable to such, who have servile saleable souls, wlio, for a small reward, v^'ill lack-wey many miles, pressing their patrons with their unwelcome importunity." A fool will not part with hi.s bauble for the Tower of London. " This Tower anciently was, and in part still is, the magazine of England's wealth. There the silver, the mint of money, and there the brass and iron to defend it, the amioury and storehouse of ordnance; yet fools so doat on their darling fancies, that they prize them above all this treasure. But alas ! we do ourselves what we deride in others. Every one is addicted to some vanity or another, which he will not part with on anv conditions ; so weak and wilful we are by nature. He that will not freely and sadly confess, that he is much a fool, is all a fool."— Thus saith Fuller. A loyal heart may be landed under Traitor's bridge. This is a bridge under which is an entrance into the Tower, over against Pink-gate, formerly fatal to those who landed there, there being a muttering that such never came forth alive, as dying, to say no worse, therein, without any legal trial. Queen Elizabeth, according to Fox, in his Acts and Mo- numents, when sent by her sister Mary to the Tower* objected to landuig here ; but her conductor, a lord, whom LONDON. whom he does Hot nienlioii, would iiol indulge Jier ill the rlioiro, iiut oi)lii;ed her to suimiit. Tlie diit't of tliis pioveih is lo c;iiitioii us against •tielieviiit; persons guilty of an oH'enee or erinie before it is proved, as many an lioiiest man has been unjustly accused and imprisoned. To cast water into the Thames. That is, to give to those wlio have already j)lenty ; but, with respect to the Thames, there liave been times, A\lien throwing water into it would not have been an unnecessary act ; for in Ihe fourth of William Itufus, A. D. 1158, the water was so low, that men walked across it drv- shod ; and, in 13S'2, a strong wiiul, blowing mcsI ■and bv south, forced out the fresh, and ke])t back the salt water. It is also possible, the same want •of water may in future haj)peii, from the many bridges, wharfs, causeways, and other im|icdi- ineuts, that obstruct the free influx of the tide. All goeth down Gutter-lane. St. Peter II- Wnn; AVIiere's no la\ern, aleliou>e, or sign ;it the door. Great ])art of lIli^ parish b<'loiiged lo llie Au- gustine friars, w ho pr," Fuller says, " has altered its meaning. At first it me. ml dining at another man's table; for llniiipliie\ Duke of (ilonccsUi , coimiKinly called the good Duke, kept an open table, where any gentleman >\as weleonir to dine After his decease, lo dine with Duke Ilumiilircy meant to go diiinerless, his table, above-nientiuiied. having ceased at his death." Tullersaiis, thai per- sons who loitered about in .St. I'aul's churcli during dinner-time, were said to dine with Duke Jlnni- f>liriin While, ami W'illiatii (iiovc, his executors. !lace is in, or near, the parish of Paddiiiiiton. The indecent behavionr of liie common i)eoj)le ai^enihlcd on tiiese occa^iions, nives, to one of the most solemn and dreadful scenes inia^inahle, the aiijiearance of a fair or merry-makins ; and tends greatly to defeat the end of punishment, whicli is not so much to tonneiit the unhap|)y (Iclinqucnt, as to deter others from coininitting the like crime. A 'squire of Alsatia. A spendthrift or sharper, inhabiting; places for- merly privileged from arrests. Such were V> hite- Friars, and the Mint, in Southwark ; the former called Upper, the latter Lower Alsatia. As old as Paul's. This churcli. was founded by King Ethclbert, A. D. 610. As old as Paul's steeple. An ignorant corruption of the preceding pro- verb ; for the steeple, compared with the church, was but a modern building, it having been burned by liglrtning, A. D. 1087, and afterwards rebuilt by the bishops of London* He must take a house iu Turn-again- lane. This lane is, in old' records, called Wind-again- lane ; it lies in the parish of St. Sepulchre, going down to Fleet-ditch, having no exit at the end, from whence it obtained its name. This saying is made use of, on speaking of persons who live in an extravagant manner, spending more than their income, to whom it will be necessary to turn over a new leaf. He is only fit for ruffian's-hall. Fuller thus explains this proverb : — " A rudian is the same with a swaggerer; so called, because endeavouring to make that side to swag or weigh down whereon he cngagelh. The same also with, swash-buckler, from swashing or making a noise on bucklers. West Sniithfield, now the horse- market, was formerly called Rnthans-hall, where such men met casually and othenviac, to try mas- teries with sword and buckler. More were frighted than hurt, hurt llian killed therewilli ; it being ac- counted unmanly to strike beneath the knee, be- cause, in effect, it was as one armed against a naked man. But since that desperate traitor, Rowland- Yorke, first used the thrusting with rapiers, swords and bucklers are disused, and the proverb only applicable to quarrelsome people (not tame but wild Barretters) who delight iu brawls and. blows.'' As lame as St. Giles, Cripplegate. St. Giles was by birth an Athenian, of noble extraction, and great estate ; but he quitted all for a solitary life : becoming lame, whether by acci- dent or otherwise is not said, he, for liis greater mortification, desired not to be cured of it. He is deemed the patron of cripples, ami his churches are commonly in the suburbs. Cripplegate was so called before the conquest, from cripi)les begging there; for which they plead cubloni, from the; time the lame man begged an alms of Peter and John, at the beautiful gate of the temple. The fire of London was a punishment for gluttony. For Ironmonger-lane was red-fire-hot, Milk- street boiled over; it began in I'udding-lane, and ended at Pye-corner. Who goes to Westminster for a wife, to Paul's for a man, and to Smith- field for a horse, may meet with a wliore, a knave, and a jade. WESTMINSTER. MIDDLESEX. \VEST3IINSTER. There is no redemption from Hell. There is a place partly under, jiartly by the Exchequer-cliamber, coninioiily called Hell, for- merly appointed a prison for the king's debtors, who were never released from thence until they Lad fully discharged what tiioy owed. As long as Megg- of Westminster. This is applied to very tall slender persons. Some think it alluded to a lonj; gun, called Megg, in troublesome times brought from the Tower to Westminster, where it long remained. Others suppose it to refer to an old fictitious story of a monstrous tall virago, called Long Megg of Westminster, of whom there is a small penny his- tory, well known to school-boys of the lesser sort. In it there are many relations of her prowess. W'hether there ever was such a woman or not, is immaterial ; the story is sufficiently ancient to have occasioned the saying. Megg is there de- scribed as having breadth in proportion to her height. Fuller says, that the large grave-stone shewn on the south side of the cloister in West- luiuster-abbey, said to cover her body, was, as he has read in an ancient record, placed over a num- ber of monks who died of tlie ))lague, and «ere all buried in one grave ; that liiiiiv; the place ap- pointed for the sepulture of the abbots and monks, in ^^hicll uo woman was permitted to be interred. Covent-gardcn is the best garden. Covent-garden is the chief market in Londoa for fruit and garden-stuff of all kinds. It was for- merly the garden of a dissolved monastery. An- ciently, when these articles were sold in Cheapside, the proverb said that was the best garden. The Covent-garden ague. The venereal disease. Many brothels, under the denomination of bagnios, were formerly kej)t in that i>arish. Some, it is said, are still remaining. A Driiry-lane vestal. A jocular a])pellation for a lady of pleasure of the lower order ; many of whom reside in that neighbourhood. MIDDLESEX. Strand on the Green, thirteen houses, fourteen cuckolds, and never a house between. It is added, as a postscript to this proverb, that a father and sou lived in one house. His face was like the red lion of Brentford. That is, exceeding red. Perhaps this saying was first made use of, when that sign was new painted, or that the breed of red lions were not so nume- rous as at present. The visible church ; t. e. Harrow on the Hill. King Cliarles II. speaking on a topic then much agitated among divines of diflcrcnt persuasions, namely, which was the visible church, gave it in favour of Harrow on the Hill ; wliich, he said, lie always saw, go vliere he would. The nun of Sioii, with the friar of Sheen. A saying, meant to express birds of a feather. Although the river Thames runs between these two monasteries, there is a vidgar tradition that Ihey had a subterraneous communication. Middlesex •84 LOCAL PROVERBS. Middlesex clowns. FiilItT and Rav suppose llio IVliddlespx vroiiicn to have l)ei'ii stUcd clouiis, iVoiii tiieir not ))aviijg the same dcrcreucc to the nobility and t;eiitrv, that \Yas shewn by the iniialiitanls of more leniote counties, to wiioin tliesiyht of tliem was less eonv- moi). Perhaps it was likewise owini; to the sud- den rontrast between the behavioiirot' the inhabit- ants of the nietro|)olis, and of some of the small villages a few miles oft'; several of which, even at |)resent, (for iustaiice, fireenford, and the adja- cent parishes) arc more countrified than the rus- tics of Cornwall or Northumberland. I'll make him water his Iiorse at High- gate. A north-country sayini^;, mcaninc; I'll sue him, and make him take a journey up to town, High- pite being in the direct road from the North to- London. lie has been sworn at Uighgate. A saying used to express tliat a person prcferrpd' strong beer to small ; an allusion to an ancient cus- loMi formerly observed in this village, where the landlord of the Horns, and other |)ublic houses, used to swear all the lower order of passengers, upon a pair of horns, stuck on a stick. The sub- staHce of their oath was, that tl>ey sbouhl not kiss tiic maid, when they could kiss tlie mistress; nor drink small beer when they could get strong; with divers other like prohibitions; to all which was the saving clause of, unless vou like her, or it, best. The Juror was for ever after, untler ))cnally of a bottle of wine, or ale, to call the landlord, rather ; and he, in return, was by him, uiidex like penalty, always to.be called Sou. NORFOLK. You cannot spell Yarmouth-steeple right. This is a play on the word right. Yarmouth spire is awry or crooked, and cannot be set right or straight by spelling. Some who chuse to go further a-field for a meaning, consider the word spell as a verb, signifying to conjure with spells ; and make the meaning to be, you camiot, by any spell, set Yarmouth spire straight or upright. The same saying is sometimes made use of for Chester- field-spire in Derbyshire, which labours under the ame defect, Norfolk dumplings. A jeering nick-name for Norfolk men, alluding to their favourite food, dumplings. A Yarmouth capon. A red herring; more herrings being taken and smoked, than capons bred here. He is arrested by the bailifl' of Marsh- land. Tliat is, clapped upon the back by an ague; to which strangers, coming into the fenny part of this county, near the sea, are extremely liable. Giiumingham, Triramingham, Knap- ton, and Trunch, North Repps and South Repps are all of a bunch. These are names of parishes lying. close together,. There never was a Paston poor, a Heyden a coward, or a Cornwallis a fool. Lucky families. In part of Norfolk,^ the f^xrmers used formerly to plough the land w ith two rabbits and a case knife. Spoken hyperbolically. Part of Norfolk is ex- tremely light saudy land, easily plouglied. NORTH.\MPTONSHIRE. NORTHUMBERLAXD. 