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In Nichols's Illustrations, p. 294, among the "Recei and Disbursements of the Canons of St. Mary, in Huntined 1517, we have the following entry: "Item, for letting or horses blede in Chrystmasse wexe, iiijd." Douce says to practice of bleeding horses on this day is extremely ancien and appears to have been brought into this country by m Danes. See Olai Wormii Fasti Danici, lib. ii. cap. 19.

Among the Finns, upon St. Stephen's Day, a piece a money, or a bit of silver, must be thrown into the troci out of which the horses drink, by every one that wishes prosper.

Bishop Hall, in his Triumphs of Rome, p. 58, says: "0 St. Stephen's Day blessings are implored upon pastures."

A memoir on the manner in which the inhabitants of the North Riding of Yorkshire celebrate Christmas, in the Gest Mag. for May, 1811, informs us that "on the Feast of St. Stephen large goose pies are made, all of which they distribute among their needy neighbours, except one, which is carefuly laid up, and not tasted till the Purification of the Virg called Candlemas."

There is an old proverb preserved by Ray, which I think is happily expressive of the great doings, as we say, or good eating at this festive time: "Blessed be St. Steven, there's no fast upon his even.'

[According to Aubrey, "when the bread was put into the oven, they prayed to God and Saint Stephen, to send them a just batch and an even." This, I suppose, is intended for verse. Pepys, in his Diary for this day, 1661, says, "We went into an alehouse, and there eat some cakes and ale, and a washeall and bowle woman and girl come to us, and sung to us."]

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST.

DECEMBER 27.

THE custom of giving wine on the day of St. John the Evangelist has been already noticed under St. Stephen's Day. The following is Naogeorgus's account of the practice:

Nexte Johu the sonne of Zebedee hath his appoynted day,
Who once by cruell tyraunts will, constrayned was they say
Strong poyson up to drinke, therefore the Papistes do beleeve
That whoso puts their trust in him, no poyson them can greeve.
The wine beside that halowed is, in worship of his name,
The priestes doe give the people that bring money for the same.
And after with the selfe same wine are little manchets made
Agaynst the boystrous winter stormes, and sundrie such like trade.
The men, upon this solemne day, do take this holy wine

To make them strong, so do the maydes to make them faire and fine."

In the Statistical Account of Scotland, 1793, viii. 399, parish of Duffus, co. Moray, we read: "Our common people here still celebrate (perhaps without ever thinking of the origin of the practice) St. John's Day, St. Stephen's Day, Christmas Day, &c., by assembling in large companies to play at football, and to dance and make merry. That horror at the name of holidays which was once a characteristic of the Puritans and true blue Presbyterians, never took possession of them."

CHILDERMAS, OR HOLY INNOCENTS' DAY.

THIS day, in the Calendar of Superstition, is of most unlucky omen. None ever marry on a Childermas Day. Melton, in his Astrologaster, p. 45, informs us it was formerly an article in the creed of popular superstition that it was not lucky to put on a new suit, pare one's nails, or begin anything, on a Childermas Day.

It appears from Fenn's Letters, i. 234, that on account of this superstition the coronation of King Edward IV. was put off till the Monday, because the preceding Sunday was Childermas Day. In the play of Sir John Oldcastle, ii. 2, Murley objects to the rendezvous of the Wickliffites on a Friday: "Friday, quoth'a, a dismal day; Childermas Day this year was Friday." Bourne tells us, chap. xviii., that "according to the monks, it was very unlucky to begin any work upon

Childermas Day; and whatsoever day that falls on, wheti on the Monday, Tuesday, or any other, nothing must be be on that day through the year."

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["And not only among the Romans and Jews, but 2 among Christians, a like custom of observing such days used, especially Childermas or Innocents' Day. Comines ta us that Lewis XI. used not to debate any matter, but account, it a sign of great misfortune towards him, if any man muned with him of his affairs; and would be very angry visi those about him, if they troubled him with any matter whe soever upon that day."-Aubrey's Miscellanies, p. 4. A mother in the Spectator is made to say, No, child, if please God, you shall not go into join-hand on Childerme Day."]

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The learned Gregory, in his Treatise on the Boy-Bisho preserved in his posthumous works, observes that "it hat been a custom, and yet is elsewhere, to whip up the childre upon Innocents' Day morning, that the memorie of Herod' murder of the innocents might stick the closer, and in a me i derate proportion to act over the crueltie again in kinde."

