rally made for these holidays, which you can use as you please.

A few years ago, I was told by an old man, now deceased, that he remembered the rushes to have been borne on the shoulders of the country people in bundles, some very plain, and others ornamented with ribands, garlands, &c., to the church yard in Rochdale; that they were there dried, previous to being put into the church, and that these rushbearers received a small compensation from the churchwardens. This was before churches were floored with wood. The rushes were strewed for the purpose of rendering the congregation more comfortable, and saving their feet from being chilled by the stone pavements, and, in some instances, the clay floors. In many churches rushes are used in the same manner in the present day. The improvements in education, manufactures, and commerce, have rendered the taste and manners of the working classes more refined, and the old homely method of rush-bearing on the shoulders has given place to the more luxurious and gorgeous display of the rush cart and banner, the form of which will be far better understood by the sketches I enclose, than by a long description.

The rushes are laid transversely on the rush cart, and are cut by sharp knives to the form desired, in which no little art is required. The bolts, as they are termed, are formed of the largest rushes tied up in bundles of about two inches in diameter. These bolts are, as the work of making proceeds, affixed to rods fixed in the four corners of the cart, and carved to the form required. When the cart is finished, the load of rushes is decorated with carnations and other flowers, in different devices, and surmounted by branches of oak, and a person rides upon the top. The carts are sometimes drawn by horses gaily caparisoned, but more frequently by young men, to the number of twenty or thirty couple, profusely adorned with ribands, tinsel, &c. They are generally preceded by men with horse-bells about them, grotesquely jumping from side to side, and jingling the bells. After these is a band of music, and sometimes a set of morris dancers (but without the ancient appendage of bells), followed by young women bearing garlands; then comes the banner made of silk of various colors, joined by narrow riband fretted, the whole profusely covered on both sides

with roses, stars, &c., of tinsel (which in this part is called horse gold), and which, being viewed when the sun shines upon it, dazzles the eye. The banners are generally from four to five yards broad, and six to eight yards long, having on either side in the centre a painting of Britannia, the king's arms, or some other device. The whole procession is flanked by men with long cartwhips, which they keep continually cracking to make a clear path. On the front of some carts is a white cloth, to which is attached a number of silver spoons, tankards, cups, and watches, tastefully displayed.

A

Great rivalry exists between the young men of the neighbouring villages, which shall produce the best formed cart and banner, and it not unfrequently happens that, when two of them meet in the street, a scuffle takes place, and many bloody noses are the result. Six or seven rushcarts are frequently in the town (Rochdale) on the third Monday in August, which is the day for strewing them. collection is made by each party from the gentry and other inhabitants, which enables them to sacrifice very freely at the shrine of Sir John Barleycorn. The displays are very gay, and afford much gratification to strangers, who never before witnessed a rush-bearing. The practice is general in the months of July, August, and September. Those held round this place are at Ashworth, Littlebro, Minbrow, Shaw, Oldham, Royton, Middleton, Heywood, and Whitworth; the customs at each place being much alike. The person who has the forming of a rush-cart is called a 66 featherer," and it was one of these men who unfortunately lost his life at the riots in this town on Easter Monday, in April 1794 or 5. He resided at Marland, and for a number of years afterwards, in commemoration of his death, each of the young men who drew the rush-cart from Marland wore a black scarf, but it is now discontinued. There is a remarkable anecdote concerning the event in the Imperial Magazine, vol. iv. 1822, col. 1203.

J. L.

RUSH-BEARING, AND PERAMBULATING. Morley, near Leeds, May 4, 1831, Mr. HONE,

An account of a "Rush-bearing," in Whitaker's Richmondshire, as far as my observation has extended, is quite correct. He says,―

"This ceremony, at Warton, appears to have been on the feast of the dedication of the patron saint,* St. Oswald, or on the Sunday nearest the first of August. "The vain custom of excessive drinking, dancing, &c., having been laid aside, the inhabitants, and strangers, spend that day in duly attending the service of the church, and making good cheer within the rules of sobriety, in private houses; and, next, in several kinds of diversions, the chief of which is a rush-bearing; which is thus:

They cut hard rushes from the marsh, which they make up into long bundles, and then dress them in fine linen, silk ribands, flowers, &c. Afterwards, the young women of the village who perform the ceremony that year, take up the burdens erect, and begin the procession (precedence being always given to the churchwarden's burden), which is attended with multitudes of people, with music, drums, ringing of bells, &c. When they arrive at the church, they go in at the west door (the only public use I ever saw that door put to), and, setting down their burdens in the church, strip them of their ornaments, leaving the heads or crowns of them decked with flowers, cut paper, &c., in some part of the church, generally over the cancelli.