83 NORTIIAMPTOXSIIIRI::. The mayor of Nortliamptou opens oysters with his dagger. T!i;it is, in order to kc('i> ihcm as fiir oft" as pos- sible from his nose. Nortlr.niiptoii liciiii; ;ui iiilaml County, near the centre ol" Iho kinj^doni, al least eigiity miles from the sea, the oysters formerly brought tiiitlier were generally stale ; b\it sinre the improxement of turnpike-roals, and tiie introilue- tion of the present espeditious method of travelling, liis worship, the mayor of Northampton, may open oysters with as little otfenre to hi>i nose, as his brothei- of Dover, or the mayor of any other sea- port. He that woukl eat a buttered faggot, let hini go to Northampton. Ray says, " I have heard that King James should speak thus of Newmarket, but I am sure it may belter be applied to this town, the ilearesl in l-iig- land lor fuel, where no coals can come by water,; aii Percy, Earl of Northum- berland, anno 1569, was defeated in the rebellion h.e had raised against Queeu Elizabeth, he hid him- self in tlie house of one Hector Armstrong, of Harlow, in this county, having confidence he would be true to him; who, notwithstanding, for money,, betrayed him to the regent of Scotland. It was observable that Hector being before a rich man, fell poor of a sudden, and was besides so gene- rally hated, that he dinsi never go abroad ; inso- much that the ])roverI), to take Hector's cloak is continued to this day among them; in the sense abovementioned. We will not lose a Scot. That is, any thing, how inconsiderable soever, that we can save or recover. During the enmity behveen the two nations, they had little esteem of, and less affection for, a Scotchman, on the English borders. Canny Newcastle. Canny is the northern dialect, ))articularly that of Newcastle; lueaus fine, ueat, clean, hand'- soiiie. 86 LOCAL PROVERBS. some, &c. Tliis is commonly spoken jonilaily (o Newraslle-meii, as a gird ou tlieiii lor tlioir par- tiality to their native town. A Scottish man and a Newcastle grind- stone travel all the world over. A commendable spirit of enterprize and indus- try induces the nalives of Scotland to seek their fortunes in all climates and kingdoms under the sun; and Newcastle grindstones, hein^ the best of their kind, arc therefore known and carried every Avhere, far and near. If tliej' come, they come not ; and if .tliey come not, they come. The cattle of people livins; liercabouts, when turned out upon the connnon pasture firounds, were accustomed to return home al ni^ht, unless inter- cepted by free-booters, or borderers, a set of ban- ditti who ])hmdere(l bolii English and Scotch; if, therefore, these borderers came, their cattle came not ; if they came not, their cattle surely returned. To carry coals to Newcastle. To give to those who have already more than a sufficiencv. In the environs of Newcastle, are most of the coal mines that supply London and the coal trade to other places. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. As wise as a man of Gotham. Gotham lies in the south-west angle of Notting- hamshire, and is noted for nothing so nmch as the ■story of its wise men, who attempted to hedge in the cuckoo. At Court-hill, in this jtarisli, there is a bush that still bears the name of the cuckoo- bush ; and there is an ancient book, full of tiie blunders of the men of Ciotham. Whence a man of i>f Gotham is, iu other words, a fool or simple fellow. The little smith of Nottingham, Who (loth the work tliat no man can. Who this wonderful workman was, Ray says, is not known; and that lie rather suspects no such per- son ever existed ; but that it was only a sarcasm on persons, who, conceited of their own skill, were ready to undertake impossibilities. OXFORDSHIRE. Banbury cheese. The cheese of this place was remarkable for its richness and fatness, as long back as the time of Shakespeare, who makes one of his characters, in the play of Henry IV. call FalstatI" a Banbury cheese. The excellency of Banbury cheese is like- wise recorded by Camden, in his Britannia. Like Banbury tinkers, that in mending one hole make three. Ray gives this proverb in Northamptonshire, but there is no place called Banbury in that county. With respect to the practice, it will, perhaps, suit most other tinkers as well as those of Banbury : why they were particularised, I know not. Tinkers in general were formerly considered as a sort of dangerous vagabonds, and were included in the vagrant act of Queen Elizabeth. You were born at Hog's Norton. Why this proverb is introduced among those of Oxfordshire, I know iwt; Hogs, or Hogh-Norton, being in Leicestershire. Fuller says, this is a vil- lage, whose iidiabitants, it seems, formerly, were so rustical in their behaviour, that boorish and clownish j)eople are said to be horn at Hog's-Nor- ton. Hogh-Norton is, iu English, High-Horton. In OXFORDSHIRE. 87 III all likeliliood, tlio savin;; arose from the coi- ruplioii of tlie word llo;;li, or Hi-;!!, to lloj;s, wliicli seemed to tally with the swinish behaviour ol" its natives. To take a Burford bait. This, it seems, is a bait, not to stay the stomach, but to lose the wit thereby, as resolved at last into drunkenness. Banbury veal, cheese, and cakes. Ill the English edition of Camden's Britannia, by Philemon Holland, from an error of the ])ress, instcaii of veal, it is zeal. It seems Banbury was famous for its veal and cakes, as well as its cheese. Oxford knives, London wives. According to some, this saying conveyed a re- flection on both, insinuating that their appearance exceeded their real worth; that the Oxford knives were better to look at than to cut with, and that the London wives had more beauty and good breed- ing than housewifely qualities.. <> Testons are gone to Oxford, to study at Brazen-nose. This proverb, Fuller says, originated about the end of the reign of King Henry VIH. and ended about the middle of that of Queen Elizabeth, so that it continued current not full fifty years. The fact alluded to was this: King Henry VIH. to- wards the latter end of his reign, notwith.standing the prodigious sums that had accrued to him from the dissolved abbies, being in great want of money, debased the silver coin called testers, or testons, from their having a head stamped on each side of them. These he so alloyed with copper, that to use a conceit of that time, they seemed to blush for shame, as conscious of their own corruption ; the common people, who did not diNlinguish between copper and brass, made use of the latter, in form- ing this punning adage. This debasement of the coin, both King Ed- ward VI. and the Queens Mary and Eliz:ibcth, set about reforming, and it was at Icnglh effected by the latter, as_FuJler says, with no great pre- judice to the then present ago, and grand advantage to all posterity. Send verdingales to Broad-gates, Ox- ford. " This," says Fuller, " will acquaint us with the female habits of former ages, used not only by the gadding Diirahs of that age, but by most sober Sarahs of the same; so cogent is coniiuon customs, Willi these verdingales the gowns of women, be- neath their wastes, were iicnthoused out, far beyond their bodies, so that ])ostcrity will wonder t" what jinrpose those bucklers of pasteboard were em- j)loye(l. Some deduce the name from the Belgic veril- gard (derived, they say, from lirg, a virgin, and garder, to keep or preserve) as used to secure mo- desty, and keep wantons at a distance. Others, more truly, fetch it from verlti anil gtille, because the scab and bane thereof; the first inventress thereof being known fiir a light housewife, who, under the pretence of modesty, sought to cover her shame, and the fruits of her wantonness. These, by degrees, grew so great, that their wearers could not enter (except going sidelong) at any ordinary door, which gave occasion to this proverb. But these v< nlingales have been disused these forty years, whether because women were convinced in their consciences of the vanity of this, or allured in their fancies with the novelty of other fashions, 1 will not deterniuie." Chronica si penses, aim pugnenl O.vo- nienscs. Post aliquot menses, volat ira per An- gliginenses. Murk the chronicles aright, AVhen Oxlbrd scholars (all to fight. Before many months ar' expired, England will with war be lired. This seems rather a kind of prediction than a jiroverb; and Fuller points out some former in- stances, in the English annals, v herein it ha> been verified; but remarks that il holds not negatively, for that all was peace in Oxford previous to the. brcaki.ng out of the civil commotious under King Charles I, . RUTL-ANDSHIRE. im iOCAL PROVERBS, RUTLANDSHIRE. Ilutlaiulslnre Raddleman. Tliis, peitlianri", is reililleman, a trade, and that -a poor Olio, (u'culiar to this county; whence men •lirins: on their hacks a |)arcel of red stones or oker, M'liieh thev sell to liie neighbouring counties, for the niarkiu!; of siieep. Stretton in the street, ^vliere shrews Jiieet. As they do in every oilier town and village. Trom the inauncr it is here expressed, one might be led to suppose, the shrews of England were a body corporate, and Stretton their common meet- ing-place. An Uppiiigliani trencher. This town was probably f iiiious for the art of trenciier-nuiking. Here, by a statute of Henry VIII. the standard was appointed to be kept for the weights anil measures of tliis connty, which might induce turners, and other makers of measures, to settle here. SHROPSHIRE. He that fetches a \vife from Shrews- bury, must carry her to 8laff-ord- shire, or else he will live in Cumber- land. " The staple wit of this vulgar proverb," says Rav, " consists solely in the similitude of sounds." The case is altered, quoth Plowdeu. " This proverb referreth its original to Edward Plowden, an eminent native and great lawyer of this count\, tiiough very various the relations of the occasion thereof. Some relate it to Plowden his faint pleading at the iirst for his client, till spurred with a better fee; which, some will say, beareth no proportion with the eusuhig character of his integrity. Others refer it to his altering of his judgment upon the emergency of new matter formerly undiscovered, it being not constonic to persist in an old eiror, when convinced to the con- trary bv clear and new information. Some tell it thus", that Plowden being of the Romish persua- sion, some setters trepanned him (pardon the pro- lepsis) to hear mass ; but, afterwards, Plowden, imderstaiiding that the pretender (o otHciate was no priest, but a meer layman (on design to make a discovering), ' Oh, the case is altered!' quoth Plowden; ' uo priest, no mass!' As for otlicr meaner originations of this proverb, I have ncithef list nor leisure to attend unto them." Thus for. Fuller, who seems to have missed the true origin of this sa-ing, which is briefly this: — A tenant of Plowden's went to him, and with a sorrowful coun- tenance, and many aukw aid bows and cri'igcs, thus opened his business. — ' Sir, an't please your wor- ship, my bull has gored and killed one of your worship's oxen, I beg to know what 1 must do in this case? ' Why, surely, pay the value of the ox,' answered Plowden ; ' that is both law and equity.' ' Very well. Sir,' answered the farmer ; * but I have made a little mistake in the matter; it was your worship's bull that killed my ox.' ' Oh, is it so! then the ease i.-, altered ;' quoth Plowden. This proverb is applied to those who do not chuse to do as they would be done by. Proud Salopians. Tliis epithet is commonly given to the people of Shrewsbury ; w by, I know not. To all friends round the Wrekin. A mode of drinking to ;lll friends, wheresoever they may be, taking the Wrekin as a centre. The Wrekin is a mountain in the neighbourhood of Shrewsbury, seen at a great distance. SOMERSETSHIRE. STAFFORDSHIRE. »1>' SOMERSETSHIRE. 