Dugdale, in his Origines Juridiciales, p. 247, speaking of the Christmas festivities kept in Lincoln's Inn, cites an order dated 9th Hen. VIII. "that the King of Cockneys, on Chidermas Day, should sit and have due service; and that he and all his officers should use honest manner and good order, without any waste or destruction making in wine, brava, chely, or other vitails: as also that he, and his marshal, butler. and constable marshal, shall have their lawful and honest commandments by delivery of the officers of Christmas, and that the said King of Cockneys, ne none of his officers, medy neither in the buttery, nor in the stuard of Christmas, his office, upon pain of 40s. for every such medlinge. And lastly, that Jack Straw, and all his adherents, should be thence

1 See Cotgrave's Dictionary, the Diction. de Furetiere, and Diction. de Trevoux, v. INNOCENTER. This custom is mentioned by Hospinian de Orig. Festor. Christianor. fol. 160. "Hujus lanienæ truculentissimæ ut pueri Christianorum recordentur et simul discant odium, persecutionem, crucem, exilium, egestatemque statim cum nato Christo incipere, virgis cædi solent in aurora hujus diei adhuc in lectulis jacentes a parentibus suis."

h utterly banisht, and no more to be used in this house, on pain to forfeit, for every time, five pounds, to be levied every fellow hapning to offend against this rule."

Processions of children on this day have been already noed as forbidden by King Henry VIII.'s proclamation of ly 22d, 1540.

Strype, in his Annals, iii. 139, sub anno 1582, mentions a ot in Finsbury, about Christmas holidays, "by some loose oung men of the Inns of Chancery, one of whom, named ight, was especially indicted for singing in the church, upon Childermas Day, Fallantida dilli, &c.—an idle loose song then sed."

Naogeorgus, in his Regnum Papisticum, lib. iv., shows it to have been still more extensively practised.

Clement Marot has an epigram on this subject (Epig. cxxxv.), upon which Dufressus, his editor, has the following note:

"INNOCENTES. Allusion à un usage pratiquè lors en France, ou les jeunes personnes qu'on pouvoit surprendre au lit le jour des Innocens, recevoient sur le derriere quelques claques, et quelque fois un peu plus, quand les sujet en valois la paine. Cela ne se pratique plus aujourd'hui : nous sommes bien plus sages et plus 1eserves que nos peres."

The following is the account given of it in Les Origines des quelques Coutumes anciennes, &c. 12mo. Caen, 1672, p. 141: "Quoy que la mémoire de cette sanglante tragedie ne doive faire naître que des pensées de piété & des sentimens de compassion; neantmoins, il se pratique en Normandie, & ailleurs, une coutume badine et rid:cule, qui est, que ce jour des Innocents, le plus eveillés & diligens à se lever matin, vont surprendre les paresseux & les endormis, & les foüetter dans leur lit, et cela s'appelle Lailler les Innocents à quelqu'un."

The following is from Douce's MS.-"Chez les cordeliers d'Antibes, le jour des Innocens, les Freres, coupe-choux, et les Marmitons occupaient la place des Peres; et revêtu d'ornemens tournes a l'envers ayant au nez des lunettes, garnies d'ecosses de citron, ils marmotaient confusement quelques mots de prieres dans le livres tournés a l'envers."-Voyageur à Paris, tom. ii. p. 21.

THE QUAALTAGH.

[A curious custom, known as the Quaaltagh, is still pr tially observed in the Isle of Man, and is thus related Train's history of that island. In almost every parish, 1 New Year's Day, a party of young men go from house t house singing the verses of which the following is a translation

"Again we assemble, a merry new year
To wish to each one of the family here,
Whether man, woman, or girl, or boy,
That long life and happiness all may enjoy.
May they of potatoes and herrings have plenty,
With butter and cheese and each other dainty,
And may their sleep never, by night or by day,
Disturbed be by even the tooth of a flea,
Until at the Quaaltagh again we appear

To wish you, as now, all a happy new year!"

When these lines are repeated at the door, the whole party are invited into the house to partake of the best the fami can afford. On these occasions, a person of dark complexion always enters first, as a light-haired male or female is deemed unlucky to be a first-foot or quaaltagh on New Year's morning. The actors of the quaaltagh do not assume fantastic babilimens like the mummers of England or the guisards of Scotland, not do they appear ever to have been attended by minstrels playing on different kinds of musical instruments. It would be con sidered a most grievous affair, were the person who first sweeps the floor on New Year's morning to brush the dust to the door, instead of beginning at the door, and sweeping the dus to the hearth, as the good fortune of the family individually would thereby be considered to be swept from the house for that year. On New Year's Eve, in many of the upland cot tages, it is yet customary for the housewife, after raking the fire for the night, and just before stepping into bed, to spread the ashes smooth over the floor with the tongs, in the hope of finding in it, next morning, the track of a foot: should the

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