"Then the company return to the town from whence they came, cheerfully partake of a collation provided for the purpose, and spend the remaining part of the day, and frequently the night also, in dancing, if the weather permits, about a May-pole, adorned with green and flowers, or in some other convenient place."

Rushbearings were not uncommon hereabouts when I was a boy.-At Birstal, about three miles hence, I remember once to have seen a procession, as I did at Rochdale, in Lancashire, in 1828; but you will be pleased to observe one thing, Mr. Hone, which is this,-whereever our churches are paved or flagged, as most have been since the Tudor reigns, and all since the reformation, there has been no necessity to strew the churches; and this part of the ceremony has, generally, if not always, been dispensed with. can, however, refer to one place where the whole ceremony (with the exception of the May-pole dance) is gone through,

In proof of this see also Drake's Illustra tions, i. 210.

and that place is Grassinere, noticed in vol ii. p. 277 of your Table-Book. This place (in a pedestrian excursion to the lakes) I visited in 1828, and, being more intent upon antiquities than even lake scenery, you may be sure I overlooked nothing, in the church especially. Judge my surprise, when I tell you I found the very seat floors all unpaved,* unboarded, and the bare ground only strewed with rushes. My eye was also particularly attracted by the paper garlands which I found deposited in the vestry: they were curiously and tastefully cut, and I was almost tempted to beg one of them. Not to be tedious, I would refer your readers to the account of your correspondent above alluded to, whose accuracy I can testify, and in nothing more truly than as respects the civility, nay, even friendliness, of the people in this charming district.

I do not know how I can better fill my sheet than by sending you an account of parochial perambulations, or boundary riding, as I remember no particular account of them in your "Every-Day" or Table-Book." My best extract is from Fosbroke's Encyclopædia, vol. ii. p. 500.

"Those boundaries which commonly marked the limits of jurisdiction appertaining to the founder of the church were distinguished by trees, called 'gospel trees,' because the clergyman read the gospel of the day under or near them. The processionists carried a cross, or crosses, and staves. Boys were taken in order to be flogged at the boundaries, for the purpose of infixing them in their memories. Among us a figure of Christ was hung up to represent the ascension. In some churches a dragon with a tail, filled with chaff, was exhibited, and emptied on the third day, to show that the devil, after prevailing on the first and second day before, or, under the law, was, on the thyrd daye of grace, by the pas sin of Jhesu Criste, put out of his reame.' After dinner, in some countries, the people went to church, where a wooden image of the devil was placed upon the altar. This was drawn up to the roof, let down by a violent fall, and broken to

land, Cumberland, &c., have never been Many of the old churches in Westmerceiled, or, as we call it in Yorkshire, underdrawn.

In our church wardens' accounts I find notices of this curious ceremony.

At the time I had the pleasure of an hour or two's chat with you at your family table in Gracechurch Street, I made a promise to collect a little information on the custom of rush-strewing.

In the town account book of the parish of Hardley, near Loddon, Norfolk, it seems to have been customary to strew the church with rushes, as the entries therein plainly show, commencing with the year 1709, and the last in 1736; it is generally entered thus, " paid for rushes for the church, 3s. ;" but in some years it is entered in two half-yearly payments of 1s. 6d. each After the last years are entries of the same annual sum of 3s. for "nats or knats (I presume for mats) for the church."

It is still the custom to strew Norwich cathedral, on the mayor's day, or guild day, out of compliment to the corporation, who on that day attend the cathedral serVice. I must here observe that it is the sweet-scented flag, (6 acorus calamus, that should be used on these occasions, whose roots when bruised give out a very powerful and fragrant odour, somewhat resembling that of the myrtle. This plant, from the great demand the root has attained in our breweries (under the name of quassia), has not been obtainable for many years, and the yellow water iris, iris pseudo-acorus," has been substituted. The flags were formerly strewed from the great west door to the entrance of the mayor's seat; but are now laid no further than the entrance of the choir. Twelve

shillings per annum are now allowed by the dean and chapter for this service.