'Ch was bore at Taunton-dean, where should I be bore else? That is, a parcel of ground round about Taunton, very pleasant and populous (containing many pa- rishes) and so fruitful, to use tiieir own phrase, with the zun and zoil alone, tliat il needs no manuring at all. Tiie peasantry tiierein are as rude as rich ; and so higiily conceited of their own country, that they conceive it a disparagement to be born in any other place. The beggars of Bath. The great resort of tlie affluent to these me- dicinal waters, naturally attracted also a number of beggars ; so many it seems, as caused thenj to be- come proverbial. Bristol milk. That is sherry, a Spanish white wine. Ray calls it sherry-sack, and says it is the entertmnment of course which the courteous Bristolians present to strangers, when first visiting their city. The true name of this wine is Sherris, whicli it derives from Xeres, a town in the province of Andalusia, wliposcd to be a saying of the prisoners confined in that gaol ; and to mean, that the people of that town have all hearts as hard as that of * gaoler. STAFFORDSHIRE. Wotton under Wever, AVhere God comes never. Wotton under Wever is a black dismal place, near the Morelaners of all sorts. Sutton for nmtton, Caf.lialton for beeves, Epsom ibr whores, and Ewel for thieves. The downs near Sutton, Ranstead, and Epsom, produce delicate snudl slicep.and the rich meadows about C'aslialton are remarkahle for faltoning oxen. Epsom was once famous for its mineral waters, and the wells were foruicrlv greatly resorted to, as a place of amusement, particularly h\ I idi.s of easy virtue. Ewel is a poor village, ahoul a mile from Epsom ; and is said to ha\e harhound n number ol' llie inferior sharpers, and other idle re- tainers to the wells, lodgings being there cheaiKT than at Epsom. Godalmiii rabbits. This is a term of reproach to the inliahilanls ot this place, unjustly rellecling on tliem for the «i-ll known decej)tion practised by a Mrs. Tofts, who pretended to be delivered of live rabbits. Godaliiiiii cats. Another joke on tlic good |>eople of Godahnin, the origin of which tliey seem not to know; but any one who \enlures to mew like a cat, before he is fairly out of the town, w ill run a greater risk of a broken head, from the stocking-weavers and othi-r inhabitants of that place, than is consistent with prudence. Guildford bulls. A retort from the people of Godahnin on the Guildfordians, in answer to the two preceding taunts. The origin of this ai)pcllatiou 1 have not ever \n-fn able to get satisfactorily explained. Wandsworth, the sink of Surrey. This reproach is hi a great measure removed. Formerly the town, which lies low, was one ctm- tinued puddle. Putney. According to the vulgar tra(litit)n, the cliurclics of Putney and Fulhani were built by two sisters, who had but one hammer between them, which they interchanged by throwing it across the river, on a word agreed between them ; those on the .Surrey side made use of the word, put it iii^/i .' those on the opposite shore, /icnri- it full lioini I whence the churches, and from them the \ilhiges, were called l'ulnii;li and EuUhoine, since corruiited to I'utnev and rulliani. SUSSEX. 92 LOCAL PROVERBS. SUSSEX.. He is none of the bastings. Said of a dull sluggish messenger; an allusion to the pcA called bastings, herause the earliest of its kind. 1 1 is oiilv placed here from the siniilarirj- of name to one of the Cinque Torts in this eounty. A Chichester lobster, a Selsey cockle, an Arundel mullet, a Pulborough eel, an Ambcrley trout, a llye her- ring, a Bourne wheat-ear. These are all the best of their kind, at least of any that arc taken in this county. WARWICKSHIRE. He is the black bear of Ardeu. Guv Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, was so called, both from his crest, which was a black bear, and frouj having himself a black and grim Gouuteuanee, as well as on account of his being a inan of undaunted courage. Arden was a forest anciently occupying all the woodland part of this county. This saying was used to express, that the person spoken of, and so denominated, was really an object of terror. As bold as^ Beauchamp. Fuller thinks, that Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, who lived in the reign of King Ed- ward III. is the person here meant, on account of 'liis action at Hogges in Normandy, in the year 1346, when he was the first who landed, supported only by an esquire and six archers ; with these, mounted only on a palfrey, he encountered an hun- dred Normans, of whom he slew sixty, routed the rest, and gave means to the whole fleet to land the army in safety. The bear wants a tail, a lion. and cannot be Fuller thus explains this proverb : — " Robert Budley, Earl of Leicester, derived his pedigree from the ancient Earls of Warvvick, on which title lie gave their crest, the bear and ragged staff; ami w hen he was governor of the Low Countries, with the high title of his Excellency, disusing his own coat of the green lion,, with two tails, he signed all instruments with the crest of the bear and rag- ged staff. He was then suspected by many of his jealous adversaries, to hatch an ambitious design to make himself absolute commander (as the lion is king of beasts,) over the Low Countries ; where- upon some foes to his faction, and friends to Dutch freedom, wrote under his crest, set up in pubUc places, " Ursa caret cauda, non qtieat esse leo^ " The bear he never can prevail " To lion it, for lack of tail. " Nor is wrsfl, in the feminine, merely placed to make the verse ; but because naturalists observe in bears that the female is always strongest. " This proverb is applied to such, who, not content with their condition, aspire to what is above their worth to deserve, or power to atchieve." He is true Coventry blue.. CoT'entry was formerly famous for dying a blue, that would neither change its colour, nor could it be discharged by washing. Therefore the epithets of Coventry blue, and true blue, were figuratively used to signify persons who would not change, their parly or principles on any consideration. WESTMORELAND^ WORCESTERSHIRE, V3 WESTMORELAND. Lfit Uter Peiidragon do what he can, The river Eden will run as it ran. Tradition reports, that Uter Pendragon liad a li Chronicles; where it is seen, that when the Welch reco\ered their lost castles, they kept them more tenaciously than before. He that will be a head let him be a bridge. Benegridan, a r.rilon, is said to have carried an army over to Ireland, where his men coming to a river, which bad neillier bridge nor feny, he car- ried tlieni all over on his back. This proverb means, that no one should take on himself to command, who caimot protect and assist his fol- lowers. It was an ancient custom among the Welch, lliat the victor, in a kind of play, put the van(piished man into a sack, whence we had the Kiiglish by- word, to express such between whom there is a|)- parcnt odds of strength, " he is able to put hitn up in a bag." CAERNARVONSHIRE. Snowden will yield sufficient pasture for all tlie cattle in AVales put to- gether. Hyperbolically speaking ; though Snowden is, in- reality, extremclv fruitful. To escape Cluyd, and be drowned in Conway. Similar to that, in avoiding Scylla, to run on Charybdis. The rivers of Cluyd imd Conway are twenty miles asunder. FLINTSHIRE. There is more than one yew-bow in steal, but mistaken with the similitude thereof to Chester their own ; but give me leave to conjecture the ori- ginal hereof, seeing Chesliire-men have been so Modern use applieth this proverb to such who famous for archery, seize on other folks goods, not with intent to MERIONETHSHIRE 98 LOCAL PROVERBS. 3IERIONETIISIIIRE. In Dogeltliy, a market town in this shire, there are the following par- ticulars : 1. The walls are three miles high. 2. Men come into it over the water. 3. They go out of it under the water. 4. The steeple doth grow therein. 5. There are more ale-houses than houses. Which are thus explained : 1. Its walls arc the mountains which sur- round it. 3. The entry is over a handsome bridge. 3. In leaving the town one nuist pass under a stream of water, falling froni a rock, and conveyed in a trough to drive an overshot mill. 4. The bells, (if plural) hang in a yew-tree. 5. The houses are tlivided into diflerent tene- ments, and liquor sold in chimncylcss barns. MONTGOMERYSHIRE. The three sisters. The three rivers of Wye, Severn, and Rhiddal], w ere to run a race, to decide which should be first married to the ocean. Severn and Wye having a great journey to go, chose tlieir way through soft meadows, and kept on at a traveller's pace ; whilst Rhiddall, presummg on her short journey, stayed before she set out, and to recover her lost time runs furiously in a distracted manner. Powis is the Paradise of Wales. Fix thy pale in Severn, Severn will be as before. END OF THE PROVERBS. POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. IT will scarcely be conceived how great u number of superstitious notions and practices are still remaining and j)reva- lent in different parts of" these king- doms, many of which are still used and alluded to even in and about the iiaetropolis; and every person, however carefully educated, will, upon e.xanii- nation, find that he has some how or other imbibed and stored up in his me- mory a much greater number of these rules and maxims than he could at first have imagined. To account for this, we need only turn our recollection towards what passed in our childhood, and reflect on the avidity and pleasure with ^vhich we listened to stories of ghosts, witches, and fairies, told us by our maids and nurses. And even among those whose parents had the good sense to prohibit such relations, there is scarce one in a thousand but may remember to have hearcJ, from some maiden aunt or anti- quated cousin, the various omens that have announced the approaching deaths of different branches of the family: a copious catalogue of things lucky and unlucky ; a variety of charms to cure warts, the cramp, and tooth-ache ; pre- ventatives against the night-mare; with observations relative to sympathy, de- noted by shiverings, burning of the cheeks, and itchings of the eyes and elbows. The effects of ideas of this kind are not easily got the better of; and the ideas themselves rarely, if ever, forgotten. In former times these notions were so prevalent, that it was deemed little less than atheism to doubt them ; and in many instances the terrors caused by them embittered the lives of a great number of persons of all ages ; by de- grees almost shutting them out of their own houses, and deterring them from going from one village to another after sun-set. The room in which the head of a family had died, was for a long time untenanted; particularly if they died without a will, or were supposed to have entertained any particular reli- gious opinions. But if any disconso- late old maiden, or love-crossed bache- lor, happened to dispatch themselves in their garters, the room where the deed was perpetrated was rendered for ever after uniidiabitable, and not unfre- cjuently was nailed up. If a drunken farmer, returning from market, fell from Old Dobbin and broke his neck — or a carter, under the same predica- ment, tumbled from his cart or waggon, and was killed by it — that spot was ever after haunted and im|)assable: in short, there was scarcely a bye-lane or cross-way but had its ghost, who ap- peared in the shape of a headless cow or horse; or, clothed all in white, glared with its suucer eyes over a gate O 2 01- 100 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. or stile. Ghosts of superior rank, when they appeared abroad, rode in coaches drawn by six headless horses, and driven by a headless coachman and postilions. Almost every ancient ma- uor-hoiisc was Iiaunted by some one at least ol'its former masters or mistresses, where, besides divers other noises, that of telling money was distinctly heard: and as for the churchyards, tlie number of ghosts that walked tliere, according to the village com]iutation, almost e(iualk'd the li\ ing parishioners : to pass them at night, was an achieve- ment not to be attempted by any one in the parish, the sextons excej)ted ; \vho perhaps being particularly privi- leged, to make use of the common ex- pression, never saw any thing worse than themselves. Terrible and inconvenient as these matters might be, they were harmless, compared with the horrid consequences attending the belief of witchcraft, which, to the eternal disgrace of this ■country, even made its way into our courts of judicature, and pervaded and poisoned the minds of the judges; and it is with a mixture of shame, remorse, and indignation, that we read of hun- dreds of poor innocent persons who fell victims to this ridiculous opinion, and who were regularly murdered un- der the sanction of, and with all the forms of, the law. Sometimes, by the combination of wicked and artful per- sons, these notions were made stalking horses to interest and revenge. The combinations here alluded to, w ere jjractised by some popish priests during the reign of King James I. who was himself a believer in witchcraft. These priests, in drder to advance the interest of their religion, or rather their own emolument, pretended to have the ])Ower of casting out devils from demo- niacs and persons bewitched ; and for this purpose suborned some artful and idle youths and wenches to act the part of persons bewitched, and to suffer themselvvs to be dis|)ossessed by tiieir prayers, and sprinklings with holy ^\ater. In order to perform these parts, they were to counterfeit violent tits and convulsions, on signs given them ; and in compliance with the popular notions, to vomit up crooked nails, pins, needles, coals, and other rubbish, privately con- veyed to them. It was, besides, neces- sary to accuse some person of having bewitched them ; a poor superannuated man, or peevish old woman, w as there- fore pitched on, whose detection, in- dictment, and execution, were to tei"^ minatc the villainy. Luckily these com- bmations were at length discovered and exposed ; but it must make the blood of every humane person thrill with horror, to hear that in New England there were at one time upwards of three hundred persons all imprisoned for witchcraft. Confuted and ridiculed as these opinions have lately been, the seeds of them still remain in the mind, and at different times have attempted to spring forth ; witness the Cock-lane Ghost, and the disturbance at Stock- well. Indeed, it is within these very few years that witchcraft has been erased from among the crimes cogniza- ble by a jury. In order to give a methodical view of the different kinds of Superstition now and formerly current in this coun- try, I shall arrange my subject under the following heads: —Ghosts — Witches — Sorcerers, and Witchcraft — Fairies — Second Sight— Omens, Corpse Can- dles, &c. — Charms and Ceremonies for obtaining a knowledge of Future Events — Superstitious Cures and Pre- ventatives —Sympathy — Things lucky and unlucky — and Miscellaneous Su- perstitions. A GHOST. rOPULAR SITEIISTITIONS. tOI A GHOST. A Ghost is supposed to bo the spirit of a person deceased ; who is either commissioned to return for some espe- cial errand, such as tlie discovery of a murder, to procure restitution of lands or money mijustly withhehl from an orphan or widow — or having conmiitted some injustice whilst living, cannot rest till that is redressed. Sometimes the occasion of spirits revisiting- this w orld, is to inform their heir in what secret place, or private drawer in an old trunk, they had hidden the title-deeds of the estate; or where, in troublesome times, they buried their money or plate. Some Ghosts of murdered persons, whose bodies have been secretly buried, can- not be at ease till their bones haxe been taken up, and deposited in consecrated ground, with all the rites of Christian burial. This idea is the remains of a very old piece of Heathen Superstition : The Ancients believed that Ciiaron was not permitted to ferry over the Ghosts of miburied persons, but that they wandered up and down the banks of the river Styx for an hundred years, after which they were admitted to a passage. This is mentioned by Virgil : H;ec omnis qiiam ceriiis, inops inhuiirataque turbaest : Portitorille, Charon; lii quos veiiit imdii, sepulti. Nee ripas datur horrcndas, nee ratica flucuta, Tiansportare prius quani sedibus Obsa quienmt. Centum errant annus, volilantque ha'c liltora ciretini : Tuni, deniuni admissi, stagna exoptata revisunt. Sometimes Ghosts apptntr in conse- quence of an agreement made, whilst living, with some particular friend, that he who first died should a[)pear to the survivor. Glan\il tells us of the Ghost of a person who had lived but a disorderly kind of life, for whicii it was con- demned to wander up and down tba earth, in the company of evil spirits, (ill the day of judgment. In most of the relations of Ghosts, they are supposed to be mere aiirial be- ings, without su!)stauce. and that they can pass through walls and otinr solid bodies at pleasure. A particular in- stance of this is given, in Relation the •27th, in Glanvil's Collection, where one David Hunter, neat-herd to the Bishop of Down and Connor, was for a long time haunted by the apparition of an old woman, whom he was by a secret impulse obliged to follow whenever she appeared; which, he says, he did for a consideral>le time, even if in bed with his wife : and because his wife could not hold him in his bed, she would go too, and walk after him till day, though she saw nothing ; but his little dog was so well acquainted with the appa- rition, that he would follow it as \\\'\\ as his master. If a tree stood in her walk, he observed her always to go through it. Notwithstanding this seeming im- materiality, this very Ghost was not without some substance; for, having performed her errand, she desired Hun- ter to lift her from the ground ; in tlie doing of which, he says, she felt just like a bag of feathers. We sometimes also read of (diosts striking \iolent blows; ami that, if not made way for, they overturn all impediments, like a furious whirlwind. (dan\il mcnlions an iiislance of this, in Il»lation 17th, of a Dutch lieutenant, \\iK)iiad iIk' faculty of seeing Ghosts; and who, being pre- vented 102 POPULAR SITERSTITIONS. vented making- way for one wliicli he iiieiitioiieil to somu friends as coming towarils tlieni, vas, vitli liis compa- nions, violently thrown down, and sore- ly bruised. We further Icani, by J{e- latioii l()il), that the hand of a Ghost is- ' as cold as a clod.' The usual time at which Ghosts n.vke their appearance is midnigiit, and seldom before it is dark ; though some audacious spirits have been said to ap- pear even by day-light : but of this there are few instances, and those mostly Ghosts who have been laid, jierhaps in the Red Sea (of which moie hereafter), and whose times of conthie- ment were expired : these, like felons confined to the lighters, are said to re- turn more troublesome and daring than before. No Ghosts can appear on Christmas-eve; this Shakespeare has put into the mouth of one of his cha- racters in Hamlet. Ghosts commonly appear in the same dress they usually wore wJiilst living, though they are sometimes clothed all in white; but that is chiefly the church- yard Ghosts, who have no particular business, but seem to appear j)ro bono publico, or to scare drunken rustics from tumbling over their graves. 1 cannot learn that Ghosts carry tapers in their hands, as they are some- times depicted, though the room in which they appear, if without fire or candle, is frequently said to be as light as day. Dragging chains, is not the fashion of English Ghosts; chains and black vestments being chiefly the ac- coutrements of foreign spectres, seen in arbitrary governments: dead or alive, English spirits are free. One instance, however, of an English Ghost dressed in black, is found in the cele!)rated ballad of William and Margaret, in the following lines: And clay-cold was lier lily hand, Tliat held her sahk shroud. This, however, may be consideretl as a poetical licence, used in all likelihood for the sake of the opposition of lihf to aable. If, during the time of an apparition, there is a lighted candle in the room, it will burn extremely blur: this is so uni- versally acknowledged, that many emi- nent j)hilosophers have busied them- selves in accounting for it, without once doubting the truth of the fact. Dogs too have the faculty of seeing spirits, as instanced in David Hunter's relation, above quoted; but in that case they usually shew signs of terror, by whining and creeping to their master for protec- tion : and it is generally supposed that they often see things of this nature when their owner cannot; there being some persons, particularly those bora on a Christmas-eve, who cannot see spirits. The coming of a spirit is announced some time before its appearance, by a variety of loud and dreadful noises; sometimes rattling in the old hall like a coach and six, and rumbling np and down the stair-case like the trundling of bowls or cannon balls. At length the door flies open, and the spectre stalks slowly up to the bed's foot, and opening the curtains, looks stedfastly at the person in bed by whom it is seen ; a Ghost being very rarely visible to more than one person, although there are several in company. It is here ne- cessary to observe, that it has been universally found by experience, as well as affirmed by divers apparitions them- selves, that a Ghost has not the power to speak till it has been first spoken to ; so that, notwithstanding the urgen- cy of the business on which it may come, every thing must stand still till the person visited can find sufhcient courage to speak to it; an event that sometimes does not take place for many years. It has not been found that fe- male A GHOST. lo.-; inale Ghosts are more loquacious than those of the niaU; sex, both beuig equally restrained by this law. The mode of addressing;- a Ghost is by commanding it, in tiie name of the Three Persons of the Trinity, to tell you who it is, and what is liis business: tiiis it may be necessary to re[)eut three times ; after which it will, in a low and hollow voice, declare its satisfaction at being- spoken to, and desire the party addressing it not to be afraid, for it will do him no harm. This being premised, it commonly enters into its narrative, Avhich being completed, and its request or commands given, with injunctions that they be immediately executed, it vanishes away, frequently in a flash of light; in which case, some Ghosts have been so considerate as to desire the party to whom they appeared to shut their eyes: sometimes its departure is attended with delightful music. During the narration of its business, a Glioist must by no means be interrupted by -questions of any kind ; so doing is ex- tremely dangerous : if any doubts arise, they must be stated after the spirit has done its tale. Questions respecting its state, or the state of any of their former acquaintance, are offensi\e, and not often answered ; spirits, perhaps, being restrained from divulging the secrets of their prison house. Occasionally spirits Avill even condescend to talk on com- mon occurrences, as is instanced by Glanvil, in the apparition of Major George Sydenhani to Captain William Dyke, Relation lOth, wherein the ISla- jor reproved the Captain for siideriiig a sword he had given him to grow rusty; saying, ' Captain, Captain, this sword •• did not use to be kept after this nian- ' uer when it was mine.