I am informed that it is yet the custom to strew the Trinity-house, at Hull; perhaps you have some correspondent there from whom you can obtain information.

CUSTOMS. It is customary with the good housewives of Norfolk on placing a "clutch or litter" of eggs (generally thirteen) in a nest for incubation (more particularly of a goose or duck), to swing a lighted candle over them at the time, as a charm, to prevent hawks, crows, or other birds of prey, flying away with the young gosslings or ducks, produced from the eggs charmed.

In Somersetshire, when a black or blood pudding is boiling, an old wig of the parson's is much coveted, and, when obtained, hung up in the chimney as a charm, to prevent the pudding bursting.[This I had from Tawney Rachel.]

An old laborer, who worked many years on my farm, informed me that when a boy he was in the service of a farmer at Mulbarton, Norfolk, who had two considerable orchards, and a sufficient quantity of cyder for the family for the whole year: and it was customa'y with the servants to preserve the most cross-grained block of elm (if they could find one) for the Christmas or yule block: and my informant adds, that, as long as any part of the block remained unconsumed, they had the best and strongest cyder at their meals; and that a small portion of the yule-block was always preserved till the joyous season came again, when it was used for lighting the new Christmas block.

The following is a copy of a MS. notice (verbatim et literatim) posted on the sign post of the Bull Inn, East Tuddenham, Norfolk :

66 Sports of the Week.

Nekt Wednsday 25th of nay there will be at East Tuddenham Bull Jingling matches for Hats Jumping in Sacks Catching a pig with the

Tail greazed climbing of a pole of wemen Runing

For Snuff old men for tobacco there will be also A place Reserved for Dancing and Seats will be Also Reserved for the Leades there will be A band of musick pepered to conclude with A grand Exbitrition of Fire Works by J T."

The above notice relates to a sort of village wake, called there "a leet,"

which Major Moor in his Suffolk words, under" Foury-leet," says is an old word for a meeting.

GODDARD JOHNSON

A great number of notices concerning Rush-bearing may be found scattered in different works, and many are collected together by Mr. Brand among his "Popu lar Antiquities."

In ancient times the parishioners brought rushes at the feast of the dedication, to strew the church, and hence the festivity was called "Rush-bearing." The churchwardens' accounts of St. Mary at Hill, London, 1504, have this item: "Paid for 2 Berden Rysshes for the strewyng the newe pewes, 3d." In the accounts of 1493, there is charged "for 3 Burdens of Rushes for the new pews, 3d. In similar accounts for the parish of St. Margaret's Westminster, 1554, is the following item: "Paid for Rushes against the Dedication Day, which is always the first Sunday of October, 1s. 5d." In Coates's History of Reading, among the entries in the churchwardens' accounts of St. Laurence Parish, 1602, we have: "Paid for Flower, and Rushes for the Churche when the Queene was in towne, xxd." Newton's Herball to the Bible, 1587, mentions" Sedge and Rushes, with the which many in the country do use in sommer time to strawe their parlors and churches, as well for cooleness as for pleasant smell."

Chambers, and indeed all apartments usually inhabited, were formerly strewed in this manner. As our ancestors rarely washed their floors, disguises of uncleanliness became very necessary. It appears, too, that the English stage was strewed with rushes. Compare Reed's Shakspeare, vol xi. p. 331.

The author of "Whimzies, or a New Cast of Characters, 1631," describing a zealot, says: "He denounceth a heavy woe upon all Wakes, Summerings, ad Rush bearings, preferring that act whereby pipers were made rogues, oy Act of Parliaments, before any in all the Acts and Monuments." Speaking of a pedlar the author says: "A Countrey Rush-bearing, or Morrice-Pastoral, is his Festivall; if ever he aspire to plum-porridge, that is the day." So, also, in "A Boulster Lecture, 1640," we are told of "Such an one as not a Rush-bearer, or May-morrish in all that parish could subsist without him."

Bridges, in his History of Northamptonshire, says, of the parish of Middleton Chendeut, "It is a Custom here to strew the Church in summer with Hay gathered from six or seven swaths in Ash-meadow, which have been given for this purpose. The Rector finds straw in winter." Hentzner, in his Itinerary, speaking of Queen Elizabeth's presence-chamber at Greenwich, says, "The floor, after the English fashion, was strewed with Hay,” meaning Rushes. In "Wits, Fits, and Fancies, 1614," we read," Henry the Third, king of France, demaunded of Monsieur Dandelot, what especiall thinges he had noted in England, during the time of his negociation there: he answered that he had seene but three things remarkable, which were, that the people did drinke in bootes, eat rawe fish, and strewed all their best roomes with Hay, meaning blacke Jackes, Oysters, and Rushes." It were needless to multiply instances of this gen eral custom of strewing rushes in old times.*

September 19.

THE GOLDFINCH.

This bird, sometimes called the thistle finch, is highly esteemed for its singing, and the brilliancy and variety of its colors. It is certainly the most beautiful and finest feathered of all song birds; and is so well known as to render description needless. It is of a mild and gentle nature, and, presently after being taken, will eat and drink, and be little troubled by imprisonment in a cage. It is called in some places the draw-water, from its readily learning to draw water in a little ivory bucket, fastened to a small chain, made for that purpose. This little creature pulls up the bucket, drinks, and throws it down again; and lifts up the lid of a│ small box or bin with the bill to come at the food. It is wonderfully delighted with viewing itself in a glass, fixed to the back of the bucket-board. It will sit upon the perch opposite, preening itself, often looking in the glass, and placing every feather in strict order. No lady can take greater pleasure, or be more nice, in dressing herself. It is a long-lived bird, sometimes reaching to twenty years of age. It flies in flocks or companies; and, when at liberty, delights to feed upon the seeds of thistle, teasel, hemp, dock, &c.

• Brand

The feathers in the male on the ridge of the wing are coal-black, quite up to the shoulder: while, in the hen bird, though they appear black, they are of a greyish, or dusky ash-color. He is browner on the back and sides of the breast; the red, yellow, and, in short, all his colors, are much brighter than those of the hen. These are constant, infallible marks, by which he may be known from the female, whether old or young; and, besides, the hen has a smaller note, and does not sing so much.

The female begins to build in April, when the fruit-trees are in blossom. Her nest is not only very small, but exceed ingly pretty; the outside consists of very fine moss, curiously interwoven with other soft bedding; the inside lined with delicate fine down, wool, &c. She lays six or seven white eggs, specked and marked with a reddish brown. It is not very easy to find her nest; for she builds in apple, pear, plum, and other fruit trees, but most commonly in the apple, pretty high upon the branches, where either the blossom or leaves intercept the sight; and at a season when the nest cannot be approached without the hazard of damaging the bloom or young fruit. She likewise frequently builds in the elder-tree, and, sometimes, in thorns and hedges.

Young goldfinches are tender, and should not be taken before they are pretty well feathered; they will not be sullen, like the young of many other birds, by staying long in the nest. For their meat, when young, soak white bread in fair water, strain it, and then boil it with a little milk to the consistence of hastypudding, adding a little flour of canaryseed. Feed them every two hours, or oftener, giving them two or three small bits only at a time. Begin to feed them

The length of a full-grown goldfinch, from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, is five inches and a half; of which the latter is two, and the former a little more than half an inch long. A healthy bird weighs about an ounce.

If a bird be out of order, or droop, give saffron in the water. If the bowels are relaxed, crumble a little dry chalk in the cage, or among the seed, or stick a bit betwixt the wires of the cage, and lay gravel at the bottom; or try him with a little thistle seed, or other seeds which they delight to feed upon when wild the first may be found in the great thistle, at the bottom of the white down.

The goldfinch is taken in great numbers with lime twigs, or the clap.net, in the fields where they feed. When first caught they may have hemp-seed cracked, or some of the seeds they feed upon in the meadows. They may soon be brought to e canary seed, which is more whole

some.

There sat upon the linden-tree

A bird, and sang its strain ;
So sweet it sang, that, as I heard,
My heart went back again.

It went to one remember'd spot,

It saw the rose-trees grow,
And thought again the thoughts of love
There cherish'd long ago.

thousand years to me it seems
Since by my fair I sate,

et thus t have been a stranger long
Was not my choice, but fate:
Since then I have not seen the flowers,
Nor heard the birds' sweet song;
My joys have all too briefly past,
My griefs been all too long.
Dietmar von Ast, 13th Cent.

Sun rises

sets. Twilight ends

Martins congrega..

September 20.

20th of September, 1815, died, at the great age of ninety-two, William Hutton, Esq., F. S. A., the historian of Birmingham and Derby, eminent in antiquities for his itinerary of the Roman

• Alb .