* "^J'liis attention to the state of arms was u remnant of the Major's professional duty when livinir. It is somewhat remarkabl.' that (jhosts do no go about their business like the persons of this world. In cases of murder, a Ghost, instead of going to the next justice of the peace, and lay- ing its information, or to the nearest relation ofthe person mnrdt-red, appears to some poorlabourer who knows none of the parties, draws the curtains of some decrepit nurse or alms-woman, or hovers about the plact; whert; his bo(i\ is deposited. The same circuitous mode is ])msued with respect to re- dressing injured orphans or widows; uhen it seems as if the shortest and most certain way would l)e, to go to the person guilty of the injustice, and haunt him coiitiiiULdly till he be terri- lied into a restitution. Nor are the pointing out lost writings generally ma- naged in a more summary way; the Ghost conmionly ap[)lying to a third person, ignorant of the whole aflair, and a stranger to all concerned. — Bui it is presumptuous to scrutinize too far into these matters: Ghosts have, un- doubtedly, forms and customs peculiar to themselves. If, after the first apjiearance, the persons employed neglect, or are pre- vented from, performing the nn-ssage or business committed to their manage- ment, the Ghost appears continually to them ; at tirst with a discontented, next an angry, and at length with a furious' countenance, threatening to tear them to pieces if the matter is not fortiiwilh executed; sometimes terrifying them, as in GlanviTs Ilelation 2()lh, by ap- pearing ill many formidable shapes, and sometimes even striking them a violent blow. Of blows given by Cihosts there are many instances, and some v\ herein they have been followed with an in- curable lameness. It should have been observed, that Ghosts, in delivering their coimuissions, in 104 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. in order to ensure belief, coniniunicate to the persons enii)loyecl some secret, linowii only to the parlies concerned and themselves, the relation of which always produces the eft'cct intended. Tiie business beinof completed, Ghosts appear with a cheerful countenance, saying they shall now be at rest, and will never more disturb any one; and, thaidciiig their agents, by way of re- ward communicate to them something relative to themselves, which they will never reveal. Sometimes Ghosts appear, and dis- turb a house, without deigning to give any reason for so doing: with these, the shortest and only way is to exor- cise, and eject them; or, as the vulgar term is, lay them. For this purpose there must be two or three clergymen, and the ceremony must be performed in Latin ; a language that strikes the most audacious Ghost with terror. A Ghost may be laid for any term less than an hundred years, and in any place or body, full or empty ; as, a solid oak — the pon)niel of a sword — a barrel of beer, if a yeoman or simple gentleman — or a pipe of wine, if an esquire or a justice. But of all places the most common, and what a Ghost least likes, is the Red Sea; it being related, in many instances, that Ghosts have most earnestly besought the exor- cists not to confine them in that place. It is nevertheless considered as an in- disputable fact, that there are an infi- nite numl)cr laid there, perhaps from its being a safer prison than any other nearer at hand ; though neither history nor tradition gi\ es us any instance of Ghosts escaping or returning from this kind of transportation before their time. Having thus given the most striking outlines of the popular Superstitions respecting Ghosts, 1 shall next treat of another species of human apparition, which, though it something resembles it, does not come under the descrip- tion of a Ghost. These are the exact figures and resemblances of persons then living, often seen not only by their friends at a distance, but many times by themselves; of which tiiere are se- veral instances in Aubery's Miscella- nies r one, of Sir Richard Napier, a physician of London, who being on the road from Bedfordshire to visit a friend in Berkshire, saw at an inn his own ap- parition lying on the bed as a dead corps ; he nevertheless went forward, and died in a short time: another, of Lady Diana Rich, daughter of the Earl of Holland, who met her own appari- tion walking in a garden at Kensing- ton, and died a month after of the small-pox. These apparitions are called Fetches, and in Cumberland, Swarths; they most commonly appear to distant friends and relations, at the very instai>t preceding the death of the person whose figure they put on. Sometimes, as in the instances above mentioned, there is a greater interval between the appear- ance and death. A WITCH. A WITCH is almost universally a poor, by a man clothed in a black coat or decrepit, superannuated, old woman; gown; sometimes, as in Scotland, wear- who, being in great distress, is tempted ing also a bluish band and hand-cuffs, that A W I T C II. lu.: that is, a kind of fnrn-iip linen sleeve: tiiis man [jioniises Ik r, il'slit; will sij^n a contract to become his, both soni and body, she shall want (or nothinii,-, and that lie will revenge Iier upon all iier ene- mies. The agreement being concluded, he gives her some trifling sum of money, from half-a-crown down lu four-pence, to bind the bargain; then cutting or pricking her iinger, causes her to sign her name, or make a cross as her mark, with her blood, on a piece of parcli- nient: what is the form of these con- tracts, is no where mentioned. In ad- dition to this signature, in Scotland, the Devil made the Witches put one hand to the sole of their foot, and the other to the crown of their head, there- by signifying they were entirely his. In making these bargains there is some- times a great deal of haggling, as is instanced in the account of the nego- ciation between Oliver Cromwell and the Devil, before the battle of Wor- cester, published in Echard's History of England. Before the J)evil quits his new recruit, he delivers to her an imp or familiar, and sometimes two or three; they are of difterent shapes and forms, some resembling a cat or kitten, others a mole, a miller i\y, or some other insect or animal : these are to come at her call, to do such mischief as she shall direct them ; at stated times of the day they suck her blood, through teats on diflerent parts of her body: these on inspection appear red and raw. Feeding, suckling, or re- warding these imps, was by law de- clared felony. There are, it is held, three sorts of AVitches. The hrst can hurt, but not help : these, from their diabolical qua- lities, are called Black Witches. The second sort can help, but not hurt : these are unhappy persons, who, for the power of curing diseases, lindiug stolen goods, and doing other acts of utility, lor w iiicli they take money, be- come bond-slaves to the Devil : they arc at continual enmity with the lilack AVitches, insomuch that one or the ullier often fall a sacrihce to their wicked arts ; these are commonly styled W hite AVitches. The third sort are those who can both help and hurt; and, as tlu;y seem a siirt of mixture between AV hite and Black, aiul wanting a name, may, without any great improjjriety, be named (irey Witches. But to return to the con)nion AA^itch, which seems of the black sort; we do not find that, in consequence of her wicked compact, she enjoys much of the good things of this world, but still continues in abject |)enury. Some- times, indeed, she, in company with others of her sisterhood, are carried through the air on brooms, spits, iN:c. to distant meetings, or sabbaths, of AVitches ; but for this they must anoint themselves with a certain magical oint- ment, given them by the Devil. At these meetings they have feast- ings, music, and dancing; the Devil himself sometimes condescending to play on the pipe or cittern ; and some of them have carnal co|)ulation witii him, the produce of wliich is toads and serpents : sometimes the Devil, to oblige a male AVitch or AVizard, of which there are some few, puts on the shape of a woman. JMr. Sinclair tells us, in his book intitled. The Invisible AVorld, that one A\ illiam Barton, who, with his wife, was burnt in Siotland for AVitchcraft, confessed that he lay with the Devil in the shape of a gen- tlewoman, and had fifteen pounds of him in good money; but this he again denied before his execution. His wife confessed that the De\il went before them to a dancing, in the shape of a dog, playing upon a pair of j)ipes ; V and, lOG POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. aiul, comiiiLC down the hill back a- tcd^-: that, slie said, was al- most all the i)leasiue ttized by the Devil, and named after the person meant to be injured ; after which they stick thorns into it, and set it before a fire ; and as the wax niells by the heat, so the body of the person represented decays by sickness, with great torture, having the sensation of thorns stuck iulo his or her liesh. On some occasions, Witches content themselves with a less cruel revenge, and only oblige the objects of their an- ger to swallow pins, crooked nads, dirt, cinders, and trash of all sorts, which they invisibly convey to them, or send them by their imps. Frequently they *shevv their spite, by drying up cows, and killing oxen ; uhicli last they have particular power to do, because, as the A|)ostle says, " Doth God take care of oxen ? ' 1 Cor. ix. 9. For any slight of- fence, they prevent butter from coming in the churn, or beer from working. Witches, in vexing persons, some- times send a number of evil spirits into them ; these, as they (that is, the spi- rits) have informed several exorcists, are also of diflerent ranks and degrees. In one Sarah Williams were these : Kil- lico, Hob, and a third anonymous; Co- ronell Portorichio, Frateretto, Fliber- diggibbet, Hoberdidance, Tocobatto, and Lusty Jolly Jenkin, Pufte and Purre, Lustie Dickie Cornerd Cappe, Nurre, Molken, Wilken, Helemodion, and Kellicocum. Besides these, there were in others. Captain Pippen, Cap- tain Phil pot, Captain Maho, and Cap- tain Soforce: these were all leaders. There were also sometiiues, with these Captains, divers private spirits; as in a Mr. Trayford there were, Hiico, Smal- kin, iJillio, Hiachto, and Lustie Huff Cap ; all these may be found in a book iutitled, Egregious Popish Impostures, &c. practised by Edmunds, alias Wes- ton, a Jesuit, &c. published in 1003, p. 49, 50. One Mother Samuel, the witch of Warbois, had nine spirits that belonged to her and her family; two of their names are forgotten, bat those of the other A WITCH. 107 other seven were," Phirk, Ilardnaiiie, Catch — three of tlie name ol' >Stii(irA; wlio were cousins — and one called Blew. These spirits used lo ermverse freely with the children of Mr. Threg- morton, whose house they troubled. The followiui;- was a dialogue which passed between tiie eldest dauu,'hter, a girl of about seventeen, and one of the Smacks, whom she supposed in love witii her. — "' From wiience come you, * Mr. Smack, and what news do you ' hrins,?' The spirit answered, that ' he * came from fi^iitini;-.' — ' From lightinii!' said she; 'with whom, I pray you?' The spirit answered, ' With Pluck.' — ' Where did you fight, I pray?' said she. The spirit answered, ' In his old * dame's back-house,' — which is an old house standing in Mother Samuel's yard; and they fought with;nreat cowl .staves this last night. — ' And who got * the mastery, I pray yon?' says she. He answered, ' that he broke Pluck's ' head.' — Said she, ' 1 would that he ' had broke your neck also.' Saith the spirit, ' Is that all the thanks I shall * have for my labour?'—' Why,' sailh she, ' do you look for thanks at my ' hand? I would you were all hanged ' up, one against another, and Dame ' and all, for you are all nanght: but it ' is no matter,' said she ; ' 1 do not ' well to curse you, for Cod, 1 trust, ' will defend me from you all.'— So he departed, and bade farewell. — Soon after, she sees IMuck coming with his head hanging down ; and he told her again of the battle, and liow his heail was broke. When he was gone. Catch, she said that, when they should be well, they wouhl join together, and be revenged of Sinnclc. Next time that Smack came, she told him of their design ; but he set fheni at light: lie b ragged that he coidd beat two of tht ui hiiMNelf, and his cousin Smack would be on his side. I will not tire the Reader with any more of this miserable nonsense; but what can we think of a court of judi- cature, that would permit sucii slii/I l(» be repeated before them as ividence? Nevertheless this, and such like, was deemed sutticient to condemn a man, his wife, and daughter, who were all executed. The old woman, it is saiti, confessed her guilt; but it is likewise believed she was, at that time, from the vexation, and experiments she had un- dergone by way of trial, rendered in- sane. Frequently Witches, in vexing the parties troubled, were visible to them only; and, when they have struck at them with a knife, or other wea|)oii, the Witches have been found to have received a hurt in the part w here their apparitions were struck. Scratching or ])ricking a Witch, so as to draw blood of her, prevents her having any power over the person that does it, provided it is done before any spell has taken place: and it may be done by ])roxy, for one's child ; pro- vided, at the time, it is said to be done on the child's ac count, or for its sake. Witches, perha|)s for the sake of air and exercise, or to vex the scpiire, jus- tice, and parson of the village wherein they reside, often traiisf(u-m themselves into hares, and h'ad the hounds and huntsman a long ami fruitless chace: though this is sometimes attended with danger to themselves, as appears li(Hn the account of \\w trial of .luliaii Co\, published by Clanvil; wherein it vyas deposed, by the huntsman, that, lia\ing chased a iiare till il was fairly run down, he stept before the hounds to take it np; when, to his great amaze- ment. 108 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. meiit, instoad of a hare, lie found old Julian! bieatlikss, and grovelling ou the earth, with Irt <>lobes upwards ; for so he termed her backside. There are various experiments and trials for discovering a Witeh. One, l)y weighing her against the church Bible, which, if she is guilty, will pre- ponderate:- another, by making her at- tempt to say the Lord's Prayer; this no Witch is able to repeat entirely, but will omit some |)art or sentence thereof. It is remarkable, that all Witches do not hesitate at the same place; some leaving out one part, and some another. Teats, through which the imps suck, are indubitable marks of a Witch : these, as has been before observed, are always raw, and also insensible; and, if squeezed, sometimes yield a drop of blood. A Witch cannot weep more than three tears, and that only out of the left eye : this want of tears was, by the witch-tinders, and even by some judges, considered as a very substantial proof of guilt. Swimming a Witch, is another kind of popular ordeal generally practised : for this, she must be stripped naked, and cross bound, the right thumb to the left toe, and the left thumb to the right toe: thus prepared, she is thrown into a pond or river, in which, if guilty, she cannot sink ; for having, by her compact with the Devil, renounced the benetit of the water of baptism, that element, in its turn, renounces her, and refuses to receive her into its bosom. Sir Robert Filnier mentions two others, l>y hre: the tirst, by burning the thatch of the house of the suspected Witch; the other, burning any animal supposed to be bewitched by her, as a hog or ox : these, it was held, would force a AVitch to confess. The trial by the stool, was another method used for the discovery of Witches; it was thus managed: having taken the suspected Witch, she is placed in the middle of a room, upon a stool or table, cross-legged, or in some other uneasy posture; to which if she sul)mits not, she is then boimd with conls : there is she watched, and kept without meat or sleep for the space of twenty-four hours, (for, they say, within that time they shall see her imp come and suck). A little hole is likewise made in the door, for imps to come in at; and lest it should come in some less discernible shape, they that watch are taught to be ever and anon sweeping the room, and if they see any spiders or flies, to kill them ; and, if they cannot kill them, then tliey may be sure they are imps. If Witches, under examination or torture, will not confess, all their ap- parel must be changed, and every hair of their body shaven off with a sharp razor, lest they secrete magical charms to prevent their confessing. Witches are most apt to confess on Fridays. In England, Witchcraft has been chiefly confined to women ; the reason assigned is, that the Devil having ex- perienced, in the temptation of Eve, the facility with which that sex are led astray — and also fotmd that, when they once deviate from the paths of virtue, they become more wicked than men — he therefore makes his attacks on them, in pieference to the other sex. Not only women, but even little chil- dren, have been convicted of Witch- craft in Sweden, as may be seen in the account printed in Glanvil. Some hair, the parings of the nails, and urine, of any person bewitched— or, as the term is, labouring under an evil tongue — being put into a stone bottle, with crooked nails, corked close-, and tied down witli wire, and hung up the A WITCn. 109 the chimney, will cause the Witch to sutler the most acute torments iuiagi- nablo, till the hottle is uncorked, and the mixture ilispersetl ; insomuch that they uiil even risk a detection, by coniiut;' to tiie house, and attempting to pull down tlie bottle. On meeting a supposed Witch, it is adviseahle to take the wall of" ht r in a town or street, and the right hand of her in a lane or Held; and, whilst pass- ing her, to clench both hands, doubling the thumbs beneath the fingers: this Avill prevent her having a power to in- jure the person so doing at that time. It is well to salute a Witch with civil Avords, on meeting her, before .she speaks. Eut no presents of apples, eggs, or any other thing, should be re- ceived from her on any account. Some persons, born at particular times, and under certain combinations of the planets, have the power of dis- tinguishing Witches at first sight. One of these persons, named Matthew Mop- kins, of Manningtree, in Essex, with a John Stern, and a woman in their company, were, in I(J44, permitted to go round, from town to town, through most parts of Essex, SufTolk, and llmi- tingdonshire, with a sort of commission to discover Witches ; nay, it is said, Avere paid twenty shillings for each tow n tliey visited. Many persons were pitched u|)on by them, and through their means convicted. Till at length some gentlemen, out of indignation at Hopkins's bari)arity, tied him in the maimer he had bound others, that is, thundis and toes together; in which state, putting him into the water, he swam. This cleared the country of them. The following statute, enacted the 1st of King James I. will shew that the belief of most of the articles heie related was not eonliueil to the popu- lace; nor was it ripealed till the SJth year of the reign of King George I. ' Any one that shall use, practise, or ' exercise any iuNoealion or conjura- ' tion oi' any evill or wicked spirit, or ' consult, covenant with, entertaine or ' employ, feecle or reward, any evill or ' wicked spirit, to or for any intent or ' pinpose; or take up any dead man, ' woman, or child, out of his, her, or ' their grave, or any other place where ' the dead body resteth, or the skin, ' bone, or other part of any dead per- ' son, to be employed or used in any ' manner of withcraft, sorcery, charme, ' or enchantment ; or shall use, practise, ' or exercise any w itclicraft, enchant- ' ment, charme, or sorcery, whereby ' any person shall be killed, destroyed, ' wasted, consumed, pined, or lamed, in ' his or her body, or any part ihereof^ ' such offenders, duly and lawfully ' convicted and attainted, shall sufier ' death. ' If any person shall take upon him, ' by witchcraft, enchantment, charme, ' or sorcery, to tell or declare in what ' place any treasure of gold or silver ' should or might be found or had iu ' the earth, or other secret places, or ' where goods or things lost or stolne ' should be found or become; or to the ' intent to provoke any person to un- ' lawful love; or whereby any cattell ' or goods of any person shall be de- ' stroyed, wasted, or impaired ; or to ' destroy or hurt any person in his or ' her body, though the same be not ' effected, &c. a yeare's imprisonment ' and |)illory, &c. and the second coii- ' viction, death.' A SOR- 110 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS, A SORCERER, OR MAGICIAN. A Sorcerer, orMAOiciAN, differs from a Witch ill this : A witch derives all her power from a compact with the Devil; a Sorcerer commands him, and the iii- fenial spirits, hy his skill in powerful charms and invocations; and also soothes and entices them by fumiga- tions: for the devils are observed to have delicate nostrils, abomiiuitini;- anil flying some kinds of stinks; witness the flight of the evil spirit into the remote parts of l^gypt, driven by the smell of a fish's liver burned l)y Tobit. They are also found to be peculiarly fond of certain perfumes; insomuch that Lilly informs us that one Evans, having raised a spirit, at the recpiest of Lord Both- well and Sir Kenehu Digby, and for- getting a suifumigalion, the spirit, vexed at the disappointment, snatched him from out his circle, and carried him from his house, in the Minorics, into a field near i3attersea Causeway. King James, in his Daemonologia, says, ' The art of sorcery consists in ' diverse forms oi" circles and conjura- • tions rightly joined together, few or • more in number, according to the • number of persons conjin'ors (alwaies ' passing the singular nuudier), accord- ' ing to the rpialitie of the circle, and « form of the apparition. Two princi- • pall things cannot well in that errand •be wanted: holy water (whereby the • Devill mockes the papists), and some • present of a living thing nnto him. • There are likewise certaine daies and ' houres that they observe in this pur- ' pose. These things being all ready ' and prepared, circles are made, trian- gular, quadrangular, round, double, or single, according to the forme of the apparition they crave, lint to speake of the diverse formes of the circles, of the innumerable characiers and crosses liuU are within and with- out, and out-through the same ; of the diverse formes of apparitions that the craftie spirit illudes them with, and of all such parliculais in that action, I remit it to over man\ that iiave busied their heads in describing of the same, as being but curious, and altogether unprofitable. And this farre only 1 touch, that, when the conjured spirit ap|)eares, which will not be wliile after m;niy circumstances, long prayer*:, and much muttering and murinurings of the conjurors, like a pa))ist priest dis- patching a hunliug masse — iiow soone, I say, he appeares, if they have missed one jote of all their rites; or if any of their feete once slyd over tiie circle, through terror of his fearful ajtpari- tion, lie paies himself at that time, in his owne hand, of tiiat due debt which they ousht liiin, and otherwise would have tielaied longer to have paied him : I mean, he carries them w ith him, body and soule. If this be not now a just cause to make them weary of these formes of conjuration, I leave it to you to judge upon; considering the longsomeness of tiie labour, the precise keeping of daies and houres (as 1 ha\e said,) the terribleness of the ajjparition, and the present peril that they stand in, in missing the least circumstance or freite that they ought to observe; and, on the other part, the A SORCERER, OR MAGICIAN. Ill * tlie Devill is glad to nioovc tlicm to a * plaiiie and square dealing witli him, * as I said hctiirc' This is a pivtty accurate ile^iciiption of this mode of conjuration, styled the Circular Method; luit, with all due. respect to Ills' Majt'stj.s h'aIllin^•, S(|uare and trian:;ular circles are hgures not to l)e found in Euclid, or any tdthe coiuuion writers on ,i;cometry. lUit, perhaps, Kini; James learned his nja- themat;cs from the same system as Doctor SacheMivll, who, in one of his KpeechfS or sermons, inaile use of the following- simile: 'They concur like * paiaih^ lines, meeting iu one conuuon * centre.' Another mode of consultins^ spirits Avas by the berryl, by means of a spe- culator or seer; \vh(», to have a com- plete sight, ought to be a pure virgin, a youth who had not known woman, or at least a person of irieproachaOle life and purity t>f manners. I'he method of such considtation is this: The con- juror having repeated the nece-:sary charms and adjurations, with the Li- tany, or invocation peculiar to the spi- rits or angels he wishes to call (for every one has his particular form), the seer looks into a chrystal or berryl, wherein he will see the answer, repre- sented either by types or ligures; and sometimes, though very rarely, will hear the angels or spirits speak articulately. Their pronunciation is, as Lilly says, like the Irish, much in the throat. Lilly describes one of these l>ei'ryls or chrystals. It was, he says, as large as an orange, set in silver, with a cross at the top, and round about engraved the names of the angels Raphael, Ga- briel, and Uriel. A delineation of an- other is eugraved in the frontispiece to Aubery's Miscellanies. This mo(;e of enquiry was practised by Doctor Dee, the celebrated mathe- maticiaii: his speculator was named Kelly. Fiom him, and others prac- tising this art, \M' ha\e a Ion;; niusler- roll of the infernal host, their ililleieiit natures, tempers, and appearances. Doctor 1{( giuald Scot has given a list of some of the chiefs of these devils or spirits, of v\liich 1 shall here set down two or three, which, 1 dare say, the Reader will think fully suflicieiit. ' Their hist and |)rincipal king (which • is the l*ower of the East), is called ' lidcll, who, when he is conjured up, ' appeaieth with three heads; the first ' lil^e a toad, the second like a man, ' the third like a cat. He speaketh 'with a hoarse voice; he makelh a ' man to go invisible. He hath under ' his obedience and rule sixty-and-six ' legions of devils, ' 'i'lie liist duke nuder the I'ower ' of the Jiast, is named Ai^ures. He ' Cometh up mildly, in the likeness of ' a fair old man, ruling upon a croco- ' dile, and carrying a hawk on his fist. ' He teacheth preseiilly all maiiner of 'tongues; he fetchetli back all such ' as run away, and niaketh them run 'that stand still; he overthroweth all ' dignities supernatural and t(nn)oral ; ' he niaketh earth(|uakes : and is of the ' order of virtues, having- under his re- ' gimeiit thirty-one legifpiis. ' 3/(iHmis, alias Jidrhus, is a great ' president, and apjuaieth in the form 'of a mighty lion; but, at the com- ' inandment of a conjurer, eonieth up ' in the likeness of a man, and an- ' svvereth fully as touching any thing ' that is hidden or secret, lie bringeth 'diseases, and cuittli them; he pro- ' nwtetli wisdom, and the knowledge 'of mechanical arts, or handicrafts; ' he changetli men into other shapes; ' and under his presidency or govern- ' nient are thirty-six legions of devils ' contained.' These 112 POPUL\R SUPERSTITIONS. These Sorcerers or Magiciiins do not always eiiiplox tht^irarl lo lio iiiiiscliiet"; bin, oil tli>' contrary, fVe(|iieiilly evert it to cure diseases iuHicled by witclies; to discover thieves ; recover stolen goods; to foretel future events, and the state of absent friends. On this ac- count, they are frequently called \V liite Witches. FAIRIES. iHis piece of Superstition seems to come from the East, and was probably imported into Europe by some of the Crusaders; as this kind of spirits, in many instances, resembles the genii, of ■whom so many wonderful stories are told by the Arabians; tliough some de- ri\e them from the laies and larvce of the Romans. Fairies, according to the popular ac- counts of them, are a sort of interme- diate beings between men and spirits ; having bodies, with the power of ren- dering them itivisible, and of passing them through all sorts of inclosures. They are remarkably small of stature, with fair complexions, whence they ol>- tained the name of Fairies. Both male and female are generally clothed in green; and frequent groves, mountains, the southern sides of hills, and green meadows, where they amuse them- selves with dancing, hand in hand, in a circle, by moonlight. The traces of their feet are visible next mornincr on the grass, and are commonly called Fairy Rings, or Circles. Fairies ajjfjear to have all the pas- sions and wants of men ; but are great lovers of cleanliness and propriety; for the observance of which they fre- quently reward servants, by dropping money in their shoes : they likewise severely punish sluts and slovens, by pinching them black and blue. Lilly says they are likewise friends to pei"- sons of strict diet, of an upright life, and using fervent prayers to (Jod. Fairies are particularly fond of making cakes; in the doing of which they are said to l)e very noisy. In Ireland, they frequently lay bannocks, a kind of oaten cakes, in the way of travellers over the mountains; and if they do not accept of the intended favour, and eat the bannock, or at least take it up, they seldom escape a hearty beating, or something worse. Fairies oft change their weakly and starveling elves, or children, for the more robust offspring of men. But this can only be done before baptism ; for which reason it is still the custom, in the Highlands, to watch by the cra- dles of infants most assiduously till they are christened. Children so changed have been kept for seven years. There are divers methods of discovering whe- ther a child belongs to the Fairies or not. One is given in the following story, printed in a book intitled, A plea- .sant Treatise on Witchcraft. ' A certain woman having put out ' her child to nurse in the country, ' found, when she came to take it home, ' that its form was so much altered that ' she scarce knew it: nevertheless, not ' knowing what time might do, took it ' home for her own. But when, after * some years, it could neither speak nor go, F A I u 1 i; s. 11. •; * 5,0, tlio poor Moninti was fain (o carry * It, willi iiuicli tri)(il»l(', ill lier arms', ' aiul one tiay, a poor man comiii"' to ' IIh^ tioor, " (iod l)l('ss yon, Mistress," ' yaid lie, " aii drink the \\ater in which one has been dipped. THE SECOND vSIGIIT. Ihe Second-Sight is so called from whereby certain appearances, predic- its being a supplemental faculty of tive of future events, present tlHin- sight, added to that of connnon vision, selves suddenly and spontaneouslv be- Q ' fore lit POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. fore persons so siifted, without any on- deavojir or cloire (ui llieir part to soe tluni. Acconnts didor nmrli rospfctinp,- this faculty ; some iiiakr it liLMi'ditary, wiiich is denied by others. The same dit- ference arises respecting the power of communicatinu; it. But, aceordinii; to an account from a licutleman at Straths- pey to iNir. Aubrey, some of the >Seers iickiiowlediicd the possibility of teach- in:^ it. This gift, or faculty, is in gene- ral rather troublesome than agreeable to the possessors of it, who are chiefly found among the inhabitants of the Highlands of Srotlaml, those of the M estern Jsles, of tlie Isle of Man> and of Ireland. The account sent to Mr. Aubrey says, ' In the Isle of Sky, espe- '^ cially before the Cospel came thither, ' several families had it by succession, ' descending, from parents to children ; * and as yet there are many that have ' it that way : and the only way to be • freed from it is, when a woman hath ' it herself, and is married to a man ' that hath it also, if, in the very act of ' delivery, upon the first sight of the ' child's head, it be baptized, the same ' is free from it ; if not, he hath it all ' his life.' These visions are not confined to solemn or important events. The future visit of a mountebank, or piper; a plen- tiful draughtof iish; the arrival of com- mon travellers; or, if possible, still more trifling matters than these, are foreseen by the Seers. Not only aged men and women have the Second-Sight, but also children, horses, and cows. Children, endowed with that faculty, manifest it by crying aloud, at the very time that a corpse appears to a Seer: of this many in- stances could be given. That horses possess it, is likewise plain, from their violent and sudden starting, when their rider, or a Seer in comjiany with him, sees a vision of any kmd, by night or })y day. It is observable of a horse, that he will not go forwards towards tlu! apparition, but must be led round, at some distance from the common road ; his terror is evident, from his becoming all over in a jjrofuse sweat, although (|uit<3 cool a moment betore. liaiaanTs ass seems to have possessed this power, or faculty; and, perhaps, what we improperly style a startlisli horse, may be one who has the gift of the Second-Sight. That cows have the Second-Sight, is proved by the follow- ing circumstance: If a woman, whilst milking a cow, hapi>en to have a vision of that kind, the cows run away in a great fright at the same instant, and cannot, for some time, be brought to stand rpiietlj'. To judge of the meaning of many visions, or the time in which they will be accomplished, requires observation and experience. In general, the time of accomplishment bears some relation to the time of the day in which they are seen. Thus, visions seen early in the morning (which seldom happens), will be much sooner accomplished than those appearing at noon; and those seen at noon, will take place in a much shorter time than those happening at night: sometimes the accotiiplishment of the last does not fall out within a year or more. The appearance of a person wrapt in a shroud, is, in general, a prognostic of the death of the party. The tiuje when it will happen, may be judged from the height it reaches ; for if it he not seen above the middle, death is not to be expected for a year or more : but when the shroud appears closed about the heatl, the accomplishment is not many hours distant. If, in a vision, a woman is seen stand- SECOND SIGHT. iir> ing near a man's left Imnd, slie will he- roine ins wife; if tliere are two or three al)0ut him, he will marry them all in snccession, aeeordini^ to their proximity. A spark of fire, fallin:; on the helly of a married woman, predicts her delivery of a dead child; the like spark, falling on her arm, betokens she sliall shortly carry a (!e;vd child. If a seat, in which a per>on is sitting, snd- denly appears empty, althongh he hath not moved, this is a certain presage that snch person will very shortly die. Persons who have not long been gifted with Second-Sight, after seeing a vision witliont duors, on ronnng into a honse, and approaching lla (ire, will innnediately fall into a swof)n. All those that have the Second-Si^ht, pear; especially if any one coines near to them, or in the way to meet them. On these occasions they vanish, but presently appear again be- hind the observer, and hold on their course. If a little candle is seen, of a pale or bluish colour, then follows the corpse, either of an abortive, or some infant ; if a large one, then the corpse of some one come to age. If there be seen two, three, or more, of different sizes—some big, some small— then shall so many corpses pass together, and of such ages, or degrees. If two candles come from ditferent places, and be seen to meet, the corpses will do the same ; and if any of these caiulles be seen to turn aside, through some bye-path lead- ing to the church, the following corpse ■will be found to take exactly the same way. " Sometimes these Candles point out tlie places where jjersons shall sicken and die. They have also appeared on the bellies of pregnant women, previous to their delivery ; and pre- dicted the drowning of persons passing a ford. All these appearances have been seen by a ninnber of persons ready to give their testimony of the truth tliereof, some within three weeks of Mr. Davis's writing the letter here quoted." Another kind of iiery apparition pe- culiar to Wales, is what is called the Tun-we, or l\tn-iv(ti. " This appear- eth," says Mr. Davis, " to our seem- ing, in the lower region of the air, straight and long, not much unlike a glaive ; mours or shoots directly and level (as who should say, I'll hit), but far mure slowly than falling stars. It lighteneth all the air and ground where it jiasseth, lasteth three or four miles,, or more, for aught is known, because no man seeth the rising or beginning of it; and, when it falls to the ground, it sparkleth, and lighteth all about.' These commonly announce the decease of freeholders, i>y falliiig on their lands ; " and you shall scarce bury any such ■with us," says Mr. Davis, " be he but a lord of a house and garden, but you shall tiiul some one at his burial, that hath seen this fire fall on some part of his lands." Sometimes those appear- ances have been seen by the persons.- whose death they foretold ; two in- stances of which Mr. Davis records, as having happened in his own fan)ily. The clicking of a death-watch is an omen of the death of some one in the house wherein it is heard. A child, who does not cry, vhcn sprinkled in baptisu), will not live. Children prematurely wise are not long-lived ; that is, rarely reach matu- rity. This notion is quoted by Shake- speare, and put into the mouth of Richard III. Fond parentsare, however, apt to terrify themselves on this occa- sion, without any great cause : witness the mother, who gave as an instance of the uncommon sense of her boy, of only six years of age, That he having laid his dear little hand on a red-hot poker, took it away, without any one soul alive bidding him. CHARMS POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. 117 CHARMS AND CEREMONIES FOR KNOWING FUTURE EVENTS. woman fasting ou Any person fasting on Midsiininier eve, and sitting in the chuicli porcli, ■will at midnight see the spirits of the ])eisons of that parish, wljo will die .that year, come and knock at the church door, in the order and succession in ■which they will die. One of these ■watchers, there being several in com- pany, fell into a sound sleep, so that he could not be waked : whilst in this state, his gliost or spirit was seen by the rest of his companions, knocking at the church-door^ See Puudcmo- iiiitin, by R. B. Any unmarriei Midsummer-eve, and at midnight laying a clean cloth, with bread, cheese, and ale, and sitting down, as if going to eat, the street door being left open — the person whom she is afterwards to mar- ry will come into the room, and drink to her by bowing: and afterwards rtll- ing the glass, will leave it on the tal)le, and, making another bow, retire. See I*u)i(lei)ionium. On St. Agnes night, 21st of .Janua- ry, take a row of pins, and pull out erery one, one after another, saying a Pater-noster on sticking a pin in your sleeve, and you will dream of him or her you shall marry. Another method to see a future spouse in a dream : — The party enquir- hig must lie in a as ' to reco\er. Tlu' lirst of the vouni; ' patients was to be cured of the rickets, ' ilie second of ;i rupture.' This is a very aiuieut aiul extensive piece of su- perstition. — Creeping through tolmeii, or perforated stouc^s, was a Druid ical ceremony, aiul is practised in llie Last lnn talk- ing of him or her. If it is the right cheek, or ear, the discourse is to their advantage ; if the left, to their disad- vantage. When the right eye itches, the party aff'ecterl will shortly cry; if the left, they will laugh. THINGS LUCKY AND UNLUCKY. It is customary for women to offer to legged, with the fingers interlaced, was sit cross-legged, to procure luck at anciently esteemed a magical po>ture. cards for their i'rieuds. (Silting- cross- It is deemed lucky to be born with a caul, 1-20 POPULAR StPERSTITIONS. caul, or mi lubranci, over tlic fare. This is ail aiicitiit and ifcueral Superstition. Ill France, it is proverhial : elre ne coiif'ec, is an expression signifying that a person is extremely f'ortnnate. This can I is esteemed an infallible preserva- tive ai^ainst drowning' ; and under that idea, is frequently advertised for sale in our public papers, and purchased by seamen. It is related that midwives used to sell this membrane to advocates, as an especial means of making them elof|iient: and one Frotns was accused by the clergy of Constantinople with liaviiig oflended in this article. Accord- ing to Chrysostom, the midwives fre- cjuently sold it for magical uses. A person possessed of a caul maj' know the state of health of the party who was born with it : if alive and well, it is firm and crisp; if dead or sick, relaxed and flaccid. It is reckoned a good omen, or a sign. of future ha|j|)iness, if the sun shines on a couple coming out of the church after having been married. It is also esteemed a good sign if it rains v hilst a corpse is burying : *' Ifctj^py is the biMc that the sun sliines on; " Haj>|>v is the ci>i])sc that the rain rains on." To break a looking-glass is extreme- ly uidiicky; the party to whom it be- longs will lose his best friend. If, going a journey on l)usiness, a sow cross the road, you will probably meet with a disa])pointment, if not a bodily accident, before you retiirii home. To avert this, you must endea- vour to prevent her crossing you ; and if tliat cannot be done, you must ride roiuid on fresh gTOund. ifthesowis attended with her litter of pigs, it is lucky, and denotes a successful journey. It is unlucky to see, first one mag- pie, and then more; but to s-ee two, denotes marriage or merriment; three, a successful journey; tuiii', ;r.i iiuex- pected piece of good news; hve, you will shortly be in a great company. To kill a mag])ie, v\iil certainly be punished with some teirii)!e misfortune. Jf, in a faiiiily, tho \ oungest ciaughter should be married before her eldest sisters, they must ail dance at her wed- ding without shoes: this will counteract their ill luck, and procure them huts- bands. W you meet a funeral procession, or one passes by you, always take off your hat: this keeps all e\ il s])irits attend- ing the body in good humour. If, in eating, you miss your mouth, aud the victuals fall, it is very unlucky, and denotes a))j)roaching sickness. It is supposed extremely unlucky to have a dead body on board of a ship at sea. Children are deemed lucky to a ship; their innocence being, by the sailors, supposetl a protection. It is lucky to put on a stocking the wrong side outwards : changing it, alters the luck. When a person goes out to transact any important business, it is lucky to throw an old shoe after him. It is lucky to tumble up stairs: pro- bably this is a jocular observation, meaning, it was lucky the party did not tumble down stairs. It is unlucky to present a knife, scis- sars, razor, or any sharp or cutting in- strument, to one's mistress or friend, as they are apt to cut love and friendship. To avoid the ill efl'ects of this, a pin, a farthing, or some tritling recompence, must be taken. To find a kniie or ra- zor, denotes ill-luck and disappoint- ment to the party. It is unlucky to walk under a lad- der ; it may prevent your being married that vea)'. It THINGS LUCKY AND UNLUCKY. 121 It is a common practice amons: the lower class of liiicksters, pedlars, or dealers in fruit or fish, on recx'iviiijji; the price of the (irst goods sold that day, vhich ihey call hansel, to spit on the money, as they term it, for i^ood luck ; and boxers, before they set to, com- monly spit in their hands, which was orii^inally done for lucks sake. The tirst time a nurse brings a child to visit its parents or relations, it is unlucky to send it back without some gift, as eggs, salt, or brea: 'these were so many charms, which ' passengers coming from (diilau, a pro- ' vince remarkable for agues, had left ' there, in a fond (>.\i)ectation of kav- ' iug this disease also on the same spot.' The Reverend Mr. Brand, in his inge- nious Annotations on IJourne's Popu- lar Antirpiities, mentions a well of thi.s kind, at Benton, in the ueighixMirhood of INewcastle. Mr. Pennant tells us of tw in Scotland : these were visited for 124 POPULiVR SUPERSTITIONS. for many distompers, vliere the offer- ings were small pieces of monej-, and bits of rags. " The fishermen every year change their companions, for hick's sake. On St. Peters day they new paint their boats, and give a treat to their friends and neighbonrs; at which they sprinkle tlieir boats with ale, observing certain ceremonies. " Theseventh son of a seventh son is born a physician ; having an intnitive knowledge of the art of curing all dis- orders, and sometimes the faculty of performing wonderful cures by touch- ing only." To conclude this article, and my book, I shall transcribe a foreign piece of Snperstition, firmly believed in many parts of France, Germany, and Spain. The account of it, and the mode of preparation, appears to iiave been given by a judge: in the latter, there is a striking resemblance to the charm in Macbeth. Of the Hand of Glory, tvhich is made use of hy housebreakers, to enter into houses at night, ivilhout fear of oppo- sition. " I acknowledge that I never tried the secret of the Hand of Glory, but I have thrice assisted at the definitive judgment of certain criminals, who, under the torture, confessed having used it. Being asked what it was, how they procured it, and what were its uses and properties? — they answer- ed ; first, that the use of the Hand of Glory was to stupify those to whom it was presented, and to render them mo- tionless, insomuch that they couM not stir, any more than if they were dead; secondly, that it was the hand of a hanged man; and thirdly, that it must be prepared in the manner following: "Take the hand, left or right, of a per- son hanged, and exposed on the high- way ; wrap it up in a piece of a shroud, or winding sheet, in w hich let it be well squeezed, to get out any small quantity of blood that may have remained in it; then put it into an earthen vessel, with ziiuat, saltpetre, salt, and long pepper, the whole well powdered ; leave it fifteen days in that vessel ; afterwards take it out, and expose it to the noon- tide sun in the dog days, till it is thoroughly dry ; and if tlie sun is not sufficient^ put it into an oven heated with fern and vervain : then compose a kind of candle with the fat of a hanged man, virgin wax, and sisame of Lap- land. The Hand of Glory is used as a candlestick to hold this candle, when lighted. Its properties are, that where- soever any one goes with this dreadful instrument, the persons to whom it is presented will be deprived of all power of motion. On being asked if there ■was no remedy, or antidote, to coun- teract this charm, they said the Hand of Glory would cease to take effect, and thieves could not make use of it, if the threshold of the door of the house, and other places by which they might enter, were anointed with an unguent composed of the gall of a black cat, the fat of a white hen, and the blood of a screech owl; which mixture must necessarily be prepared during the dog days. THE END. mite If Lewis, Printert, No. 25, JVtu- Street, Dishopsgate mthout, London. University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. D 000 013 882 Unive Soi L: