A

PROVINCIAL GLOSSARY;

WITH

A CO LLECTI0 N

OF

LOCAL PROVERBS,

AND

POP U LA R SUP ERS TIT ION S.

By FRANCIS GROSE, ESQ. F. R. & A. S. S.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR EDWARD JEFFERY, No. 11, PALL MALL.

18Il. WHITE & LEWI!, PriotcnI, No. 25, New Strect, Bishops-gate Without, London. PREFACE.

THE utility of a PROVINCIAL GLOSSARY to all persons desirous of under­ standing our ancient poets, is so universally acknowledged, that to enter into a proof of it would be entirely a work of supererogation. Divers partial collec­ tions have been occasionally made, all which have been well received, and fre­ quently re-printed; these are, ill this work, all united under one alphabet, and augmented by many hundred words collected by the Editor in the different places wherein they are used; the rotation of military quarters, and the re­ cruiting service, having occasioned him to reside for some time in most of the counties in England. Provincial or Local Words are of three kinds, the first, either Saxon or Danish, in genel'al grown obsolete from disuse, and the introduction of more fashionable terms; and, consequently, only retained in countries remote from the capital, where modern refinements do not easily find their way, and are not readily adopted. The second sort are words derived from some foreign language, as -Latin, French, or German; but so corrupted, by passing through the mouths of illiterate clowns, as to render their origin scarcely discoverable; corruptions of this kind being obstinately maintained by country people, who, like the old Monks, wilt never exchange their old mwnpsimlls for the new sllmpsimlls. The third are mere arbitrary words, not deducible from any primary source or language, but ludicrous nominations, from some apparent qualities in the object or thing, at first scarcely cnrrent out of the parish, but by time and use extended over a whole county. Such are the Cllllrc1t-wardcJl, Jack-sharp-nails, l/rotch-tai4 Stc. The books chiefly consulted on this occasion were Ray's Proverbs, Tim Bobbin's Lancashire Dialect, Lewis's History of the Isle of Thanet, Sir John Cullum's History of Hawstead, many of the County Histories, and the Gentle­ man's Magazine: from the last, the Exmore dialect was entirely taken. Several Gentlemen, too respectable to be named on so trifling an occasion, have also contributed their assistance. In selecting the words, such as only differed from those in common use, through the mode of pronunciation, were mostly rejected; nor in the arrange- iv PRE PA C E. ment, except in a few instances, are they attributed 01' fixed to a particular

o. county,• it bein<> difficult to find an"J word used in one county, that is not adopted at least in the adjoinillg border of the next; they are therefore generally arranged under the titles of North, South, and 'Vest country word~, distinguished by the letters N. S. and 'V. '" onls lIsed in several counties in the same sense, arc pointed out by the letter C. to express that they are common; and sometimes these are distinguished by the abbreviation Val'. Dial. sigl1ifying that they are llSed in various dialects. The East country scarcely afforded a sufficiency of words to form a division. As the LOCAL PROVERBS all allude to the particular history of tlw places mentioned, or some ancient customs respecting them, they seem worth pre­ ser\'ing, particularly as both the cnstoms, and many of the places alluded to, are sliding silently into oblivion. For these Local Pl'Overbs I have consulted Fuller's 'Vorthies, Ray, and a variety of other writers, many of whose explana­ tions I have ventured to controvert, and, I hope, amend. The POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS, likewise, tend to illustrate our ancient poems and romances. Shakespeare, iII particular, drew his inimitable scenes of magic from that source; for, on consulting the writers 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 theil' 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 he totally effaced; 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 1. Glamil, Dr. Henry More, Beaumont, Aubrey, Cotton Mather, Richard Baxter, Reginald Scot, and Bourne's Popular 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 countries remote from the metropolis, or which had no immediate intercourse with it, before news-papers and stage­ coaches 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 thoHe in ChriHtmas holidays, during the burning of the yule-block. A GLOSSARY

OF PROVINCIAL AND' LOCAL 'VVORDS~

A. AGG AME ABITED, mildewed. Kent. Agye " to look agye, to look aside. N. Aboon, above. N. Aidle; to aidle, to earn or work for: Ackersprit, a potatoe with roots at both I aidle my keep, I earn my mainte­ ends. N. nance or food. N. From the ancient AcknOlCll, acknowledgeJ. N. Saxon word Ed-lean, a reward, re­ Aclacards; when a beast lies backwards compence, or requital. and cannot rise, he is said to lye Aislt, stubble; wheat 01' oat aish, wheat ackwards. N. or oat stubble. Hamp. Advised; I a'u't adrised of it, I can­ Ai.res, an ague. Northumb. not recollect it, or am ignorant of Alantem, at a distance. N. and S. From it. Norf. the French Lointail/. Aey, yes. N. and S. A lcgar, i, e. Ale-aigTe, sour ale used Ajierings, the strokings, 01' last of a as "iuegar. Cumbo cow's mille Del'. Alkit/tole, a fool, a silly oaf. Exmore. Aftermatlts, the pasture after the grass Allemal/g, mixed together; a Wiltshire has been mowed. N. and S. saying, when two Hocks of sheepr Agates, or Agateward, on the way: I are accidentally driven together. will set yon agates, or ag'ateward ; Alle1J/llslt-Day, i. e. Allull1ag-e-day, tll'e I will accompauy you part of the day on which the Canterbury silk way. N. weavers bq:\'in to work by candJe­ Agest, ai' Agast, afraid. N. lig'lit. Keu1. AggiJlg, murmuring, raising a quarrel : Altern-bate/I, a k illU of botch, or old eg;;ing' or edg'ing is an expression sore; probably of ./Eldcm, elder; used in most countries, signifying and bosse, a botch. Ex. exciting 01' whetting au persons to A/pc, No/pc, or Blood O/ph, a buIl~ qual'1'el. Exm. This wonl is proba­ tinch. i\orr. and S ulf. bly derived from the French verb, Amell, betweeu, used in dividing time; Agacer, to provoke. amelI oue aud two a·clock. II Amm~ ARV AWN Ammal, a luncheon before dinner; de­ A-scat, broken like an egg. De\', riyed from the l~rench word, lJIolle, Ashelt, likely, probably, D. a IUlIlp, W. Ash Trug, a coal-scuttle. Cumbo A II/jier, a fault, defect, 01' flaw; an am­ Asltler, large free stone. Cmnb. prey tooth, a decayed tooth. Kent. Ask, or Asker, a newt. N. A II(11111 lrins, perad\'enture, if 80 be. A-slat, crack'd like an earthen vessel. Korthum. De\'. Anchor, of a huckle, the chape. Glou. Asley, willingly. Northnmb. Allcliif: the anele. N. . Aslile, anon, shortly, as soon as; i. c. Angle-Bon'iug, a method of fencmg As-Tide. Tide, in the north, signi­ sheep-groulllls, used at EXlllore ill fies soon, and tider, or titler, sooner; Somersehhire. from the Saxon word, Tid, time; Allg-nails, corns on the feet. Cumb. whence shrove-tide, whitsun-tide. Anent, oppo~ite. DerLy, and N. Atchison, a Scotch coin, worth four Aneoust of an Alleoustlless, nearly the bodIes. N. same. Glou. Attern, fierce, cruel, snarling, ill-na­ Aneust, about the matter, nearly. Derks. tured; perhap,.; from the word, Ater, Ant/wny Pig, the favourite, or smallest blood; 01' the Latin word, Atcr. Glo. pig of the litter or f~UTOW. Kent. Aller, matter, pus, sanies; from A. S. Antle-Beer, cross-wise, irreg'ular. Exm. Ater, sanguis, virus. A-purl, sullen. EXIll. Allercob, a spider; from Aier, blood, Aqllabob, an isicle. Kent. and Cob, a tyrant. Attercob is also AqllO'll, weary of eating. Ex. See used for a cobweb: some interpret Quat. i~ the poisonous tyrant, from Aiel', Arain, a spi(ler; from the French, 'Irus. Arm'gncc. N. Aud, old. N. Arclas, fallowings, 01' ploug'hings of Au(ljarand, old fashioned, old like: an gTound. N. and S. alldfaralld bairn, a child of premature Alj; afraid. N. he arf, I am afraid. abilities. N. Grave, sahel'. Argol, tartar, or lees of wine. N. & S. Auk, aukward, untoward. S. Argosies, ships. N. Awn, an elm. Northumb. Ark, a large chest; from the Latin AU11lbray, Ambrey, or Aumery, a pan­ ,,'ord, Area. NorthulUb. try, a cupboaru for holding victuals. Arks, at' Earles, money paid to bind N. a bargain, called eamest, or an earll's AlludeI', or Onedcr, the afternoon. penny. N. Ches. Arr, a mark or scar. Cumbo Hence A IIlers, strungI' work, or strang'e things. pock-an'd, marker! by the small pox. N. Arse-leanl, hackward. CUlllb. Afcrnge, the breakin2; of corn fields, Arsy-mrsy, head o\'er heels; down cdi"h, roughing;s. N came t'Tit, and away tumbled she, A LTore, frozen, frostv. Exmore. arsy-varsy. Del'. and. N. All); an elf: a filiry.. Derby, and N. Art, eight. Exmore. Au'llii/,:;', all owing' to; because it was Arleen, eighteen. Exmore. ;l\dlllJ~ with yon, it was all owing; to An'ill, a funeral. N. you. Lun. and N. An'LlI Supper, a feast made at fune­ Awn'd, ordained, fated; I am awu'd to rals. N. ill luck. N. AWI/S, AWV AZO Awns, the beards of wheat or bar~ Axen, ashes. Hamp. and 'V. ley; in Essex pronounced Ails. N. Axwaddle, a dealer in ashes; and Awnters, peradventure, or in case; it sometimes one that tumbles in them. also means scruples; he is troubled Exmore. with A wnters. N. Aye, always, continually; for ever and Awvislt, queer; neither sick nor welL aye. Northumb. and N. N. .A.z{)on, anon, presently. Exmore.

B. BAR BAT BACKSIDE, the back yard of a called bars. Yorksh.; derived from; house, where the poultry are kept. liar and Gheist. W. Bargain, a parcel, an indefinite quan­ Backster, a baker. N. tity or nnmber; as, I have a goocl Backstone, a stone 01' iron which IS bargain of corn this year, or a good heated for baking oaten bread or bargain of lambs. Norf. cakes. N. Bargh, a horseway up a hill. N. Badger, a huckster. N. Baric, a box for receiving the ends or Bag!{a'ged, or Bjg(t'ged, matI, be­ pieces ofcandles. N, witcllPd. Ex. Barkell, a yard of a house, backside. Bagging-time, baiting-timc. Lan. & N. or uartoll. Sce Barton. S. IJaill, limber, flexible. 1'\ ort: In the Barkil, dirt, &c. hardened on hair;­ North it means willing. perhaps from its adhering like the Bairn, a child. N. bark of a tree. Bai1'll-teams, broods of children, N. Barll/e, yeast. Kent and S. Balk, or Ballle-staif, a quarter-staff. N. Barmskin, a leather apron. Lan. Ballow, a pole. N. EamgulI, a urcaking out in small pus- 1'0 Ball, to curse; from the Saxon. N. tule~ in the skin. Exmore. Bandy-tIC-wit, a nallle given to any Barr, a gate of a tOWII or city. N. dog,. when persolls intend to use it Barra, or Barro/l', a gelt pig'. EXlllore. in makiug sport of its master. Lan. Barsa Ie, barking-time. N orf. Bangueggar, a beadle. Del'. Earst, uur"t. Lane. Bangil/g, great, large. S. Bar/It, a warm place ai' pasture fOl' Bank; to uank, to beat. Exmore. calve~ and lamus. S. Ban-uet-Tree, a walnut-trel'. Glo. Bar/Oil, a yard of a hOl1se, or back­ Bannock, an oat cake, kneeded with ~ide. Sussex. water orily, and baked in thc em­ Base, a perch. Cumb.; in Hampshire, bers. N. a sea-perch. Bant, a string; probably a corruption BasllY, fat, swelled. N. of bam]. Lan. Busterly-gullion, a La~tard's bastard. Bar-guest, a ghost, all in white, with Lanc. large saucer eye:,:, commonly ap­ Bat; to bat the eyes, to winle Derb. pearing' near gates or stiles, there Batcli, a kind of hound. N. Bale, BEl BID

Bale, 01' BelliI'll', without, except. Lan. Begolle, decayed, worn; the thatch of Ballen, to feed or f~ltten. 1.\. this house is lamentably begone. Baltill, the straw oft\\'o shea\'es folded Norf. and Suff. togetllPr. N. Be/lither, on this side; in opposition to BUlillg leillt c/lild, hreeding, gravid. N. beyond. Sus:-;ex. Bat/If'S, commou::;, 01' board. Oxford BellOl/llch'd, tricked up and made fine; allel Cumb. a metaphor taken from an ornament Bafflillgs, the loppill~s of trpe~" larger WOI'll bY' a cart horse, called hOlillches, than ta~!;gots aud les::; t!Jan timber. "hich 'lies spread llPOll his collar. 1\01'. aud Suf. This term is in general used ironi­ Ball!('-lll"i~', an ear-wi~. Derh. call Y. S llssex. L Ballril, a batting stall' used by laUIl­ Beleai..ius, i. e. by the lady-kin, or lit­ dn·sses. Lall. tle lady; a Luncashire and Derby­ Bauk, the Sllmmer, lJeam, or dormall ; shire inteljection. also a pole or beam, such as are used Belike, probably, perhaps. N. under tIle roofs of small buildings; Beliar, anon, by and by, in the even­ ~Iso land left nnplollg'hed, to eli\ ide ing, towards night. Northlllllb. & N. the property of diftel'ent persons in Bellart, a bull or bearwarrI. N. COllllllon or open fields. Northulllb. Bell, or Belld; to the true ben or bend; Bmrl..s, a ha v luft. Cumb. possibly of belldall, Saxon, to stretclt 1Jal/rglll/'{/n,< hor"c-collars. N. ant; to yield to; to the purpose, or BUI/terl. See lJl/rkd. f'llfliciently; to the utmo"t stretch. Baeell, a lJrush, lilg'C:Ot. Kent. Exmore. BcakJllellt, a measure containing four Buu!, a harder of a woman's cap. K.; quarts. N. perhaps from baud. Beat/ling, or bathing wood by the fire, Bl/lId-kilt, a kind of great cann with a setting or straightening 1II1seasoned cO\'er. N. wood by heat. 1\o1'f. and Suff. I](,lIcfit, a church living', or henefice. N. Beck, or jJeek, a rivnlt't or brook. N. Bensel, to beat or bang. Vox. rustica. 1J('('n, nimble, clerer. Lan. Yorksh. Beeos, cows. Berr!!; to herry, to thresh out corn. N. Beesl, or Becslill,gs, milk immediatelv BCl'r!Jer, a thre"her. aftcr the cow bas calved. Lan. ,1lJ~l :fJesolll, a broollJ. N. Glou. IJdll'al:!{'(!, confounded, Ollt of one's Beestlillg-pl/ddillg, pndding; made of s('n,,('.~, abo bC\\T'1\'{~d. N. bel'st. BI'I'{Till;j,', tl'f'lllbliug·. ·N. Bedllrled, hc,.;meared or bcdawbcd. X. lJl'Il'irl'l'rI, lost to OIH,''' "df, be\rildered, !Jedd, slwlter. l\'. CO!ll()lllldcd. E'l.lllore. Beenl-lIecd, help 011 particular occa­ Bib,!;a, 10 trclll!Jh'; I saw his under sions. Lanc. lip bibber. Keut, See B('ecrill"r;. Beer, or Birre, forcr' or mi"'ht· \\,jth Bid, to hid or bede, to pray. 1\,; \\ 11('IICC aw Illy beer, \\ ith all 111\ j('I'~e. ('heslJ. h:"l!('sl::all. Beer-good, yeast. l\orr."and sun: Bir!(', 10 stav or ahide. C. It will !Jide Bees, cows. Cumh. billill;.:e at: it \\ ill hear \\orkilJ;!; at. N. BC('SOill, or B!JssI/JIl, a broom. N. Let IIIl'bide, Id bim "tav. "'. Bei;:;/it (of tllC elbo\\), bending; of the 13iddul, illrikd, suflcrcd ; '\\ llcure, fo1'­ elbow. N. biddl'lJ. ~. Big, DLE BOL Big, barley. Cumb. Bleb, a blister; also a bubble in the Big; to big, to build. Cumbo water. N. B':gge, a pap or teat. Essex. Blee, blueish, pale, blue. N. Biggeuning; I wish you a goorl big- Bleed, to yield or produce well; the genning, i. e. a good getting up aftel' corn bleeds well. lying in. N. Bleit, or Blate, bashful. N. Billard, a bastard capon. Suss. Blenclles, faults. N. Bird qf ti,e Eye, the pupil or sight Blen-col'n, wheat mixed with I've, i. e. of the eye. Suft: blended corn. York. • Biird, or i3ird, brl'ad. EXlll. Blendings, beans and pease mixed to­ Birk, a birch tree. N. gether. N. Birlady, by our lady. York & Derby. Bligh, a faint resemblance; methinks Birt11, a place or station; a good birt h ; he has a Lligh of his father. K. mine is the next birth. Kent. This Blirt, to cry. N. word is used by seamen of all coun­ Bliml-lco]'lJI, the snake called asIa\\"­ ties in the same sense; to birth a worlll. N. and S. floor, to place or lay down a floor. Blo([cher, any large animal. N orthumh. Bis/lOp, the little spotted beetle, COUl­ Blog'gy; to Mog'gy, to sulk 01' be sul­ manly called the lady-bird, or lady­ len. Ex. cow; in some countril's the golden Blotell·foud, that kind of affection knop. S. C. The bishop has set his shewn hy a child fill' its nurse; the foot in it, a sa~'ing' in the North, child is Lloten of her. Chcs. 1I:':ed for Illilk that is burnt too in Blml"Ill11llllgel', a fat full faced person, boilin;'. Formerly, in days of super­ one whose cheeks seelll pufled alii. stition, whenever a bishop passed Ex. through a tom] or village, all the Blow-illilk, skimmed milk, perhaps inhabitants ran out, in order to re­ Lllle milk; milk when clo"elv skim­ ceive his blessing; this frequently med Leiug of a bll1ei ..;]] colo;lr. X. c:1used the milk on the fire to be Bh1fc; to Llufl(~, to Llilldfold. 1\01'­ left till bUl'llt to the vessel, and g'a,e tlillIIIb. origin to the above allusion. BllIsh; to hlu"h, to reselllhle. :X. Bizeud, Bce::en, or Bison, blind. Bodle, a Scotch coin, one si:\th of n. Northum. penu)'. N. Bloke, yellow; spoken of butter and Body, a simpleton. N. cheese; as blake as a paigle. N. BO/!.:!.!,flrf, a spectre; it) take Log;'art. Cow blakes, co,,-dun~: dried for fuel. said of a horse tliat starts at allV' Blakiu!!.', crying, out at breath. E.\.Jll. ohject in the Iw(!;e 01' road. N. . lJlariJi.~·, the crying of a child; also Bo/!.ge, bold, for\\ anI, saucJ'. S. A the hleating' of a sheep, or lowing of very bogge fellow. an ox 01' co\\'. Sutf. Bo,g:glr-, or Bog/p, a ghost. :IX. Blwll.lj, thill, poor; blashy milk or Boke; to hoke', to point at. Che"ll. bepr. .N orthulllh. Boo1.:e and Yallc, lusty and strong. N. Blattlly, IJlack ai' dirty. Glou. Eolc, a hole ne", a measure; limr ken- BlaziJlg, spreading; abroad news or uiugs and three new boles make all scandal. Ex. old hole, in harley and oats only. N. Blcl/rc, to rU:ir and cry. N. Boll of '')'lIlt, t\\O bushels. .xortllllnl. Boll now nnE noll of a Trer, the stem, trunk, or BOll:kc, to nauseate, to be re:\(ly t<> blldy. N. vomit; also to belch, sometimes pro­ jJoldas, round flint stones used III nounced bokp. N. bllildings. Suss. Brr(!Jget or Bracket, a compound Bolliu!!,',,', 'pollards; trees whose heads drmk made of honey and spices. .l\. alld brauches arc cut 00: Bmkcl/, or Bmkcs, fem. N. BOlles, bobbins for making' lace, pro­ Bml/d-irolls, COITUption of AntIirons. bably tlrst made of bOlles; hcnce N hOlll' lace. .l\. JJrrrl/ders, the supporters of a com­ flol/rs/wl'e, a bony or horny excres­ stacie N. ('('nce or tumollr, gTo\\ing' on horscs Brrl1ldritll, or Brander, a tril'rt or other lIed", perhaps so called ti'om a dis­ iron stand to set a vessel over the tant rcsemblance to the substance fire. N. Brandire. Ex. of a Loue spavin; also the scratches. Brallk, buck wheat, called in sOllie Exmore. counties crap. Ess. Sulf. an{! N 01'1'. BOOII, to Loon or buen, to do service Brant, steep; a brant hill. J.\'urtlllllllb. to another as a landlord. N. Bmsll, a fit, or tumbling aile about. BOOIl, a gratuitous day's work. N. Northl1l11. Boor, the parlour, Led-chamber, or Brat, a coarse apron, a rag. Linc. inner room. Cnmb. Branellc, 01' Brmcc/LC, rakings of straw Boose, an ox or cow-stall. N. to kindle fires. Kent. Boosterillg, labouring' busily so as to Brauc/lin, a collar for a horse, made or sweat. Ex. old stockings, stuffed with straw. Bore-tree, an elder tree. N. From the Cumbo great pith in the younger branches, B1"llug/lll'lIam, a dish made of cheese, which childl'en commonly bore out eggs, bread and butter, boileu to;;'c­ to make pop-guns of them. thel" Lanc. Borse, a calf of half a year old. Hamp. Braunds, or Broans, i. e. brands, cleft Bosll, to cut a bosh. 1'\01'1'. To make or split wood for the lire. A seam a lignre. of braunds, a horse-load of billet Bostal, a way lip hill. Suss. woorI. A rick of braunds, a ~tack BOllds, wevils, an insect bred in malt. of woou cleft for the fire. "l oakl'n 1\ orr. or elmer braunds, oaken or elm BOllk, a pail for holding water; "'hence timber. bouket or bucket. Sta!'!: A wbirl­ Brau'n, a boar. Cumbo The brawn's bouk, a churn, ,,'hich is worked by head, the boar's head. tUl'lliug round. Bray, to bray, to neigh; the horse BOlllder, a large round stone. C. brays. Berks. BOIIII,. to IJOun and unboun, to dress Breade, to spread or make broad. and undress. Northum. Northum. Bourd, to bourd, to jest. N. Brcalt', to break, to tear. Hamp. In Bo111'll , yeast. Ex. this county break is used lor tear, Bout, without. Northum. and tear for break; as, I have-a-torn Bouted-bread, bread made of wheat my best decanter 01' china dish; and rye. Northumb. I have-a-broke my fine cambric apron. BOICIl, swelled. l\'" 01'1'. Break; a break is land that has lain long BRO BUL long fallow, or in sheep-walks, is from its being pointed like a broach so called the first year after it has or spit. N. heen ploughed or broken up. N orf. Brock, a badger, or grey. N. Breckins, fern. N. Brook, to hrook up, spoken uf the Bree, to bree, to frighten. clouds when they draw together, and Breeds; the breeds of a hat, the brims threaten rain. S. of a hat. Glou. Brou:den, to browden on a thing, to B1'cid, or Bradc; to breid, or brade be fond of it. N. of anyone, that is to resemble them B1'1lcke, to brucke, to make dirty. in disposition, as if of the same Northum. breed. Northumh. Bruckled, dirty. Breelcs, breeches. N. Brnsle, to dry; the .sun brusles the hay; Brent-brOIl', a steep hill, metaph. N. brusled pease. Northum. Probably Brian; to b.,ian an oven, to keep fire from the old Freucll word, brusler, to at the mouth of it, either to give bum. light or preserve the heat. Nor­ BJ'IItlc, to brit or brutte, to browse; thumb. Elsewhere this fire is called the cow bruttes the young wood. a spruzzing'. Kent. From the French word, brou­ 13ricken; to bricken, to bridle up, or tcr, to uibble. hold lip the head. BlIbbley, snotty; the bairn has a bub­ Bride-wain, a custom in Cumberland, bley nose. N. where all the friends of a new mar­ Buckard, or Bucked, spoken of milk ried couple assemble top;ether, and sonred by keeping; too long in the are treated with cold pies, funnily, milk-bucket, or by a foul bucket. and ale; at the conclusion of the Exmore. day, the hride and bridegroom are Buck, of a cart or ",a3'goll, the body. placed in two chairs, in the open Hamp. air, or in a large barn, the bride with Buck, the breast. Suss. a pewtel' dish on her knee, half co­ BlIckc!J-c1/ccsc, a s\yeet, rank c1H'ese. yered with a napkin; into this dish Hamp. Perhaps from a rank, g'oat­ the company present put their offer­ ish taste; bone, in Frencll, iiiglliJi'iug ings, the amount of which is some­ a he-goat. times forty or fifty pounds. Bncksmlle, blithe, jolly. S. Bnjjg, a bridge. N. Bud, a weaned calf of the first Year, Brill/me; a sow goes to brimme, that the horns then beginning to "bud. is to boar, S. Suss. Brine, to hriue, to bring; brine it hither, nudge, brisk, jocund: buclg:e also bring it hither. N orr. means to stir, marc, or walk away; lJriss, dust. Exmore. do not budge from hellce. Brite, to brite or britt; spoken ofhops, Bllcr, a gnat. l\'orthmnb. which, ",hen they are over ripe, and Blftfet, a stool. Derb. fall out 01' shatter, are said to britt Blfg, to bend. Kent. Bug' up. 01' brite. S. Bulderillg (",eather) hot, sultry. Exm. Broach, a spit, also a pierceI'; whence Bulkar, a beam. to broach a cask. Kent and N. De­ BlIllclI, hemp-stalks, pilled. N. rived from the French. Blfllimong, oats, pease, and \'etche,:;, Broud/-staple, a pyramidical spire" mixed. Ess. Bullock, BUIt BYE Bllilor/.', a heifer. nerl~f'. Bllrnf', a brook, a small stream of lJull-SI::,u.r, a gl'lded bull. l\'. water. N. lJlIlI-,'-,'faup:, a dragon-fly. Cumb. lJurnislt,. to bUl'nish, to grow fat or BUII/uI'/I, a quagmire, from stag'nant increase ill flesh, look jolly, or rosy. "aln, dl1n:~', &.c. such as is often seen Exmore. ill a fal'ln-)~anl. Norf. and Suff. Burlle, a sweeting'. Northumb. lJuugrrsoll/r, clulllsy. Berks. lillr-free, an elder-tree. N. llulI/lI/rtl, or JJlllllhle-l{ife, a bramble Bus,. to bus, to dress. N. or blackbC'rrv. Cumb. ~o called Blltt, a bee-butt or hive. Exmore>. also in IJellllilshire; perhaps a cor­ lJllllcr-Ja/.{s, the flowers of trifolium ruptioll of bramble kates. siliq L1el COI'llIlt<1. Blllllle!, a dried hemp-stalk, used by Buller-sha!!,', a slice of bread aud but­ smoakers to li;.;ht their pipes. Cumb. ter. CIl~llb. lJIIIIIII'/I, a swellnlg from a blow, 1\orr. Bllllal, 01' Buller-blimp, a hittel'll. S and Sull: Called iu the North a llIire-dJ"lt/Il. Bul'l', the sweetbread. Derb. Bycr, a cow-house. Cumbo

c. CAL CAN CA, to ca, to drive. CalMillg, scolding'; a calleting- hOl1s('- CaddoII', a jack-daw. Norf. wilt>. To callef, to scold. .Northulnb. Cadr-IaIIIU, a tame lamb, 1\orf. &. Suf. Campillg, play iug- at foot-ball. 1\ 01'1'. Cad!!,'c" tu C(((!!!,'c, to eaITY; a ('ad~er Gt/up } . NT ' I, , to talk of any thlllg. . to a mill, a carrier 01' loaller. 1\01'­ ( allll, thumb. Cadging' the belly, to stuff Campable, able to do. N. till' helly; abo to bind or tie a CwUperkl/OlDS, ale-pottage, made ,.. ilh thing. Lan. sugar, spices, !xc. (,(((III/a, call1:'ll also a whinnock, the C/III/PO, or CWI/ble, to prate saucily. TIi. least pig of the litter. S. ('allker, a poisouolls fungus, resembling Cail; to cail it ;;tOIlI', to throw a stone. U lllushroom. Glou. Likewise the 1'\ort: Prollolllleed in the W{>st dog-rose. Devon. Called also the country scale, abo, alld sl!uale. Sec cUllker-rose. Sqllale. ('alikeI'd, cross, ilI-~onditioned. J\". (,((ill!!,'c1, a crablJel1 f('lIow. N. Cal/kill"', whilling', llissatislied. ])('\'11. C((lt; tUI'll; it is his cale to g:o. Derb. Call1ly,'''nice, ueat, housewifel,l', hand- C((II, occasiun, obligation; he had no sOllie. Newca::;t!e>, Northul1lb. &. N. call to do it. Derb. Cal/f, strong-, lusty: very cant, God Callillp:, gi\in~ public notice by the yielll you; i. e. "ery strung nnll cryer; I had it called, I had it cried. lusty, God reward you. Chesh. Northlllllh. Callf, to throw. Kent. He was cunted Callar, fresh, cool; the call:u ail', the out of the chaise. fresh air. N. Calla)' ripe grosier;;, Caut, au uuctiou; to be sold hy cant. ripe gooseberries fresh gathered. N. Calli. CAT Cant, a corner of a field. Kent. Caiter, to keep up, to thri"e in tl.~ Cant, to recover or mend. N. A health world. N. to the good woman cantillg, i. e. re­ Catter/ca1lting, rambling or intrigu~ngill covering after lying in. N. the nig'ht, after the manner of cats. Cap, or Cob, head, chief, or master. N. and S. Cumb. Cauehery, a medicinal composition, or Capo, a working horse. Chesh. slop. Capt, or Capp'd, overcome in argument. Call'baby, an aukward timid boy. Dey. Cumb. Cmesie-tail, a dunce. N. Carleing, anxious, careful. N. Call', to call; calu'd, called; CalCll, they Carle, a clown, an old man. N. A male; call. Lan. a carle cat, a he cat. Carels, lots; casting ca"eli'i, casting lots. Carle-llen/p, that hemp which bears the Northum. seed. Clu!if'o, to chew. Carpet-way, a green way, a wayan the Cham, I am. Somersetsh. turf. S. Cllalll, awry. N, Carve, to ](arve, or Kave, to grow Champ, a scume. Exm. sour, spoken of cream; also to cur­ Changes, shirts and shifts. Berks. dle. Chesh. Clul1lllest, to challeng;C'. Exmore. Carberry, a gooseberry. N. C!tare, to stop; as, chare the cow; i. e. Car-hand, the left hallcl. N. stop or turn the cow. Also, to COUll­ Carling-day, or Carling-Sllnda,lJ, the ter/cit; as, to chare laug;htcr, to second Sunday preceding' Easter, counterfeit a laugh. N, when parched peas are served up at Clwr, a particular business or task; most tables in Northumberland. that char is char'd, that job is clone; Carre, a hollow place in which water I have a little char for you. Hellce stands. N. Also. a wood of alder or char-woman and going out charing. other trees, ill a moist boggy place. N. Pronounced ill "'ilts, a cheure. Car-sick, the kennel, from car and Clmrger, a platter, or large dish. N. silee, a fmrow or gutter; q. the Cart­ Clmr!.:, a crack. N. gutter. Yorks, Cham, a churn. N. Cart-rake, a cart-track, Essex. Clwm-cul'dle, a churn-staff. N. Casings, 01' Cassons, dried cow-clung CIlary, careful, or paiuful; sparing: he used for fuel. Northumb. is chary of his labour. N. CafcJt.land, land w lJich is not certainly Cllat, a slllall twig. Derb. known to what pari"h it beloll~'s, CIlats, keys of trees; as ash-chats, ancl the millister that tirst g"f'b the S) caIlJOre-chats, &c. N. tithes of it enjoys it lor the ) ear. Clu;tfocks, "("fuse-wood, left i:1 making; Norf. fagg-ots. Glouc. Cater-crass, cross: you must go cater­ Cllan"Il, a chatterin~or prattlilJ~ noiH' of crass dat dare til; i. e. yon IIllht go llIall." person" "peahin~ tO~!.. f'llier. Sus. cross that lield. Kent. Clwulldtcr, a calldlestick; from chan­ Cats-foot, g;l'Oulld-ivy. Northllmb, dellel'. Cat-witll-fwo-faits, an eai" ig;. :\.. rl!l:'m. ell aIIl1p:dillg, an ideot; one" hom the Caf-ham'd, fumbling:, auk ward, with- t~lil'w" ha\e cha,':!,'e.l. 1:...\111, out dexterity. L""lllOre. CI/(/lIl1~·(,S. See ClllllIges. 1:.."'m. C ehr~ CLA CLO CIIN', a hen-roost; to go to chee, to Clamps, andil'Ons, creepers, or dogs. go to roost. Northumb. Clujls or Clwfls, chops; as mutton- Clapse, a clasp. S. chafts, &c. N orthumb. Clarl, to spread 01' smear; clarty, smear- Cllell, I shall. Somers. and Devoll. ed, sticky. Cllel/re. See Clmr. Clalliing, clothes. EXIll. Cllibder, children. Derb. Claul; to c1aut, to scratch or claw. Clliac, to succeed in or accomplish any Clave!!, or CIavel, a mautle-piece. Gloll. business; from the French word, and Sam. aelll'l"er, to accom plish. It chieves Clealn, to glue together, or fasten a nought with him. N. thing with glue. Line. Cllljl, to break or crack; an ('gg is said Cleekillgs, a shuttlecock. Cumbo to chip whcn the young binI cracks Cledg!!, stiff; cledgy ground, stiff land. the ~hell. N. Kent. Clli::::!e, or Clli::::ell, bran. Kent. Cleek, to catch at a thing hastily. N. Clloek, to c1lOale Suss. Cleglling, the after-birth of a cow. N. CllOal!!, fat, chubby; a choaty boy, a Clepps, a w'ooden instl'Ument for pull- fat, chubby, or broad-faced hoy. ing weeds out of corn. Climb. Kent; commonly applied to infauts. Clevel, a gTain of corn. Kent. CIIO'ekliltg, hectoring, scoldin~. EXll1. Clever, neat, smooth, cleauly wrought, Cllomp, to chew; also to crush, or cut dexterous. S. things small. N. Claer; to clever or claver, the endea­ CllOl/lltiJW, quarrelling. Exm. vour of a child to climb up any Clmek! Cll1lek! a word cOlllllJonly used thing; ;llso to catch hold of any in calling swine. Hamps. thing. N. Clluek, a great chip. Suss. In other Clell'kill, a sort of strong' twine. N. counties called a chunk or junk. elelcll, or Clulell, a brood; as a c1etch CI/IIrcll-littell, the church-yard. Suss. of chickens. and N. Clinkers, deep impressions of a horse's Cll1lrelllcardell, a shag or cormorant. feet. Glouc. Suss. Cliel,', to catch or snatch away. Cumbo Clml"u-goItillg, a nightly feast after the and N. com is out. 1'\. Clite, or Cla!!l, clay or mire. Kent. CI/llse-but, avoid. 1'\orthum. Clil; I would sow grass seeds, but the CI/lIslwrel, a whoremaster, a debauched ground will be clit. Hamp. fello,,", S. C/iller!!, or CllltlCI:1J weatlier, change­ Ciddle, or Kittle, to ticlde: kittle wea­ able weather, inclinable to be stormy. ther, ticklish, ehanf;Table, or Ullcer­ Hamp. tain weather. S. C10(//II, coarse earthen ,yare. Exm. Clags, sticks. N. Clock, a dar or beetle. N. Clllit.lJ, dirty. Cumh. Clocking, or Cll/cking hen, a hen de­ Clam'd, 01' Clem'd, starved; I am welly sirou~ of sitting to hatch her eggs. c1em'd, I am almost starn'd. 1'\. N. Clmll'd, in Gloucestershire.means to be Clo(J'o's wooden shoes, such as are choak'd up; as the mill j:o: c1am'd, '~~~'l~ in Cumberland. Cumb. i e. over-loaded. Clolllis, clothes. Berks. ClalllJJ/(/s, to climb; also a great noise. N. Cluls, ('[OllIs, or Cluls, burdock. N. Cluugll, COB cor Clough,. a valley between two hills. hearty, brisk; in Derbyshire, welf or Northum. Hence Clem of the in good spirits, clever, &c. i as I'm Cloug'h, one of Robin Hood's men. pretty cobby fday. Cloughy, a woman dressed in a tawdry Cob-coals, large pit-coals. N. manner. Northum. Cob-iron, an andiron. S. CIOllt, to piece or mend with cloth or Cob:joe, a nut at the eml of a string.> iron; also to beat. N. Derb. Clozzons, talons,clutches, possession.N. Cob-nllt, a game, which consists in Clume-bllzza, an earthen pan. Corn. pitching at a I'OW of nuts piled up in Clllmps, Clumpst, i. e. Clumsy, idle, heaps of four, that is, three at bot­ lazy, unhandy. Linc. My hands are tom and one all the top: all the nuts clnmpst with cold, my hands are be­ knocked down are the property of numbed. the pitcher; the nut use>,1 for pitch­ Clung, closed up or stopped; spoken ing, is called the cob. Glouc. of hens that do not lay, and com­ Cobstones, stones that may be thrown; monly used for any thing' that is also large stones. N. shril'elledor shrunk; fl'OlIl Cling. N. Cob-web J.1fornillg, a misty morning. In Norfolk it means soft, flaLby, re­ Norf.. laxed. Cocker, to fondle; also an old stocking ClllSS/lnt, swaIn with cold. N. without a foot. N. Cillt, to strike aLlow. N. Cockers and Traslles, old stocking'S ClllUert, in heaps. N. without feet,> and worn-out shoes N. Clures, hoof..,; of horses or cows. Cumbo Cocket, brisk, api:;h, pert. Northum b. Coad, unhealthy. ExmOl'e. and N. Coajerze'en'd, a cordwainer's end, or Cock-leet, i. e. cock-light,> day-break; shoemaket.'s thread. Exmore. or sometimes the dusk of the even­ Coaken, the sharp part of a horseshoe; ing'. Exmore. also to strain in the act of vomiting. Cock's-necklillg; to come down cock's­ N. neckling, i. e. head foremost. 'Vilts. Coander, a corner. Exm. Cod, a pillow 01' cllshion; princod, a Coatll!J, surly, easily provoked. Norf. pin-cushion; a horse-cod, a horse­ Abo, in Hampshire, rotten, applied collar.> N. Princod is also figura­ to sheep. To throw, also. tively used for a little fat man 01' Cob, a blow; likewise to throw. Derb. woman. Also a basket of wicker to carryon Codders, persons, chiefly 'Velch women, the arm;. a seed-cob, or seed-lib, a employed by the gardener:; about seed-basket used in sowing. London to g'ather peas. S. Cobbeas, or Iee-cal/dles, isicles. Kent. Cod-glove, a thick glove, without fin­ Cobble, a pebble: to cobble with stone..." gers, to handle turf. Exm. to throw stones at any thing. Nor­ Cods, bellows. N. thumb. Codwllre, pulse gTowin~ in cads or pods. Cobbles, round coals. Derb. S. Called in Kent Podware, and in Cobbo, a small fbh, called a miller's Hampshire Kidwarc. See Kidu;are. thumb. Kent. Cae, an odd old fellow. Norf. Cobbs, testicles. Cumbo Coil; a hen-coil, a hen-pen. N. Coil Cobby, head-strou!!. tyrannical. Cumbo also signifies in the North, a great In N orthullJberiand it means stout, stir, and a lump on the head by a blow. Coke, COP COU

'Coke, pit or sea-coal, charred for the Cope " to cope 01' coup, to chop or ex­ smelting of metals. S. change, used by the coasters of N 01'­ Cokcrs, rims of iron round wooden folk and Suffolk, and also Yorkshire; shoes. Cumb. probably from the Low Dutch word, Cokes, or Corks, cinders. N. copen, to buy, sell, or deal: whence Cokird, unsounu, applied to timber. a dealer is called a coupman. Norf. Cope, to cover; to cope a wall, to co­ Cole, Keal, or J(ail, pottag'e or broth yer the top of it, generally with made of caubage. N. stone, called a copeing. N. and S. Coley, a cur dog. N. Copesmate, a companion. N. Colley, the ulack or soot from the ket­ Copper-clollts, a kind of spatter-dashes tIt:'. Glou. WOI'll on the small of the leg. Exm. Collock, a great pig'gin or pail. N. Coppet, saucy, malpert, peremptory; Colt ,. to colt in, the sliuing of the earth, also merry, jolly, the same with Ql' falling in, as of a quarry or gra­ Cocket. N. vel-pit, &c. Glollc. Cop-rose, papaver rh:£as; called also ·Colt, a boy articled to a clothier for head work. N. three or four years. Glou. Copt-know, the top of a conical hill, Colt-pixy, a spirit or fairy, in the shape from copt, caput, and know, or !ClIolle, ofa horse, which (wickers) neighs and the top of a hill. N. Copt also sig­ misleads horses into bogs, &c. Hamp. nilies proud, ostentatious. Comb, a hollow or valley; also half a Corby, a crow. N. Also carnivorous. quarter of corn. S. N.; from the French, cOl'bea71. Comb, the window-stool of a casement. Corse, a dead body. Glou. Cosset-lamb, or Colt, a cade lamb or Concern, a little estate. colt broug'ht up by hane!' N orf'. and Conrlwbel, an isicle. S uft: Can diddled, dispersed. Exm. CostaI'd, the head; a kind of oppro­ Conkabell, an isicle, in the Somersct- brious word, used uy way of con­ shire dialect called a ClinkabelI. Ex. tempt, probably alluding to a cos­ Conn.lf, hran', line, the same as canny. N. taI'd apple. Cooc!lC-!llluded, left-handed. Devon. Coslril, a little harrel. N. Cook, to throw; cook me that ball, COtltiS/I, morose. Norf. See Coat"y. throw me that ball. Gloll. Coffen,. to cotten, to beat soundly. Ex. Coop,. a fish coop, a hollow vessel made Naught cottens right, nothing goes of twig's, witb which they take fish in right. Yorksh. the Humber. N. Coffel', or CoUre!, a linch-pin, a pin to Coop, a muck-coop, or lime-coop, a fasten the wheelan the axle-tree. N. c:lose cart {Jl' ,vaggon for carrying GoUrcl, a trammel for hanging a pot lIme, &c. N. over the fire. S. Coort, a small cart. Kent. Cove, a part of a building so called; Coot", a cold. N. Kellt. Also a little harbour for Cop, or Cop of Peas, fifteen shean's boats. S. in the field, anc] sixteen in the bam; COl/cit, the roots of grass collected hy also a lump of yarn. N. the harrow in pasture lands, when first ploughed up. Glou.; vulgarly Cop,rr' } a lence.l' 1N . '-Opplllg, pronounced Squitch. Coulter, CRA cnt> Coulter, a plough-share. Crates, paniersfor glass and crockery. ~-. CO/mln/eils and Trinkets, porringers Craft/e, a crumu. N. and saucers. Chesh. Cran'ley J.llmc!ey, indifferently well. Coup or Coop, a muck coop, a lime Norf. coop, a cart or wain made close with Crm/"p-arserl, hog-Ll'eech'd. 1'. boards to carry any thin;; that "auld Cra=.IJ, ailing, out of order or repau", otherwise fall out, a tumuri!. 1'. Deru. Cow-cleaning, the after-birth of a cow. Cra==ilrl, coals Laked or caked together COlcdy, a little cow, a Scotch runt on a fire. 1'. without horns. N. Creak, a corn creak, a land rail; ,,0 Cawker, a stmining to vomit. N. called from its creaking note, nalo­ Cowl, a tub. S. rally imitated hy scratching on till' CanT, or Coure, to crouch down or teeth of a comb. squat upon one's hams. N. Crealll; to cream, to mantle or froth, COIc-scam, cow-dung. Cumbo spoken of heel'; a metaphor takclI Cmcle; to crack or crake, to boast. from milk. 1'. 1'101'1'. Crease, to fold or doul,le up. 1'. Crackling, a thin wheaten cake. N. Cree; to cree wheat or Larle)', to IJOil Also the rind of pork roasted. it soft. N. Cmddenly, cowardly. N. Creeas, the measles. N. Cmddins; to lead craddins, to play Creelll; creem it into my band, f'lide it mischievous tricks. N. slily or secretly into Illy hand. Cill's. Crap,ge, a small heel' Yessel. S. Creon; to creem, to squccze or press Crags, rocks. N. together. Exm. Crake, a crow; hence crake-berries, Creil, a short, squat, dwarfish man. N. crow-berries. N. Crain, a hole, a crack, or crevice. Cramble, to hobble. Derb. Craises, i. e. Eccrevi~es, cray-fish. K. CrammCI', a bowIe sewer. ere'//'llting, gruntillg' or complaining. Crank, merry. Kent. Also a boat or Exm. ship over-masted, apt to roll and in Crib, a kind of rack for holding hay for dang'er of oyersetting; a common sea cows, also for holding sucking' calres. term. K and S. Cranks, offices. S. Cribble, coarse meal, a degree better Cranl':IJ, ailing, ~ickly; from the Dutch, than bran. crallk, sick. K. Cricket, a small three-If'i,:"g'd stool; abo Cranny, jo,'ial, brisk, lusty; a cranny a domestic insect like' a grass-hopper, lad. Chesh. fonnd ill chilllIlP'-". ;\. Crap, dame!. Suss. In the north it is Cricks and I/O/I'd.., jmins alld st ra ins. ;\. sometimes used for mOlle". Crimble i'll/poke; to go hack frolIl au CrassllntZIJ, co,,'ardly; a cr:i'ssantly lad, agref'Il1cnt, to be CO\\ anil.'. 1\. a cO\vard. Ches. Criurll, a small bit. Glonc. Crash, the noi"e of any thing ,YIIP!1 it Crin!df, to bend under a "eig'llt; also breaks. N. Down f~lI the'iahle and to rumple a thing or "rinkie it. 1'. crash went the crocken'. Critr11, or Cratrll, a rack. S. eratell, a panicI'. Deru. • Also a rack. Crock, soot from the chimne.', a pot or See C1'ilch, S. kettle. Essex. To crock, to black Cralc!lill/y, ffeLle, ,yeak. X. allY one with soot. Crock, CRO CYP

Crock, an earthen pot. Exmore. Crub, OJ' Crou8t, a crust of bread, or Crorkey, a little Scotch cow. N. rind of cheese. Exmore. Crojl, a slllall close or Held. N. CrucllCl, a ,rood-pigeon. N. Crolll, ai' Crum, to stuff; also to put a Cruel, very, extremely: as, cruel crass,_ thing in a place, N. Hence crummy, very peevish; cruel sick, very ill; fat, or 'Yell stuffed. cruel tine, very finely drcssed. Devon. Croll/e, a hook: to Cl'Ome, to hook any and Cornwall. - thing. Norf. Crump, the cramp; also to be out of Crome, a sort of rake with (t long han­ temper. N. dle, used for pulling weeds out of a Crumple, to mille, or rumple. N. drain after they are cut. Norf. and Crullle, to stoop down, to fall. N. Ess. Dung-cl"Ollle, a dung-hook C1!f!: an old cuff, an old fello\\'. Mid. 11sed in unloading it. Culfing, expounding (applied to a tak) Crones, old ewes who have lost theil' Exmore. teeth. S. Culdl, lumber, stuff, rubbish. Kcnt. Cronlc, the liaise of a raven; also to Cull, a small fish with a great head, prate. N. found under stones in rivulets, called Cranking, croaking. N. also a bull-head. Glouc. To cull, Croodle, to creep close togethel', like to pick and choose. Kent. and S. chickens Ululel' a hen. N. Culvers, pigeons. Exmore. Crook-lug, a long' pole with a hook at Cumber, tl"Ouble. N. the end of it, used for pulling down CUll; to cun or con thanks, to give dead branches of trees. Glou. thanks. S. Crotch-tail, a kite. CUllllijfling, dissembling, flattering. Ex. Crowd, a fiddle. Exmore. Cupalo, a smelting-house. Derb. Crowdling, slow, dull, sickly. N. Cup o'Sneeze, a pinch of SHuff. N .. Crowdy, oatmeal, scalded with water, Cusllels, wild pigeons. Yorksh. and mixed up into a paste. N. Cutter, to fondle or make much of, as Crowe, an iron lever. N. a hen or goose of her young. Croll'se, brisk, lively, jolly; as crowse Gypltel, houseleek. N. as a new washen-house. N.

D.

DAC DAF DAB, a blow: a dab at any- thing, Dadan, a vessel used in Derbyshire, expert at it, perhaps corruption of an for holding the SOUl' oat cake. Derb. adept. N. and S. Abo a small Dad, a lump; also a father. N. quantity. Daddle, to walk unsteadily like a child; Dabbit, a small quantity, less than a to waddle. N. dab. Glou. Daddock, rotten wood, touch-wood. Daelcer, to waver, stagger, or totter. Glouc. Linc. Dacker weather, 1111certain or Daffe, to daunt. N. unsettled weather. N. D(1fock, a dawken, a dirty slattern. N. Da'p, DEA DIG Daft, stupid, blocki~h, daunted, fool­ Deafely, lonely, solitary, far frolllncigh- ish. N. bours. N. Dag, dew upon the grass; hence a wo­ Deam, the same. N. man who has dirtied her clothes with De'm, you slut. Exm. wet or mire is called daggle-tail, cor­ Dear'd, hurried, frightened, stunned. rupted to draggle-tail. Dag-locks, Exm. Jocks of wool spoiled by the dag or Deam, lonely, solitary. N. dew. S. Deary, little. N. Dag; to dag, to run thick. N. Deat/lS1near, an undescribed disorder, Daggle; to dagg'le, to run like a young fatal to child reno N orf. child. Devon. Deeave, to stun with a noise. N. Dairous, bold. Devon. Deeavely, lorely. N. Dallop, a patch of ground among corn Deedy, industrious, notable. Berksh. that has escaped the plough; also Deet; to deet, to wipe and make c1ean.N. tufts of corn where dung-heaps have Deeting, smearing, plaistering the stove long laid. Norf. and Ess. of the oven's mouth, to keep in the Daugus, a slattern. heat. ' Dansey-1LCaded, giddy, thoughtless. Dift, little and pretty, neat; also ac­ Norf. and Suff. tive: a deft man or thing. N. Dapse, likeness; the very dapse of one, Deftly, softly, leisurely. N. the exact likeness in shape and man­ Deg; to deg, to pour, to wet or sprin­ ner. 'V. Ide water on. See Leek-on. N. Dare, to pain or grieve; it dares me, Degg-bOll1ld, much swelled in the belly. it grieves me. Ess. N. DaveI'; to daver, to fade like a :flower. Delifin, a low place, overgrown with un­ Devon. derwood. Glouc. Daw, or Dow, to thrive, to mend, to Denelt'd, dainty, finely mouthed, cu­ recover; he neither dees nor da",s, rious. N. he neither dies nor recovers. N. Dessably, constantly. N. Daw, to rouse or awake one; I wasjust Desse; to desse, to lay close tog'ether; dawed, I was just awakened froll! a to desse wool, &c. Also cutting a sound sleep. N. section of hay from a stack. N. In Dawgos, or Dawkin, a dirty, slattel'llly Cumberland to put in order. woman. N. Dibble, an instrument used in husban­ Dawnt, to frig'ht or terrify; whence dry to make holes in the earth, for daunted. N. setting beans, &c. Dmcntle, to fondle. N. Didal, a triangular spade, as sharp as Day-talc, or Dattle-man, a day-labourer. a knife; called also a dag-prick. Yorksh. Norf. and Ess. Dayes-man, an arbitrator, or umpire. N. Die!der, Ditler, or Dather, to quake or Dazed-bread,dough-baked bread; dazed . !ihirer from cold. N. meat, ill-roasted fi'om the badness of Dig, a mattock. In Yorkshire they the fire: a dazed look, said of per­ disting'uish between digging and grav­ sons who have been fi-jghtened. N. ing; to dig is with a mattock, to 1's dazed, I am very cold. gTave with a spade. Deqf-nut, a nut whose kernel is de­ Dif(llt; to dight, to foul or dirty one. cayed. N. Chesh. Perhaps used ironically. . Dight, DOI( DOW Digld,o to uight, to clean or (hess; Doke, a deep dint or furrow. Es3. Dight the snivel from your neb, blow Also a flaw in a boy's marble. Norf. valli' nose. Cumbo Dolc, a charitable donation. C. Dole lJ;~htc(G dressed. of land, an indefinite part of a field. Dilfing, a darling or favourite child. S. N. lJimmct, the dusk of the evening. Ex. lJollow's,o the wind dollours, the wind lJin, a noise. falls or abates. K. Dindcr, thunder. Exmore. lJomcl, stupid; as stupiu as a beetle. Dindcrcx, a thunderbolt. Glouc. lJindle, to reel or stagger, from a blow. lJon, do on, or put on; don your lJinlcd, or lJindlcd, staggered. N. clothes, put on your clothes. Glouc. Dinch-pic1c, a three-graind fOl:k, used lJondinncr, the afternoon. Exmore. for loading dung. Glouc. Donnallgltt, or Donnat, i. e.Doe-naught, Dilvcrcd,.wornout with watching. Norf. a good for nothing, idle person. York. Ding, to beat; I'se ding him, I shall Donk, a little wettish, damp. N. beat him. N. To throw with a sling. Dool, a long narrow gTeen in a plough­ Ess. To throw in general. N OI'f. ed field, with ploughed land on each Dinglc, a small clough 01' valley, be­ side of it; a broad balk, perhaps a tween two hills. N. dale or valley, because when stand­ lJish-cradlc or credlc, a wooden utensil ing corn grows on both sides of it, it fOI' wooden dishes, much in use in the appears like a valley. S. Used also North of England, commonly made in the North. like a cube, sometimes like a paral­ lJoosc, thrifty, careful; also cleanly,. lelipipidon. N. though coarsely clothed. N. Dish-mcat, spoon-meat. Kent. lJor, a cockchafer. ,;y. Diting, whispering. N. lJoms, door-posts. Exmore._ Ditten, marlar, to stop up the oven. N. Dosonzc,o a healthy dosome beast, one DizCIl, to dress. N. Hence bedizen'd that will be content with little; also out, over, aukwanlIy, or improperly one that thrives or comes on well. dressed. Chesh. Di::c,o to dize, to put tow ana distaff, lJoss, or Pcss, a hassock used for 01' dress it. N. kneeling on at church. Norf. Also lJoage, wettish, a little. N. to toss or push like an ox. Doal, money given at a funeral. See Dother, to totter or tremble. N. Dolc. N. DOllcll, to bathe. lJobby, a fool, a childish old man. N. DOllndrins, afternoon drinkings, or lun­ Docity, docility, quick comprehension. cheon. Derb. Glouc. lJOllt, to do out, or put ont; as, dout lJock, a crnpper to a sadelle. Devon. the candle, put ont the candle. Glon. Dodd; to dodd sheep, to cut the wool lJolltcr, an extingui::;her; DOllters, ill-· away about the tail. stmments like ::;nuffers, for extiIL­ lJoddedSltcep, sheep withouthorns. N. gui:-;hing' the candle without cutting Dodded, Doddcrd, or Doddrcd JVlteat, the wiele N. red wheat without beards. N. lJ01ltlcr, an earthen dish or platter. N. Dodman, a shell snail. See Hodma­ DovCtll, it thaws. Exmore. dod. Dovening, a slumber. N. Doff, to put off;: dofryour hat. W. Dow, a cake. N. lJou:d,. DRl DWI Dowd, dead, flat, spiritless. N. fields, at ten in the morning and six:. Dowing, healthful. N. in the evening. Kent. Dowl, the devil. Exm. From the ·Welch. Droits, rights. Kent. From the French~ Dowled, dead, flat, vapid, not brisk. N. Drape, a crow. Y orksh. Dawley, melancholy, lonely. DrOll, to dry. Exm. Down-lying, just g'oing to be brought Drougltt, the passage. 'Vest to bed. N. . Droze; the candle drozes, the candle­ Dowse, a blow; a dowse in the chops, melts in burning, from a current of. a blow in the face. N. air. Kent. Doyle,. to look a-doyle, to squint. Droze, to melt a3 a candle. N. Glouo. Drozen, fond .. N. Doytcll-baclcs, fences. N. Drumbledrane, a drone; also a hum- Dozand; dozand leuake, an old with"':" ble bee. Ex. ereel look. N. Drumley, muddy, or thick water. N .. D'mbbit it, a vulgar exclamation or Druve, a muddy river. Cumbo abbreviation of God rabbit it, a fool­ Dub, a pool of water. ish evasion of an oath. N. Dubbed, blunt. Exm. Drqff, brewers grains. Cumbo Dubbler, a plate. Cumb•. Drait, a team of horses with the wag- Duck; to duck,.or dook, or di,re in the­ gon or cart. N ~ water. Ex. Drang, a narrow lane or passage. Dev.. Dudds, rags. N. Also clothes. \V. Drank, leliulll, festnca altem. N. Dudman, a scarecrow; also a raggedc Drape, a cow whose milk is dried up. fellow. W. N. A farrow cow. Dugged, or Dudded, draggle-tailed. Ex•. Drate; to drate~ to drawl out one's Dumb-founded,. perplexed, confounded.. words. N~_ N. Dmzil, a, dirty sl ut. So Dumbledore, a humble, or bumble bee•. Dread,. thread. Exmol·e. . W. Dream-holes, the openings left in the Dunc", deaf. 'V. walls of steeples, towers, barns, &c. DUllgeonable, shrewd, rakehelly; a· for the admission of light. Glouc. dungeonable body. N. Dredge, a mixture of oats and barley,. Dunlly, deaf. now little sown. NOl'f. and Ess. Dunt, stupified, numbed. Norf. How Dree; to dree, to hold out, to be able )'ou dunt me! a saying of a mother to go. Dree also sig'nifies long, te­ to a crying child. A dunt sheep, one dious beyond expectation:: likewise that mopes about, from a disorder a hard bargainer, spoken of a per­ in his head. son. N. In the Exmore dialect it Dur-cheelcs, the frame of wood to which

signifies tlll'ee. the door hangs, the door-posts. N 0­ Dribble; a true dribble, a laborious Durdam, a great noise or stir. N. and diligent servant. N. Dum, g·ate-posts. N. Drill; to drill a man on, to decoy or Durz'd, or Dor:::.'d out, spoken of corn,. flatter a man into a thing; also to beaten out by the ag'itation of the amuse with delays. ~. wind. N. Drinking, a refreshment between meals, Dwalling, talking nonsense, as if deli­ used by the ploug-Innen, who eat a rious. Exm. bit of bread and cheese and drink DIVine, to waste gradually ~ hence to· some beer when they come out ofthe dwindle. No_ D EEV EYE

E.

EAGER, (Aigrc) sour, or tending to Yens; the wind is 111 a cold eever. soul'l1ess; sharp, fo;ometimes applied Cumbo to the ail'. C. Elden, feweI. Exm. EIIld, age; he is tull of his eald, he Elder, the udder. N. is tall of hi::; age. N. Elding, wood and sticks for burning. N. Eam,. mine eam, my uncle; also, ge': Election,. in election, likely: we are in nerally, my gossip, compeer, friend. election to have a bad harvest this N. year. Norf. Earndel', the afternoon. E'long, slanting. Exm. Earn, to curdle, to eal'l1 as cheese Ele'zen, eleven. EXl11. doth. Earning rennet or renning, to Else, before, already. N. make cheese. N. Ellinge, solitary, lonely. Kent. Eart, sometimes: eart one, eart fother; El-motlwr, a step-mother. N. now one, then the other. Exm. Elson, a shoemaker's awl. Cumbo Easter,. the easter, the back of the Elt, to knead. N. Ell, or Ill, is also chimney, or chimney stock. N. a spaded sow. Exm. Easings (of a house), the eaves. N. Elvers, eel's fry, or young eels. Bath. Eath, or Eith, easy; it is eath to do, Ellnemis, lest; ennemis he come, lest it is easv to do. N. he come; sometimes pronounced Eclcle, or EttIe, to aim, intend, or de­ nemis. S uff. sign. N. Ernjul, lamentable. Kent. Eckler, fence wood, commonly put on Ersh, the same as Eddish. See Eddisll. the top of fences. Norf. and Ess. Esse, ashes; skeel' the esse, separate Eddisll, roughings. N. Ground where­ the dead ashes from the embers. on wheat or other COI'l1 has grown the Cumbo preceding year; called in Norfolk Eskin, a pail or ki1. N. and Essex an etch. Also, in the EttIe, to intend. N. North, after-gTass. Ettlement, intention. N. E'el-tlling, i. e. ill-thing; St. Anthony's Ezen, an oven. N. fire. Ex. Elver, an udder. N. Eem, leisure; I cannot eem, I cannot ElCte, to pour in. Ex. spare time, I have no leisure. Cumbo Exen, oxen. N. Een, the eyes. N. E.rpect, suppose. N. Eever, a corner 01' quarter of the hea- E!Jebrekes, eyelids. N.

F. FAI FAL FAIN, glad. N. He' would fain have sparks, often seen on clothes at gone, h~ would gladly have gone. nig-ht. Kent. Fairy-Sparks, or Sllelljire, electric Falt~red, revelled I dishevelled. N. Fang, FEN FLA Fang, a paw or claw. N. Fend, to shift for; I ha twa bairns Fangast, a marriageable maid. N orf. to fend for. Also, to take care of, to Fantome-corn, lank, or light corn N. beware. N. Farand, disposition, kind, nature; as, Fending and Proving, disputing, ar­ fighting-farand, in a fighting humour. guing pro and con. C. N. Fenny, mouldy. Kent. Fare; a fare of pigs, all tlle pigs Fessing, forcing or obtruding a thing brought forth by a Howat one birth; on one. Essex. a farrow, Fest, to fasten, tie, or bind. N. Farn-tickled, freckled. N. Festing, or Fasting-Penny, earnest mo­ Farrantly, neat, cleanly. N. ney, given to servants when hired, or Fas/t, to trouble, 01' teaze; donne fash to bind a bargain. N. me, don't teaze me.' N. Fetch, the apparition of a person living~ Fasting-e'en or Evening; Shrove-Tues­ N. day, the succeeding day being Ash­ Fete; a pretty fete parcel, a middling 'Wednesday, the first of the Lenten quantity. Berks. fast. N.· Fettle; to fettre, to set or go about any Fasting-Tuesday, Shrove-Tuesday. N. thing; to dress or prepare: t(} fettle Fause, false, cunning, subtle. N. th' tits, to dress the horses. N. Feabes, or Feaberries, gooseberries. N. Few; to few, to change. N. Feal, to hide; he that feals can find. N. Fey; to fey, or feig'h it, to do any Feald, hidden. thing notably; to fey meadows, to Feat, nasty tasted. Berks. cleanse them; to fey a pond, to Feausan, taste or moisture. N. empty and cleanse it from mud. N. Feaws, ragged beggars or gypsies. Figs, raisins. W. Northumb. Fimble, the female hemp, soonest ripe Fecldy, mostly, most part of. N. and fittest for Hpinning, but is not Fee; to fee, to winnow: perhaps the worth half so much as the carle with same with fey, to cleanse, scour, or its seed. Ess. and Suss. The fim­ dress. N. hie to spin, and the carle for hiH seed. Feed; to feed, to grow fat: he feeds TusHer. surprisingly; he is much fed 0' late. Finnery. See Fenny. ·W. N. Firejlauglds, lightning, or the northern Fqft, to penmade, or endeavour to lights. N. persuade. N orf. Fitclwle, a pole-cat, fichet, or ficheI'. Ex. Feg, fair, hand~ome, clean. N. Flacker, to dutter. N. Feg; to feg or fag, to flag, droop, or Flacket, a bottle, made in fashion of a tire. N. barrel. N. Feit, neat, dexterous; a feit felly, a Flacking-comb, a wide- toothed comb. dexterolls fellow, a dab at any thing, OAf. a dead hand. Flags, the surface of the earth, or Feitly, dexterou~ly. N. upper turf, which they pare ()tf to Fell, a hill or mountain; also, sharp, burn, in denHhiriug laud. Nod. c1evel', hot. N. Flaid, afraid. N. Felly, a fellow. Derb. Flaite, to afJi'ight or scare. S. Fendable (man or woman); one that can Flan, broad; a flan-head, a broad, shift for themselves. N. larg'e head. Flare, P'OI FRO Flare, to blaze; the candle flares; Foist, fusty. N. flaring colours. S. Foizon, plenty (old Fr.) Ess. and Suss. Flas!l, a supply of water from the locks Fold, a fold of straw, a sheaf or bun- all the Thames, to assist the barges. dle of straw. N. S. Fondly, foolishly. N. Flasket, a long :;hallow basket. Com- Foot-ale, beverage required from one mon. entering on a new occupation. N. FlaulI, a custard. N. Footing-time, the time when a lying'-in Flawler, to be angry, or afraid. N woman gets up. Norf. Flay, to fri~ht; a flaid coxcomb, a Foreheet; to foreheet, to predetermine, fearful fellow. N. 01' determine against a measure. I'll Fleake, or Flake, an occasional gate or foreheet naught but building kirks hurdle, set up in a gap. N. and leaping o'er 'um, N. Fleck'd, spotted. Fore/carden, over-run; forewarden with Flew, Fleu, or Fluish, washy, tender, lice 01' dirt. N. weak.; a flue horse, one that will not Forkin-1'obbin, an ear-wig, so called from carry.:flesh, or be in good order. N. his forked tail. N. Fliclc-a-Bacon~ a flitch of bacon. N. Format; to format, or formel, to be­ Flight, a scolding match. N. speak a thing. N. Fliggurs, young birds, just fledged. S. Forthen and Fort/ly, therefore. N. Flirtigigs, a wanton, fond lass. N. Fossple, the impression of a horse's Flit, to remove~ two flittings are as hoof 011 soft ground. Cumbo bad as one fire; i. e. household goods Fostal, a way leading from the highway are as much injured by two removals to a great'house. Norf. as by one fire. N. Foust, dirt; fOllsty, dirty. Exm. In Flizze; to flizze, to fly off. N. Gloucestershire fOllstg or fusty IS Flizzing, a splinter. N. used for thirsty. Flowish, light of carriage, immodest. N. FOlltnart, or Fowmart, a polecat or Flozcry, florid, handsome, of a good fichet. N. complexion. N. Fra, from. N. Flowter, a fright. N. Frampold, peevish, cross, fretful, fro- Flowter'd, affrig·hted. N. ward. S. Plowting, carding' wool to spin in the Frase, to break. N orf. mixture. N. Freelege, privilege, immunity. N. Fluck, a flat fish. Frem'd, or Frell/t, fa I' off, not related Flurch, a plenty, a great many, used to, strange, or at enmity with, N. for thing's, not pel'sons; as a flurch Fres/I, a flood, or overflowing ofa river. of strawberries. N. This heavy rain will bring down the Flyre, to laugh. N. freshes. N. FZljring, laughing, fleering, or sneering. Frim, handsome, rauk, well-living, in N. good case; as a frim tree or beast, a Flyte; to Byte, or flite, to scold or thriving tree or beast. N. brawl. N. Prist, to tmst for a time. N. Fogge, long grass. N. Fritll, or Vrith, underwood, fit for hur­ Foison, 01' Fizon, the nature, juice, or dles or hedg·es. 'V. moisture of the grass, 01' other herbs, F7'Obly-mobly, indifferently \vell. S. the heart or strength of it. S. Ii'rosh, a frog, N. Frough, FUD FY L

Frough, 01' Frow, loose, spongy, brittle; Full-stated,. spoken of a leasehold {rough-wood, brittle wood. N. estate that has three lives subsisting Prow, brittle. Berks. See Prough. on it. Exm. Fmwer, an edged tool, used in cleaving Fured,. where fured you, whither went lathes. S. you? N. F1'llggan, the pole with which the ashes Fusti luggs, a big-boned person. Exm. in the oven are stirred. N. FusurJl, handsome. N. Fl'llndele, two pecks. N. Fuzz-ball, a species of fungus. N. Fudder, a load; it relates properly to l?uzzon, or Fuzen, nourishment, provi- lead, and sig-nifies a certain weight; sion for a family. N. viz. eight pigs, or sixteen hundred F!J-loan, a word used to call home cows weight, N. to be milked. N. Pukes, locks of hair. N.

G. GAL GAR GAD, a long stick, a goad, a hunting Gally-baulc, the iron bar in chinmies on gad. which the pot-hooks or rekans hang, Gain, convenient, cheap; that field a trammel. N. lies gain for me; I bought that horse Game-leg, a lame leg. N. pretty gain. N orf. . GmJl1nerell, the small of the leg. Exm. Gain-cope, to go cross a field the near­ Gan, imperative mood of the verb '1'0 est way, to meet with something. S. go. N. Gainest-way, the nearest way. N. G'and, or G'ender, go yonder. Exm. Gairn, a garden. Kent. A hop-gairn, Gangrill, or Gangerill, a toad. N. a plantation of hops. Gang, row, set, or company; as of Gale, an old bull, castrated. Hants. teeth, sheep's trotters, rogues, &c. in Galeclear, a tuh of wort. N. which sense it is used all over Eug­ Gale, 01' Guile-dish, a tun-dish, used in land. brewing. N. Gang, to go, to walk; gang yonI' gate. Gale, or Guilej'at, the vat in which the N, heel' is wrought up. N. Gangway, a thoroughfare, entry, 01' Gallibagger, a bugbear. Exm. passage. Kent. Gallied, fi·ightened. Exm. Gannerlwad, a stupid person, a dunce. Gallier,. to stand a gallier, to fight. S. Glouc. Ga'nny, a tmkey. Exm. Galliment, a gTcat fright. Exm. Gant, slim, slender. C. Galloway, a horse under fifteen hands Ga'o'wing, chiding. Exmore. 11igh. N. And used in general for Gapesllest, a raree shew, or fine sight. all sorts of horses. Exm. Galls,. sand-galls, spots of sand thro' Gare, to cause 01' force; I'll gar or which the water oozes. Norf. & Suff. gare him to do it, I'll force him to do Galley-lands, lands full of sand-galls. it. N orthumb. and Scots. Gare- GEL GLO

Care-brain'd, or Elare-brain'd, heedless. Geose, 01' Grose-cree, a hu t to put geese­ S. in. N. Gam, garner. Berks. Gftern, a garden. Berks. Oar/h, a yard, a backside, a croft; a Gibbet, a great cudgel, such as are church-garth, a cll urch-yard; a stock­ thrown at trees, to beat down the garth, a rick-yard. Also a hoop 01' fruit. S. banel. N. Gibbon, a nut-hook. N. Garzil, hedging wood. N. Gib-str1J', a quarter-staff. N. Gaster, to startle, scare, or affright sud­ Giddy, mad with aug·er. N. denly. Ess. Gi~ if: N. Gate, a way 01' path; gang' thy gate, g'et GiJJ:p;r1J', unpremeditated discourse. you gone. N. A sea-gate, a way into Gitf-gaff makes good fellowship. N. the sea through rocks or cliff..,. Kent. Giglet, a laughing girl. N. Gattle-head, a forgetful person. S. Gilders, snares. N. Gattridge-tree, prickwood. S. Gill, a rivulet or brook. S. Gattridge-berries, louse-berries. S. Gill-flOuter, an owl. Chesh. Gaveloc/.;, an iron bar to make holes for Gimmer-lamb, 'a ewe-lamb; also a two fixing stakes. N. yeal's old sheep. N. Gauls, void spaces in coppices. Ess. Gin, if, N. and Sufi", Gin'ged, ai' Jinged, bewitched. Exm~ Gaulislt-hand, the left hand. N. Gint, or Jyut, joint. Exm. Gauntry, that on which beer-barrels Girred, draggle-tailed. Exm. are set in a cellar; a beer-stall. N. Glad, (spoken of doors, bolts, &c. that Gauster. See Goyster. g'o smoothly or easily.) This bolt is Gawby, a dunce, fool, 01' blockhead. N. glad, or moves gladly. N. Gawky, aukward; generally used to Glade, 01' Gleade, a kite. N. signify a tall aukward person. N. Glajfer, or Glaver, to flatter. N. Gawm, to understand; I clinna gaWl11 Glafe, or Glave, smooth; a glavering ye, I don't unclel'stancl you. Hence, fellow, a smooth-tongued or flatter­ possibly, gawmtion, or gumption, un­ ing fellow. N. derstanding. N. Also smeared over, Glaive, a sword or bill. S. French as his face all gawm'd over. glaive. Gmcmiug, aukward, lubberly. N. Glam, a wound or sore. Exm. Gawn, or Goan, a gallon. Chesh. Glatton, Welch flannel. N. Galcts and Gilts, hog-pigs and sow- Glea, or A-glea, crooked. N. pigs. N. Glent, to make a figure. N. Geazon, scarce, hard to procure. Ess. GliJJ; a fright. N. In Cheshire it is Gee'd, gave. Exm. used to sig'nify a glimpse or transient Geer, furniture, utensils, harness. To view; as I got a gliff of him. geer, or gear, to dress; snugly gear­ Glim, to look askance. ed, neatly dressed. N. Doctor's geer, Glise, a great surprise. N. apothecaries' drugs. Norf. Glob'd to, wedded to, fond of. Chesll. Geflezie Cheese, very poor cheese, from Glop, to stare. Chesh. which most of the cream has been Glotten'd, surprised, startled. Chesh. taken away. Ess. and SufI: Glowing, staring. Exm. Gelt-gimmer, a barren ewe. N. Glowr, to stare, or overlook. N. Glow'n'ng, GOD GRI G-lo'twering, or Jowering, quarrelsome. Gowle, a fool, also a cuckoo. N. Exm. Gowping, or a Gopen.:fitll, as much of Glum, gloomy, sullen. Norf. any thing as can be held in both Glumping, sullen, or sour looking. hands. N. Exm. Gowl, the gum of the eye. N. Gly, or Glee, to squint. Gowts, drains. S. Glybe; to glybe or gibe, to scold or re­ Goyster, to laugh aloud. Kent. A goys­ proach. N. tering lass or girl, a romp or tom-boy. Gob, the mouth. N. Gift of the gob, Gozzan, an old wig grown yellow with facility of speech. age and wearing-. Corn. Gobbin, } a greedy clownish person. Grain, or G1'alle, to choak. S. Gobslotch, N. Grain-Stqff, a quarter-staff, with a Gob-string, a bridle; keep a hand on short pair of tines at the end, called the gob-string, keep a tight rein. grains. S. Go-cab, a vulgar oath. N. Grand, very; grand-crass, very much Gods-good, yeast. N orf. out of temper; grand rich, very rich. Gael, or Gale, yellow. Ess. and Suff. Kent. ' Gctile, a mow of hay or corn. Essex. Gmtll, assured, confident. N. Gale, or Goal, big, full, florid: it is Grattell, stubble; a bean, oat, or wheat said of rank corn, or gross, that the gmtten. Kent. .leaf blade or ear is gole; so of a Greathly, handsomely, towardly; in soung cockrel, when his comb and greath, well. N. gills are red and turged with blood, Greaztt, a small worth. N. .that he is gale. Greeds, the straw to make dung in a 'Gall, a hand or fist ; 'give me thy gall. barton. Kent. Val'. G1'een-drake, the May-fly, of which G071lerill, a silly fellow. trout are peculiarly fono. N. Gooddit, Shrove-tide. N. Green-swerd, grass, turf. S. Goods, cattle. Derb. Grees, stairs or steps. N. Goal, a ditch. Line. Hence gully and Greels, the grain of oats. N. gullet. Val'. Grey-bird, a thrush. S. Goom, to grasp or clasp. N. In Y ork­ Grey-parson, a layman who owns or shire, to observe, or look at, or stare; rents the tythes of a paril'ih. N orf. pronounced ga1l1n and gmwe. Grey of the 71l01'1ling, twilight, from Goose-grass, goose-tanI'iY, argentina, or day-break to clear light. S. auscrina. N. Griddle, a g-ridiron. EXIll. Goppish, proud, testy, pettish, apt to Greit; to greit, to weep. N. take exceptions. N. Grig, health. Shropsh. Gal', mirey, dirty. N. Grip, or Gripe, a little ditch. N. Goss, furze. Kent. Called in the North Grtj); to grip, to bind sheaves. Berks.. gorse. Grip-yort, or Grip-yard, a seat of green Gotch, a stone jug with a belly; a clods or turf, supported by twisted .gotch-gutted fellow, a fat or great boughs (hurled ,rise) and generally hellied fellow. Norf. made round shady trees. N. Gate, a water passage. N. Gripp'n, a clasped or clench'd hanel. N. Got/tanl, a foolish fellow. N. Gris!y, ugly; from gl'ize, swine. Abo Goulans, corn marigolds. N. black and white, or g;re~'. N. Grit, G RY GYP Grit, sand. N. Gllizcnd, spoken of tubs or barrels thai Grizzen, the stairs. Suffolk leak through drought. N. Grizzling, laughing or smiling. GuM, a pander, or go between. Exm. Gri:zle-demundy, a laughing fool, one Gullet, the arch of a brido·e. Devon. that grins at every thing. Exm. Gullels, jacks. N. I:> Grosiers, gooseberries. N. Gully, a common knife. N. Groop, a place for holding cattle, a Gully-moutlt, a small pitcher. Dev. sheep-pen. N. GUll, a flaggon for ale. N. Groove, a mine. Derb. Gurd o'laughing, a fit of laughter. N. Groovers, miners. Derh. Gurt, great. Exm. Ground-sill, the threshold of u. door. C. Guttering, eating greedily, guttling. Grout, wort of the last running. N. EXIll. Grow; I grow, I am troubled. N. Gwill,. to dazzle; spoken of the eyes. GrolVze; to gl'Owze,. to be chill before Chesh.. the beginning of an ague fit.. N. Gypsies, springs that break forth some­ Groyne, a swine's snout. N. times all the Woulds of Yorkshire; Gry; to gl'y, to have a slight fit of the looked upon as a prognostic of fa­ ague, to have the ague hanging' on.a llline and scarcity. N. person. N.

H .. HAG HAP HACK,. a pick-axe, a mattock made ITag-worms, snakes of all kinds. York. only with one end, and that a broad Haister, the fire-place. Shrops. one. N. Also a rack. Line. Hake, to sneak or loiter. N. Hacker, to stutter. S. Hale, an iron instrument for hanging a J-Iadder, heath or ling. N. pot over the fire. S. See Trammel. Had-loont-rean, the gutter or division I-Iallibasll, a great blaze. N. between the head lards and others. Halzening, predicting, the worst that N. can happen. Exm. Hag, or Haggus, the belly. N. Hammil, a village. N. Hagester, a magpie. Kent. Han; I han, I have. N. ITaggage, a slattern. Exm. Hand, hold, stay; hand your hondo N. Haggenbag, mutton or beef baked or Hauje, or Hange,.the head,.heart, liver boiled in pie-crust. Corn. and lights of any animal, called in Haggis, or Haggass, the entrails of a Somel'setshire the purtenance. Exm. sheep, minced with oatmeal, and Hantick, frantic. Exm. boiled in the stomach ai' paunch of Hantle, much, many. N. the animal. Northumb. and Scots. Hanty, wanton,.unruly, restive; spoken. To cool one's haggass, to beat one of a horse. N. soundly. Happa; hap ye? think you? N. Haggles; it haggles, it hails. N. Happe, to cover for warmth: also to ITaglles, haws. encourage or set on a dog. N. Harden; HAZ HOB

I-Iarden; the market hardens, 1. e. Head, face; I told him to his head, I things grow dear. N. told him to his face. Berks. II:w'e, to affright, or make wild. S. Heal, to cover. Berks. Hence harum scarum, or starum. Heald, to pour out; to heald the pot. N. II:are, her; used also for slle. Exm. Heasy, hoarse. N. Hariff and Catclllveed, goose-g-rease, Heck, the door; also a latch. Steck aparine. N. . the heck, pull the latch. A heck is II:arl, a mist. N. likewise a rack for cattle to feed in. I1arle; to hade a rabbit. to cut and in­ N. sinuate one hind leg of a rabbit into II:eclcle; to heckle tow, to dress it. N. the other, for the purpose of carrying Heckler, of tow. N it on a stick. W. Helder, rather, preferable to. N. Ham, coarse linen. N. Helm, a hovel. N. I-larns, brains. Cumb; Heloe, or Helmc, bashful. N. I-Ian'; a sea harr, a tempest rising at Hemmel, a fold. N. sea. Linc. I-£en-bawlcs, a hen-roost, from the baw kf.: I-Iarr, to snarl like an angry dog. N. of which it consists. See Ball·lts. N. I-£an'est, harvest. Exm. I-£enn; to henn, to throw. Exmore. Harry-gawd, a rigsby, a wild child. N. I-Ienting, a clownish fellow. N. I-£art-cLaver, melilot. N. I-£eppen, or I-£epley, neat, handsome. N. I-£ask, dry, parched. N. I-Ietter, eager, earnest, keen. N. Haspat, or II:aspenal-lad, a youth be­ Helcstring, short-breathed, wheezing. tween man and boy. Exm. Hattle, wild, skittish, mischievous; tie Hie, to make haste. S. the llattle kye by the homs. N. 1-light, called. N. Hattock, a shock of corn, containing I-£ill, to cover; a bed-hilling, a quilt twelve sheaves. N. or coverlet. N. Havance, manners, good behaviour.Dey. Hind, a husbandry servant. N. II:aver, oats. I-£ind-berries, raspberries. N. I-laver-meal, oatmeal. N. I-£ine, hence; ofa while, 'ere long; q. d. Haver-bread, oat bread. N. behind, or after a while. N. Jlavy-cavy, undetermined, wavering, Hinge, the liver and pluck of a sheep, (ltabe cave) doubtful whether to ac­ for dog's meat. 'V. cept or reject a thing. Nottingham. 1-£inny, my honey, a term of endear­ :Elause, or l-£ose, the throat. N. ment; as, my hinny bail'll, my sweet I-lauste, or I-Iosle, a dry cough. N. child. N. I-Iaw, a close. Kent. flipping-hawd, or hold, a place where I-Iawchmnollth, one that talks inde­ people stay to chat in when they are cently Exm. sent on an errand; a loitering place. Hawbn, or I-£elm, stubble gathered after N. the corn is hOllsed; also peasestraw. S. IIippings, clouts for infants. N. Hawthern, a kind of hitch or pin, cut I-litch, to move, or walle Norf. out in an erect board, to hang a Flit/ter and yon, here and there, back­ coat on, or the like. Exm. wards and forwards. N. IIawze, orI-Ioze, to hug or embrace. N. 1-£0; to ho for any thing', to long for I-Iazes; it. hazes, it mizzles, or rains any thing. Berks. small ram. N. Hob, or lIub, the back of the chim- E ne)'; HOR HYP ney: to make a hob, to make a false Horry,. mouldy: perhaps from hoary_ step; probably hence to hobble. N. Exm. Hobbil, } a natural fool, a block- Iforse-knops, heads of knapweed. N ~ 1Io~f{obbin, head. N. Hotagoe, to move nimbly, spoken of 1lobgoblin, an apparition, fairy, or the tougue; you hotagoe your tongue. spIrit. N. S. Hover, to stay or stop. N. Also to I-Iobt/lntst,.. or rather 1-Iob 0 t'lmrst' a Spll'lt, supposed to haunt woods pack lig'htly, in order to defraud in only. N. measure. The hop-pickers in Kent, IIobbety-1LO!J, neither man nor boy, a who are paid by the basket, lay them young man between hot1l. N. lightly in for that purpose : this is :IIob-nob, (sometimes pronounced hab~ called hovering them. nab) at a venture, rashly. N .. IIover ground, lig'ht ground. S. FIoddy, well, pleasant, in good s1)irits . 1fo'Hse; the house, the room called the 1,m prettyI'lOddy. S. ' hal!. N. 1:lodmandod, a shell-snail. S. House-place, the common room in. a FIog, a sheep ofa year old. N. Some­ farm house. N. times called hoggrel. I.follsen, houses.. Berks. Saxon. Hoggets, hog-colts, colts of a year old. HOllt, a negative,. as nay. N. Hants. I-101V, a narrow ir.on rake without IIoit, an aukward boy. N. teeth. C. Hole, hollow, deep; a hole-dish, a Howdy, a mid wife. N .. deep dish, opposed to shallow. N. I-Iowki7lg, digging. N. I-Iollen; the hollen is a wall about two Howlet, an ow!' ~ards and a half high, used in d wel­ F1ozee, to be badly off. Exmore. hng-houses, to secure the family from Hubbleshew, a riotous assembly. N. the blasts of wind rushinO' in when Huck-muck, a little tilly fellow, (thick the heck is open; to this'" wall,. on stubbed). Exm. that side next to the hearth, is an­ Eluckslteens, the hocks or hams. EXIl1. nexed a sconce or skreen of wood I-I1iff, light paste, enclosing fruit 01' and stone. meat whilst stewing, so called from 1.folt, a wood. S. its huffing or puffing up in the opera­ IIoly-by-zont, a ridiculous fignre. N. tion. This paste is generally made 1foo, he; but in the north-west parts with yeast. Glouc. of England most frequently used for Hulver, holly. NorL she. Ifu1nmer, to begin to neigh. S. IIooly, tenderly. N. I-IlInclt,. a great hunch, a piece of 1foop, a measure, containing a peck, bread. S. or a quarter of a strike. N. Hunchet, a diminutive of lmnch. H?ppet, a little basket, chiefly for hold­ Hllre, hair. N. mg seed-corn, worn by the hasband­ Hushing, shuffling and shrinking' up men, in sowing, at their backs one's shoulders. Exm. whence a man with protuberant but~ Hutllerikin-lad, a ragged youth, be­ tocks is compared to a man accou­ tween b()y and man. Durham. tered with a hoppet, and styled hop­ Hyle, twelve sheaves of corn. W. pet-arsed, vulgarly hopper-arsed. N. FIype; to hype at one, to make mouths Hoppy, to hop or caper. Exm. at, or am'ont one. An ox apt to push Hornicle, a hornet. S. with his horns is said to hype. N. JACK, IND JUU

I.

JACK, half a pint. Yorks. Ing, a common pasture or meadow. N. Jacle-sharp-nails, a prickle-back; called Ingle, fire or flame. N. also, in Middlesex, a strickle-back. Inkling, a desire. N. Derb. Innom-Barley, such barley as is sown Jack-o-legs, a clasp knife. N. the second crop, after the ground is Jacket-a-wad, an ignis-fatuus. Exm. fallowed. Jag, a parcel or load of any thing, Insense, to make a man understand a whether on a man's back, or in a thing; I cou'd na insense him, I carriage. Nor£. could not make him comprehend it. Jannock, oaten bread, made into great Intermitting, the agoue. N. He has loaves. N. gotten an iQtermitting. Jarr, the door stands a-jan', i. e. the Inwards; the inwards of a llOg, the en­ door stands half open. Norf. trails, chitterlings, &c. Glouc. Jastring. See Gastering. N. Job, a piece of labour, undertaken at Jawn (of the door or window), the door a stated price. Norf. post, or side front of a window. N. Jobbet, a small quantity, commonly of From jamb, leg. hay or straw. Hampsh.. Called in Iccles, Isicles. N. Gloucestershire, Jobbel. Ice-bone, a rump of beef. N orf. Joist, summering cattle; from agiste. Jenny-crudle, a wren. S. N. Jenny-hulet. or Howlet, an owl. Yorks. Joule Coat, a great coat. N. I'falcins, in faith, an asseveration. N. Jounce, a jolt or shake; a jouncing Ill; to ill, to reproach. N. trot, a hard rough trot. Norf. Ilt, or EIt, a spaded sow. Exm. Ire, iron. Berks. Jill, or Gill, a pint. Yorksh. Irning, rennet. N. Jimmers, jointed hinges. N. Ise, Ees, Ich, I. Devonsh. Inder, (India.) An inder, a g'feat quan­ Jugglemem', a qua~mire. 'V. tity: he is worth an inder of money; JU1'1lut, an earth-nut, bulbo castanUI11. I have laid an inder of loads of gra­ N. vel in my yard. Norf. Ju-um, empty. N.

K.

KEA KEE IiALE, or Kcal, pottage. N. Kedge, to fill one's self with meat. Kale-pot, pottage-pot. N. Also brisk, lively. S. Kazzardly, unlucky; kazzardly cattle, Kedgebelly, a glutton. N. cattle subject to casualties or death. Kee, kine, or cows. EXlll. N. Keeve, a large vessel to ferment li­ Keale, a cold or cough. Line. quors in. Devonsh. KID KYR ]{eae; to keeve a cart, to overthrow Kidcr01l', a place for keeping' a suck- it. N. ing calf. Chesh. Keil; a keil of hay, a cock of hay. N. Kilps, pot-hooks. N. Kelks, a beating, hlows; I gave hIm Kind, intimate. N. two 01' three good kelks. Also the Kink, lang·hter. To kink, as spoken of roe of a fish. N. children, when their breath is long Kelter, 01' ](ilter, frame, order, concli­ stopped, through eager crying or tion. N. Hence Iwlters-kelter, a cor­ laugh:ng·. Hence the kink-cough, ruption of IlClter, to hang', and kelter, called also the chin-congh. N. order; i. e. hang order, or in defiance Kit, a milking- pail, like a chum, with of order. In good kelter, in good two ears and a covel'. N. case or condition. KitdlCit; to kitchen, to use thriftily. N. ](emnel, ](i11l11 el, or ](emlin, a powder­ ]Gtc1lilless-uread, thin soft oat-cakes, ing tub. N. made of thin batter. N. ]{e1l, to know; also to observe at a Kite, a helly. Cumbo distance: I ken him afar off. N. Killing, a young' cat or kitten. N. Out of ken, out of sight. Kittle, to tickle. N. ](enni1lg, a measure. N. Kittleisll, ticklish. N. ](enspecked, marked, or branded for Kive I, quoth 1. N. distinction. N. Klick; to klick up, to catch up. Line. ](ep, to reach or heave, as being' ready ]Outsen, to shake. N. to vomit. Also to catch a ball. N. Knack, to speak finely or affectedly. N. ](ep, a cap. Exm. KnackCl'. See Nackei'. Keppen, to hoodwink. N. K'1!.'ldle-11Ian, an active or skilful man. Kerping, finding fault, carping. Exm. ](em-uaby, an image dressed IIp with Knor, or](1/urer, a short, stubbed, d warf-, COl'll, carried before the reapers to ish man; a metaphor from a knot in theil' mell-supper, or harvest-home.N. a tree. In the South we use the di­ Kerse, the furrow made in a board by minutive knurle in the same senHe. the saw. S. Knoll, a little round hill, the top of a ]{eslop, the stomach of a calf. N. hill or mountain. N. Kester, Christopher. N. Knucher, to giggle, to chatter. Surrey. ](esmas, Christmas. N. ](nolles, turnips. Kellt. Kelty, nasty; a ketty cur, a nasty or Kony-t1ling, a fine thing ; perhaps canny. dirty fellow. N. See Canny. N. ](('y-Beer, ale, or a better sort of beel', Kuss, a kiss. N. kept under lock and key. Kent. ](ye, cows. N. Kic1de, or ](ittle, uncertain, fickle. N. Kyrk, church. N. Kid, a small faggot of brush-wood. N. ](yrk-1I1asler, chI1l'ch-warden. N.

L. LAC LAG

LABB, a blab, one that cannot keep Lackee, to be wallting from IJome~ Ex. a secret. Exm. Lad, a boy, youth, or young man. N. Lack, to dispraise. S. Lagger, a narrow strip of ground. Glo. Laier, LAZ LES Laie,', soil, dung. Ess. and SufI: Le-ach, hard work, which causes Ie" Lait, to seek any thing hidden. N. ache in the workmen's joints, [re­ Lake, to play; from the Saxon Lailcan. q uently used by the northern miners. Lake-wake, watching a dead body. N. N. Lamme, to beat. N. Leak, to play like children. N. Lamps'd, lamed.- or hurt. Exm. Leadden, or Lidden, a noise 01' din. N.. Land, a diviRion in ploughing. N. Lean,. to lean nothiug, to conceal no- Land, or Lant, urine; to lant or leint thing. N.· ale, to put urine into it to make it Leap, or Lib, half a bushel. Suss. Inc strong. N. Essex a lib is a basket for carrying. Laneing; they will give no lancing', i, e._ seed corn. they will divulge it. N. Lear,. to leal'l1. N. Lango! (of the shoe), the strap of the Lem'!f, empty. Dorsets. shoe. N. Lease; a cow-lease,. cow pasture. 'Y'.. Lape, to walk aukwardly. N. Perhaps lees. Also a small piece of Lare, or Lair, learning, scholarship. N. ground of two or three acres. Ess•. Lare, a quagmire. N. and S ufl: Largess, a bounty. The reapers in Es­ Leath, ceasing, intermission; as no sex and Suffolk ask all passengers leath of pain, no intermission from·. for a larg'ess, and when any money pain. N. is given to them, all shout tog'ether, Leather, to beat;. I'll leather you hear-­ Largess! Largess L . tily. N. Lass, a girl or young woman. N. Leasing, picking up the corn left by Laster, or Lawler, thirteen eggs to set the reapers, &c. called in some COUlI­ a hen. Also the coming-in of the ties g·leaning. Glouc.. tide. N. Leclc-on,pour on more liquor. N. Per-~ Lat, slow, tedious. Also a lath. N. haps fi'om leek. N. Latching, infecting. N. Lee, or Lew, calm, under the wind,. Late, slow. N, shelter. S. Latlw, a barn ;. also ease or rest. N. Le-egging, waddling. Latlling, entreating, invitation: dinna Lcedt-u'ay, the path in which the dead· look for lathing, don't want entreat­ are carried to be buried. Exm. ing. N. Led; or Liae, willingly; . I had as leef Latltedand overbelathed, strongly press­ not go. S. ed, or entreated over and over. Used Leer, empty. 'Vilts. A leer waggon, also in the Exmore dialect. an empty wag-gon. In the Exmore Lave; the lave, the remainder or leav­ dialect, {eery. ing. N. Leet,. a three or four way leet, a place· Lawn, an open space in the midst of a where three or four ways meet. S. wood. N. Leeten, yOll pretend to be. Chesh. You. Lmiful; Oh lawful case! an interjec­ are not so mad as you leeten you.. tiou. Derb. Leetll1vake, limber, pliable. N. Laye, the same as lOlve, in the North, Leits, nomination to offices ill election, the flame of a fire; but more palti­ often used in ArchLi::;hop Spots­ cularly used for the flame of charcoal wood's History. N. or any other burnt coal. N·. Lestal, saleable, that weighs well in Lazy, naught, bad.. hand, that is heavy in lifting. N. Lelch, LOC LOW Lrtcll, or Ledl, a vessel for holding Lac, a little round hill, or a great heap ashes, for the process of making lye of stones. N. for washing a buck. S. Loert, q. Lord, gaffer; Lady, gammer, Lib; to lib, to castrate. A libber, a used in the Ileak of Derbyshire. sow-gelder. N. Lqff; low. Exm. Libbet, a gore at cudgel, used to knock Lamey, a spoiled child. Devons. down fruit from the trees, and to Long, great; as a long price. throw at cocks. Kent. Long; long it hither, reach it hither. Lick, to beat. N. and S. tluff. Liever, rather. N. From the Saxon. Long-cripple, a viper. Exm. Lift, a stile that may be opened like a Lanning, lame. N. gate. Norf. Lontjigs, figs. Berks. Lig, to lie; lig ye down there, lie Look, a small quantity. N. down there. N. Loom, a tool or instrument in general. Limbers, thills or shafts. Berks. Chesh. Any utensil, as a tub. Linnncrs, a pair of shafts: also an epi­ Loop, a rail of pales or bars joined to­ thet, meaning base, low. N. gether like a gate, and moveable at Linell , a hamlet, generally on the side pleasnre. S. Also, in the North, a of a hill. G1ouc. hinge of a door. Linell-pin, or Inell-pin, the penis of a Looze, a hog-stye. Exm. 8 tag'. Shropsh. Lop, a flea. N. Ling, heath, hether. N. Lope, leap'd, theperfecttenseofleap.N. Lingey, limber. N. Lopperd-mille; sour curdled milk; a Links, sausages. Suff. lopperd slut. N. Lipin, to forewarn. S. Losset, a large flat wooden dish, not Lippey, moist, wet; a lippey season, or much unlike a voider. N. ground. W. LOllrdy, sluggish, from the French word Lz"t, to colour or dye. lOllrd. Dr. He:vlin, in his Geogra­ Lilli, limber. N. phy, will have l~llrdon, for a sluggish Lither, lazy, idle, slothful. N. lazy fellow, to be derived from Lord Lite; a lite, a few, or little. N. Dane; for thatthe Danes, when they Lite on; to lite on, to rely on. N. were masters here, ,,-ere distributed Litlling, thickening of liquors. N. singly into private houses, and in Litten, or Liten, a garden. N. The each called Lord Dane, who lorded church-litten, the church-yard. N. it there, and lived such a slothful, and S. idle life. Littoclcs, rags and tatters. Berks. LOlileing, gawky, aukward. N. Lizen'd; lizen'd corn, q. lessened; lank LOllstree, to loustree, to work hard. or shrunk corn. S. Exm. Lob-lolly, an odd mixtlll'e of spoon­ Lalit, a heavy, idle fellow. N. meat. Exm. On board of the ships Lallie, flame; a lilly-lowe, or ballibleiz, of war, water-gruel is called loblolly, a comfortable blaze. To make a and the surgeon's servant or mate, lowe, to stir the fire in order to make the loblolly boy. it blaze. W. Locle! an exclamation of surprise; as, Lowing, piling up one thing on ano­ what! hey-day! Exm. ther. Exm. Lou:lc, LUI\{ LYT Lowk, to weed; to lowk corn, perhaps Lun, or Leu;e, under cover, or shelt~r. to look for and take out the weeds. Under the lun or lewe ofa hedge. \V. N. Lung-sadIe, or settle, a long form, .with Lown, or Loon, a vulgar rustic, a heavy a, back and arms, usually placed in stupid fellow. N. the chilllney corner of a fanH-house. Lowt, to cringe, or bow down the body. N. They were very low. in their lowtings. LU7IP;C01lSr spiteful, mischievous. Del'. N. and Leic. L1ife, the open hane!. N. Lundge, to lean on any thing. Exm. Lngg, a pole 01' perch. Also used in Lure, a sore on the hoof of a cow, Gloucestershire for any long pole. cured by cutting it cross-ways. \Y. Luggs, ears. N. Lymptwigg, a lapw.jng. Exm. LUnl,.a woody valley. N. Lynchett, a green balk or interval. to Lumper, to stumble; a IUTl1peringhorse, divide lands. S.· a stumbling horse.. W._ Lyle, or Light, a few._

1\f.

MAR MER lPIAB, a slattern. To mab, to dress about the feast of St. l\Iartin, l\"0­ in a careless, slatternly manner. N. vember the eleventh. Ess. and Sufi: Mabbiers, chickens. Corn w. lJfass, acorns (Mast.) Exm. jJJIad, an earth-worm. Ess. From the flIauks, flfakes, flIaddoclcs, whims or German Maden. maggots. N. lJfaddle, to be fond of; she maddles flIauls, mallows. N. after that fellow, she is fond of that lJ!laund, a hand-basket with two lids. fellow. N. N. .1lfain, very; main good, very good. flIaund!f, abusive,.saucy. Hence maun­ Also the chief; madam's the main, dering. Glouc. i. e. madam is the chief or. ruler. C. jlfaur, or flfol'e, a root; a strawberry­ J1Iake, a match or equal. N. maul', or more. See l1Iore. Glouc. :bIaker/y, tolerable. N. Perhaps hence the word mored for J1fake-weigltt, a small candle, thrown rooted. in to complete the pound. N. Man'ks, maggots; also a slattern. N. lJ'Ialls, the measles. Exm. flfaz'd, or .Mazed, mad. Exm. A mazed jlIanz"sworn, peljured. N. man, a crazy or mad man. j1fantle, to embrace kindly. N. lJfazards, black cherries. Glouc. JJIad, a marvel or wonder. Exm. flfeag, or flfeak, a pease-hook. Ess. Marrow, a fellow, or companion. Exm. lJIeatll, option, preference. Linc. Tbis pair of gloves or shoes are not llIeatchley, perfectly well. S. marrows, i. e.are not fellows. N. Meaugll; my meaugh, my wife's· bro-' JJIartlenzas-beef, beef dried in the chim­ ther, 01' sister's husband. ney like bacon, so called, because it JJIeer, a ridge of land between different usual to kill the beef for this purpose properties in a common field. Glauc. lJ:lecdless,. MIN MOS JJleedless, unruly. N. 'Vest it is also used to signify re­ lJIeeterZIf, J1leetlterly, J1Ieederly, hand­ sembling; as, a do mint the veather somely, modestly. N. o\m mortally, he resembles his father lJIell, or J1Iaul, a wooden mallet or greatly. beetle. N. lJfire-banlc, a separation. Norf. lJIell-Supper, a supper and merry-mak­ lJfire-drmn, a bittem. Norf. ing, dancing, &c. given by the farmers lJfidc'd, or lJlerlc'd, to be troubled at· to their servants ,On the last day of disturbed in mind. S. reaping the corn, orharvest-home. N. jJfisagaft, mistaken, misgiven. S. JJIelslt, modest, damp, drizzling; melsh lJfiscreed, descried. N. weather. N~ lJfistecltt, that has got an ill habit, pro­ lIIeney, a family; from the ancient perty, or custom; as a mistecht French word mesnie. horse, perhaps misteach'd, for mis­ 1JIenseflll~ comely, graceful, creditable. taught, ill broken. N. N. lJfixllill, a dunghilI. Kent. ]jferrybaulcs, a cold posset. N. lJfizzy, a quagmire. N. lJless; by the mess, by the mass, an lJIodlter, Modder, or lIIautlter, a young' oath. Derb. and Lanc. girl. Norf. 11fet, a strike, or four pecks. N. lJIoke, the mesh of a net: also wicker J1Iete, or lVleat, measure. N. work, perhaps from the resemblance 1lfews, moss. Exm. to the meshes of a net. Norf. lIfews, a general name in London for lJfoider, to puzzle, perplex. N. See stables, from the Mews at Charing lJIoytlter. Cross, formerly the place where the lJfolter, tlre toll of a mill. N. king's hawks as well as horses were lJIop, a statute fair for hiring' servants. kept. Glouc. Jjlicllers, thieves, pilferers. Norf. ilIoocll, to play the tl'Uant; blackberry lJIiclcle, much. N. mooching, to play the truant in order lIIidden, a dunghill. N. to gathet' blackberries. Glouc. lIIidge, a gnat. .N. ]lIore, a hill: hence the hilly parts of JJIil/cnesse, a dairy. N. Staffordshire are called the More­ ilIill-ltolms, watery places about a mill- lands. N. 1\fore, or Maul', also in dam. N. Gloucestershire, sig'nifies a root; as, J1Iilner, a miller. N. a strawbeny-more. lIIilnyn, gTeen fish. Lanc. JJforeing-axe, an axe for gl'Ubbing up lJlimmam, a bog. Berks. the roots of trees. Glouc. i1Iin, or 11 fen, them; e. g. put min up, lJIorgan, a weed growing among corn. i. e. put them up. Exm. Hants. l'tling; to mingo at one, to remind, give JJlort, or JJIot, many, abundance, a mul­ warning, or allude to a thing. N. titude; a mort ofmoney, apples, men, .II/ing-wort, wormwood. N. &c. Kent. lJIinginator, one that makes fret-work. JJIortal, JJIortacious, lIIortally indeed, It is a rustic word, used in some "Very; a mortal good doctor, morta­ parts of Yorkshire, corrupted, per­ ciaus wholesome. Kent. haps, from engine. J1Iosey, mealy; a mosey apple. Glouc. JjJint; to mint at a thing, to aim at it, JJIoslcer, to rot; a mosker'd tooth, a or to have a desire for it. N. In the rotten or deca~'ed tooth. N. J1Iouc7l, MUC MUX lTloucll, to pilfer. Berks. lIf1.lggard, sullen. Exm. lJfolllde-rat, a mole. Bedf. JJl11ggots, chitterlings; also a calf's l1Iollld-warp, the same; from the Low pluck. Exm JJf1.lggety-pie, a pie Dutch, u;orpen, to cast forth, and made of calf's entrails. Cornw. molde, earth. N. JJf'l.lgwort, wormword. N. lJfoyle, a mule. Exm. To moyley, or lJlulcll, straw, half rotten. S. moyIe and toil, to ·labour hard like lJfll11; to mull, to pull and tumble one a mule. about. Exm. JJfoytltel'd, confounded, tired out. Glou. JJI'I.lllock, dirt or rubbish. N. l1Iuck, moist, wet. Lincolnshire. Else­ JJf1l1mny, mother. N orf. where muck sig'nifies dung 01' straw JJflln, must; I mun go, I must go. N. laid to rot, which is usually very lJf'l.lng, food for chickens. moist; whence wet as mucic JJIunger, to mutter to oneself, or mur· JJIuckinger, or JJIuckinder, a handker­ mur. Shrops. chief. N. JJlurk, dark. N. JJIuck-midden, a dunghill. N. JJf'l.ldcins, in th.e dark. N. l1fucksllut, . the dusk of the evening. l1f'l.lrl, to crumble. N. Glouc. JJl1l1·tll, abundance; a murth of COI'1l, lJluckson up to tlle Hllckson, dirty up abundance of corn. N. to the knuckles. S. JJfllx, dirt. EXlll.

N.

NAY NES

NAB, the summit of a rock or moun­ IVeeald, a needle. Exm. tain. N. !{earre, Lincoln. In use for neather. Nacker, a harness-maker. Norf. Ab A. S. Nerran, posterior. Nacking, i. e. necking, a handkerchief. IVeb, or Nib, the nose; also the beak Connv. of a bird. N. Nail; a nail of beef, eight pounds. S. Neckabollt, a woman's neck llandker­ Nape, or Nepe, a piece of wood that chief. N.. .hath three feet, used to support the Nee~'e, 01' ]{eiffe, a fist. N. fore part of a loaded wag'gon. N. Neme; my neme, my compere, my gos­ Napkin, a pocket handkerchief. N. sip. N. Nade, a hard swelling on the neck, Nemis, least, for fear. Suff. l\'lauther, arising from a cold. Glonc. Narle gang the gl'izen into the vaunceroof, is likewise a term for a knot in an hring' my hat from off the spurket, oak, thence stiled a narly oak. A ding the door after you, nemis the narIe is also a knot in a tangled cat should get in and eat the SUll­ skein of silk or thread. cate: girl, girl, go up stairs into the Nar-sin, never since. N. garret, and fetch my hat from off the Nal/nt, aunt. N. peg; shut the door f01' fear the cat Nay, no; a nay-word, a catch, or by­ should get in and eat the dainty. word. N. Neslt, or Nasll, tcnder. N. and S. F :Nerled, NOG NUS 1'lerled, ill-treated, as by a step-mother. Noggin, a little pot or piggin, holding­ N. about a pint. N. Nestling, the smallest bird of the nest J\Tool.:, a cornel'; the toll-nook, the 01' clutch. N. corner of the market-place where :Nether, lower: hence the Netherlalllls the toll used to be taken. N. or Lower lands. N. J\Tollce ; he cJid it for the nonce, he did J.letherd, starved with cold. N. it designedly, or on purpose. N. & S. J.Vetting, chamber-lye, urine. N. Nor, than; more nor 1, more than 1. J.Vewing, yeast, or barm. Ess. N. ]{ice, clever, agreeable, fine, applied Nose-gigg, a toe-piece on a shoe. Exm. to any thing. C. J.Vot, smooth, polled or shorn; not­ Nickering, neighing'. N. sheep, sheep without horns. Ess. jVickel'-peckel', a wood-peckel'. N. That field is not, that field is well J./iddiclc, the nape of the neck. Exm. tilled. Berks. J./igll; to nigh a thing, to be close to Not, a g'ame used in Gloucestershirc, it, to touch it. N. where the parties, ranged on oppo­ J.li! J\Ti! an exclamation expressing' site sides, with each a bat in their amazement on seeing anyone finely hands, endeavour to strike a ball to dressed. N. opposite goals. The game is called Nilll, to take up hastily. N. not, from the ball being made of a J.Yinniwatcll, a longing t1esire or expec­ knotty piece of wood. Glouc. tation of a thing. Exm. Note, to push, stl'ike, or gore with the Nitch, or Ni(~q;e; a nitch of hay or homs, as a bull or a ram. N. corn, a small quantity, less than a Note-11CI'il, a neat-herd. N. jobbet. Hampsh. J.Vougld, nothing; noug'ht good to, good Nittle, handy, neat, handsome. N. for nothing. N. lVillling, much valuing', sparing of; he J\Towt, neats; i. e. cows and oxenL is nithing of his pai.ns. N L Nusll'd, starved in bringing up. SL Nog, ale. o. OPE OSK

OAF, a foolish fellow. N. and. S. year; gronnd that IS loose and Oavis, the eaves of a house. EXI1l. open. S. Ol'ts fmo'ments of victuals " don't make Old, great; hei'e has been old doing's, , e f' here has been great doing·s. C. or leave orts, don't leave any rag- Old Land, ground that has lain long ments on your plate. C. untilled, and just ploughed up. The Ore or Ore-weed, sea-weed, or sea­ same in Essex is called new lands. ,;rac, used for manuring land. S. Omy, mellow (spoken of land.) N L and W. OJ/eder. See Allndel'. Orndol'ns, afternoon's drinkings: cor­ OJ/stead, a single farm-house. N. rupted from onedrins. Cumbo '. Ope-land, ground ploughed np every Oslcen; an osken of land, a corruptIOn of OVE OXT of ox-gang, which in some places hefore, you will soon over-get him. contains ten acres, in some more. N. N. Overswicld; an overswitcht housewife, Oss, to try, attempt, endeavour. N. i. e. a whore; a ludicrous word. N. Otlwrwhiles, sometimes. S. Ouzle, a blackbird. N. Otllergttess, another sort; corruption Owl; to take owl, to be offended, to of other guise. C.. take amiss. Exm. Ousen, oxen. N. OlcJlfy, empty. Exm. Oust, or Oast, a kiln for drying hops. O.-v-boose, an ox, or cow-stall. Exm. Kent. Called in the West, an East. O.-vlip, a cowslip. Ess. This ffower Over, important, material. Exm. I probably derives its name from its have an over errand to you. sweetness, compared to the breath Over-anunt, opposite. Glouc. or lip of a cow or ox. Over-get, to overtake; he is but a little O.-vier, the arm-pit. N.

P. PEA PIC PADDOCK, or Paddicle, a frog. Pee, to look with one eye. N. N. and S. Peed, blind of one eye. N. Paddle, to tipple. EXIll. Peek, a prong or pitchfork. Exm. Paigle, a cowslip. N. Peevish, witty, subtle. N. Patching, patching or mending clothes. Pelt, a skin; chiefly a sheep's skin Also walking' slowly. EXlll. when the wool is off. Also, in fal­ Pame, a christening blanket, a mantle. conry, the skin of a fowl, stuffed, or Exm. the carcase of a dead fowl, to throw Pan; to pan, to close, join together, or out to a hawk. N. and S. Pelt is agree. N. also used to signify a blow; as, I hit Pancl"Ock, an earthen pan. Exm. him a pelt. In old English, peltry Pank, or Pink, a minnow. N. is used to signify all sorts of wool­ Panking, painting. Exm. len stuff: Parbreaking, fretful. EXIll. Pen-baule, a beggar's cann. N. Parcyand, the figure 9"' N. Pen:lJ, a little cur dog. N. Partlet, a woman's ruff: N. Pestle qf Pork, a It'g of pork. E:-:m. Pash, brains; a mad-pash, a mad­ Pet, a favourite; a pet lamb; a petted brains. Chesh. .child, a favourite, humoured, or in­ Pate, a brock or badger. N. Also a dulged child. N. general ludicrous word for a head in Petted, favoured, indulged. N. many counties. Pettle, pettish. N. Pax-lcax, the tendon of the neck. Norf. Petticoat; in some places used for a Pays, strokes, threshing, beating. N. man's waistcoat. Ray. Peale, to cool; peale the pot. N. Piclcsey, a fairy. Devonsh. Pease-bolt, pease-straw. Ess. Picksey stool, a mushroom. Devonsll. Peasen, peas. Berks. Picks, spades; from piques, French. N. Pick-Ace, PLU PRI Pick-Ace, the ace of spades. N. Pock-arr'd, marked with the small-pox. Pijle, to filch, or pilfer. N. N. Piggin, a little pail or tub, with an Pod, to put down aukwardly. N. erect handle. N. PodgeI', a platter, or pewter dish. EXlll. Pigsloose, a pig-stye. Devonsh. Polwad, a tadpole. N. To play by the Pi/lerds, barley. Conny. poheads, to play by the notes; they Pilmer; a pilmer, a shower of rain, being somewhat in figure like tad­ small and thick as dust. Devonsh. poles. N. Pilll, or Pilm, dust raised by the wind, Poke, a sack, or bag'. N. road-dust. Devonsh. Pollrmuptz'olls, restive, unruly. Kent. Pine; it's pine, q. pein, it's difficult. N. Poll, saucy, audacious. Kent. Ping, to push. W. Pomster; to pomster, to act the em- Pingle, a small craft or pycle. N. piric. Exm. Pingswill, a boil. Exm. Poops, gulps in drinking. N. Pill-prl1!niebly:!ellow, a miserable, cove- Popple, cockle. N. tous, sllspicious fellow, one who Pooeltee; to poochee, to make mouths pins up or fastens his paniers and at a person. Exm. baskets. N. Pook, a cock of hay or barley. ·W. Pip; to take pip at a thing, to take POOll, or PUll, to kick; Ise pnn him offence, Exm. till the bitling, I'll kick him into the Pipperidges, barberries. Ess. kennel. N. Pisterillg, whispering'. Exm. Pooting, crying. N. Pixy, a fairy. EXIIJ. POl', a poker, or salamander. N. Pla'sad, in a tine condition. Exm. Porriwiggles, tadpoles. N. Planel,ing, a wooden floor. Devonsh. Pose, a running' of the head or nose, Play; to play, to boil, spoken of a ket- from a cold. S. tle, pot, or othel' vessel full of liq nor; Postisis, posts; plural of posts. Mid. playing hot, boiling hot. In Norfolk POtell, to poke or push sudoenly. Glou. they pronounce it plaw. Var. Dial. Pot-cleps, pot-hooks. N. .l?ecause they Pleck, a place. N. clip or catch hold of the pot. Plim; to plim, to swell, to encrease in Po'tee; to potee, to push with one's bulk; as this bacon will plim in the feet. EX111. pot. Also to make any thing swell Pot-dung, farm-yard dung. Berks. by beating. Exm. Pate, to pate the clothes off; to throw, Ploat, to pluck. N. or kick off the bed-clothes. N. Plodge, to plunge. N. Pot-sitten, burnt too. N. Plough, a wag'gon. ·W. POlld, a bailor ulcer. S. Plowdillg, wading through thick and Pound; to pound, to beat or knock. thin. N. 'VllO'S that pounds at the door so? Plum, very; plum pleasant, very plea­ Who's that knocks at the door? Glou. sant. Kent. Pow, the head or skull. N. Plump, a pump. Exm. Powt, to stir up. N. Plump, when the paths after rain are Powt; a hay-powt, a hay-cock. Kent. almost dry, they are said to beplump. Pmtlily, softly. N. Kent. Priell, thin drink. N. Pll/nt, a walking-stick with a large Prigge, a small pitcher. S. . knob. Glouc. Prill'd, soured. PUB PYC Prin, a pin. N. Puckets, nests of catterpillars. S. Prin-cod, a pin-cushion. N. Figura­ Pudding-pye-doll, the dish called toad­ tively, a short fat man or woman. in-a-hole, meat boiled in a crust. Princox, a pert, lively, or forward fel­ Norf. low. N. Pugging-end (of a house) the gable- Pringle, a small silver Scotch coin~ end. Devonsh. worth about a penny, with two XX Pug-drink,. water cyder. ·W. on it. Pullc, a hole of standing water. N. Prinked, well-dressed, fine, neat. Exm. Pung, pushed. Exm. Print; print star or moon light, clear Purr, a poker. Norf. In Dorsetshire star or moon light. Kent. a purr signifies a boy; also a male Pritch; to llritch, to check or with­ lamb. stand. Also a term for making holes Purting, or A-purt, sullen. Exm. in the leather of cards for weavers,. to Putch, to hand up (pitch) sheaves or admit the wires. Exm. the like, with a pitchfork. Exm. Prod, an awl. Puttock; a puttock-candle, a small Profets, huskins. Exm. candle put- in to make weight. N. Pubble, fat, full, usually spoken of Pyot, or Pynet, a magpie. N. corn or fruit, in opposition to fan­ Pycle, a small field. Berks. tome. N. Q. QUE QUY QUA1~IP, still, quiet. Glouc. Quem, a hand mill to gTind malt. N. Quatcll, a wonl: Berks. Quice, a wood pigeon. Glouc. Qu'e, quoth he. N. Quilt, to swallow. Glouc. Qu'eltring, hot, sultry, sweltring. Exm. Quirking, complaining. ·Wilts. (Juerking, gmnting·. Exm. Quop; to quop, to throb. Glouc. Quest; the quest of the oven, the sides Quoit, or Aquott, weary of eating; thereof. Pies are said to be quested, also sat down, or squatted. EXlll. whose sides have been crushed by Quotted, cloyed, g·lutted. S. each other, or so joined to them as Quy-ca1f, a cow-calf. N. thence to be less Laked. N.

R. RAe RAG RABBLE-ROTE, a repetition of Raclcless, or Reckless, careless improvi- a long' round-about story,. a rigme­ dent. N. ' role, or tale of a tub, Exm. Radlings, windings of the wall. N. Race, rennet, or renning. N. Rafe, or Raff; a low fellow' rifi~ratf. Rack; to rack or reck, to care: never the mob. .Norf. " rack ~'ou, never care. N. -Ragro'n·tering, plaJ'ing atromps. Exm. Raid, REC RIP Raid, or Rear, early. Kent. Rearing, mocking, by repeating ano~ Rait; to rait timber, hemp, 01' flax, to ther's words with disdain, or the like. put it into a pond 01' ditch, to water Exm. or season it. N. Reclding, an llnhealthy child, pig, or Rake; to rake a fire, to heap small lamb; the nestling, or smaller bird in coals on the fire, that it may burn all nest. N. the nig'ht, practised in the North, Recleans, hooks to hang pots on. N. where coals are cheap, a kitchen fire Redd, to untangle, 01' separate. S. being rarely suffered to go out. N. Red-shanks, arsmart. N. Rmne, to reach. N. Reele, to wear away, to waste; his Randy, riotous, obstreperous, disor- Rickness reeks him. N. derly. N. Reek, smoke; reeking hot. N. Ranisil, ravenous. Exm. Reem, to cry aloud, or bewail oneself. R'ap, to exchange or swap. N. N. Ilash; rash corn, corn so dry in the Reesty, rancid. N.Vulgarly pronounced Btraw that it falls out with handling. in the South rusty, as rusty bacon. N. Reeling, preparing washed linen for Rasps, raspberries. N. ironing. N. Ratclwd, spotted N. Rejumble, to ferment; it rejumbles on RatIte, early, soon. Exm. Leet rather, my stomach. Linc. a little sooner. 'Vhy do you up RemMe, to move or remove. Line. so rathe? \lhy do you rise so Renty, well shaped, a term used In early? In Kent the words raid and speaking of horses 01' cows. N. "ear are used .in the Rame sense. Render, to separate, disper:;e; also to See Raid and Rear. melt down. To render suet. N. RatJwr of tlw rat/wrest, meat under­ Rennis/I, furions, pa:-;sionate. N. done. Norf. Reut; to I'eul, to be rude or unruly; a Raulc, to scratch; a rauk with a pin, reuling lad, a rude lad. N. a scratch or rake with a pin. Reusty, unruly, restive; also rancidity Rau:ming, reaching any thing auk­ in bacon. N. wardlv. N. Reward, orgood -reward, a ruddy coun­ Ready; •to ready the hair, to comb it. tenance. N. N. Re.r:en, rushes. Exm. Readying-comb, a wide-toothed comb. Re.r:en, Rixon, 01' lYl'e.r:en, to infect, as N. with the small pox, itch, or any other Ream; to ream, to stretch. Exm. infections disorder. Kent. Ream-penny, (i. e. Rome-penny) Peter­ Rey, to rey oneself, to dress or array pence. He reckons up his rpam­ oneself. Exm. pennies; that is, he tells all his faults. Riddle, an oblong kind of sieve, llsed N. to clean corn; so called because it Rear (corruptly pronounced rare), ear­ rids it of the :;oil or dirt. ly, soon. Meat under roasted, boil­ Riddle-cakes, tbick sour oaten cakes, ed, or broiled, is said to be rear or which diRer little from that which is rare, from being taken too soon off called Iland-hoven-bread, having but the fire. See Raid and Rat/Ie. Kent. little leaven, and being kneeded stif­ Reart, right; reartillg, i. e. righting, fer. N. mending. Exm. Ride, a little stream. Hampsh. Rift, ROS RYN Rift, to belch. N. Roundsllaving, severe chiding. Exm. RiU'uen, the ridg'e of a house. N. ROllgltiugs, or Rowings, aftermaths. S. Riggilt,0::>0::> a ram WIt"Ilone stone..N Rowty, over rank or strong, spoken of Riue,. to rine, to touch or feel. N. corn or gmss. N. Ripper, a higgler, pedder, dorsser, or Rowt,. to rowt or rawt, to lowe like an badger. S. ox or cow. N. Ripping one up, telling him all his Ruck, a wrinkle or plait. All in a ruck, fiolUlts. Exm. your gown sits all in a ruck. N. Ripple,. to ripple flax, to wipe' off the Ruck, to squat or shrink down. N. seed vessels. N. Ruckses, spit-stands or racks. N. Rising, yeast, barm good. S. Rud, or Ruddle, a red oker, used to Rittling, wheazing (quasi rattling. Ex. mark sheep. N. and S. Rive, to rend or tear; to rive all a Rue, to sift. W. dawds, to tear all to rags. N. Rumbustious, obstreperous. Staff. Rockled, rash and forward, in children. Runches and Runchballs, carlock, when N. dried and w~thered. N. Roil, or Royle, to perplex, or fatigue. Runnell, pollard-wood, from running up S. a-pace. N. Rooky,' misty. N. Perhaps from Tolee, Rumple, a large debt, contracted by smoke. little and little. 'Twill come to a Roop, a hoarseness. N. rumple, or breaking, at last. Somel-. Ropes, guts. N. Ruze, to extol or commend highly. N. Rossil, rosin. Rynt ye,. by your leave, stand hand­ Rosil, 01' Rosilly-soil, land between somely; as, Rynt you witch, quoth sand and clay, neither light nor Besse Locket to her mother. Chesh. heavy. Ess. Provo s. S.AN seA SACKLESS, innocent, faultless. N. Sang is't, indeed it is. N. From the Saxon noun, sac, saca, a Saric, a shirt. N. cause, strife, suit, quarrel, &c. and Sary-Jnau, an expression of pity. N. the preposition leas, without. Sal/gIL and Sauf, sallow. N. Sad, heavy, particularly applied to Saunter, to saunter about. Some de­ brearl, as contmry to light. N. rive this from sans ten'e, a persall Saglte, a saw. N. without house or home; or saincte Sai1lle, or Seame, goose-grease, lard, or terre, the holy land, because, in the any othel' kind of £'1.t. S. time of the'crusades, lllany vaga­ Sallis, hog·'s-lard. Glouc. bonds went sauntering' from place to Smmn, to skim; samm the pot, skim place, upon pretence of having" taken, the pot. N. or intending to take the cross. Samme,. to samme milk, to curdle it. N. Saur-pool, a :,animals. N. tlll"ough a hill to drain a mine. N. Scrogs, blackthorn. N.· Sew, 01' Zue; the cow be a-zue, the Scroob!f-grass, scurvy-gTass. N. cow is dry, 01' yields lIO milk. W. Scroop, to make a noise from friction; Sew; to go sew, to go dry; spoken the jack scroops. W. ofa cow. S. Scrowg'd, crowded. Middlesex. We Sewent, or Suent, even, regular, all alike. are so scroug'd and squeeg·'d. See Exm. Squeeg'd. SllcdJrnan, Slwumet, 01' Slwrpment, the Ser!fle, couch-grass. 'V. measure of the fist, with the thumb 8CU1lifiSh'd, smothdd. N. set up. N. From the Saxon, sc«ft Seame of Corn, eight bushels, or a mU71d, semipes. quarter. S. Shale, to peel; perhaps to shel\. Also Seameof JYood, a horse-load. S. to slide down, as the side of a hank. Sear, dry, opposed to green; spoken N. only of wood 01' the parts of plants. Slwn, shamefacedness, hashfulness. Lin. S. Slwnd!f, wild. N. Seaves, rushes; seavy-ground, ground Shard, a gap 01' notch; this knife has overgrown with rushes. N. a great shard. Glouc. Sean, a kind of net; probably a con­ Shave, a coppice, 01' little wood. Kent. traction of sagena. Lincoln. Shaw, a small wood, or shave. Kent. Secing-glass, a mirror, or looking-glass. Slwwle, a shovel to winnow withal. S. N. Perhaps a contraction of shovel. Sheal, SHU S IZ Sheal, to separate, mostly used of milk. Shuclc, the h.usk of a walnut, or shell of To sheal milk is to curdle it, to se­ a bean. S. parate the parts of it. N. Shun, to save. S. Shal'king, or Slwrlcing, an eager desire Slmppick, a hay-fork, or two-grained to cheat 0.1' defraud another. Exm. fork. Glouc. Sllear, to reap; to shear wheat, oats, Sibberidge, the banns of matrimony. barley, &c. N. ' Sib'd, a-kin; no sale sib'd, nothing a­ Slwat, a young hog. S. In Essex call­ kin: no more sib'd than sieve and ed a slwte. riddle, that grew both in a wood to­ ,shed, difference; no sh~d, no difference gether. Chesh. Provo Syb, 01' sybbe is .between things; from to shead, Lane. an ancient Saxon word, sigllif)'illg' to distinguish; au A. S. sceadan, to kindred, alliance, affinity. distinguish, disjoin, divide, or sever. Sick, a small stream, or rill. N. Sheenstrads, spatterdashes. Exm. Sicked!!, surely; it Lat. seCllre. Sheld, party-coloured, fleck.ed, or Sidda, peas or vegetables that boil speckled. Thence sheld-drake and soft; these peas will sidda. Glouc. sheld-fowl. S. Side,lJong; my coat is very side; i. e. ,Sllelvings, additional tops to the sides very long. Also proud, steep. From of a cart, or waggon. N. the Saxon, side, sid, or the Danish, ,sltide, a piece split off(spoken ofwood) ; side, signifying long. a cleft shide. Glouc. ' Sidlup, a small box, containing about Shimpel', to shine. S. half a bushel of seed corn, worn by Sllippen,.a cow-house; ab A. S. SC!!­ the sowers. See Hoppet. pene, stabulum, bovile, a stable, an Sid!!, surly, moody. ox-stall. Sig, urine, chamberlye. S. Shi1·t-band, a,band. N. Silce, a little rivulet; au A. S. sich, sul­ Slward; to take a shoard, to drink cus, a furrow; vel potius sulcus, a cup too much. Exm. aquarius, Lacuna, lira, stria, elix, a Slwclc, to spunge; to shock a dinner, water furrow, a gutter. N. Somncl'. to spunge a dinner. N orf. Sike, such: sike a thing, such a thing-. Shoo, she. N. N. Val'. Dial. Slwods, oat-hulls. N. Sile; to sile down, to faU to the bot­ Shool, a shovel. Exm. tom, or subside. N. and Lincoln. Slwort; to shoort, to shift for a living. Sile, filth, because it usually siles or Exm. subsides to the bottom.' Shotllagon, or Come again, the host's Sill (of a door) threshold, called also pot, g'iven where the guests have groundsill, in divers counties. drank above a shilling's worth of ale. Sills (of a waggon) the shafts, the same Derb. as thills. N. Slwtfs, a species of small trout. Cornw. Simpson, grounsell. Ess. Slwwel, a blind for a cow's eyes, made Siss, a great fat woman. Exm. of wood. S. Size of Bread, and Cue ofBread. Cam­ Shrum'd, chilled; I am shram'd to bridge. The one signifying half, the death, I am dead with cold. W. other one-fourth part of a halfpenny Slll'ooding, trimming up or lopping loaf, cue being Q. the abbreviation trees. Glouc. of a quarter, and size comes fro,lIl Sltuggy-sltezlJ, a swing. N. scindo, I cut. G Si::c0, SLE SNA Size1!J, nice, proud, coy. Exm. S1eec!i, to dip or take up' water. Se~ Siz=ing, yeast. S. Keech. N. Skatlt, los~, harm, wrong, prejudice. Sliddering, or Slithering, slipping. N. Derb. One doth the skath, and ano­ Slim, wicked, mischievons, perverse'; ther hath the scorn. Ab A. S. sccedan. from the German, schlim. It is a word Skeel, a collock. N. generally used in the same sense Skeelillg, an isle or bay of a barn. S. with sly. Slim also signifies slender­ Skellerd, warped, cast, become crooked. bodied, and thinly cl~thed.N. Derb. Slive; to slive, to sneak. Lincolnsh.; Skelpillg, full, bursting, very large; aDan. slamer, serpo ; Teut. scltleijfen, also a hearty beating. humi t1'ahere: hinc & Lincolnsh. a Skzd; to skid a wheel, to prev.ent its sliverl!J fellow, vir subdolus, vafer, turning in going down a steep hill, dissimulator, veterator. Sliven, idle, to drag it. Kent. lazy. N. Skidde!J, or Skidde!J-cock, a water-rail. 'Slockel, to pilfer; used when a ser­ W. vant conveYll any thing privately out Skime, to look asquint, to glee. N. of the honse. Berks. Skip, or Skep, a basket; a bee-skep, a Slokelled, slockened, q. slackened, bee-hive. ~. choaked. Val'. DiaL;' as, the- fire is Scopperloit, a time of idleness or relaxa­ choaked by throwing water upon it. tion, play-time. S. N. Skotcli, or Squotclt, a notch, or cut. Slot; to slot a door, to shut it hastily, Hence scotch'd collops. Exm. or in a passion. Lincolnsh. Skrow, surly, dogged; Ilsed mostly ad­ Slate; the slote of a ladder or gate, verbially. the flat step or bar. N. Skuft (of the neck), the cuff or back of 'Slotter, nastiness. Exni. the neck. N. Slough; a husk. It is pronounced sl1iffi. Slab, the outside plank of a piece of N. timber when sawn into boards. It is Sludge, mud. N~ a word of general use. N. Slump; to slump, to slip, or fall plum Slaiffe, a shallow dish, almosta trencher. down in any wet or dirty place. N. N. In the South the word fiump is used Slake, very small coals. N. in the same sense. Slam; to slam one, to beat or cuff one Smartle; to smartIe away, to waste strenuously, to push violently. He away. N. slam'd to the door. N. S11lid!J, or Smithy, a smith's shop.; Slape, slippery; slape-yale, rich, soft, whence smid!Jknoom, "V:ar. Dial. 01' smooth ale. N. Smittle; to smittle, to infect; from the Slappel, a piece, part, or pOTtion. S. old Saxon smitlan, and Dutch smet­ Slat, Ol' Slate; to slat on, to dash against, ten, to spot or infect; whence our or cast on any thing: to slate the dog ,yard smut. N. at anyone. N. Smittleisli, infectious. N. Sleak; to sleak out the tongue, to put it Smopple, .brittle; - as, smopple wood, out by way of scurn. N. smopple pie-crust, i. e.' short and Sleek, small pit coal. To sleek or slack, crisp. N. to quench or allay the fire, or one's Snag, a snail. S. thin;t. N. Snack, or Spunk, a dried fungus, used' as. soc SPA as tinder. Glouc. To go snacks, or So, or Soa, a tub with two ears, to carry snack it, to go shares, or partake. on a stang. N. See Stang. Snape; .to snape or sneap, to check; Sod, a turf. N. . as, children ear,;i1y snea}Jed; herbs Sods, a canvas pack-saddle stuffed with and fruit sneaped with cold wea­ straw. N. . ther. It is a general word used SoJtnet, a foolish fellow. N. all over England. Soil; to soil milk, to cleanse it; rather Snaste; the snaste, the burnt wick or to sile it, to cause it to subside; to snuff of a candle. N. strain it. Vide Sileo The word soil Snatlle, or Snare; to snathe or snare, is also llsed for purging or cleansing to prune trees, to cut oft· the boughs the stomachs of horses; green corn of ash or other timber trees, of which or vetches being often given to horses this word is used, as prune is offruit standing in the stable, to soil them. trees. N. A snatlLe, the handle of Soil, or Sile-dislt, a straining' or cleans­ a scythe. S. ing dish. N. Sneck; sneck the door; latch the dool'. Soller, or Solar, an upper chamber or The sneck or snecket of the door is, loft; from the Latin, solarium. S. according to Skinner, the stL'ing which Soncy, lucky, fortunate. N. draws up the latch, to open thedoor; Soole, or SOlde, any thing eaten with perhaps from the Dutch word snap­ bread. N. pen, to snatch; because, when the Soon, the evening; a-soon, at even. '\V. door is to be opened, it is generally Soss, or Sess, a mucky puddle. Hence done with a snatch or jerk. N. sess-pool. N. Snee; to snee or snie, to abound or Sosse-brangle, a slatternly lazy wench. S. . swarm; he snies with lice, he swarms Souglt, 'a drain. N. with lice. N. Souse, the ear; most properly that of a Snever, slender. N. A sllever-spawt, hog, from its being fi'equently pickled a slender stripling. N. or soused. N. Snig, a species of eel. Hants. SOU:il1gS, orSewings, oatmeal flummery. Snite, to wipe; snite your nose, i. e. N. wipe yOUl' nose; a sclmeutzen, Belg·. Sowle; to sowle one by the ears. Liu­ snutten, snotten, nares emungere; colnsh. To pull by the ears, as dog's Dan. snyder, emunge; a snot sub­ pull swine; also to tumble one's stantivo, to wipe off the snot. N. clothes, to pull or rumple one about. Snitlte, cutting or piercing; a snithe Exm. wind, a cutting wind; from the Ger­ Spackt, docile, ingenious; a spackt lad man word sc/meiden, to cut. N. ai' wench. The same as Pat, in the Snock-snid, cord tangled or kinked. N. East Riding of Yorkshire. Snod and snog, neat, handsome; as, Spalls, chips; also things cast in one's snogly geal"d, handsomely dressed. teeth. Exm. N. Snog-malt, smooth, with few Bpancel, a rope to tie a cow's hinder combs. legs. N. . Snoup, a blow on the head. Glouc. Spane; to spane a child, to wean it. N Snuck, to smell. N orf. Spar, to bolt, bar, pin, or shut a door; Snurles, nostrils. N. ab A. S. sparran, obdere, claudere. Buy, a number or quantity. N. This word is also used in Norfolk, Sock, Or Plough-sock, a plough-share. wliere they say, spar the door, an emis he SQU S TA lie co~e; i. e. shut the door, lest he Squalled, splashed with mU'e or dirt. come In. Kent. Spare, slow. Exm. Squeeg'd, squeez'd. Middlesex. Sparkey,or Sparkled, spotted, sprinkled; Squelstring, sultry, sweltering'. Exm. a sparkey cow; he sparkled the water Squirm, to wriggle and twist about all over me. briskly, after the manner of an eel; Spawt, 01' Spowt, a youth. N. it is usually spoken of that fish. S. 8parre,. to span'e, spiel', orspurre, to ask, Staddle, a mark or impression made 011 enquire, cry at the market: ab A. S. any thing by somewhatlying upon it;. Sprian, to search out by the track, or so scars or marks of the small-pox trace, or enquire, or make diligent are called staddles. Also the bot­ search. tom of a corn mow 01' hay-stack is Speer, the chimney-post. Chesh. Rear'd called the staddle. N. against the speer, standing up against StalUe,. to stadle a wood; i. e. in cut­ the chimney-post. ting a wood, to leave at certain dis­ SpeIdel', to spell. N. tances a sufficient number of young Spewring, a boarded partition. Exm. plants to replenish it. Norf. /:'pice, raisins, plums, figs, aud such Stqffe,. a staffe of cocks, a pair of like fruit. Yorksh. Spice, aspecies. cocks. S. Spice-pudding', plum-pudding. Stale, a hurdle. N. Spick and span new, every part new. S. Stam-wood,. the roots of trees, stubbed Some' derive this from a spear, the up. S. head of which was vulgarly called Stang, a wooden bar; ab A. S. Stang•. the spike, the handle or st.aff, the This word is still used in some col­ span; so that spiek and span new,. leges in the university of Cambridge; was both head and staff, that is, the to stang scholars in Chri'stmas-tiine whole weapon, new. being to cause them to ride on a, Speene, or Spene, a cow-pass. Kent. colt-staff, or pole, for missing of cha-­ Spill, a spill of money, a sum. N. pel. It is used likewise in the East Spink, a chaffinch. N. Riding of Yorkshire, for the fourtll. Spall, wood, grown brittle throug'h part of an acre, a rood. dryness. The rafters of the church Stank, a dam, or bank to stop water. S. of Norwich are said to be spolt. N art: Stansions, iron bars that divide a win­ Sprag, lively, active. dow. N. Sprey, spruce, ingenious. Exm. Stark, stiff, or strongly ~ as, stark mad;. S'plldlee,. to spudlee, to stir, or spread a stark nought. C. From the German. .thing abroad. Exm. stark, strong'. Spurk,. to spurk up, to spring, shoot, Stark, stiff, wcary; ab A. S. stere, straee" or rise up briskly. S. rio-itlus, durus; Belg. & Dan. stack,' Spurkit, a peg. Suff. T~ut. stm'ck, valid us, robustlls, firm Spurrings, banns of marriage. N. us. Vide Skinner. Spur-way, a bridle-way throug'h any Starky, dry, shrivelled up: my.shoes­ ground, a passage for a horse by are all starky, (or starkled) owmg to­ right of custom. S. their being zet before the vire when. Squale,to throw a stick as at a cock. 'V. wet. Glouc. Squat, to bruise or make flat by letting Start, a long handle of any thing; 2.< fall; 'active'. S. tail, as it signifies in Low Dutch;. so. STO STR: ~o a 1'ed-starl is a bird with a red stood, wllose ears are cropt, and men, tail. who wear their hair very short. N. StalO'd, set. N. From the Saxon stow, Stolg, dirty, disorderly;.. a stoly house, a place; originally from statio and a cluttered or disorderly house. statuo. Hence, I suppose, stowing of Sloo!cs, a collection of sheaves of corn,. goods in the hold of a ship, or in a being ten, set up together,. and co­ store-house. vered by two•. N. Called also thrave. Stea, or Steiek, or Steke the Dure, shut See Tltravc;. the door. a Teut. & Belg. .sleeken,. Stoop,. or, StOll'"]!,. a post fastened into steken, to thrust, or put, to stake. N. the earth;; from the Latin stupa. N. Stead, is generally used for a place; as, Stot,.a, young bullock or steer ;.a young it lies in such a stead. i. e. in such a llOrse, in Chaucer: ab A. S. Stod, or place:. whereas elsewhere only in sieda,. a stallion, also a war-horse, a stead, is made use of for in place; or steed. N. in the room of. Stolld, a young colt in a stud. ·W. Steal; the steal of any thing, the han­ Stollnd, q. Stand, a wooden vessel to . dIe. S.. put small beer in; also a p'ortion of Stee, a ladder. In the Saxon, stegllCl' time, a small stound. N. & S. is a stair,. gradlls scale, perchance StoveI', fodder for cattle,. or any food, .from stee. except grain. N orf. Stee'llOpping, playing the hobby-horse. Stowk, q. Stalk,. the handle of a pail,. Exm. also a shock of twelve sheaves. N. Stcem; to steem a thing, to bespeak a Stowles, the bottoms or trunks of trees, thing. N. grubbed up and left. Glouc. Steg, a gander. N. StOlcre, a round of a ladder, a hedge­ Steveling, blundering or stumbling in stake; also the staves in the side ot: walking. N. a wain, in which the eve-rings are Stewardl!!, like a good housewife. fastened, though the large and flat Ste'yan, or Stean, an earthen pot like a ones are called sloles. N. jar. Exm. Strait, angered, angrily. NorC Slife, obstinate, inflexible, ~tiff; from Stra'mmer, a great lie. Exm. the old Saxon. A stife quean, a lusty Strand!!, re~tive, pas~ionate,.spoken· of quean ;stifebread,strong bread,.made children ;such they call slrand!J-mires. with beans and peas, &c. which makes N. The word nmd!!t is sometimes it of a strong. smell and taste. N. used in much the same sense in the Stile; to stile, or stilee,. to iron clothes. South, and is particularly applied to Exm. a restive or frolicksome horse. Stime!!, dim-sig-hted .. N. Strange; I's strang'e at you, I wonder Stirrups, a kind of buskins. Exm. at you. N ... Stithe,. strong, stiff; ab A. S. Stidh, Strig, the foot-stalk of any fruit. S. stiff, hard,. severe,. violent, great, The strig of a cherry. . strong: stithe cheese, strong cheese Strike,. four peck~, 01' a bushel ;.a stnke Stith!!, an anvil,from the aforesaid Stidh, of COl'll. N. for what is harder than an anvil? Slroakings, milking after the calf hal> Stiven, sternness; perhaps from stijfe. suckled. Exm. Stoc!c's-bill, geranium Robertianum. N. Stroil, strength and agility. Exm. Stood, cropt; sheep are said to be Stroop, the gullet. N orf. Stroop, S WA SWO Stroop, to bawl out, or cry aloud, from Swac/te, a tally, that ,yhich is fixed to stroop, the g·ullet. cloth sent to dye, of which the owner Sll'llllt, the tailorrump; ab A. S. steort, keeps the othe'r part, N. slert; Belg. sted, steert ; Teut. stertz, Swale, windy, cold, bleak. N. cauda: vel it Belg. stront; Fr. & Gr. Swale, or Sweal, to singe or burn; as, to estron; I tal. stro1tzo, stercus, per sweal a hog; a sweaI'd cat, a catwhose metonym. adjuncti. Skinner. hair or fur is singed oft: by sleeping Stom, the instrument used to keep the in the ashes. Sweal is also some­ malt in the vat. N. times applied to a candle that drozes Slrllsllins, arts; from destmction, I and melts, called in Middlesex, 8uppo:;;e. 'Ve use the word strllskion flaring. Ab A. S. swmlan, to kindle, for destruction; it lies in the way of or set on fire; to bum. N. and S. strushion, i. e. in a likelihood of Swang, a fresh piece of green swarth, being destroyed. N. lying' in a bottom, among arable or Stry, to spoil 01' destroy. Norf. barren land; a cIoo!' N. Stub; a g'ood stub, a large sum of mo~ Swape, the handle of a pump. Norf. ney. Exm. Swarth, the fetch, or ghost, of a dying Stuckting, an apple-pie 01' pasty. S. man; perhaps from the A. S. sweart, Stufizet, a posnet, or skillet. S. black, dark, pale, wan. Cumbo Stull, a luncheon; a great piece of Swarlll, gTass just cut to be made IIp bread, cheese, or other victuals. S. into hay. C. Stunt, stubbom, fierce, angry. Lincoln. Su;atcll, a sample. N. ab A. S. stllnta, stunt, stultus, fatuus, Swathe, calm. N. forte quia stulti prceferoces sunt; vel Swathe-bank, a swarth of new-mown averba, to stand, ut "esty, a"estando, grass or corn. N. metaphonl ab equis contumacibus Swatter, to scatter or waste; he swat­ sumpta. Skinner. tered away all his money. N. Stll1'e, a steer; also a dust raised. Ex. Swattle,. to swattle away, to waste. 8tul'k, a young bullock or heifer. N. Sweamisll, i. e. Squeamish, used for mo­ ab A. S. styrlc, buculus a. dest. N. Sturken, to grow, thrive. Throdden is Sweb, or Swelt, to swoon. N. the same. N. Swill, a keeler to wash in, standing on Sturry, inflexible,sturdy, stiff. S. three feet. Also to guzzle, or drink Stut, a gnat. W. greedily. N. Budded,. the meadows are sudded, i. e. Swilker, or Swelker, to make a noise, covered with drift sand left by the like water shaken in a banel. N. floods. W. • Swilker o'er, to dash ovel.. N. BI1fing, sobbing. Exm. Swillet, growing turf, set on fire fOI' ma- Sug, sug, a word llsed to call pigs to nuring the land. Exm. eat their wash. Norf. Swillings, hog's-meat. N. Sun-eate, a dainty. Suff. Swine-hull, or Swine-erue, a hogstye. N. Sunk, a canvas pack-saddle, stuffed Swinge, to singe. N. with straw. N. Swipper, nimble, quick; ab A. S. swip- Suppings, broth, &c.; spoon-meat. N. pre, crafty, subtle, cunning, sly, wily. Swad, siliqua, a cotl; a pease-swad: Swilller, to throw down forcibly. N. llsed metaphorically for one that is Swizzen, to singe. N. slender; a mere swad. N. Stvode, to snarl like a dog. S. Syker, SYL SYL Syker, such; syker-like, such like. N. siled a gallon of ale down his throat, S!lle, or Sile, to pour or run; the pot he poured a gallon of ale down his siles over, the pot boils over. N. He throat.

T.. TAT TEN TAB; the tab of a shoe, the latollet 'Pave, to rage. Lincoln.; a Belg. Tob­ of a shoe. N. Also childrens' hang­ ben, Tappen, Daven; Teut. Toven, ing sleeves. fmere. Sick people are said to tave Tabern, a cellar; a Lat. taberna. with their hands when they catch at Tacking-end, shoemaker's end. any thing,. or to wave thir hands when Tagge, a sheep of the first year. Suss. the want the use of reason. N. Tail-ends, the· refuse of wheat or other Taw, a whip. N. corn, not saleable in the market, but Team, or Tee)n, to pour out, to lade kept by farmers for their own con­ out of one vessel into another: per­ sumption. Glouc. haps from the Danish word, tommer; Take-to-un; to take-to-un, to attack to draw, to draw out or empty; but anyone, either with blows, :words, or tommer comes from tom, empty. N. law. W. Teamflll, brimful, as much as can be Ta'llet, (i. e. top-loft) a hay-loft. Exm. team'd in. In the old Saxon it Ta'nbaste, or 'l'anbase, scufRing, strug­ sig·n.ifies fl'uitful, abundant, plentiful. gling-. Exm. Teaming-time, time of bringing forth. Tang, to sting. Tang also signifies a Teasler, or Testy, the head-piece or ca­ sting. N. nopy of the bed: also a vulg'ar term Tangleing, slatternly. N. for a sixpenny piece, all over England. 'l'antle, to walk feebly, to todole, or Teell!! (i. e. Touell!!) peevish, cwss, apt toddle. Lincolnsh. to be angry. S. Tantrells, idle unsettled people, who Ted, or Tet, to be ordered or permitted will not fix to any employment. N. to do a thing; as, I ted go home, i. e. Tapley, or Tapely, early in the morning'. I am to go home. Exm. EXIll. Ted, to spread abroad the new-cut Tarn, a lake, or meer-pooL N. gTass, to make it into:hay. C. Taste; to taste, i. e. to smell, in the Teen, angry. N. From the Saxon tynan, North; indeed, there is a very great to provoke, stil',. anger, or enrage.. affinity between the two senses. It 'Peely, fretful, fractious .. N~ is not un(;ommon, in the South, to Teez{e, a kiml of thistle, used in tl)e hear a man desire another to let him cloth manufactory. To teezle wool, taste his sn uff. to pull it asundel' with the fingers. N. Tast-ril', a cunning rogue. N. 'l'emse, a small sieve; fwm the French Tassel, a silly fellow. N. tamise, Ital. tamiso; whence comes Tatc"y, touchy, peevish. 'V. the word Temse-bread, i.. e. bread, the Tatter, cross, peevish; old mistress is meal of which has been made fine by tedious tatter. Kent. temsing or sifting out the bran. N. TaWil, to ~;woon. N. Tent, to tend or look to. Val'. Dial. " I'll TIID TIC .." I'll tent thee, quoth Wood: If I a while;i. e. stay a while. Chaucer -cannot rule my daug'hter" I'll rule my has tlLOled for suffered. .Ab A. S. tho~ good." Che8h. Provo Also,. to ,pre­ lian, of the same signification. vent. TILOne, 7lJLOny, thawn, damp, moist. N. Terra, a turf. Exm. Tlu'ave, a shock of corn, containing Tervee; to tervee, to struggle and tum­ twenty-four sheaves; ab A. S. tll1'eaj; ble to get free. Exm. a handful, a bundle, or bottle. N. 'l'etties, (fi'om teats) breasts. Exm. To tlu'ave, to urge. Lincolnsh. Ab Tew; to tew, to pull or tow; also to A. S. tllravian, urgere. wOJ'k hard. N. Tltreap, or Tltreapen, to blame, rebuke, Teuifet, a lapwing. N. reprove, or;chide; .ab A. S.. tltrea­ 'T~wley, poorly, weakly, tenderly. See pan, tlu'eapian, of the same signifi­ Tooly. W. cation. To tltreap ;kindness upon one, Thac/c, thatch; a tllUoker, a thatcher. N is used in another sense. To tltreap TllUr-cakes, the same with bannocks. is also to urge or press: it is no N. See Bannocks. threaping ware; i.e. ware·so bad as Tharky; very tharky, very dark.S. to require a person to be urged, TflUm, guts prepared to receive pud­ pressed, orpersuuded to purchase it. dings. Line.: ab A. S. deann ; Belg. N. & S. Also to persist in saying a darm, dC1:m; Teut. dann, dearm, in­ thing. Cumbo testines. Tlu'ippa, to beat. Chesh. I'll thrippa TllCak, to thatch. N. thee, I'll beat or cudgel thee. TllCat, firm, close, staunell; spoken of Tltrong, very throng, busily employed. barrels when they do not run. N. N. . TllCave, an ewe of the first year. Ess. Tltrodden, to grow, thrive, encrease. N. TJiebes, or Tlwpes, gooseberries. Norf. Thropple, to throttle or strangle. Also Thew'd, towardly. N. the windpipe. Val'. Dial. Yorksh. Thek, Tlufckee, or TilC'elm; this, in the Throstle, a thrush. N. Western dialect, is generally, not al­ Throw, to turn, as turners do ; ab A. S. ways, used for tlwt, when it is a pro­ thmwan, which, among various sig­ noun demonstrative, but never when nifications, means to turn and wind. it is a pronoun relative, or conjunc­ N. tion; in which case, tlwt, or tltate is Tlm!/f, a table-tomb. Cumbo Also the word used. Exm. through. N. Tllible, or Tilivel, a stick to stir a pot; Tllrunty, healthy, hardy. N. also a dibble or setting stick. Tltrutclt, for thrust. Chesh. Maxfield Thill-lLOrse, the shaft-horse. N. measure, heap and thrutch. Provo 7'ltin-drink, small beer. S. Tltu:11lping, great, huge; a thumping Tldr; to tllir, tltear, del', dear, or dere, boy, a large child. Exm. and differ­ to frighten, hurt, or strike dead. Ex. ent counties. Thirl, to bore a hole, to drill. Lincoln. Tlnvite, to wittle, cut, make white by From the Anglo-Saxon, dllryl, dhyrel, cutting. He hath thwitten a mill-post entrance; dldrlian, Belg. drillen, to into a pudding-prick. Provo perforate. Ticlling, setting up turves to dry, in TlLO, then, at that time. Exm. order to prepare them for fuel. W. TlLOkish, slothful, sluggish. Norf. Tickle, uncertain; tickle weather, un­ TllOle, to brook or endure. Derb. Thole certain weather. N. Tider, TOM TWI

Tider, Tidder, or Tittel', SOOI1; quicker, Toorcan, to wonder or llluse on what earlier, first, or earliest; from Tide. one llleans to do. N. Vide Astite. TideI' up, caw, let him Tor, a high rock, as lJfmn-tor, a high that is up first, call the others. N. rock in Derbyshire. N. Tifle, to turn, to stir, to disorder any To'tle, a slow, lazy person. Exm. thing by tumbling in it; so standing' To-tling, slow, idle. Exm. corn, or high grass, when trodden Tovel, or 7'qfiet, half a bushel. Kent. down, is said to be tiRed. N. Tourn, a spinning-wheel. Exm. Tike, a dog. N. Towglter, a dower or dowry. Cumbo Till, to. N. Towser, a coarse apron worn by maid- Timorous, used by the vulgar in the servants in workin~. Devonsh. North, to sig'nify furious or pas­ Toze; to toze, to pull'abroad wool, &c. sionate. Perhaps from towze. Exm. Tine, to shut or fence; tine the door, Town-place, a farm-yard. Cormv. . shut the door: ab A. S. tynan, to in­ Toothy, 'peevish, crabbed. S. close, fence, hedge, or teen. Toyle-zol1k, a disorder in a cow's tail. Tine; to tine, or tind a candle, to light W. . a candle in a fire. Hence tinder. Trammel, an iron instrument in the Dev. chimney for hanging pots and kettles Ting; to ting, to chide severely. Exm. over the fire. Ting-tang, the little bell of a church. Tranty, wise and forward above their N. age; spoken of children, The same Tipperd, dressed unhandsomely. with Auclfarand. Tiny, puny, little. It is usually joined Treaf, peevish, froward. S. with little as an augmentative; so Tl'oant, a foolish fellow, and sometimes they say, a little tiny thing. a lazy loiterer: a truant. Exm. Tip, or Tup, a ram. N. Trolllbber, a husbandman, a day-la­ Tit, a horse. N. bourer. Exm. Tite; a tite, a fountain of water, or Tl'olly-bags, tripe. Cumbo rather a small run or rill of water, Tl'outs, curds taken off the wIley wIlen dam'd across for the convenience it is boiled; a rustic word. In some of catching water for family uses. places they are called l1'otters. N. Glouc. Trousing,. trousing a hedge or fug­ Tole; to tole, to entice. Vide Mr. Lock. got; trimming off the super:fluoll:> Berks. branches. ·Warw. Toll-bar, a turnpike. N. T1'ub, a slut. EXlll. Toll-nook, a corner ofthe market·place Trull, to bowl with a cricket-ball. Kent. where the toll used to be taken. N. Tum,. to tum wool, to mix wool of ':Pome,.a hair line for fishing. Cumb. divers colours. N. Too-too, used absolutely for very well, Tmnuls,heaps; he has tumuls ofmoney. or good. N. Corl1\Y. '.Pooly, tender, sickly; a tooly man or Tush, the wing ofa ploughshare. Glouc. woman. Hampsh. . ':L'ussle, a strug'gle; we had a tussle for 7'oom, or Tume, empty; a toom purse it. N. and S. makes a bleit (i. e. bashful) mer­ Twiddle, a pimple. Suff. chant; evidently derived from the Twill, a spool, frol11 quill. In the Danish word Tom, empty. South they call it winding of guil/s, II because TWI TYL because anciently, I suppose, they cause our pens are now made of such wOUlld the yarn upon quills for the quills, which, as I said, were formerly weavers, though now they use reeds, made of reeds. or else reeds were called quills, as, 'lTreemcare, earthen vessels. in Latin, calami; for quills, or shafts Twam, to swoon. N. of birds feathers, are now caned ca­ 'l~ldrter, a year old sheep. Cumh. lami, because they are employed for 'lTwitter, to tremble; a Teut. Tittern, the same use of writing, which, of tremere, both fmm the sound pro­ old, reeds only were, and to this day duced. This is a word of general are, in some parts of the world. llse. My healt twitters; I am an in The word pen, now used for the in­ a twitter. To twitter thread or yarn, stl'lunent we write with, is no other is to spin it uneven, generally used than the Latin penna, which signifies also in this sense. the quill, or hard feather of any bird, Tye-top, a garland. N. and is a very proper word for it, be- 'Pyle-shard, a fl'agment of a tile. Norf.

v. UN VOR VAN, a fan or machine for winnow­ culine, except a boar cat, which is ing corn. Glouc. always called she. Vang, to take or receive; fl'Omjangen, Unbeer, impatient. N. German. Exm. To vang, to stand UnbetllOwt, reflected, remembered. sponsor for a child. Exm. Ungain, aukward, clumsy. N. & V. Vaunce-l'Oq[, the garret. Sutf. Unkm'd, aukward. U-back,U-block, &c.; a christmas-block, Unkid, lonely.. See Yu-batcll. N. Unknown; an unknown man, one W110 Veaking, fretfulness, peevishness. Exm. does good secretly. N. Velling, ploughing up the turf or upper []lzleed, or Unlead, a general name for surface ofthe ground, to lay in heaps any crawling, venomous creature, as to burn. S. a toad, &c. It is sometimes ascribed Vigging. See Potee. to man, and then it denotes a sly, Vinerolls, hard to please. N. wicked fellow, that, in a manner, Vinnied, fenny, mouldy. Exm. creeps to do mischief, the very pest Vinny, a scolding-bout. Exm. of society. See .Lllr. Nicholson's Ca­ Vit " to vit, to dress meat. Exm. talogue. Vifty, decent, handsome, well. Exm. Vrith, etherings, or winding's of bedges. Neatly dressed. S. Vliclc, or Fliclc, a blow with a stick. I Vokey, moist. Exm. ged un a vlick. W. Vool', a fUITow. EXIll. Umbel', number. Exm. Vol'e, forth; to draw vore, to twit one Umstrid, astride, astridlands. N. with a fault. Exm. Un, him; I told un. W.; particularly Vore·reerl, forthright, without circum­ Hampshire, where every thing is mas- spection. Exm, Vore-days, URE VUR Vore-days, or Voardays, late in the day. Urled, to be stinted in tlJeir growth i Exm. said of such as do not grow. Hence Upazet, in perfection. Exm. an urling is in the North, a little Upbraid, to rise in the stomach. N. dwarfish person. In the South such My dinner upbraids. persons are called lcnurles. UplLOwd, to warrant. N. Vult-stated. See Full-stated. Exm. Upzetting, a gossipping, or christening­ Vllng, received. feast. Exm. Vllrdin, a farthing. Exm. Urchin, a hedge-hog. N. Vllr-vore, far-forth. Exm. U1'e, udder.

w. 'WA L WAR TIVAD, "black-lead, Cnmb. Jt also TVally, to cocker or indulge. N. means a neighbourhood, as such and TValt, to totter, or lean one way, to such and such places lie in the same overthrow: from the old Saxon weel­ wad or bea. tan, to tumble or roll; whence our TVain, a waggon. N. weltering in blood: or rather from TVa-ist lteart! woe is me! N. the Saxon wealtian, to reel or stag­ Wake, the feast of the dedication ofthe ger. N. parish church. N. Trankle, weak. N. TVakker, easily awakened. N. Tra'ngery, flabby. Exm. Wale/t, insipid, fresh, waterish. In the Wang-tooth, the jaw-tooth; ab A. S. South we say wallowislt, meaning TVang, 1cong, the jaw; wane todlt, somewhat nauseous. or rather wong-tod/t, the canine tooth. TValleer, a fuller; a walk-mill, a fulling fVankle, limber, flaccid, ticklish, fickle, mill: a Belg. walcher, fullo; hoc a­ wavering. N. verb. Belg·. walelleJl; Ital. gualcare, 1Vant, a mole. N. and V. From the pannos premere, calcare ; Teut. Saxon wand. waleken, pannum polire; all proba­ 1Vanti-tump, or Onti-tump, a mole-hill. bly from the Latin ealcare. Skinner. Glouc. TVall; he lies by the wall; spoken of TVrp, a bundle of straw. N. a person dead but nut buried. Norf. 1Vapper'd, restless or fatigued; spoken and Suff. of a sick person. Glouc. Trailing, i. e. boiling; it is now in fre­ TVaps, a wasp. Val'. Dial. t] llel1t use among the salt-boilers at War, worse; 1/:ar and 10a1', worse and Northwych, Namptwych, &c. Per­ worse. Val' Dial. llaps the same as wallopping; whence TVa1'eh, or TVa1'/e, to ache, to work; ab in some boroughs, persons who boil A. S. wade, pain, also a work. a pot there are called pot-walloppers, TVa1'e; to ware one's money, to bestow and entitled to vote for representa­ it well, to lay it out in ware. N. tives in parliament. fVarislll, that hath conquered any dis­ rValloping, a slatternly manner. N. ease or difficulty, and is secure against WEA WHE against the future; also well-stored TYeat, to weat the head, to look it for or furnished. N. lice. N. TYarison, the stomach. Cumbo TVea-wortlt you, woe betide you. N. 7Yark, a pain. N. TYee, little. N. JYarp, to lay eggs; a hen warps· or TVeekey, moist. N. warys. N. TYeel, well. N. TYary, to curse. Lanc. Ab. A. S. wu­ Weet, or TYite, nimble, swift. N. Used 1'ian, werigan, to execrate or cllrse. also in that sense in the South. To wary is also to lay an egg'. N. TYei1', or Waar, sea-wrack, or alga-mari­ TYartll, a water-ford. T¥arill, in the na. Northumb. From the old Saxon old Saxon, signifies the shore. waar. The Thanet-men, according TYarstead, used in that sense; q. TYa- to Somner, call it wore or woore. terstead. Weir, or 1-Vare, a pool of water or pond. Wasset-man, a scare-crow. Wilts. S. TYa'slul1}wutlte, a blab. Exm. 7Yelle, to dry. N. Mown grass in dry­ Wasllbrew, flummery. Exm. ing for hay is said to welk. To wilt, fVaste, a consumption. N. for wither, spoken of green herbs or TVa's mel woe is me! Val'. Dial. flowers, is a general word. 1Yatchet, wet shod, wet in the feet. TYellaneer I alas! N. Oxf. TYell-a-duy I alas! Various. TYaules, hurdles; also the lowest part Welling (of whey) ; itis heating it scald­ of a cock's comb. N. ing hot, to take oft' the curds, S. TYatsail, a drinking song, sung on TYelling, oru:allillg, is old Englishfor twelfth-day eve, throwing toast to the boiling. . apple-trees, in order to have a fruit­ TYelly, almost, nearly. N. fnl year, which seems to be a relic TYelter; to welter, to waddle, to go of the heathen sacrifice to Pomona. aside, or heavily, as women with child, TYassail. Exm. or fat persons; from the old Saxon TYauglting, barking; probably from the wealtian, to reel or stagger; or else sound. N. from the Saxon weltan, to tumble or 7Vaugltist, faintish. N. roll; whence weltering in blood. N. JVay-bit (or rather a wee-bit), a little Wem, a small blemish, hole, or decay, piece; a mile and a wee-bit, or way­ especially in cloth. Ess. bit. Yorksh. TVee is Scotch for little. TYem, the womb, or belly. N. TYay-bread, plantain; from the Saxon TYend, to go. N. wtl?g-brtl?de, so called, because gTOW­ Wennel, a young beast, ox, bull, or cow. ing every where in streets and ways. Ess & Sulf. N. TYents, the teasels, or fuller's thistles TYaze, a small round cushion, put un­ when worn out. Glouc. der, or on the crown of the hat, to TVented, grown acid, spoken of wort. carry hanncls or gegzins upon. Cumbo Norf: Weaky, moist. N. TYestg, dizzy, giddy. N. TYealk, a wilk, a shell-fish, called cho­ TYet/tedy, with rag'e and violence. Exm. chlea marina. TVllangs, leather thongs. N. Weal', to layout money with another TYlteel, a whirlpool. Lanc. From the in drink. N. Saxon u:tl?l, a vortex of water, or Weal''' to wear the pot, to cool it. N. whirlpool. N. lVltapper, WHI WHO JVhapper, any thinglarge; a thumper. C. TVhinllcl'-neb,.a meager, thin-faced man, TV/wpple-way, a bridle-way, or road with a sharp nose; perhaps from where only a horse can pass. S. some bird thatfeed s, or is bred among TV/wrre, crab apples, or verjuice; as whins. N. suur as wharre. Chesh. TVltinnering, neighing. Cumbo fVheady, long', tedious; a wheady mile, W1n"lIlloclc, or Kit, a pail to carry milk a mile seemingly of an extraordinary in. N. length. Shropsh. TfT/drkelled, choaked, strangled. N. TV/wam, or TVlteem, near at hand, close, TVlrirl-boulc, a churn that turns round. so that no wind can enter it. Also Derb. very handsome and convenient for W/drl-te-n:oo, butter-milk, from being one; as, it lies wheem for me. Chesh. made in a whirl-boule Derb. From the old Saxon gecweme, grate­ Wliislcet, a basket, skuttle, or shallow­ ful, acceptable, pleasant, fit. ped. N. W/leamow, nimble; I am very whea­ TV/lislerclister, a stroke or blow under mow, quoth the old woman, when she the ear. Devonsh. stept into the middle of the bittlin. TV/tisterpoop,a back-handed blow. See Derb. Provo Wlterret. Exm. TV/lee, Wid, or TV/leY, an heifer; the TFltile, to requite; as, God white you, only word used in the East Riding God requite you. Chesh. Val'. Dial. of Yorkshire in that sense. Wltite for quite; quite, per aphmresin, TV/teen-cat, a queen-cat, or female cat. pro 1'equite. Queen, in Saxon, was used to sig­ TVldte, to blame; you lean all the white nify the female; e.'!':. g. Queenfugol, otfyourself, you remove all the blame a q neen fowl, or hen. from yourself. See Wite. IV/weden, a simple person. 'V. W/lite-nib, a rook. Yorksh. W/wlln, halfof a hollow tree, laid under TVltitlwrillg, a sudden great sound. N. a gate-way, to form a passage for fVIlitile, a knife. N. ",atel'. A kind of substitute for an Wldttle, a double blanket, worn by the arch. Norf. & Suff. 'Vest country women over theirshoul­ TVlteint, queint, fine; a ",heint lad, a del'S, like a cloak. VV. fine lad; used ironically. Chesh. Val'. TV/I itleitell, (white witch) a pretended Dial. Also cunning, subtle. conjuror, whose power depends on W/wrrel, a great blow; perhaps a back­ his learning, and lIot fr0111 a contract handed stroke, called also a \V hister­ with the devil. EXlll. poop. Exm. See Wltisterpoop. TV/liz, to hiss like hot iron in water. N. WItC1Tited, teased; q. ferreted. N. TVltizzle, to get any thing away slily. N. TV/lewt, to whistle. N. IVlto[tve, to coyer or whelm over. Chesh. Wlticlc, quick, lively, N. 'Ve will not kill, but whoave. Pro\'. lVlticket for TYlwcket, or Quitlee for Spoken of a pig or fowl that they Qllottee, an equivalen t; quidpro quo, have overwhelmed with some vessel Kent. in reaJiness to kill. Ab A. S. I£u:o!f; lVllijjlcrs, men who make way for the Hlca1f, a coYering, 01' canopy; veru. corporation of Norwich, by flourish­ I-Iwa(jia7l, camerare, fornicare, N. ing their swords. Norf. IV/IOO'lVIIOO', an illteljection, markillg TV/tins, furze. N. great snrprize. N. TVlIOOk, WOA WYT TV/lOOk, to shake. Chesh. He whook't TVoe worth thee! TVoe betide thee / exe­ at every joint. crations. N. TVllOljecomb, what d'ye call him. Exm. TYogll, a wall. Lane. Ab A. S. ?Vag, TVIIO-wlll'skiu, a whole great drinking wall·, elsewhere in the North woo-It • ' 1:::1 pot; wllO being the Cheshire dialect IS used for wool, by a change of the for whole, and a Wlliskillg signifying a dialect. black pot. TVommel, an anger; perhaps a corrupt TVIIOU, hot. Exm. pronunciation of wimble. N. TVliy-vore, or For n'hy-vorc, wherefore. TVonne, or TVun, to dwell, to haunt or TVlly-calj; a female, or cow-calf. Cumbo frequent; as where wun you? where TYiclcer, to neigh, or whinny. Hampsh. dwell you? AI.> A. S. wlIuian, geu:lt­ Also a method of castrating a ram, l1iau, habitare, manere; Belg. WOO11ClI, by enclosing hi~ testide within a slit Teut. wouen, ?Volmen; hal.>itare, mo­ stick. Glouc. rari. H~c ab A. S. wlInian, gewlI­ TViddle, to fret. N. nian. Assuescere, q. d. ubi soles aut lVicgll, or TVaagh, a level', a wedge; all frequentas? A. S. TYrege, pondus, massa, libra. TYoodcock-soil, ground that hath a soil lYigger, strong; a clear pitch'd wigger nnder the turf: that looks of a wood­ fellow. N. cock colour, and is not good. S. lVikes, or TYikers (of the mouth) cor­ TYoodsere, decayed, or hollow pollards; nel'S of the mouth. N. also the month or season for felliug 1Vil/ern, peevish, wilful; from the Saxon wood. Ess. & Suff. TYeller, willing. TVoodzvants, holes in a post or piece of TVillozv-uenc!l, a share of a husband's timber. q.d. place~ wanting wood, estate, enjoyed by wido,Ys in Sussex, TVop, a wasp. Exm. over and above their jointure. TYorclt-bracco, work-brittle. Chesh. TVilllme; to wimme, to winnow. S. Very diligent, earnest, or intent on T17ill, or TVind-berry, a bilberry or whor­ one's work. Val'. Dial. tleberry. N. Worried, choaked. TYorra1l, ill the an­ TViud-roll:; to wind-row, to rake the cient Saxon, signifies to destroy, in mown grass in to rows, called wind­ which sense we still say, a dog worries rows. Norf. & S uff. sheep. lVinly, quietly. TYOImdy, very gTeat. S. TYiullyed, frighted. Glouc. lYra:ding, wrestling. Exm. Triskit. See TYhisket. N. 1Vreasel, a weasel. N. lVitliy, a willow tree. Glollc. TVrigld, a carpenter, the only word in TVite, to blame; ab A. S. p(l:na, 7Jlulcta. use in the East H.iding of Yorkshire, q. slpplicilllll. Chaucer useth the for that trade. word for blame. TVringle-streas, bents, called also WIll­ TVizen'd, dried, withered. N. dle-straws. lVizzen, to wither. N. TVll11S0me, smart, trimly dressed, lively, TVizzle, to get any thing away slily. N. joyous. N. TVoadmel, a coarse hairy stuff, made TVrong, crooked; a wrong man or wo­ of Iceland wool, and brought from man. Norf. thence by our seamen to Norfolk Wyte, to blame. See Trite. and Sufic;lk. YES YUC

Y.

YAAPPING, crying in despair, la­ Yerring, noisy; perhaps jarring. Exm. menting; applied to chickens lamen.t~ Yethard, Edward. Derb. ing the absence of their parent hen. Yetling, a small iron boiler. N. N. Yets, oats. Northumb. Yallow beels, or Yallow boy~, guineas. Yewd, or Yod, went. Yewing, going. Exm. Ab A. S. Eode, ivit, iter fecit, con­ Yane, one;. Yance, once. Val'. DiaL cel>sit, he went; Chaucer, yed, yeden, Yare, covetous,. desirous,. eager; also yode, eadem sensu. Spencer also, in nimble, ready, fit, ticklish. N. It is his Fairy Queen, lib. 1. c. 10. used also in the South. Chaucer uses it .for ready, quick; as does He that the blood-red billows, like a wall, On either side disparted with bis rod, also Shakespeare, in the Tempest. Till all bis army dry-foot tbro' them yod. Spoken of grass or pasture, it is Speaking of Moses. fresh, green, &c. Yaspen, or Yeepsen, as much of any ¥c'u:ers, embers, hot ashes. Exm. thing as can be taken up in both Yold-ring, a yellow-hammer. N. hands joined together; a double Yolt, a newt, or eft. Glouc. handful. S. Yoted, or TYlwsed, watered; the brewel"s Yate, or Yeat, a gate. N. grains must be well yoted, or whesed Yaud, a horse, a jade. N .. for the pigs. 'V. Yead, head. Exm. Yowl, to cry, or howl. N. Yeander, yonder. Val'. Dial.. Yoon, oven. Val'. Dial. Yeardly, (valde,) very; )7eardly much,. YOlltlt,. a fine old youth, a healthy old yeardly gTeat; i. e. very great. man. N. Yearning, the liquor of the rennet used You:fter, to fester. in producing curd. N. Yu, or Yule-tide, Christmas. N. Yeatller, a flexible twig, used for bind- Yu-batch, Christmas-Latch. Yu-block, ing; hedges. N_ yule-block"yule-clog, Christmas-block. Ye'avelillg, evening. Exm. Yu-gams, Christmas-games; ab A. S. Yed, Edward. Derb. Gekul,. Dan. Juledag, the day of the Yeellder, or Bender, the forenoon, Derb. natIvity of Christ. This, perhaps, Yees, eyes. Exm. from the Latin and Hebrew jubi­ Yeevil, a d uog-fork. Exm. lum. N. In fal'll,-houses, the ser­ Yellow belly, a person born in the Fens vants lay by a large knotty block, for of Lincolnshire. L. theil' Christmas-fire, amI, during' the Yells, young sows, who have not had time it lasts, they are entitled, uy cus­ pigs. N. See Galts. tom, to ale at their meals. N. Yeo, an ewe. Exm. Yuck, Linc. to itch; perhaps from the Yesse, an earth-worm, particularly those Scotch, or from the Dutch, jeucken, called dew-worms. . joocken,. GenJlan, jellcken, orjllckell, ZIN ZUA

z.

ZATE, soft. Glouc. Zive, a scythe. EXll1. Zennet, a week, a sev'night. Exm. Zoclc, a blow; I geed un a zock. W. Zess, a pile ofsieves in a barn. Exm. Zowerswopped, iII-natur'd. Exm. Zew, a sow. Exm. Zowl, a plough. Exm. See Zullo Zelvnteell, seventeen. Exm. Zuant, regulady sowed; the wheat must Zigg, urine. Exm. be zown zuant. W. Zillnila, a son-in-law. EXIn.

END OF THE GLOSSARY. LOCAL PROVERBS.

E.NGLAND~

IN compliance UJitlt Fuller's arrangement, I shall begin witlt those Proverbs 1vlticlt have reference to tlle whole kingdom; many of these, I must observe, are by no means complimentary; but seem formed by foreigners, from prejudice ana m~infor1llation.

quered. Fuller remarks, that to keep this saying WHEN our Lady falls In om Lord's in countenance, it may pretend to some truth; for, lap, on the death of Elizabeth, and accession of King sad clap James I., the kingdom, by its junction with Scot­ TIlen E< ngland beware a{ . I ' land, took the title of Great Britain, by royal pro­ mlS lap, clamation, and thereby the name of England was, A.lias, in one sense, lost. Some interpreted this distieb Then let tIle clergyman look to his cap. more literally; supposing it meant, that when all the hemp in England was expended, there would This is supposed to be a kind of popish pro­ be an end of our naval force; which would in­ phetical menace, coined since the Reformation, in­ deed be fact, if no more could be procured. timating, that the Virgin Mary, offended at the English nation, for abolishing the worship offered When the black fleet of Norway IS her before that event, waited for an opportunity of revenge, and when her day, the twenty-fifth of come and gone, March, chanced to fall on the same day with England build houses of lime- and Christ's resurrection, then she, strengthelied by stone, her son's assistance, would inflict some remarkable ,For after, w.ars yon shall have none. punishment on the kingdom. This conjunction It was calculated would happen in the year 172'2; This likewise. seems to ha,-e a prophetic mean­ but we do not \earn that any thing ensued in con­ ing, if one could but find it out. Fuller supposes seqnence thereof, either to the nation, or the caps. it alludes to the Spanish Arnlada, and quotes Sir or wigs of the clergy~ Francis Bacon to prove that the sur-name of the Kiug of Spain was Norway; but, supposing it was, 'When Hempe is spun, nothing is explained by it; the number of wars in England is undone. which England has been since engaged, as well civil as foreign, shew that this prophecy was dictated This was another popish prediction, edited he­ by a lying spirit. rore the defeat of the Armada. The word Hempe IS formed of the letters H. E. 1\1. P. E. the initials England is a ringing island. of Henry, Edward, ]\fary, Philip, and Elizabeth, ~nd supposed to threaten, that after the reigns of Fuller says it is so called by foreigners, as ha"­ those princes, England would be lost, i. e. COIl- iug more bells in number, greater in size, and bet- I ter 58 L 0 CAL r It 0 Y E It 13 S.

tel' tuncn bell; tlmn :111)' othcr country in Europe, A Famine in England hegins at the Italy not cxccJltcd; althoug-h Nola, the place whcre Hon;e-manger. Jlclls urc said to ha\'c bccn first invented aud made, :1I1d whcncc thcy took their nmlle, is in that cuun­ iJf oa~s ,fail, ther~'is 'gcnerally a bad crop of eycry tr),. Whcther thcsc assertions arc strictly tmc, is othcr lund of gram throughout this l,ingdom: in­ a subjcct to be discusscd b)' the Society of Col­ dced, oatmeal makes a great part of the food of lege Youths. the poorer sort of people in the north.

"T!Jen the ~and feeds the clay, England The king of England is the king of crics ,,'ell-a-day; devils. 13nt when the clay feed:> the sand, ·it is melTY ,dth England. The 'German empcror is tl'rmcd the king of kings, becanse he has lUany princes under him; The clay lands in England, arc to thosc of a the king of Spain, the killg of IUcn, from the s:mdy soil, as '(h'c to 'onc, and c<]ually, Ill' 'more cheerful obedience shewn 'him by his subjccts; the fi:·rtile. If, from a ,rct scason, the sandy lands Idng of Frallee, the king of asses, frolll thc pa­ sHccccd, lind the Clay lands miss, only onc 'fifth of 'Hence 'of" his 'people in bcaring nil ihe ;loads he is the crop is produced that there wQulll'have bccn, pleased to .lay upon them; but why the king of Ilall .thc contrar)" happen~d: this,' as ilie proverb 'I~nglantl is styled'the "king of devils, is' not so ap­ expresscs, is a national misfortnnc. parent, unless on acconut of the constant jealousy Englishmen have of their governors, and'their apt­ Hess to take lire at even the legal exertions of pre­ ---- England were but a fling', rogative. SaYefor the crooked stick anU the grey-goose wing. The English are the Frenchmen's apes.

That is, England would be hut a lost land, or Howeyer true this might formerly have been, 110t ten.hle, were it not for the how and arrows. the case is at present <]uitealtered; and we have This was a saying in praise of archery, in which now, in our turn, the honour, if it is any, of dic­ the English formerly cxcclled; but thc'many bat­ tating the mode to the French. Iehas moreover tics gained hy thcm since the inyention of gunpow­ been observed, that the English have at all times

This is another foreign sarcasm, arising from tbe This, according to Fullcr, is another Frcnch envy of those who are obligcd to satisfy their ap­ provcrb, no bcttcr founded than many of thc prc­ petites with soup-maigrc, frogs, and roots, instcad ccding; and perhaps, likc scvcral of thClll, squint­ of roast beef, veal, pork, mutton, and lamb. It ing a littlc at the rcformation. is confidcntly asserted by many accuratc' observcrs, that, with rcspcct to quautity, forcigners grcatly excced the English in the articlc of cating, but that The High Dutch pilgt'ims when they the English consumc more animal food. beg', do sing'; the Frenchmen whine and cry;. the Spaniards curse, swear, Eng'lish poke-pudding. and blaspheme;. the Irish and Eng­ lish steal. A jocularappcllation givcn by the Scotch to the English, alluding to that national dish, a plum-pud­ This is a Spanish provcrb, and lIIay possibly bc ding. Poke signifies a bag; so that thc sum and founded in truth. Pilgrims, gypsies, and other substance of the titlc is, an English bagcpudding. vagabonds, not being vcry scrupulous obcrvcrs of thc distinctions of propcrty. An English bug. In settling an island, the first building This is an Irish nick-namc for an Englishman, erected by a Spaniard will be a founded on the supposition that the English first bronght bugs into Ireland. church; by a Frenchman, a fort; by a Dutchman, a warehouse; and by England is a little garden full of very an Englishman, all alehouse. sour weeds. This provcrb was mcant to shew thc striking traits in the difFercnt national charactcrs of thc This is said to have becn an obscrvation fre­ pcople hcre mentioncd :-thosc of the Spaniards quently in the mouth of Louis XIV. durillg thc vic­ arc dcvotion and bigotry; of the Frcnch, military torious Dukc of Marlborough's campaigns. arrangcmcnts; of thc Dutch, COllllllcrcc; and tIlt) English, convi\·iality. He that England will win, Must with lreland first begin. John Bull.

Ircland furnishcs England with a numbcr of ablc A namc commonly used to signify an Engli,h­ mcn, both soldiers and sailors, and likcwise beef, man, from Dcan Swift's ludicrous History of Eu­ pork, butter, and othcr provisions, for victualling ropc; whercin the peoplc of England arc pcrsoni­ our fleets and foreign garrisons: if thesc supplics fied undcr that appellation; thc sovcrcigns of Aus­ were cut oft: by that country being in the hands tria, France, Spain, by thosc of 'Sqnirc South, of an encmy, it would be cxtrcmely dctrimental to Louis Baboon, and Strut; thc ltcpublic of Hol­ England. land by thc namc of Nicli Frog.

In England a bushel of March dust is Jack roast beef. worth a king"s ransom. A jocular Hamc gil'cn by thc Frcnch to English­ England consisting chiefly of clay lands, a dry mcn; who, as many of them supposc, cannot cxist March makes tbem bear grcat crops of corn; without roast bcef~ plum-pudding, and punch; whcrefore, if in that mouth the weathcr is so dry, which liquor they term contradiction, from bcing as to make thc roads dusty, thc kingdom will bc compoundcd of lcmon, to make it sour, and sugar, bcncfitcd to thc alllount of a king's ransom, which, to makc it swcct; watcr, to makc it weak, and according to the sum paid for King Richard I. to spirits, to make it stroug. BARKSnInE. (,0 LOCAL PROVERBS.

BARKSIIIRE.

THE "ien-I' of Bray will be "iear of • for I always keep my priueiple, which is this, tt) Bray still. live and die}he Vicar of Bray.' Such are many, now-a-days, who, though they cannot turn the Fuller, in his quaint manner, thus explaius this win~l, will turn their mills, and set them so, that saying :_H Bray, village, well known in this coun­ wheresoever it bloweth, their grist shall certainly try, so called from the Bibroces, a kind of ancient be grinded." The Vicar of Bray has since been Britons, inhabiting thereabouts. The vivacious modernized in a well-written song, wherein his ,'er­ "icar hereof, living under King Henry VIII. King satitity' is brought down to later times. The same Edward VI. Queen l\Iary, and Queen Elizabeth, story is often told as haviug happened to the Vicar was first a papist, then a protest,mt, then a pa­ of Bray, ncar Bra.)'head, in Ireland. pist, then a protestant again, He ,had seen some martyrs burnt (two miles 011) at Windsor, and He is a representative of Barkshire. fouud this fire too hot for his tender conscience. This Vicar being taxed by one for being a turn-coat A vulgar joke on anyone afflicted with a cough, and an ullconstaut. changeling; 'not so,' said he, which is here termed barking.

BEDFORDSIIIRE.

As plain as Dunstable road. burn, running by Crawley, and faIling Immediately iuto the Ouse, a river much more remarkable than At the time when this saying was first in usc, this brook, for its frequeut turnings and windings; the high roads of England were not what they are for in its course it runs over eighty miles, in a li­ at present; so that of Dunstable, being the great near distance of only eighteen. high road to the North, compared with the gene­ rality of roads, was conspicuously fine and broad. The bailiff of Bedford is coming. Down-right Dunstable. The Ouse, or Bedford river, is in Cambridge­ Said to express a plain, simple, honest person, shire called the baliff of Bedford, because, when devoid of any turns or duplicity in their character. swoln with rain in the winter-time, by over-flowing, A comparison with the straightness and openness it carries ofi" the cattle, &c. on the Isle of Ely of that road. and adjacent low grounds; so that this saying was a warning to drive off the cattle, &c. lest they As crooked as Crawley brook. should be distrained by the bailiff of Bedford; i. e. the river Ouse. By draining the fens, this bailifl's This is a nameless brook arising about W00- power has been superseded.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.

latter as fat, as in any other county. Probably Buckinghamshire bread and beef. this was only written to give a rhyme to the fol­ lowing line; This county docs not seem to have been par­ bu~h, ticularly famous for either bread or beef. Fuller Here, if you beat a 'tis odds says only, that the former was as tine, and the you'll start a thief. Buckingllamshire CAM BRID GESH IRE. <31

BuckingIJamshire was, in old times, quitea forest, An old man who weds a buxom young and a harbour for thieves, till Leofstane, abbot of maiden, biddeth fair to become a St. Alban's, caused them to be cut down. This )Jroverb, from the expression, it's odds, seems freeman of Buckingham. bardly old enough to have any reference to that In all likelihood, the fabricator of this proverb, circumstance, as it is doubtful whether our ances­ by a freeman of Buckingham, meant a cuckold; tors were then sufficiently advanced in the science an event, it must be confessed, under those circum­ of gaming, to calculate odds. stances, much within the chapter of possibilities.

CAl\fBRIDGESHIRE.

Cambridgeshire oaks. the more polished manners of the times, have soft­ ened that ill-judged hauteur. Willows are so called, as a reflection on this county for its marshy soil, where only those trees An Henry sophister. will grow; this is however not true of the whole county. Fuller, and from him Ray, says, "So are they called, who, after four years standing in the univer­ Cambridge requires all to be equal. sity, stay themselves ti'om commencing bachelors of arts to render them (in some colleges) more ca­ Some interpret this to allude to the college com­ pable ~f preferment. Several reasons are assigned mons, or mess, where all pay alike; others suppose for their name. it expresses that among students of the same de­ " That tradition is senseless, and inconsistent with gree, family and fortune give no superiority. his princely magnificence, of such who fancy, that Kin« Henry the Eighth, coming to Cambridge. Cambridgeshire camels. stay~d all the sophisters a year, who expected a year's grace should have been given unto them; The meaning of this proverb is very obscure. more probable it is, because that king is com­ Fuller says a camel is used proverbially, to signify monly conceived of g~'e!lt ~trength and stature,. that an aukward, ungain animal: scholars, long resident these Sophist;e HcnrJemlll were elder and !JIgger in college, are not famous for the gracefulness of than the other. The truth is this, in the reign of their address; probably it was from this the gowns­ King Henry the Eighth, after the destruction of men of Cambridge might be called camels, a term monasteries, learning was at a loss, and the unil'er­ by no means dishonorable, as proving they have sity, (thanks be to God, llIore scared than hurt) attended to Euclid more than to their dancing­ stood at a gaze what would become of her; here­ masters. Some have supposed this term to have upon llIany students stayed thcmselves, two, ~hrce. originated from the Fen-men, stalking through the some four years, as who would sec how thell" de­ marshes on their stilts, who then, by the apparent grees (before they took them) shuuld be rewarded length of their legs, somewhat resemble the camel. and maintained." Ray's supposition, that" this nick-name was ground­ lessly fastened on his countr)'men, because the first pos~et­ three letters are the same in Cambridge and camel, Twittle twattle, drink up yom seems to have very little reason to support it. drink. This proverb, says Ray, had its original in Cam­ A boisten horse, and a Cambridge mas­ brido-e and is scarce known elsewhere. The mean- ter of arts, are a couple of creatures ing ise'e,'idently a reproof. to anyone wlJO d'.Igresses that will give way to nobody. from the subject on wllleh he was speakmg, and saying, ill other words, cease )'our nOIlSensc, and This proverb, Fuller says, is found in a letter go on with what you are about. written to George Bruin, in his Theatre of Cities, and is produced against the university of Cam­ A Barnwell agile. hridge, by Twine, an Oxford Antiquary. It un­ doubtedly conveys a reflection on the politesse of The "cncreal disease. Barnwell is a village near the masters ofarts of that learned body; but as this Cambridge, famous for the residence of the women was written a long time ago, it is to be hoped that of pleasure attending the JUJiYersity. CHESHIRE. 02 LO CAL PROVERBS.

CHESHIRE.

used to call their girls, Lady Dones;' and boys, Cheshire, chief of men. Earls of Derby. TI.JC lion. wa,s here the statnary. This proved) was m all hkellhood made by a Cheshire-man, and Maxfield measure, heap and thrutch ;elates to some privilege of marching or fighting (thrust.) III the van, in the ancient border conflicts with the Welch. The measures of the same denomination, in Eng­ land, ditler exceedingly, some being only filled lev'Cl. Better ",ed over the 1111xon than over with the ~op of the measure, the protruding parts being struck of1' wilh a stick; this is called strike­ the 111001'. measnre. At some places the measure is filled as It is better to take a wife born ncar one's own full as it will hold, heaped above the top; this is (lnnghill; i. e. house, than to marry a stranger called heap measure. That of Maxfield was of from afar oft: By marrying a neighbour, the clla­ this kind. raclers and qnalities ofthe parties are better known to cach other, than they can be when a match takes To sC(lld like a wych-waller. J)lace betwecn a pair, educated and living at a dis­ tance from each other. That is, like a boiler of salt. Wych-houses am salt houses, and wallers are boilers, from wallillg, In Cheshire there are Lees as plenty as boiling. A number of very poor people are ell\­ plo)'ed as salt-boilers at North-wych, Nampt­ fleas, and as many Davenports as w)'ch, &c. dog-'s tails. g~iven The names of Lee and Davenport arc extremely She hath Lawton-gate a clap. common in this connty; the former is, however, Spoken of a wench who has been up to London "ariously spelt, as Lee, Lea, Leigh, Ley, &c. to lie-in privately of a bastard. Lawton lies in tho' way to London from several parts of Cheshire. 'When the daug-hter is stolen, shut Pep­ per gate. Every man cannot be Vicar of Bowden. Pepper-gate was a postern, on the cast side of Bowden is a good living near Chester. the city of Chester. The mayor of the city having bis daughter stolen away by a )'Olmg man, through The mayor of Altringham lies in Leel that gate, whilst she was playing at ball with the whilst his breeches are mending'. other maidens, his worship; out of revenge, caused it to be closed up. A bad parody of, "when the As the mayor of every other town must do, if steed is stolen, shut the stable-tioor." be has but one pair, as is said to have been the caso with this worshipful magistrate. To feed like a freeholder of Maccles­ field, who has neither corn nor hay The mayol' ofAltringham and the mayor at Michaelmas. of Over; .The one is a thatcher, the other a dauber. To feed "oraeionsly, like a half-starved me­ chanic. Macclesfield, or Maxfield, is a small market Altringham and Over arc two petty corpora­ town and borough in Cheshire, where there are tions, whose poverty makes them ridiculous to their many poor button makers, who have neither bay neighbours. A dauber is, I believe, one who make& or corn all the )'ear round. the clay walls to cottages. As fair as Lady Done. Stopford law; no stake, no draw. The Dones were a great family in Cheshire, living It were much to be wished that all corporation at Utkinton, by the forest side. Cheshire nurses laws were founded on as cquitable principles. Ccr­ taiJtly CORNWALL. 63

tainly -he who has no ticket. cannot be entitled to in scorn ofthose, who, having been at London, arc u prize in a lottery. This prol'erb is commonly ashamed to speak their OWI1 country dialect. med ,to signify that only such as contribute to the liquor, are entitled to drink of it. Go pipe at Pedley, there's a pescod feast. 'Tlle ,constable of Oppenshaw sets beg­ .gars in stocks at Manchester. Some hal'e it go pipe at Colston, &c. It is spoken as a reproof to persons who make them­ -Ray has not gil'en the meaning of this prol'erb; selves extremely busy in trifles or matters that 110 110r can I guess at it. ways concern them. Like the parson' of Saddlewick, who )fthou had'stthe rent of Dee-mills, thou can readin .no book but his own. would'st spend it. Saddlewick is said to be in Cheshire; but 110 such TI!e city of .Chester stands 011 the rh'er Dee, parish or -place is mentioned in the Magna Bri­ where arE? Illany mills let at high rents. tannia, or England's Gazetter. To lick it up like Lim hay. She hath been at London, to call a sh'ca a straw, and a waw a wall. Lim is a village on the river Mersey, that parts Cheshire and Lancashire. It is famous for its hay, This saying the cOlllmon people of Cheshire use of which all sorts of cattle are extremely fond. •

By Tre,Pol, .and Pen, Cornish diamonds, vulgarly estimated superior to those of India. In Fuller's time the tin began to You shall know the Cornish men. fail here; having fallen, as he terms it, to a scant­ saving searcity. As to the diamonds, no one has These three words, says Fuller, are the dic­ yet judged it worth his while to dig for them. tionary of such surnames as are originally Cornish, and, though nouns in sense, I may fitly term them prepositions. He is to be summoned befol'e the mayor 1 Tre a town Hence Tre-~ry, Tre-la\"ny, of Halgoaver. 1 i 1Tre...vanmon, &c. !J Pol signifieth an head Hence Pol·wheel. n P ato Hence Pen-tire Pen.rose, This is ajoculary and imaginary court, wherein .. en P Pen.kevil, &e. men make merriment to themselves, presenting Some add to these a fourth invhoation, vi:. Car, whieh such persons as go slovenly in their attire, untrussed, ~jgnifics a rock, as Car-mine, Car-zen, &c. wanting a spur, &c. whcre judgmellt in formal terms is given against thcm, and executed more to To give one a Cornish hug. the scorn than the hurt of the persons. A Cornish hug is a lock in the art of wrestling, peculiar to the Cornish men, ,,,ho have always been 'Vhen Dudman and Ramhead meet. famous for their skill in that manly exercise, which they still continue to practisc, These are two headlands, well known to sailors: they arc ncar twenty miles asunder; "'hence this proverb is meant to express an impossibility. Hengston-down, well ywrollght, Fuller observes that, nevcrtheless, these two points Is worth London-town dear ybought. have since met together (though not in position), in possession of the same owner; Sir Pierce Edge­ Hcugstou·down was supposed not only to be ex­ comhe enjoying one in his own right, and the other tremcly rich in tin, but also to have in its bowels in right of his wife, The L 0 CAL PRO Y ERn ~.

The dcvil will not come into Cornwall, strcets, hnt a time will come \I'hen it shalllle asked lor lear of being put into a pic. where Truru stood: on this he obseryes, that hc trusts the men of that town arc too wise to lIlind The people of Cormv:J.1I make pies of almost this prediction, any 1Il0re than another of the sallie kind, presaging c\'il to the town, because rlJ 1"/1 eyery tl.ling eatahle,. as squah-pie, herb)'-pie, pil­ exprcss~d chard pIC, nlUgetty-plC, &c. &c. which in English is woe, woe, is twiec il: the Cornish name thereof; but, says he, let the men of Trnrll but practise the tirst syllable in the name He doth sail into Cornwall without a of their town, (meaning truth, i. e. integrity) and bark. they may be safc and secure from all danger 'Irisin" froIII the second. <> .This is an hali.an proverb, signi~)'ing that a man's WIfe has made hnll onc of the klllghts of the bull's The gallants of Foy. feather. The whole jest, if there be any, I)'in" in the similitude of the words Cornwall, and cor;ua, The inhabitants of Foy were, in the time of Kin'" horns. Edward IV. famous for their privateers, and thei~ Fuller quotes.a p~ophec)' in the Cornish language, gallant behaviour at sea; whence they obtained. the sense of wInch IS, that Tmru consists of three that denomination.

CUMBERLAND.

--- If Skiddaw hath a cap, Skiddaw, Lauvellin and Casticand~ Scuffel wots full well of that. Are the highest hills in all England.

These arc two very high hills, one in this coun­ So says the'Cumberland proverb; the Yorkshire­ ty, anol her in Anan-dale, in Scotland; if the for­ men make nearly the same claim in behalf of sOllie Iller be capped with clouds or foggy mists, it will of their hills, iu'the.following distich: not be long before rain falls on the other. It is Ingleborougll, Pcndle, and Penigent, spoken of such who may expect to sympathise in t?eir ~uficrings, by reason of" the vicinity of their Are the highest hills between Scotland sltuatlOIJ. and Trent.

DERBYS.HI.RE~

He is driving' his hogs over Swarston­ sidence arc unknown. The Devil's A-s-e is

DEVONSHIRE..

To Denshil'e, i~ e. to Devonshire land. preserved some droll verses on this town; which, as I do not remember to have seen in print, are This is to pare the turf from off the surface, IICre transcribed: :md to lay it in heaps and burn it; the'ashes h.we been found greatly to enrich barren land, by loft have heard of Lydford law, means of the fixed salt which they contain. This, How in the Illorning they hange and draw, probably, was first practised in Devonshire, whence And sit in judgement after; it derived its nallle; it is now practised on all At first I wondred at yt much, barren spungy lauds throughout England, previous But since I fynd the reasons such to ploughing, Lands so prepared will bear two As yt deserves no laughter. or three good crops of corn, and must then be laid down again. They have a castle on a hill, I tooke it for an old wyndmill, The vanes 'blowen oft' by weather: A Plymouth cloak. To lye therein one night, 'tis gnest, "l'were better to be ston'd and prest, A blndgeon, 'ralking-stick, or staff. As a Or haug'd; now chuse you whether. landsman prepares himself for a journey, by put­ ting on his cloak, so a sailor equips himself by Tenne men lesse rome within this cave, cutting a stick out of the first wood he conles to, Than fi,'e myce in a lanthorn have; tile active service required of them on board The I,eepers they are sly ones: never sutlcring them to enculJlber themselves with .If any could dyvise by art, cloaks. As Plymouth is chiefly inhabited by sea­ To gett yt upp into a cart, faring persons, this proverb was f.'lthered on it, 'Tweer fytt to carry lyons. though, in fact, it as much belongs to Portsmouth, Chatham, or any other sea-port. It must be re­ When I beheld 'l't, Lord, thou~ht I, membered, that when this proverb was first in­ What justice and what cIemen~ye troduced, what nre now called great coats were not Hath Lydford, when I sawall! in use. I knowe none gladly there would stay; Bnt rather hang out of the way, He may remove Mort-stone. Thml tarry here for tryal. A saying of anyone who is master of his wife. The prinee a huudred pound hath senl, 1\Iort-stone, or More-stone, is a huge rock that T' amend the leads aud planchers rent, blocks up the entrance into Mort's-bay, in tbis Within this Iyving tombe; county, which there is a tradition cannot he re­ Some forty fayr pouuds more had paid, moverl, but by a man who is thoroughly master of The debts of all that shall be laydc his wife. Ther, till the day of doombe•• One Iyes ther for a seam of malt, First hang and draw, Another for a peck of salt, Then heal' the caUf:ie by Lidfol'd law. Two sureties for a nuhle; If this be true, or else false news, Lidford is a little and' poor, but 'ancient cOllJOra­ You may goe ask ---- tion, in this county, with velY large privileges, where a court of stannaries was formerly kept. More, to the men that lye in lurch, This proverb is supposed to allude to some absurd Ther is a bridge, ther i~ a church, determination made by the Mayor and Court Seven ashes and an oake; of this corporation, who wcre formerly, in general, Three houses stamlin and tenn downe ; Jmt mean and illiterate persous. They say the parson hath a gowne, Wcstcolt, in his History of DeYonshire, has Bnt I saw never a cloake. K Whereby GO LO CAL l' nOYERns.

Whereby you may consider well, At six o'clock I came away, That Jlfa~:nc sillll;licitic doth dwcll, And pray'd for thoes that were to stay At Lydford, wilhont bravcry: Withiu a place so arrant; And in'the Itlll'ne hath )'Ollllg and grave "')'de and ope the wynds do roar, Doc (o\'e the nakcd truth to have, By God's grace I'll come there no more, No cloak to hyde their knavery. Unlesse by some tyun warl1lut.

The people all within this clyme, N. B. The prison is only for stannary canses. Are frozen iu the winter tyme ; But sure I do not fayne; And when the SUlIllller is begunn, As fine as Kerton, i. c. Crediton Spill-. They lye Iyke silkworms in the sunn, 'mug. Aud come to I)'fe again, This spinning was ,'cry fine iudeed; which to One told me, in King Cbelief, it was vcry true, The towne was buylt with stone aud lyme, 140 threads of woollen yearne, spunn iu that nut sure the walls wcre clay; towne, were drawne togeather through the eye of And the)' arc fallen, for I sec, a ta)'lor's needle; which needle and threads were, And since the howses arc yett free, for many years together, to be seen in Watling­ The town is run awa)'. Street, in London, in the shop of one Mr. Duns­ comb, at the sign of the Golden BoIlIe.-West­ -diet was our bonnds: south-east, in the parish of Broad Clyet, another And this were just, and )'fT 'twere Imowen, down, called Dolbury-hill :-between these two One pound'of butter had been throwen hills (you may be pleased to hear a pretty talc) Amongst a packe of llOunds. that is said (I sett not downe those wordes to lessen yonr belief of the truthe of the matter) One glasse of drinck I golt by chance; but to lett you knowe that, nil pI'aler allditllm 'Twas claret when yt was in France, Iwbeo: But now from yt much wider: I think a man might make as good, Take yt on this condition, With green crabs boyl'd in Brazil wood, Yt holds credyt by tradition; And half a pint of syder. That a fiery dragon, or some ignis fatuus in such I kist the mayor's hand of the town, lvkeness, hath bynne often scene to l1)'e between "'ho, though he wcars no scarlett gown, tllese hills, kommin" from the one to the other in Honours the rose and thistle; the night season: "~ICreby it is supposed ther is a A piece of corall to the mace, great treasure h)'dd in each of them, and that the Which there I saw, to serve in place, dragon is the trusty treasurer and sure keeper Would make a good child's whistle. thereof, as he was of the golden fleece in Chol- cos, D 0 R SETSH IRE. 67 cos, which Jason, by the help of Medea, brought And, as the two relations may be as true one thencc; for, as Ovid sayth, he was very vigilant. as the other,. for any thinge I knowe, for it is con­ stantly believed of the credulous heel', and some A watchfull dragon sett, do averr to have scene yt lately. And of this hyd­ This goldcn fleece to keep, den treasure the ryming proverbe here quoted Within whose careful eyes goes commonly and anciently.-Ibid. Come never wink of sleep.

DORSETSHIRE.

Stabbed with a Brydport dagger. pretended, been yet claimed; and it is a common water joke to ask the crew of a Pool ship, whe­ ther anyone has yet received that five pounds. 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 Shoot zaftly, doey now. statute, now disused, that the cables for the royal navy should be made thereabouts. Another gird at the Poolites. A privateer of that town having, it is said, loaded their guns, on their return to port, wished to draw out the shot, As much a-kin as Lenson-hill to but did not know how; nor could they think of Pilsen-pin. any other method, than that of firing them off,. and receiving the shot in a kettle: the person em­ That is no kin at all, though both are high ployed to hold the kettle being somewhat appre­ hills, and both partly in the same parish, viz. that hensive of danger, prayed his companion, who of Broad Windsor. These hills are eminent sea­ was to discharge the gun, to shoot zaftly. marks, known to the sailors by the names of the This is told of divers other ports; and in all Cow and Calf.. This is commonly spoken of per­ likelihood, with equal truth. sons who are ncar neighbours, but neither relations nor acquaintance~ The devil pist piddles about Dor­ If Pool was a fish-pool, and the men chester. of Pool, fish, This saying arises from the number of small There'd be a pool for the devil, and streams running through different villages herea­ . fish for his dish. bouts, which, froIU that circumstance have their names terminating in puddle, pronounced piddle; This satyrical distich was written a long time as Piddle-town, Toll-piddle, Aff-piddle, &c. &c. ago. Pool is, at present, a respectable place, These waters are very improperly called puddles, and has in it several rich merchants trading to being most of them clear and ru1l1ling. Newfoundland.. Dorsetshil'e Dorsers. 'When do you fetch the five pounds? Dorsers are peds or paniers, fixed on the backs It is said that a rich merchant of Pool left by of horses, in which higglers carry fish, poultry, his will the sum of five pounds to be given every and other provisions and wares. Probably these year, to set up any poor man who had served his were either i1lvented, or first generally used, ill apprenticeship in that town, on condition that he Dorsetshire; as the fish-jobbers, according to shonld produce a certificate of his honesty, pro­ Fnller, used to carry their fish from Lyme to perly authenticated. This bequest has not, it is London.

ESSEX. 68 LOCAL PROVERBS.

\ ESSEX.

Es~ex stiles, Kentish miles, Norfolk merly very profitable, if one may judge by tIlC fine wiles, many men beguiles. sepulchralmonulllents of marble, inlaid with brass, ereetcd for butchers,· in Cogshall, Chclmsford, and other churches, where, in thcir epitaphs, they Two "Very different explanations arc given of are inscribed wrnifices. These tombs werc, in that part of this ungrammatical provcrb which Wcaver's opinion, befitting morc emincnt mcn; relates to Essex. The first says, thc enclosures and according to Fuller, scrvc to shcw, that the in Esscx arc very small, and the stiles, conse­ butchcrs of this county havc bcen richer (or at quently, vcry frequent; and being also very high least prouder) than those in other places. and bad, are cxtrcmely troublesome to strangers. The other is, that by stiles· arc mcant narrow bridges, such as arc laid betwcen maroh and marsh Essex lions. in thc hundrcds of this county, only jocularly call­ ed stiles, as thc loosc stone walls in Derbyshirc Calves, grcat numbcrs of which arc brought arc ludicrously callcd hedgcs. alivc in carts to the London markets. Kcntish miles wcre not, in reality, longer than those of other counties; but beforc thc gcncral He was born at Little Wittham. introduction of turnpikcs, most of the Kcntish roads, cspecially those in that part callcd thc Weald, A punning insinuation that thc person spollCn of wcre almost impassable; so that a carriagc could wants undcrstanding. Ray places this proverb in not travcl more than a couple of milcs in an hour, Lincolnshirc. whereby the miles sccmed of an extraordinary length, and deceived or beguiled many travellers, The weever's beef of Colchester. who calculated their journies according to the numbcr of miles they had to go, without consi- That is sprats, caught thereabouts, and brought dering the state of the roads. . thithcr in incrcdible abundance; whcreon thc poor Norfolk wiles. Norfolk is said to have been wcavers, (numerous in that town,) arc frequently rcmarkable for litigation, and the quirks and quib­ fed. bles of its attornies. This was so great a griev­ ance in the reign of Henry VI. that A. D. 1455, Jeering Cogshall. a petition was presented from the Commons, shew­ ing that the number of attornies for the counties " This," (says Ray) " is no prow~rb, but an of Norfolk aud Suffolk had lately increased, frolll ignominious cpithet, fastcned on this place by their six or eight, to eighty, whereby the Jleace of those neighbonrs, which, as I hope they do not glory iu, counties had been greatly interrupted by suits; so c l bclicvc they arc n~t guilty of. Other towns they therefore petitioned it might he ordained, that in this cOllnty have had the like abusivc epithet. there should be no more than six common aHor­ I remember a rhyme which was in cOlJlmon use uies for the county of Norfolk, six for Sulfolk, formerly, of some towns not far distant ,thc one and two for the city of Norwich; these to be from the other: elected by the chief justices for the time being: any other person acting as an attorney, to be lined 'Baintree fat' the pure, and Backing twcnty pounds, half to the King and half to the for the poor; . plaintiff. The King grantcd thc pctition, pro­ 'Cogshall for the jeering to'''0, and vidcd it was thought rcasonable 1Jy thc judges.­ Rot. Padm. in anna Kelvedon for the whore.''' Essex calves. Go to Rumford, to have your backside new-bottomed. EGscx has long been famous for its calves, aud at prcsent chicfly supplics London with \'Cal Ful­ Formcrly Rumford was famous for breeches­ ler observes, tilat this tradc lUUst have been for- making, and a lllan going to Rumford, was thus 'jocularly G LOU CESTERSH IRE.

Jocularly advised to provide himself with a pair of of their bargain, nor had any dissention, shoul

GLOUCESTERSHIRE.

As sure as God's 111 Gloucester­ not in the barn, in the bushel, both for quantity shire. and goodness thereof. A saying originatiug from the number and riches A Cotswould Lion. of the religious houses in this county; said to be double in number amI value to those founded in That is a sheep. Cotmould being famous for any other in England. its sheep-walks or pastures.

You are a man of Duresley. He looks (or seem~) as if he had lived on Tewkt;bury Illustard. . Used to one who has broken his promise; and probably alluded to an ancient and notorious breach Said of an)' peeri,h or snappish person, or one of faith, by some inhabitants of that town, the par­ having a cross, ficrce, or ill-natured contenancc. ticnlars of which are now forgotten. Te\\'kesbury is a market-town in lhis county, famous for its mustard, which is ~"tr(,l1IcIy hot, biting, and It's as long coming as Cotswould bar­ poignant; and therefore, hy this lHO\'erb, snp­ posed to COllllllllllicate those qualities to persons ley. fed with it. This is applied to such things as are slow hut sure. The corn in this cold country, on the The Tracies have always the wind in 'Woulds, exposed to the wiuds, bleak and shelter­ their faces. less, is very backward at the first, but after­ wards overtakes tile forwardest in the county; if A superstitious legend. Sir William Tracy ,,'as one 70 LOCAL PROVERBS.

one of the four kniglits WI10 killed that turbulent fuees. This, Fuller justly observes, was, in not prelate Thomas Becket; for the punishment of weather, a blessing instead of a curse, exempting which offcnce it miraculously happened, that the females of that family from the expenee and whene\'er any of the Tracy family travelIed, either trouble of buying and using a fan. by land or by ,,,ateI', the wind always blew in their

HAMPSHIRE.

Hampsllire gToun

William of Wickham, Bishop of Winchester, was This speech, as Fuller remarks, has more of' founder of Winchester-college in this county, and mirth than truth in it. Perhaps, if instead of nonc, of New.college, Oxford; he was also famons for it were said they had few of the unprofitable and. llis skill in architecture: this adage was his motto, troublesome inmates there mentioned, it might be· generally inscribed on places of his. foundation. nearer the fact. The remains of the monasteries of the black CanterbU1~y is the hig-her rack, but monks at Carisbrook, and white ones at Quarrel', Winchester is the better mangel'. in this island, confute one part of this saying. In­ deed, that there should be a fertile, healthy and w. Edington, Bishop of Winchester, was the pleasant spot,.without monks ;. a rich place without· author of this saying, giving it as a reason for his lawyers; and a country abounding with lambs,.. refusal to be translated to the sec of Canterbury, poultry and game, without foxes, is evidently all. though nominated thereunto. Indeed.. though improbability. Canterbury he graced with au higher honour, the nett revenues of 'Vinchester are greater, there A Hampshire hog. being less state to be supported. The proverb is applied to such as prefer a wealthy privacy before A jocular appellation for a Hampshire man;: a less profitable dignity. Queen Mary obliged the Hampshire being f.'lmous for a fine breed of hogs" manger in SOllle sort to maintain the rack, by and the excellency of the bacon made there.

HARTFORDSHIREe.

Hal'tfordsllire hedge-hogs. and three-pence; "or a groat paid' for everyone of' them brought dead or alive to the churchwardens, This proverb seelDs to have no other meaning by whose order they are commonly gibbeted ou. than ihat of pointing out the number of hedge-hogs .one of the yew trees in the church-yard. The found in this county. Hedge-hogs are harmless hedge-hog is emblematically used to represent a· animals, who, frum the vulgar error of their suck­ bad neighbour, an unsociable and ill-couditioned ing cows, have, time out of mind, been proscribed, person, its points, when set up, forbidding a ncar approach;. HEREFO RD SH IRE. 'it approach; whether this appellation was formerly 'Ware and 'Vade's mill are worth aU applied to the people of this county in that sense London. does not appear. Thl' solution of this saying turns on the equil'ocal meaning of the word ware, by which is here Illeaut Hartfordshire clubs and clouted shoon. ware, goods, or merchandise, and not the town of Ware, anciently spelt Wear,' from the stoppages This is a gybe at the rusticity of the 1J0nest Hart­ which there obstructed the river. Wade's mill is fonlshire yeomen and fanners. Club is an old a village two miles north of Wear or Ware. term for a' booby. This saying was probably fh­ bricated by some inhabitant of London; bnt it Hartfordshire kindness. should be considered that although Hartfordshire is situated in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, That is, anyone drinking back to his right-hand yet, great part of it being no general thoroughfare, . man; i. e. the person who immediately before drank nor much frequented high road, the inhabitants arc to him. Perhaps a method practised by some likely to be as countrified as persons living at a persons of this county. Fnller says, this adage is greater distance from town. Clouted shoon is part meant to express a return for a favour or benefit of the dress of a husbandman and fanner; and, as conferred. It mther seems to mean retuming a Fuller observes, being worn by the tenants, enables favour at the expencc of others; as .by this illl'er­ their landlords to wear Spanish leather boots and sion in the circulation of the glass, some of the pumps. company are deprived of their turn.

HEREl?ORDSHIRE•

.' Blessed is the e,'c; ing this proverb, tells us, from Camden, that the That is between' Severn and Wye, wheat growing ahout Heston, in l\liddlesex, yielded so fine a flour, that for a long time the manchets This proverb, Fuller supposes to refer not only for the Kings of England were made thereof. to the beautiful and fertile country so situated, but also to allude to the safety from hostile invasions Everyone cannot dwell at Rotheras. arising from the protectiou of those two rh·ers. Rotheras was a line scat in this county, belong. Lemster bread and Weably ale. ing to the Lord Bodmans. •

Both, undoubtedly, very good of their kind, Sutton 'Wall and Kenchester are able though not superior to the bread and ale of divers to buy all London, were it to sell. other counties; probably this saying was calculated for the meridian of the county of Hereford only, Two places in this county, probably supposed where these towns might have a striking superiority to contain mines, or some hidden treasure. in the articles abovementioned. Fuller, in explain<

HUNTINGTO XSHInE, 72 LOCAL PROVERBS.

HUNTINGTONSHIRE.

An Huntington sturgeon. for, having but sixty monks to maintain ont of se\'ell thousand pounds a year, the share of each This is the way to Beggar's-bnsh. monk was an hundred ponnds, with a surplus of a thousand pounds for the abbot; prodiaious snms It is spoken of such who usc dissolute aud im­ at that time; yet, at the dissolution of n~onasteries, provident courses, which tend to poverty: Beg­ the annual re\'enues of this house were estimated at gar's-bush being a well-known tree, on the left hand but one thousand nine hundred and ei,ghty-three of the London-road from Huntington to Caxton. pounds, \"hich shews how much the estates of re­ This punning :ldage is said to be of royal origin, ligious houses were undcr-rate~ in those valuations. made and applied by King James I. to Sir Francis Ilamsey was an abbey of Benedictine monks, Bacon, hc having over generously rewarded a poor built by Ailwine, Alderman of all England, Duke DIan for a trifling present. or Earl of the East Angles, A. D. 969, and dedi­ cated to the honour of St. Mary and St. Benedict. After the dissolution, the scite, with several of the Ramsey the rich. manors, were granted 31st of Henry VIII. ta llichard Williams, alias Cromwell. This was the Crresus of all our English abbics;

KENT.

Neither in Kent or Christendom. of their having retained their ancient privileges,.. particularly those of gavel-kind, by meeting Wil­ ..This seems," says Fnller," a very insolent expres­ limll the, Conqueror, at Swanscomb-bottom; each sion, ancl as uncqual a division: surely the first au­ mau, besides his arms, carrying a green bongh in thor thereof had small skill in even distribution, to his hand; by this contrivance concealing their nnm­ measure an inch against an I'll, yea to weigh a bel' nnder the appearance of a moving wood. The grain against a pound. But know, reader, that rest of the inhabitants of the county are stiled this home-proverb is English Christendom, whereof Kentish-men. Kent was first converted to the faith. So then Kent and Christendom (parallel to Rome and Italy) A Knig'ht of Cales, a Gentleman of is as much as the first cut and all the loaf besides. I know there passes a report, that Henry IV. King Wales, and a Laird of the North of France, mustering his soldiers at the siege of a conntree; city, found more Kentish men therein, than fo­ A Yeoman ofKent, with his yearly rent, reignl'rs of all Christenclom beside, which (being will buy them O~lt all three. but seventy years since) is, by some, made the ori­ ginal of this proverb, which mls more ancient in Many yery poor gentlemen were knighted by use, and therefore I adhere to the fonner interpre­ Rol>crt Earl of Essex, in his expedition to Cales, tation." With all due deference to the above au­ A. D. 1596, wben he conferred that honour on thority, this proverb rather seems intended as an sixty persons: for this he was blamed by Queen ironical reproof to the good people of Kent for Elizabeth, as mal,ing the honour of knighthood over-rating the importance of their county. The too cheap. Kentish-men forlllcrly claiming the right of march­ As every Welchman is undonbtedly a gentleman, ing ill the van of the English army. there IUUSt incvitably be among them a number of very poor ones, as well as among the northern A man of Kent. Lairds, who have not, till lately, snffered any of their filmily to engage in commerce or trade. All the inhabitants of Kent, cast of the river A Yeoman 'I'as an independent man, somewhat Medway, arc called Men of Kt'nt, from the story less than a Gentleman (a term formerly not so libe­ rally KEN T. 73 rally dealt out as at present.) A yeoman occupied " And many a jack of' Dover he had sold, his own land, kiIled his'own mutton, and wore " Which had been two times hot and two times the fleeces of his own sheep, spun in his house. " cold." The )'eomanry of Kent were famous for their riches. This class of people is now entirely ex­ If by a jack is meant the fish now so called,that tinct, the title of Gentleman being almost as ulli­ is, a small pike, the produce of the little river run­ ,"ersaIly claimed in England as in Wales. ning through that place is much changed, there being very few, if any, pike in it. Indeed, this proverb, if it may be called one, seems to have The father to the bough, very little meaning in it. The son to the plough. A Dover shark and a Deal savage. This aIludes to one of the privileges of gavelc The corps of a·drowned man having been dri"en kind, enjoyed by part of this county; whereby, iu on shore; ncar Dover,. with· a gold ring on his many felonies, only the goods and chattels, but not finger, one of the inhabitants of that place found the lands, are forfeited to the crown, on the execu­ JIim, and beiug unahle to take off the rinO', from tion of a criminal. the swelling of his finger, bit it off; whe~ce the Gavel-kind was an ancient Saxon custom, enact­ Dover-men have obtained the· nick-name of sharks. ing an equal division of die lands of the parent The appellation of Deal savage,. probably origia among his children, as its name implies; Gavel­ nated from the brutality and exaction of the boat­ kind being a 'corruption of the German gieb aUe men, who take every advantage of the necessities kind, give to all the children. Many Kentish thin~, ~1l1 of travellers and passengers. Oue however. estates were disgavelled by act of parliament of should be mentioned in their favour; which is, that the 31st of King Henry VIlI.. on the petition of in cases of shipwreck, they arc ever ready to ven­ the owners~ ture their own lives, to save those of tllC ship" wrecked crews. Kent is divided into tbree parts; the first has health without wealth. the Kentish long tails. second wealth without health, and This appellation is said to have been given to the third both health aud wealth. the Kentish-men. from the followiug circulllstance: the inhabitants of a Keutish village not only beat and ahused St. Angustine and his companions, The tirst is East Kent, Ihe part adjoining to the whilst preaching; but also opprobriously tied fish­ 'sea, which is extremely pleasant and healthy, but tails to their backsides: on which the saint caused has much poor land; the second is the Weald and tails to grow on the rumps of those men and all Romney-marsh, famous for its fine pastnres and their descendants. Fuller says this event is pre­ rich graziers, but extremely subject to agues; tended to have happened ncar Cerne in Dorset­ the third is that part of Kent in the neighhour­ 'shire, and therefore docs not rclate to this county. hood of London, where the sitnation is healthy, A similar insult and pnnishment is said to hm'e the soil good,. and the inhabitants rich., been transacted at Chatham or Rochester, ouly iilstead of St. f\llguslinc, the injured party was Long, lazy, lousy Lewi1:iham. St. Thomas Becket. Another solution given to this matter is, that Lewisham is certainly a very long town or village, during oue of the crnsades, the English solrliers u,ed and, it is said, was once a very poor one, often the to wear hag;s or wallets for carrying their neces­ consequence of idleness; and that poor and idle saries, which bags huug down behind them like persons should be infected with the vermin men­ tails; wtlence, in some dispute between William tioned in the proverb is. also very natural. Though, Longspee Earl of Salisbury, and Robert, brother on the whole, it is likely, that the alliteration of of Saint Louis, King of France, the latter called this proverh, rather than the truth of it, has pre­ the English long-tails.. How the namehappel1ed served it to the present time. to stick ouly on the Kentish-men remains to be explained. A jack of Dover. Deal, Dover, and Harwich, lr. jack of DOI'er is mentioned by Chaucer in his The devil gave with his daughter in rroeme to the Cook: marriage ;' L And, 74 LOCAL PROVERBS. And, by a ,codicil to his will, 'man here in this company any thin'" ncar my He added Helyoet and the Brill. , age.'-' Well then,' quoth Mr. Moore;' hm,. say 'you to this matter, what think YOU to be the sl~elves ~l'!lich A satyrical squib thrown at thc inn-keepers of : cause ?f these and sands stop up SandwIch-haven? -' Forsooth, Sir,' quoth he, those places, in return for the many impositions 'I 'am an old man; I think that Tenterden-steeple practised on travellers, as well natives as strangers. , is the cause ofGoodwin's-sands; for I am an old Equally applicable to most other sea-ports. , man, Sir,' quoth he; 'I may remember the build­ , ing of Tenterden-ste('ple, I may remember when Tenterden steeple"s the cause of God­ • there was no steeple at all there; and before win's sands. , that Tenterden steeple was in buildinll', there was , no manner of talking of any flats o~ sands that .. This proverb," says Ray, "is used ",h('n an , stopt up the haven; and therefore I think that nbsurd and ridiculous r('ason is given of any thing 'Tenterden steeple is the cause of the decay and in question; an account of the original whereof I • destro),ing of Sandwich-Imven: Thus far the find in one of Bishop Latimer's Sermons, in these • Bishop. worcls:-' Mr. Moore was once sent with C01l1­ But Fnller obserws, .. that one story is good till mission into Kent, to tryout, if it might be, what another is told; und, though this be all whereupon was the cause of Goodwin's-sands, and the shelf this proverb is generally gronnded, "I met. since,' which stopped np Sandwich-haven. Thither cometh says he, "with a supplement thereunto; it is this: Mr. Moore, and calleth all the country before him, Time out of mind money was constantly col­ such as were thought to be men ofexperience, and lected out of this count.y, to fence the east banks men that could of likelihood best satisfy him of the thereof against the eruption of the seas, and such matter concerning the stopping of Sandwich-haven. snms were deposited in the hands of the Bishop of Among the rest came in before him an old man Rochester; but, because the sea had been very with a white head, and one that was thought to q?iet for many years without any encroaching, the be little less than un hundred years old. When bIshop commuted that money to the building of Mr. Moore saw this ;Iged man, he thought it ex­ a steeple, and endowing a church at Tenterden. pedient to hear him say his mind in this matter, By this diversion of the collection for the mainte­ (for, being so old a man, it was likely that he nance of the banks, the sea aftenvards brake in knew 1I10St in that presence or company): so Mr. upon Goodwin's sands. And now the old man :Moore called this old aged man unto him, and bad told a rational ulle, bad he found but the due said; , Father, (said he) 'tell me, if you can, what favour to rlnish it. And thus, sometimes, that is , is the cause of the great 3l'ising of the sands causelessly accounted ignorance of the speaker, • and shelves here about this haven, which stop it which is Ilothing but impatience in the auditors, 'up, so that no ships can urrive here; yon are the unwilling to attend to the end of the discourse." • oldes t man I can espy in all the company; so • that if any man can tell any cause of it, you, of Starv'em, Rob'em, and Cheat'em. • all likelihood, can say most to it, or, at. leastwise, • more than any man here assembled.'-' Yea, for- Stroud, Rochester, and Chatham. A saying in • sooth, good Mr. Moore,' quoth this old man, the mouths of tlle soldiers and sailors, in allusion • for I am well n1gh an hundred years old, and no to the impositions practised upon them.

LANCASHIRE.

Lancashire fair women. for their superstitious cruelty, in executing a Ilum­ her of poor innocent people, under the denomina­ The beauty of t.he women of this county has long tion of witches; this saying implying, that the been proyerbial; witness the well-known appellation chanlls of female beauty are the only charms by of Lancashire witches, which, at the same time as whieh a rational man can be affected. it records the beauty of the Lancashire females, That the women of one county may remarhbly carries with it a kind of reflection on the males, differ from those of another, seems a matter not to LEICESTERSH IRE. 75 to be doubted; air, food,' and situation producing thus :-Snppose this poor village of Ribchester to striking variations in the size, shape, and colour have been once as rich as any town in Christen­ of animals; therefore why not in the human dom, what is it the better for it now1 Or else, species. on some one boasting of former importance he cannot prove, to quote the circnmstance of the Jt is written upon a wall at Rome, inscription on the Roman wall, by way of a ridi­ Ribchester was as rich as any town cnlous parallel. in Christendom. As old as Pendle-hilI. " Some monumental wall, whereon the names 01 the principal places were inscribed then subject to This is generally understood to mean"coeval with the Roman empire, and probably this Ribchester the creation, or at least with the flood; although was anciently some eminent colony, (as by pieces if it be, as some have supposed, the effect of a of coins and columns there daily digged out doth volcano, its first existence may have a later date. appear): however, at this day, it is not so much as a market-town; but whether decayed by age, or If riving Pike do wear a hood, destroyed by accident, is uncertain~ It is called Ribchester, because situated on the river Ribble:' Be sure that day will ne'er be good. This is Mr. Ray's solution; but probably the meaning docs not lie so deep. It rather seenis to A mist about the top ofthat hill is a sign of foul llave been meant as a reproof to any mean person weather. 1l0listing of their ancestors, and to be interpreted

LEICE8TERSHIRE.

Bean-belly Leicestershire. Cal'1eton warlers. . So called from the great plenty of that grain So called from a rattling in their throats, or growing therein; whence it has also been a com­ which Bnrton thus speaks; "I cannot here omit mon saying in the neighbouring counties, 'Shake a one observation, which, by some of the naturalists, f_eicestershire yeoman by the collar, , and you shall hath. been made of this town, that all those who hear the beans rattle in his belly:-Fuller observes, are born here, have a harsh and raltling kind of " these yeomen smile at what is said to rattle in speech, uttering their words with much difficnlty their bellies, whilst they know that good silver and warling in the throat, and cannot well pro­ r.ingeth in their pockets." nonnce the letter R:' It is however said, the present generation have got over this impedi­ ment. If Bever have a cap, You chudes of the vale look to tllat. I'll throw you into Harborough-field. That is, when the clouds hang over the tower A threat for children, Harborough having no of Bever castle, it is a prognostic of much rain, field. which is extremely unfavourable to that fruitful "ale, lying in the three comIties of Leicester, Lin­ coln, and Nottingham. Put up your pipes, and go to Lock­ ington-wake. Bread for Borough-men; Lockington stands- in the utmost north angle of At Great Glen there are more great the shire, upon the confines of Derby and Not­ dogs than honest men. tinghaUlshires, ncar the confluence of the Trent and 7G LO CAL PROVERBS. aIHI Soar. Prohahly Ihis was a saying to a trou­ calculated to ridicllie those tellers of miraculous blesome fellow, dcstring him to take hilnself 011' to stories, called shooters in the long bow. II great distance. There are more whores in Hose, than The last man that he killed keeps hogs honest women ill Long Clawton. in HincJey-field. Hose and Long Clawton arc neighbouring vil­ Spoken of a coward that neycr durst tight. lages, within a mile ofcach other: Howes, or Hose, is ~but a small place, Long Claxton, Clayston, or Clawston, is a very large one, ncar a mile long. Tra­ He has gone over Assfordy-bridgc back­ vellers, when the) come in sight of these two places, wards. arc generally entertained with this coarse proverb; and at first, considering the dillerent sizes of the Spoken of one that is past learning. Probably two places, arc llpt to be surprised at the oddness the point of this lies iu the equivocal word Ass. 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 arc more whores Like the mayor of Hartlepool, you who wear stockings, than there arc honest women cannot do that. dwelling in Long Clawston. Ray places this among the Leicestershire pro­ ,'crhs; but it rather seems to belong to Durham, Hogs Norton, where Piggs play on the IIartlepool being within that bishoprick. The sense organs. of it is, yon canuot work impossibilities; an allu­ sion to the following story:-A mayor of a poor The true name of the town, according to Peck, corporation, desirous to shew his old companions is Hocks Norton, but vulgarly pronounced J·Jogs that he was not too much elated by his high Norton. The organist to this parish church was office, told thelll, that though he was mayor of that namcd Piggs. corporation, he ,,'as still but a man, there being llIany things he could not do. The same again, quoth Mark of BeII­ Bedworth-heggars. grave.

Probably some poor hamlet. It is not mentioned This story is said to be an allusion to an an­ b)' Burton, or any of the topographical writers. cient militia-officer, in Queen Elizabeth's time, who, exercisin

" About l\Iountsorrel, or l\Iounfstrill," says Peck, " the country people have a story of a gia;lt What have I to do with Bradshaw's or de\'il, named Bell, who once, in a merry vein, windmill ? took three prodigious leaps, wl.ich they tlius de­ scribe :-At a place, thence ever after called !\Iount­ ThaI is, what have I to do with any other man's sorril, he mounted his sorrel horse, aud leaped a business 1 mile, to a place, from it since named Oneleap, now corrupted to Wanlip; thence he leaped another mile, to a village ('ailed Burst-all, from the burst­ Then I'll thatch Groby-pool with pan­ ing of both himself, his girts, and his horse; the cakes. third leap ,,'as also a mile; but the violence of the exertioll and shock killed him, and he "as there Spoken \\'h('n something improba~le is pro~ised buried, and the place has e\'er since been denomi­ or foretold. :Burton docs not mentIOn any tlnng of nated llell's-grave, or Bell-graye." This story seems this pool. For LIN C 0 L.N SH IRE. 77

For his death there is many a wet eye In and out, like Bellesdon, I wot. in Groby-pool. Probably a scattered irregular village. Nothing particular respecting it occurs in Burton. That is, no eyes are wetted by tears for him; spoken of a person not mucb esteemed or re­ A Leicestershire ploYer. gretted. A bag-pudding.

LINCOLNSHIRE.

Lincolnshire; where thehogs shite soap, ground, in the Fens, that scarce a horse, much less a cart, could come to it. It has since been drain­ and the cows shite fire. ed, so that in summer-time Crowland lUay now be The inhabitants of the poorer sort, washing their "isited by a common cart. clothes with hog's dung, and burning dry cow­ dung for warit of better fuel. Yellow bellies. Lincolnshire bag-pipers. This is an appellation given to persons born irr the Fens, who, it is jocularly said, have yellow Whether because the people here do more delight bellies, like their eels. in the bag-pipes, or whether they are more cun­ ning in playing them; indeed, the former of these will infer the latter. As mad as the baiting bull of Stam­ ford. As loud as Tom of Lincoln. William, Earl Warren, lord of this town, in the This Tom of Lincoln is an .extraordinary great time of King John, standing upon the walls of the bell, hanging in one of the towers of Lincoln Min­ castle at Stamford, saw two .bulls in the meadow, ster: how it got that name I know not, unless fighting for a cow, till all the butchers' dogs, great it were imposed on it when baptized by the Papists. and small, pursued one of them, maddened by the Howbeit the present Tom was cast in King James's noise and multitude, quite through the town. This time, anno 1610. sight so pleased the Earl, that he gave all those meadows, called the castle meadows, where first this bull duel began, for a common, to the butchers He looks at it (or him) as the devil of the town (after the lirst grass was eaten), on con­ looks over Lincoln. dition they annually find a mad bull to be baited, the day six weeks before Christmas-day. Some refer this to Lincoln-minster, over which, when first finished, the devil is snpposed to have looked, \\'ith a fierce and terrific countenance, as He was born at Little Wittham. incensed and alarmed at this costly instance of de­ votion. Ray thinks it more probable that it took This has been explained among the Essex pro.­ its rise fr01ll a small image of the devil placed on verbs. the top of Lincoln.college, Oxford, over which he looks, seemingly with much fury. Grantham gmel, nine grits and a gallon of water. All the carts that come to Crowland are shod with silyer. Poor gruel, indeed! This proverb bears hard on the liberality of the good people of Grantham, allli When this saying was first used it was true; for is applicable to any composition "'herein the chief CrolVland was situate in so moorish and rotten ingredient is wunting; abo figuratively, to any

LONDON.

A London Jury hang half and save Billingsgate language. half. Billingsgate is the grand fish-market, to whid!> Some affirm this of an Essex, others of a Mid­ the fishermen bring thc fish, and the fishmongers,. dlescx jury; perhaps it is equally true of all, that both statiouary and ambulaut, repair to purchase· is, untrue of all three. It supposes that these them: among the latter there are many of the fair jurors, either unable, or unwilling to he at the sex, not famous for the politeness of their address, pains of attending to the evidence, endeavour to delicacy of language, or patience and long-suf­ temper justice with mercy, by acquitting one half fering. ')f the prisoners, and condemning the other. An hour's attendance at the Old-Bailey would shew He that is at a low ebb at Newgate~ the falsity of this adage. may soon be afloat at Tyburn.

London-bridge was made for wise men Nell'gate, Tyburn, and the gallows, have been. to go over, and fools to go nnder. long the subject of much low wit. Wcre public executions conducted more solemnly, and the igno­ This proverb, since the opening and paving of miny of that kind of deatll strongly inculcated in:-­ the bridge, has more truth in it than it formerly to the common people, perhaps those dreadful. had; for, before that improvement, a man run as exhibitions might be less frequent. great, if not a greater risk, of being squeezed to death by a cart, in going over it, than of being 'When Tottenham-wood is all on fire,. drowned by going under it. At present the safety is in favour of the land passage. The!?, Tottenham-street is nought but mIre.

Ane ill word meets another, and it Fuller quotes this proverb from Mr. William were at the bridge of London. Bedwell, one of the translators of the Bible, and: gives the following as his solution. "WhenTotten­ " This (says Fuller) is a Scottish proverb, and ham-wood, of many hundred acres, on the top of indeed a Scottish text needs a Scottish comment an high hill, in the west end of the parish, hath thereon; however, I thus guess at the meaning a foggy mist hanging and hoveriug over it, in thereof; London-bridge is notoriously known for a manner of smoke, then generally foul weather a narrow pass and numerous J>assengers; so that followeth; so that it serveth the inhabitants instead people meeting thereon, a quarrel will quickly be of a prognostication." engendered, if one of them hath not the wit or There is another explanation of this proverb. patience to step into a shop, if on foot; if on Toltenham-wood is said to have served that part of horseback, to stay in void plaees. Thus words London nearest to it with wood for fuel; and when quickly inflame a difference, except one of the par­ that wood was all on fire; i. e. in winter, Totten­ ties have thc discrction of silencc, )'ielding, or de­ ham-street was extremely foul and miry. parture. Tottenham LON DON. 79 Tottenham is turned French. He will faint at the smell of a wall­ flower. About the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII. ~ vast number of French mechanics came over to Intimating that the person so spoken of had England, filling not only the outskirts of the town, been confined in the gaol of Newgate; formerly but also the neighbouring villages, to the great stiled the wall-flower, frolll the wall-flowers grow­ pr~judice of the English artisans, which caused the ing up against it. insurrection in London, May-day, A. D. 1517. This proverb is used in ridicule of persons affect­ ing foreign fashions and mallllers, in preference to He may wlIet his knife on the threshold those of their own country. of tlie Fleet. You shall as easily remove Tottenham­ Said of persons who are not in debt, as they may go into a prison withont danger of being de­ wood. tained. This proverb, however, is sometimes used Spoken as a thing impossible to be effected. in a different seuse: on seeing a person newly come to a great fortune, and spending it extravagantly, it natnrally occurs, that by such proceedings, he London lickpenny. may whet his knife on the threshold of the Fleet, which may done, as well on one side as the other of TIle truth" of this appellation, though a very old the iron grates. The Fleet takes its nallle frolll a one, will, I trust, be supported by the testimony of small brook rulllling by it. every person, caused by business or pleasure to visit it; but it will appear with the greatest pro­ priety to conntry-gentlemen, who bring up their A cockney. wives and daughters to see the .town. A very ancient nick-name for a citizen of Lon. don. Ray says, an "interpretation of it is, a young St. Giles's breed; fat, ragged, and person coaxed or cockered, made a wanton, or saucy. nestle-cock, delicately bred and brought up, so as when arrived at man's estate, to be unable to bear The people of that parish, particularly those re­ the least hardship. Another, a person ignorant of sident in Newton and Dyot-streets, still retain the terms of country

He was born within the sound of . Fuller gives another explanation, which take in Bow-bell. Ius own words :-" St. Anthonie is notoriously know~ for th~ patron of hogs, having a pig for his " This," says Fuller, " is the periphrasis ofa Lon­ page m all pIctures, though for what reason un­ douer at large, born within the suburbs thereof' known; except because bein" a hermit and havin" a cell or hole di!!!!ed in tl.e earth 'and havin~ the sound of this bell exceeding the extent of th~ . .~~ , 0 10nl-~HlY.or's mace. It is called Bow-bell, because 1us general repast on roots, he and hogs did in hnnglllg III the steeple of Bow-church; and Bow­ some sort entercommolls, both in their diet and church, because built on bow; or arches."-" But lodgings. I have been told," says Ray, "that it was called " There was a fair hospital built to the honour from the cross stone arches or bows, on the top of St. Anthony, in Bennet's Fink, in this city; the of the steeple." protectors and proctors whereof claimed a privi­ lege to themselves, to garble the live pi"s in the Acc.ording to Stowe, one John Dun, a mercer, tl~e fo~nd gave, m 1472, two tenements, to maintain the rin"­ markets of city; and such as they starv­ ing of this bell every ni"ht, at nine o'clock as °a cd, or othen\'lse unwholesome for man's sustenance signal for the city apprentices and servants to' leave they would slit in the ear, tie a bell about thei; ofr work. William Copeland, the king's merchant, necks, and let them loose about the city. " None durst hurt or. take them up:(havin'" the about the year 1520, gave a bigger bell for the li~'ery same purpose, and had the hansel of it himself. of Sl. Anthony upon them); but many ,,';'ould it being fust rang as a knell at his burial.. ' give them bread, and feed them in their passage, ""hom they used to follow, whinin" after them. But, if such pigs proved fat, and ~ell-likin" as ~(j~'bies,castle, and Megses glol'Y, often the~ did, the officers of St. Anthony's ho~;ital Splllola s pleasure, and Fisher's folly. woul~ seIze. on them for their own use. This pro" verb IS apphcable to such, who have servile saleable . ?,hese were four honses about the city, built by so,uls, who, for a s~nall reward,. will la~k-wey many cItIzens, who thereby ruined themselves. Fuller II1Iles, pressmg their patrons With their unwelcome importunit~,:, says, "the first of these is so uncastellated, and the glory of th~ second so obscnred, that very few know (and It were needless to tell them) where these houses stood. A fool will not part with his bauble for " As for Spinola (adds he) a Genoau made a the Tower of London. free deuizen, the master aud fello\\'s of'a colle"e in Can~bridg~ know too well wha~ he was, by thcir « This Tower· anciently was, and in part still is, expeuslve SUIt, known to postenty 1Jy l\Ia"dalcn­ the lI1~gazine of England's wealth. There the silver, c.ollege c:lse: if his own country, I mean tile Ita­ the II1mt of money, and there the brass and iron to lJa~I, ~urse .did .overtake hil~l, :md if the plague of defend it, the armoury and storellOuse of ordnance; blllldlllg dId hght upon hIm few I believe did )'et fools so doat on their darling fancies,. that they pity him. ", prize them above all this treasure. But alas! we " As for the last, it was built by Jasper Fish, do ourselves what we deride in others. Everyone free of the Goldsmiths', one of the six clerks in is addicted to s011le vanity or IInother, which he chancery, and a justice of peace; wl\o, bein" a will not part with on any conditions; so weak and man of no great wealth (as indebted to ma~y) wilful we arc by nature. He that will not freely built here a beautiful house, with gardens of plea­ and sadly confess, that he is much a fool, is all a sure, and bowling-allies about it, called Devon­ fooh"-Thus saith Fuller. shire-house at this day." A loyal' heart may be landed under He .will follow him like St. Anthony's Traitor's bridge. pIg. This is a bridge under "'hich is an entrance into St: Anthony was originally a swine-herd, and in the Tower, over against Pink-gate, formerly fatal all pIctures and sculptnres, is represented as fol­ to those who landed there, there being a muttering lowed by a pig, frequently h,I\'ing a bell about his that such never came forth alive, as dying, to say neck. Probably this pig might have been one of no worse, therein, without any legal trial. Queen his former eled:s, before he took upon hiul,5c1f the E1izaheth, according to Fox, in his Acts and Mo­ trade of a saint. The attachment of this' pig or numents, when sent by her sister 1\1ary to the Tower~ bog, at Icngth grew proverbial. objected to landing here; but her conductor, a lord, whom. LONDO!\". 31 whom hc docs liot mcntion, would not indulgc St. Peter Ic Poor, hcr in thc choicc, but obliged hcr to SI1bmit. "'hcre's lIO tavern, alehouse, or ~ign at The drift of this provcrb is to caution us against bclicving persons gnilty of an oflcnce or crime thc door. b~fore it is proved, as many an honest man has bccn unjuslly accused and imprisoncd. Great part of this parish hclonged 10 thc Au­ gustinc friars, who professed wilful poverl)': hence the appellation of poor. It was chiefly il1habit~d To cast water into the Thames. by rieh wholesalc merchants, "'ho probably (lid not use signs like thc retaill'rs and shopkecpcrs. That is, to give to those who have already plcnty ; bnt, with respcct to the Thames, thcre To dine with Duke Humphrey. have bccn timcs, whcn throwing water into it wonld not havc been an unnccessary act; for in "This proverh," Fuller says, " has altercd the fourth of William Rufus, A. D. 1158, thc its meaning. At first it meant dining :It auother waler was so low, that men walked across it dry­ man's table; for Humphrey Duke of Gloucestcr, shod; and, in 1582, a strong wind, blowing west commonly called thc good Duke, kept an open and by south, forced out the fresh, and kept back. table, wherc any gentleman was welcome to dine. thc salt water. It is also possible, thc same want After his decease, to dinc with Dukc Humphrcy of water may. in future happcn, from the many meant to go dinucrless, his tablc, abovc-mentioncd, bridges, wharfs, causeways, and other impcdi­ Imviug ceased at his dellth:' Fnller slIys, that pcr­ mcnts, that obstruct the free influx of the tide. sons who loitcred about in St. Paul's church durin!.: dinncr-time, wcre said to dinc with Duke HUIll­ phrcy, from a mistaken notion that hc was buried All goeth down Gutter-lane. thcre. That is, thc throat. This proverb is applicable I will use you as bad as a Jew. to those who spend all their substancc in eating

A dehtor confined in a room in NCIl'~atc, callel1 Gray's-inn, for walks; Lincoln's-inn, Tangiers. Sec HelllljJan Em'lIt; or, The Delecta­ for a wall; the Inner Temple, for a ble History of Whittil/gtan's College, folio, 1703. garden; and the Middle, for a hall. He has studied at'\Vhittington's college. All tl,ese were excellent of their kinel, and pe­ culiarly so at tllc time this proverb was madc. That is, he has been confincd iu Xcw!!ale. JH "hich 82 LO CAL r R"OVERllS.

which was rebuilt A. D. 1-123, accordin fT to the will He is only fit for ruflian's-halL of Sir Richard Whitlin~ton, by Jolu~ Coventry, John Carpenter, John White, and William Grove, Fuller thus explains this prm'erb :-" A rullian, IJis executors. Sec llIaiilanc!'s lJislol'!J oj London. is the sam~ with a swaggerer; so called, because endeaVOUrIng to make that side to swug or weigh Puddington-fair. down whereon he engageth. The same also with, swash-lIuclder, from swushiug or makiu" a noise An execution at Tyburn; which place is in, or on bucklers. West Smithfield, uow tile horse­ ncar, the parish of Paddington. The indecent murkct, ml3 formerly culled lluffians-hall, ,,,here behaviour of the common. people assembled on such men met casually and otherwise, to try mas­ these occasions, gi"es, to ouc of the most solemn teries with sword and liilclder. More were frighted an(1 dreadful sceues imaginable, the appearance of than hurt, hurt than killed therewith; it being ac­ a filiI' or merry-making; and tends greatly to defeat couuted unnmnly to strike beneuth the knee, be­ the end of punishment, ,,,hich is not so much to cuuse, in clrect, it was as one armed against a naked torment the uuhappy delinquent, as to deter others man. But since tlmt desperate traitor, Rowland:. from committing the like crime. Yorke, first used the thrusting with rapiers, swords and bucklers arc disused, and the proYer)}. only applicable to quarrelsome people (not tame· A 'squire of Alsatia. lIut wild llarretters) who delight in brawls amL blows.'" A spe~d! hrift or sharper, inhabiting places for­ merly prmleged from arrests. Such were White­ Friars, amI the Mint, in Southwark; the former As lame as St. Giles,. Ct·ipplegate•. called Upper, the latter Lower Alsatia. St. Giles wus by birth an Athenian, of nollle· extraction, and greut estate; but he quitted all for As old as Paul's. a solitary life: becoming lame, whether by acci­ This church was founded by King Ethclbert, dent or otherwise is not said, he, for his greater· A. D. 610. mortification, desired not to be cured of it. He is deemed the patron of cripples, and bis churches.. are commonly in the suburlls. As old as Paul's steeple. Cripplegate was so called before the conquest,. from cripples begging there; for 'I'hieh they plead An ignorant corrnption of the preceding pro­ cnstom~ from the time the lame man begged an Terb; for the steeple, compared with the church, alms of Peter and John, at the beautiful gate of was but a modem building, it having been burned tbe temple. by lightning, A. D. 1087, and afterwards rehuilt by the lIishops of London. The fire of London was a punishment for g;luttony. He illust take a honse 111 Turn-again­ lane. For Ironmonger-lane was red-fire-hot, Milk­ street boiled over; it began in Pudding-lane, and· This lane is, in old' records, called Wind-again­ ended at Pye-corner. lane; it lies in the parish of St. Sepulchre, goin" down to Fleet-ditch, having no exit at the end~ from whence it obtained its name. This sa,-inO' is 'Who goef-l to 'Vestminster for a wife,. made usc of, on speaking of persons who Ii,,; in to Paul's for a man, and to Smith­ un extravagant manner, spendin fT more than their income, to wholll it will be nec;ssary to turn oyer field for a hOI'se, may meet with a a new leaf. whore, a knave, and a jade.

WESTMlKSTER. l\I ID DL ESE X. 83

'VEST:M:INSTER.

There is no redemption from Hell. has read in an ancient record, placed over a num­ ber of monks. who died of the plague, and were There is a place partly under, partly by the all buried in one grave; that being the place ap­ Exchequer-chamber, commonly calIed Hell, for­ pointed for the sepulture of the abbots and monks, merly appointed a prison for the king's debtors, in which no woman was permitted to be interred. who were never released from thence until they had fulIy discharged what they owed. Covent~garden is the best garden. As long as Meg'g' of Westminster. Covent-garden is the chief market in London for fruit and garden-stuff of all kinds. It was for­ This is applied to very tall slender persons. merly the gardeu of a dissoll'ed monastery. An­ Some think it alluded to a long gun, called ciently, when these articles were sold in Cheapside, Megg, in troublesome times brought from the the lJrO\'erb said that was the best garden. Tower to 'Yestminster, where it long remained. Others suppose it to refer to an old fictitious story of a monstrous talI virago, calIed Long Megg of The Covent-garden ague. 'Yestminster, of whom there is a smaIl penny his­ tory, well known to school-boys of the lesser sort. TIle venereal disease. Many brothels, undel' In it there are many relations of her prowess. the denomination of bagnios, were formerly kept in that parish. Some, it is said, are still remaining. Whether there ever was such a woman or not, is immaterial; the story is sufficiently ancient to have occasioned the saying. Megg is there de­ A Drury-lane vestal. scribed as having breadth in proportion to her height. Fuller says, that the large grave-stone A jocular appeIlation for a lady of pleasure of shewn on the south side of the cloister in 'Yest­ the lower order; many of wh01ll reside in that minster-abbey, said to cover her body, was, as he neighbourhood.

~MIDDL-ESEX.

Strand on the Green, thirteen houses, The visible church; i. e. Harrow on fourteen cuckolds, and never a house the Hill. between. King Charles II. speaking on a topic tllen much agitated among dil'ines of different persuasioll3. It is added, as a postscript to this proverb, namely, which was the visible church, gave it in that a father and son lived in one house. favour of Harrow on the Hill; which, he said, he always saw, go where he il'ould. His face was like the red lion of Brentford. The nun of Sion, with the friar of 'Sheen. That is, exceeding red. Perhaps this saying was A saying, meant to express birds of ~: feather. first made usc of, when that sign was new painted, Although the river Thames runs' between tlJCse Or that the breed of red lions were not so nume­ two monasteries, there is a vulgar tradition that rous as at present. they had a subterraneous cODllllunication. . Middlesex 84 LOCAL PROVERn~

lVric1dlesex clowns. ~ate being in tlie direct road from the North to­ LOlldon. Fnll('r and Ray suppose the Middlesex )'eomen to hal'e been styled clowns, from their 1I0t paying the same deference to the liability and gentry, that He has been sworn at Higllgate. was shewn by the inhabitants of more remote counties, to whom the sight of them was less eom­ A sa)'ing used to express that a person preferred man. Perhaps it was likewise owing to the snd­ strong beer to snmll; an allnsion to an ancient cns­ den contrast between the behadonr of the inhabit­ tom formerly observed in this village, where the ants of the metropolis, and of some of the small landlord of the Horns, and other public houses, villages a few miles off; several of which, even used to swear all the lower order of passengersl ~t present, (for instance, Greenford, and the adja­ upon a pair of horns, stnek on a stick. The sub. cent parishes) arc more conntrified than the rns­ stance of their oath was, that they should not kiss tics of Cornwall or Northnmberland.. the maid, when they could kiss the mistress; liar drink small beer when they could get strong: with di\'('rs other like prohibitions; to all which I'lL make him water his horse at High­ was the saving clause or, unless )'ou like her, or it, gate. best. The jnror was for ever after, under penalty of a bottle of wine, or ale, to call the landlord, A north-conntry saying, meaning I'll sne him, Father; aud he, in return, was by him, under like ~nd make him take a journey up to tOWII,. High- penalty, a!ll',lys to be called SOli.

NORFOLK.

You cannot spell Yal'lllonth-steeple That IS, clapped' upon tlie bacl, By an ague; to right. which straugers, coming into the fenny part of this county, near the sea, arc extremely liable. This is a play 011 the word ,·ight. Yanllouth spire is awry or crooliCd, and canllot be set right Gimmingllam, Trimmingham, Knap­ or straight by spelling. Some who chuse to go further a-field for a meaning, consider the word ton, and Trunch, !Opel! as a verb, signifying to conjure with spells: North Repps and South Repps are all and make the meaning to be, you cannot, by any of a bunch. spell,. set Yarmouth spire straight or upright. The same saying is sometimes made usc of foi' Chester­ These·are names of parishes lyingclbse together. field-spire in Derbyshire, which labours under the allle defect. There ilever was a Paston poor, a Norfolk dumplings. Heyden acowanl,. or a Cornwallis a fool. A jeering nick-name for Norfolk men, alluding to their. favourite food, dumplings. Lucky families. A Yarmonth capon. In part of Norfolk, the farmers used A red herring; more herrings being taken amt formerly to plough the land with two· smoked, than capons bred here. rabbits and a case knife.

He is arrested hy the bailiff of Marsh- Spoken hyperbolically. Part of Norfolk is ex· land. . tremely light sandy laud, easily ploughed.

NORTHAl\IPTONSHIRE. NORTHUMBERLAND. 85

NORTHA~IPTONSHIRE•.

The mayor of Northampton opens speak thus of Newmarket, but I am sure it lIlay oysters with his dagg·er. better be applied to this town, the dearest in Eng­ land for fuel, where no coals can come by water, That is, in order to keep them as far off. as pos­ and little wood doth grow on land." This was for­ sible from his nose. Northampton' being an inland merly the case; but the river Nen, having many county, near the centre of the kingdom, at least years ago been made navigable, coal barges come eighty miles from the sea, the oysters formerly up to the town, so that fuel is now to be bought at brought thither were generally stale; but since the a very reasonable price. improvement of turnpike-roads, and the introduc­ tion of the present expeditious method of travelling, his worship, the mayor of Northampton, may open Brackley-breed, better to hang than oysters with as little offence to his nose, as hi. feed. brother of Dover, or the mayor of any other sea­ })ort. BrackIcy is a

NORTHUMBERLAND.

Helms theNewcastle burl' in his throat. self in the house of one Hector Armstrong, of Harlow, in this county, having confidence he would The people of Newcastle, Morpeih, amhheir cn­ be true to him; who, notwithstanding, for money, virons, have a peculiar guttural pronunciation, lil{e betrayed him to the regent of Scotland. It was that called in Leicestershire warling, none of them observable that Hector being hefore a rich man, being able to pronounce the letter R; few, if any, fell poor of a sndden, and was besides so gene­ of the natives of these places are ever able to get rally hated, that he durst never go abroad; inso­ rid. of this peculiarity. much that the proverb, to take ':Hector's cloak is continued to this day among them, in the sense abovementioned. From Berwick to Dover, three bun­ dred miles over. We will not lose a Scot. That is, from one end of the land to the other; That is, any thing, how inconsiderable socver, similar to the Scripture expression, " from Dan to that we cun save or recover, During the enmity Beersheba:' betweeu the two nations, they had little esteem ot:· and less afl'ection for, a Scotchman, on the English To take Hector's cloak. borders. That is, to deceive a friend who confides in his Canny Newcastle. fidelity. When Thomas Percy, Earl of Northum­ berland, anno 1569, was deteated in the rebellion Canny is the northern dialect, particularly t1iat' he had rais(ld against Queen Elizabeth, he hid him-, of Newcastle; means fine, lIeat; dean, lIand­ some, 86 LOCAL PROVERBS. some, &:c. This is commonly spoken jocularly to The cattle of people living hereabouts, when Newcastle-men, as a gird on them for their par­ turned out upou the common pasture grounds, wel'O tiality to their native town. accustomed to return home at night, unless inter­ cepted by free-booters, or borderers, a set of ban­ ditti who plundered both English and Scotch; A Scottish man and aNewcastle grind­ if, therefore, these borderers came, their cattle stone travel all the world over. came not; if they came not, their cattle surely A commendable spirit of enterprize and indus­ returned. try induces the natives of Scotland to seek their fortuues in all climates and kingdoms under the sun; and Newcastle griudstones, being the best of To carry coals to Newcastle. their kind, are therefore known and carried every To give to those w110 have already more than a where, far and near. suflicieney. In the environs of Newcastle, are 1I10st of the coal mines that supply London and If they come, they come not; and if the coal trade to other places. they come not, they come.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.

As wise as a man of Gotham. The little smith of N ottinglmm, Gotham lies in the south-west angle of Notting­ 'VllO doth the work that no man can. lIamshire, and is noted for nothing so much as the story of its wise men, who attempted to hedge in 'Vho this wonderful workman was, Ray says, is the cuckoo. At Court-hill, iu this parish, there not known; and that he rather suspects no such per­ is a bush that still bears the name of the cuckoo­ son ever existed; but that it was only a sarcasm 011 bush; and there is an ancient book, full of the persons, who, conceited of their own skill, were blunders of the men of Gotham. Whence a man of ready to undertake impossibilities. ofGothamis, in other words, a fool or simple fellow.

OXFORDSHIRE.

Banbury cheese. ]llOst other tinkers as well as those of Banbury: why they wcre particularised, I know not. Tinkers The cheese of this place was remarkable for its in generul were formerly considered as a sort of richness and fatness, as long back as the time of dangerous vagabonds, and were included in the Shakespeare, who makes one of his charucters, in vagrant act of Queen Elizabeth. the play of Henry IV. call Falstaff a Banbury cheese. The excellency of Banbury cheese is like­ You were born at H og's Norton. wise recorded by Camden, in his Britannia. 'Vhy this proverb is introduced among those of Like Banbury tinkers, that in mending Oxfordshire, I know not; Hogs, or Hogh-Norton, one hole make three. beinO' in Leicestershire. Fuller says, this is a ,'il­ hlO'e; whose inhabitants, it seems, formerly, were Ray gives this proverb in Northamptonshire, so'" rustical in their behaviour, that boorish and but there is no place called Banbury in that county. clownish people arc said to be born at Hog's-Nor­ ton. Hogh-Norton is, in English, nigh-Horton. With respect to the pructice, it will, perhaps, suit III OXFORDSHIRE. 07

In all likelihood, the saying arose from the cor­ judice to the then present age. and grand advantage ruption of the word Hogh, or High, to Hogs, which to all posterity. seemed to tally with the swinish hehaviour of its natives. Send verdingales to Broad.-gates, Ox­ ford. To take a Burford bait. " This," says Fnller, " will acquaint liS with the This, it seems, is a hait, not to stay the stomach.. female habits of former ages, used uot only by the but to lose the wit therehy, as resolved at last into gadding Diuahs of that age, but by most sober drunkenness. ' Sarahs of the same: so cogent is common customs. 'Vith these verdingales the gowns of women, be­ lIeath their wastes, were peuthoused ont, far beyond Banbury veal, cheese, and cakes. their hodies, so that posterity will wonder to what purpose those bucklers of pastehoard were em­ In the English edition of Camden's Britannia, ployed. by Philemon Holland, from an error of the press, Some deduce the name fro III the Belgic insteae! of yeal, it is zeal. It seems Banbury was l'erd­ gl/rd (derived, they say, frolll vil'g, a virgin, and famous for its yeaI and cakes" as well as its cheese. garde-I', to keep or preserve) as used to secure 1110· desty, and keep wantons at a distance. Others. Oxford knives, London wives. more truly, fetch it frolll I'el'll! and galle, because the scab and bane thereof; the first invenlress According to some, this saying conveyed are. thereof being known for a light housewife, who. flection on both, insinuating that their appearance under the pretence of modesty, sought to cover exceeded their real "'orth; that the Oxford knives ller shallle, and the fruits of her wantonness. were better to look at than to cut with, and that These, by degrees,. grew so great, that their wearers t.he London wives had more beauty and O'ood breed- could not enter (except going sidelong) at any ing than housewifely qualities. " ordinary door, which gave occasion to this pro\'erb. Bnt these verdingales ha\'e been disused these forty years, whether becanse womcn \I'ere convinced in Testons are gone to Oxford, to study their consciences of the \'anity of this, or allured in at Brazen-nose. their fancies with the novelty of other fashions, I will not deterJlline:' This proverb, Fuller says, originated about the end of the reign of King Henry VIII. and ended about the middle of that of Queen Elizabeth, so CllroJlica si pcnscs, Cllin pugncnt O.-CO­ that it continued current not fnll fifty years, The nicnscs, fllct alluded to was this: King Henry VIII. to­ Post aliquot mcnscs, ""Ohlt ira pCI' AIl- "ards th~ !atter end of his reign, notwithstanding gligillcllscs. the prodigIOUS sums that had accrued to him from the dissolved abbies, heiuO' in great want of money :i\'Iark the chronicles aright, debased the silycr coin c~dlfle! testers, or teston's' from their IHII'ing a head stamped on each side oi­ "'hell Oxford scholars fall to fig-ht, them. These he so alloyed with copper, that to Before many months aI" expireu, usc a conceit of that time, they seemed to blush for ElIgland will with war be fired. shame, as conscious of their own corruption; the common people, who did not distinguish betwecn This seellls rather a kiml of prediction than a copper and brass, made usc of the latter in form- proverb.; amI Fullcr points out sonIc former in­ ing this punning adage. ' stance;, in the En'dish 'IlInals, whercin it has been This debasement of the coin, hoth King' Ed­ veritied; but rem~rks that it holds not ne~ath'c1y, ward VI. and the Queens Mary and Eliz~lhcth, for that all was pcace in Oxford previous to the set ahout reforming, and it was at length eHected breaking out of the civil COJIIlllotiollS under King by the latter, as Fuller says, with no great pre- Charles J,

n L'TLA~DSIlInE; LOCAL P nOVEnnS.

RUTLANDSHIRE.

Rutlanushire Rautlleman. he led to supposc, thc shrcws of En"land wcre :I body corporate, aud Strctton thcir c~ml1lon mcct­ This, pcrchancc, is rcddlcman, a tradc, and that ing-placc. a poor onc, pcculiar to this county; whcncc n1('n bring on thcir backs a parcel of rcd stoncs or okcr, }\'hich thcy scll to thc ncighbouring countics, for An Upping'ham trencher. tJlC marking of shccp. This town was probably famons for thc art of -Stretton in the street, where shrews trcnchcr-making. Hcrc, by a statutc of HcnryVIII. meet. thc standard "'as appointcd to hc kcpt lor thc wcights and mcasurcs of this county, which might As thcy do in el'cry othcr town and 'Villagc. inducc turncrs, and othcr makcrs of mcasurcs, to From thc nlanncr it is hcrc expressed, one might scttlc herc.

SHROPSHIRE.

He that fetches a wife from Shrews­ mcaner originations of this proverb, I Iml'e ncitJler oury, must carry her to Staff-ord­ list nor leisure to attcnd unto them." Thus filr, Fnllcr, who scems to havc misscd the true origin shire, or else he will live in Cumber­ of this saying, which is briefly this :-A tcnant of land. Plowden's wcnt to him, and with a sorrowful coun­ tcnance, and many aukward bows and cri'jgcs, thus .. Thc staplc wit of this vulgar prol'crh," says opcncd his busincss.-' Sir, an't please your wor­ Ray, "consists solcly in thc similitudc ofsounds:' ship, my bull has gored and killcd one of your worship's oxen, I bcg to Imow what I must do in The case is altet'ed, quoth Plowden. this case 1 'Why, surely, pay thc valuc of the ox,' answercd Plowdcn; , that is both law and equity.' " This provcrb rcfcrreth its original to Edward < Very well, Sir,' auswcrcd the farmer; 'but I have Plowdcu, an cmincnt nativc and great lawycr of made a little mistake in the mattcr; it was your this county, though vcry varions thc rclations of worShip's bull that killcd my ox.' 'Oh, is it 50! thc occasion thcrcof. Some relate it to Plowden thcn the case is

SOl\iERSETSHIRE.

'eh was bore at Taunton-dean, where stranger" when first "isiting their city. The trill." name of this wine is Sherris. which it derh'es from should I be bore ehie? Xeres, a town in the province of Andalusia, where That is, a parcel of ground round aboutTaunton, it is made. ,'cry pleasant and populous (containing many pa­ rishes) and so fruitful, to use their own phrase, with A Somel'ton ending. the zun and zoil alone, that it needs no manuring at all, The peasantry therein arc as rude as rich; Splitting the difrerence. and so highly conceited of their own country, that they conceive it a disparagement to be bol'll in any 'Vellington round-heads. other place. A saying fonnerl)' in usc at Taunton, to signify The beggars of Bath. a violent fanatic; probably from Judge Popham', house, ill this town, being a garrison for the Par­ Thr !!reat resort of the affluent to these me­ liamentarians, which was held out for some time clicill''\ lIaters, naturally attracted also a number of against Sir ltichard Greenyil. h"::::,,,, , so lIlany it seelllS, as caused them to be­ ""Ille proverbial. All Ilchester is gaol. Bristol milk. This is supposed to be a saying of the prisoner~ confined in that gaol; and to mean, that the people That is sherry, a Spanish white wiue. Ray calls of that town haye all hearts as hard as that of a it sherry-sack, and says it is the entertainment of gaoler. course which the courteous Bristolians present to

STAFFORDSHIRE.

'Votton under 'Vever, . This is Sedgcley curse, AIr. HOII'e!. Srdgcley 'Vhere God comes lwver. IS ncar Dudley, and is finnons for a mannfiH,tory of bolts, hinges, plough, cart, and tire-irons, &c. Wotton under 'Vever is a black dismal place, ncar the ;\Iorelands in Stafrordshire, covered by hills In April, Dove's flood is worth a king's from the chearing rays of the sun. good. The devil run through thee hooted and Dove is a river, passing this county, whil'h, when it O\'erl1oll's its bunks in April, is the Nilus of spurred, with a scythe at his back. Stullordshire, like it much enriching the meadows.

SUFFOLK. 90 LOCAL P ROVEItBS.

SUFFOLK.

Suffolk milk. Hunger will hreak through stone walls or any thing except a Suffolk cheese: The milk and h\ltter ofthis county are deservedly famous. Snffolk chees~ is, fro.m its poverty, thesuhject of mnch low WIt. It IS by some represented as Suffolk fail' maids, only fit for making wheels for wheelbarrows: and a story is told, that a parcel of Suffolk chcese beinO' At present the maids of Suffolk do not seem to packcd up in an iron c1~est, and put on board a ship hayc any distinguishable pre-eminence oyer those bound to the East Imhcs, the rats, allnred by the of other counties. sccnt, eat through the chest, but conld not pene­ trate the cheese. The Suffolk whine. Ipswich, a town without inhabitants, The inhabitants of this county have a kind of whining tone in thcir speech, much rescmbling that a river without water, streets without of a pcrson in grcat mental distress. names, where asses weat' boots.

You are in the highway to Needham. This description of Ipswich was given to King Charlcs II. by the Duke of Buckingham. The That is, you are in the high road to poverty; mC<1ning of it was, thc town, haying no manufac­ a saying used to unthrifty persons, wasting their tory, was thinly inhabited; the streets at that time property by cxtrayagance. Needham is a market were not named; at low watcr the bed of the river town in this county. This proverb, in all likeli­ is Icft dry; and the bowling-grccn of Christ-church 1100d, owes its origin to the similarity of sonnd, priory, then the scat of Lord Hereford, was rolled between part of the name of this to\\'n, and need, by asses, in a sort of boots, to prevent their fect necessity. sinking into thc turf.

Beccles for a puritan, Bungay for the Between Cowhithe and merry Cossing­ poor, land, Halesworth for a drunkard, and Bil­ The de,'il fihit Benacre, look where it borough for a whore. stands.

These, probably, allude to circumstances now " It seems this place (says Mr. Ray) is infamous changed and forgotten, for its bad situation."

SURREY.

The vale of Holms Dale by William the Conqueror, who marched his army ""Vas never won, ne never shall. through it in his way to London,

Holms Dalc lies partly in Surrey and partly in Go to Battersea, to be cut for the Kent. Seycral battlcs wcre formerly fouo-ht herc simples. between the Saxons and invading Danes, i~ \yhich the former proved victorious, which, probably o-aye In Battersea there are many market gardeners, rise to the proyerb; but it was undoubtedly ~von who grow medicinal herbs, termed simples, for the me SUIt n. E Y. Vi

lISe of the apothecaries, who used to contract for a place of amusement, particularly by ladies of them, and, at a particular time of the year, make easy virtue. Ewel is a poor vilbge, about a mile a country jaunt to sec them cut, \\:hicl! they called from Epsom; and is said to have harboured a going to Battersea to have. theIr slmple~ cut; number of the inferior sharpers, and other idle re­ wheuce foolish people were Jocularly advised to tainers to the \vells, lodgings being there cheaper go thither for the same purpose, and aftenmrds than at Epsom. (the origin being in some measure forgotten) to be (;ut for the simples. Godalmin rabbits.

A Lambeth doctor. This is a term of reproach to the inlmhitants of this place, unjustly reflecting on them for the well­ The Archbishop of Canterbury has, it is said, known deception practised by a \\Irs. Tofts, who the power of conferring the degree of doctor of prctended to be delivered of live rabbits. divinity: this, it has been reported, was sometimes done as a matter of favour, and without examina­ tion. The term of a L1mbeth doctor is therefore Godalmin cats. a distinction from one who has regularly taken his degrees at one of the universities. Another joke on the good people of Godalmin. the origin of which they seem not to know; but anyone who'ventures to mew like a cat, before he A Kent-street distress. is fairly out of the town, will run a greater rhl, of a broken head, from the stocking-\l'eavers and other The houses in Kent-street arc chiefly let to poor inhabitants of that place, than is consistent with tenants, who pay their rent weekly; on non-pay­ prudence. ment, the rent-gatherers take away the doors of the defaulters. This sa)'ing is used to describe tenants who have nothing to seize, on whom the landlord Guildford bulls. (;an only make a Keut-street distress. A retort from the people of Godalmin on the Guildfordians, in answer to the two preceding Borough blac~s. taunts. The origin of this appellation I have not ever been able to get satisfactorily explained. A term of reproach used to the inhabitants of the Borough of Southwark; perhaps like many other of these kind of sayings, on account of the "\Vandsworth, the sink of Surrey. alliteration. This reproach is in a great measure remond. Formerly the town, which lies luw, was one con­ A clinker. tinued puddle. An inhabitaut of the Mint or Clink, formerly a place privileged from arrests, the receptacle of Putney. knaves and sharpers of all sorts. According to the vulgar tradition, the churche! of Putney and Fullmm' \I'ere bnilt by two sisters, Sutton for mutton, Cashalton for beeves, who had but one hammer betweeu them, which Epsom for whores, and Ewel for thieves. they interchanged by throwing it across the ri\'er, on a word agreed between them; those on t111~ The downs ncar Sutton, Banstead, and Epsom, Surrey side made use of the worcl, put it nigh! produce delicate small sheep, and the rich memlows those on the opposite shore, heaz'e it full home! about Cashalton arc remarkable for fattening oxen. whence the churches, and from them the villages, Epsom was once famolIs for its mineral waters, were called l'ntnigh and Fullhome, siuce corrupted and the ,,,ells were formerly greatly resorted to, as to Putne~' aud Fulham.

SUSSEX. -'-,\;) L 0 CAL r It 0 V E It n ~.

SUSSEX.

lIc is nonc of thc hastings. an Arundel lnullcf:, a l~nlhorongh Sail] of a 111111 slllg~ish messenger; all llllnsion eel, an A III bcrlcy tront, a Jlyc hcr­ 10 the pea called hastings, hecanse tlw earliest of ring, a Boul'llc wheat-car. ifs Idnd. It is ollly placed here frolll the silllilarity of nallle to one of the Cifll/l1C Ports in this eonnty. These arc all the hest of their kinu, at least of lilly that arc takcn in this county. A Chichcstcr lobstcr, a Selsey cockle,

)VARWICKSIIIRE.

lIe is the black bear of Arocn. loe gal'e their cresl, the heal' and ragged st:,!ff: anl! wlll'n hc was governor of tile Low Conntries, with (lilY Beallchamp, Earl of Wanl'iek, was so the high l.ille of his Ex(~cllency, disusing his own called, hoth 1'1"011I his crest, which was a hlack coat of the green lion, with two tails, he signed hear, aflll from having hinlself a hlack a1111 grilll all instrnmcnts with the crest of Ihe hear and rag­ COllntenance, as well as on aceollnt of his heing a ~ell stall: JIe was then sllspcctcd hy mally of his man of IIndalllltc([ eOllrage. Arden was a forest ,Jcalolls adl'crsarics, 10 hatch :m amhitiolls design andently ()('cllpying all the woodland part of thi.s to mallC hi'nself ahsolllte commal1ller (as the lion cOllnty. This saying was IIse(1 to express, that the is Idng of heasts,) ovcr the Low COllntries; where­ person spo)u,.. 01; :nll[ so denolllillated, was really IIpon SOIllC focs to his faction, and fricllds to Dlltch :\11 ohjeet of terror. freedolll, wrote IInder his crcst, set lip in puhlic placcs,

As bold as Bcauchamp. " Ursa cal'el cIIIII{a, 110/1 qllcal ('SSC {co.

Flllltor thinb, that '!'llOmas I1eallelmmp, Earl of II The heal' hc ne\'('r can prcvail Warwicl" who lil'(~I[ in the reign of King Ed­ " To lion it, for lack of tail. ward III. is the person hen' meant, on accollnt of his adion at Hogges in Normalllly, in lim year .. Nor is 1I1'MI, in the fcminine, mcrely placcd to 1:J;l(i, when Iw was the first who landed, supported lIIa1lC the versc: hnt hecallsc natlll'alists observe in only hY:1II es()nire and six archers; with lhes(', hcars that the lemalc is always strongest. lIIonnted only on a palfrey, he enconntercd an hnn­ " This proverh is applicd to snch, who, 1I0t dred Normans, of whom he slew sixty, routcd contcnt with tlocir condition, aspirc to what is the rest, a1111 gave means to the whole {]e'ct to land abovc their worth to dcserl'c, or powcr to atchiel'c:' the army in safety. IIe is true Co\'cntry bluc.

The hear waufs a tail, and cannot bc Co\'(mtry was formerly fillnOIlS for dying :1 hlne, a lion. that wonld ncitlwr dmngc its colollr, 1101' cOllld it he disclmrgcd hy washing. Thercforc thc epilhets Fnller lll11s (~xplains this pl"O\'('rh :_" Hohert of COl'entry hlnc, and trnc hIlle, werc ligmalil'e1y Dndley, Earl of Leieestl'1", deril'ed Ilis Iwdigl't'e lIScd to signi(v pcrsons who wOllld not (~hangc from the aucicnt Earls of Warwick, on which titlc their party or principlcs on any cOllsideration.

WESTMOItl'.LAND. W 0 R CESTERS II IRE. 93

WESTMORELAND.

Let Uter Pendragon do what he can, design to fortify the castle of Pcndragoll, in this The river Eden will run as it ran. county; in order whercto, with much art and in­ dustry, he in vaiu lIttempted to mllke thc river Tradition reports, that UteI' P~ndragon had a Eden surround it.

'VILTSHIRE.

It is done, secundum usum Sarum. so regular a way, by authentie precedents, and pat­ terns of nnquestionable authority, that no just ex­ " This proverb," says Fuller, " coming out of ceptions. can be taken thereat." the church, hath since enlarged itself into civil use. It beguu on this occasion; many offices, or forms 'Wiltshire moon-rakers. of service, were used in several churches in Eng­ land, as the office of York, Hereford, Bangor, &c. Some Wiltshire rustics, as the story goes, seeing which caused a deal of confusion in God's worship, the figure of the l1Ioon in a pond, attcmpted to rake until Osmond, Bishop of Sarum, about the year it out . - of our Lord 1090, made that ordinal or office, which was generally received all over England; so that churches, hencefom'ard, easily understood one Salisbury plain, another, all speaking the salUe words in their Li­ Is seldom without a thief or twain. tnrgy. It is now applied to those persons who do, and It might be the case formerly; at present very actions which arc formally and solenlllly done, in few robberies happen there.

,YORCESTERSHIRE.

It shall be done when the king' cometh That is, sip up a great river, and swallow a to Wog·an. range of hills; a saying used to persons proposing an impossibility. That is, never. 'Vogan is a small village, said to he in this county, quite out ofany thoroughfare, and Go dig at Mavel'l1 hill. therefore \'ery unlikely to he ever visited by the king. Spoken of one whose wife wears the breeches; You may as SOOI1 sip up the Severn, but why is not apparent. and swallow Mavern.

YORKSHIRE. LO CAL PROVERBS.

YORKSHIRE.

From Hell, Hull, and Halifax-­ it not be mll'ne, tlmt is faithful Wakefield 1 and deliver us. ;llIude to some event in the disputes between the houses of York aml Lancaster; min'ie-mell, a term This was part of the vagrant's litany. At Hull, that frcljuently occurs in old ballads, signifyin

It should be a wee-bit: wee in the Yorkshire aud It is spoken of a covetous and insatiable person, northern dialects signifies little. This means an whom nothing will content. Brayton, Hambleton, overplus not accounted in a reckoning, but which and Burton, arc places between Cawoo~ and Pon­ sometimes proves as much as all the rest. Ask a tefract, in this county. Brayton-~argh IS a small countryman in Yorkshire, the distance to a parti­ hill, in a plain country, covered WIth wood. Bargh, cular place, his answer will generally he, 50 many in the northern dialect, is properly a horsewa.y ~p miles, and a wee hit; which wee, or little bit, is a steep hill, though here it is t~ken for the IJlll It­ oftentimes longer than the miles reckoned. self. Team signifies full or satIsfied. Merry Wakefield. 'Vhen Rosberry Toppinge wears a What peculiar cause of mirth this town hath cappe, above others, Fuller acknowledges he cannot tell, Let Cleveland then beware of clap. unless that it may be entitled to that epithet from its cheapness, and the plent)' of good cheer. Might Rosberry Toppinge is a bigh bill, visible a long way YORKSHIRE. 95 way off, all about the neighbourhood of Gisbo­ 'ViII buy all Eng'land through and rongl), which rarely has a cloudy mist hanging through. about it but rain ensues. " Winkabank is a wood, upon a hilI, near Shef­ When Dighton is puIrd down, field, where there are some remains of an old camp. Temple-brough stands between the Rother and the Hull shall become a greater town. Don, about a quarter of a mile froIII the place where these two rivers meet. It is a square plat This is rather a prophecy than a proverb. Digh­ of ground, encompassed by two trenches. Selden ton is a small town not a mile distant from Hull, often enquired for the ruins of a temple of the and was, in the time of the civil wars, for the god Thor, which, he said, was near Rotherham. most part pulled down. Let Hull make the best This probably, might be it, if we allow the name they can of it. for ;ny al'eTument; besides, there is a pool not far from it, c"'alled Jordon-dam, which name seems Cleveland in the Clay, to be compounded of J or, one of the names of the Bring in two sales and carry one awaYr god Thor, and Don, the name of the river."-Ray. Cleveland is that part of Yorkshire which bor­ Shake a bridle over a Yorkshireman's ders upon the Bishoprick of Durham, where the grave,' and he will arise and steal a ways, in winter-time, are very deep and miry; but nothing to what those of Kent and Sussex were horse. formerly, for ifone had brought forty soles thither, An allusion to the fondness for horses, shewn by he would not have carried half a one away. ·almost every native of this county.

When Sheffield-park is plough'd and Measter's Yorkshire too. sown. Then little .England hold thine own. A Yorkshire hostler, who had Jived a considera­ ble time at an inn in London, being asked by a Ray says, "it hath been ploughed and sown these guest how it happened, that he, who was so clever six or seven years." a fellow, and a Yorkshireman into the bargain, re­ mained so loneT without becoming master of that Yau have eaten some Hull cheese. house 1 he lac~l1ically answered, llIcas{er's York­ s/dre loo! A saying used by persons, on dis­ That is, are drunk. null is famous for strong covering the design of anyone to impose on them, ale. implying they are a match for them.

When all the world shall be aloft, A Yorkshire tike. Then Hallam-shire shall be God's croft, A like here, means a clown. Tike, generally, Winkabank and Temple-brough, means a great dog.

"VALES. VG LOCAL PROVERBS.

The Proverbs relative to this Country, are two-fold; such as tlte Englisll pass Oil tllC TVelch, and slIch as tlle TYelell pass on the English; tlte former arc here Oldy treated, tlte laller being cltirf/y in TYelch.

,yALES IN GENERAL.

Her Welch blood is up. A Welch bait.

The 'Veldt are extremcly prone to anger, and A short stop, but no food. Such baits are fre­ soon appcascd; bcing, as Fuller observes, like the quently gi\'en by the natives of this principality to face of their country, full of ups and downs, ele­ their kefiels, or horses, particularly after climbing vations and dcpressions. a hill.

As long as a Welch p~digree. A Welch cousin.

The Welch are extremely particular in keeping A relation far removed; the Welch making thcm­ lip the history of their gcnealogy; every Welchman selvcs cousins to 1Il0st of the people ot rank born heing, more or less, an herald. It is a sorry Welch in that country. pedigree that does not, at least, reach to Noah.

ANGLESEY.

Aug'lesey is the mother onVales. the Welch, attempted a passage over Offas-dike, at Croggcn-eastle in Denbighshire, in which his So said from its producing cattle and corn suffi­ soldiers were defeated and lIlany slain, with some cient to feed all Wales. circumstances of cruelty on the part of the Welch, whence they were reproachfully termed Croggens; which word was also repeated in skir­ Croggen, croggen. mishes where the English had the advantage, in order to excite them to revenge, by the memory of King Henry 11. in one of his expeditions against that transaction.

CARDIGANSI-lIRE.

Talacth! talacth! Wales hetwixt his three sons, into three regions (North Wales, South Wales, and I'owis) he ordered " In effect, the same in English with fine! fine! that each of them should wear upon his bonnet or when mothers and nnrses are disposed to please helmet, a coronet of gold, being a broad lace .or their little ones in dressing thcm. Take the origi­ headband, indented upwards, set and wrought \\'Ith nal thereof .-When Roderick the Great di"ided precious stones, coilled in British, talae/It, ancl thcy F LIN TSII IR E. 97 they, from thence, the f1If(~e-crowned princes; but The historical truth of this is plainly shewn in 11011', either the Dumber of princes is well multi­ the British Chronicles; where it is seen, that when plied in Wales, or, whieh is truer, the honour of the Welch recovered their lost castles, they kept talaeth is much diminished; that being so called them more tenaciously than before. wherewith a child's head is bound uppermost on some other linen clothes. Thus we, English, have that which they call the crown of a cap."-Fuller. He that will be a head let him be a bridge. Arthur was not, but whilst he was; Benegridan, a Briton, is said to have carried an army over to Ireland, where his lJIen coming to a Spoken of a great family reduced to indigence. river, which had neither bridge nor ferry, he car­ ried them all over on his back. This proverb King Arthur did not violate the refuge means, that no one shonld take on himself to ofa woman. command, who cannot protect and assist his fol­ lowers. That is, left her the freedom of her tongue; It was an ancient custom among the 'Velch, that i. e. would not beat her for speaking. the victor, in a kind of play, put the vanquished man into a sack, whence we had the English by­ word, to express such between whom there is ap­ The Welchman keeps nothing till he parent odds of strength, " he is able to put him has lost it. up in a bag."

CAERNARVONSHIRE.

Snowden will yield sufficient pasture To escape Cluyd, and be drowned in for all the cattle in Wales put to­ Conway. gether. Similar to that, in avoiding Scylla, to run on Hyperbolically speaking; though Snowden is, in Charybdis. The rivers of Cluyd and Conway are­ reality, extremely fruitful. 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 co~jecture the ori­ ginal hereof, seeing Cheshire-men have been so Modern use applieth this prm'erb to such who famous for archery. ,~eize on other folks goods, not with intent to

o lIIERIONETHSHIRE 98 LOCAL PROVERBS.

In Dogelthy, a market town in this WI/iell arc tllllS e,1:plaincd: shire, there are the following par­ ticllla~:;; ]. Its walls are the mountains which sur­ : round it. 1. The walls axe thl:~e nliles hig]). 2. The entry is over a handsol}le ~ridge. 3. In leaving the town one must pass under a 2. Men come int9 it o,\'er the ,,:ater. stream of water, fitlling from a rock, and cOll\'c~'ed 3. They g'O ont of it under the water. in a trongh to drive an overshot mill. 4. The Rteeple doth grow therein. 4. The bells, (if plural) hang in a yew-tree. 5. 'J,'lWl'~ axe m.ore ale-ho.u,s.es than S. The houses are di"ided into different tene­ 110I,l:;;es. ments, and liquor sold in chimneyless barns.

MONTGOMERYSHIRE.

The three sisters. bcfore she set out, and to recover her lost tillle runs furiously in a distracted manner. The three rivers of W)'e, Severn, and Rhiddall, were to rnn a nice, to decide which sJlould be first Powis is the Paradise of Wales. married to the ocean. Severn ami W~'e having a great journey to go, chose their way through soft meadows, and kept on at a traveller's pace; whilst Fix thy pale in Severn, Severn will be Rhiddall, presuming on her short journ~y) sla~'ed as before.

END OF THE PROVERBS. POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS..

IT will scarcely be conceiveu how great kind are not easily got the better of;: a number of superstitious notions and and the ideas themselves rarely, if ever, practices are still remaining and preva­ forgotten, lent in different parts of these king­ In former times these notions were doms, many of which are still used so prevalent,. that it was deemed little and alluded to even in and about the less than atheism to doubt them;; and metropolis; and every person, however in many instances the terrors caused by carefully educated, will, upon exami­ them embittered the lives of a gteat nation, find that he has some how Ol' n UIll bel' of persons uf all ages; by de­ other imbibed and stored up in his me­ grees almost shutting them out of theil' morya much greater numbel' of these own houses, and deterring- them from r.ules and maxims than he could at going- from one villag-e to another after first have imagined; sun-seL The room in which the head To account for this, we need only of a family had died, was fOl' a long turn our recollection . towards what time untenanted; particularly if they passed in Olll' childhood, and reflect on died without a will, or were suppose(L the avidity and pleasure with which we to have entertained any particular reli­ listened to stories of ghosts, witches, g;ions opinions. Bnt if any disconso­ and fairies, told us by our maids and late old maiden" 01' love-cro,ssed bache­ nurses, And even among those whose lor, happened to dispatch themselves parents hau the good sense to prohibit in their garters, the room where the such relations, there is scarce one in a deed was perpetrated was rendered for thousand but may remember to have ever after uninhabitable, and not unfre­ heard, from some maiden aunt or anti­ quently was nailed up. If a drunken quated cousin, the varions omens that farmer, returning from market, fell lIave announced the approaching: deaths from Old Dobbin and broke his neck--­ of different branches of the family: a or a cartel', under the same predica­ copious catalog-ue of things lucky and ment,tumLled from his cart or waggon, unlucky; a variety of charms to cure and was killed by it---that spot was warts, the cramp, and tooth-ache; pre­ evel' after haunted and impassable: iiI ventatives ag-ainst the night-mare; with short, there was, scarcely a bye-lane or observations relative to sympathy, de­ cross-way but had its g-host, who ap­ noted by shiverings, burning of the peared in the shape of a headles:> cow cheeks, and itchings of the eyes and or horse; 01', clothed all in white, elbows,. The effects of ideas of this glared with its saucer eyes over'a gate 02. or 100 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. or stile. Ghosts ofsuperior rank, when this purpose suborned some artful and they appeared ahroad, rode in coaches idle youths and wenches to act the part drawn by six headless horses, and of persons bewitched, and to suffer driven by a headless coachman and themselves to be dispossessed by their postilions. Almost every ancient ma­ prayers, and sprinklings with holy llOr-house was haunted by some one at water. In order to perform these parts, least ofits former masters or mistresses, they were to counterfeit violent fits and where, besides divers other liaise!;, convulsions, on signs given them; and that of telling' money was distinctly in compliance with the popular notions. heard: and as for the churchyards, the to vomit up cr90ked lIails, pins, needles, number of ghosts that walked there, coals, and other rnbbish, privately con­ according' to the village computation, veyed to them. Jt was, besides, neces­ almost equalled the livillg parishioners: sary to accuse some person of having' to pass them at night, was an achieve­ bewitched them; a pOOl' superannuated ment not to be attempted by anyone man, or peevish old woman, was there­ in the parish, the sextons excepted; fore pitched on, whose detection, in­ who perhaps being particularly privi­ dictment, and execution, were to ter­ leg'ed, to make use of the common ex­ minate the villainy, Luckily these com­ pl'ession, never saw any thing' worse binations were at length discovered and than themselves. exposed; but it must make the blood Terrible and inconvenient as these of every humane person thrill with matters mig'ht be, they were harmless, horror, to heal' that in New England compared with the horrid consequences there were at one time upwards of three attending the belief of witchcl'aft, hundred persons all imprisoned for which, to the eternal disgrace of this witchcraft. Confuted and ridiculed as country, even maue its way into our these opinions have lately been, the courts of judicature, and pervad,ed and seeds of them still remain in the mind, poisoned the minds of the judges; and and at different times have attempted it is with a mixture of shame, remorse, to spring' forth; witness the Cock-lane and indignation, that we read of hun­ Ghost, and the disturbance at ~tock­ dreds of poor innocent persons who well. Indeed, it is within these very fell victims to this ridiculous opinion, few years that witchcraft has been and who were regularly murdered un­ erased frolH among the crimes cogniza­ der the sanction of, and with all the ble by a jury. forms of, the law. Sometimes, by the In ordel" to g'ive a methodical view combination of wicked anrl artful per­ of the different kinds of Superstition 80n1'1, these notions were made staUdng now and formerly current in this conn­ llOrses to interest and revenge. try, 1 shall aITange my subject under The combinations here alluded to, the following heads: --Ghosts---Witches were practised by some popish priei'ts ---Sorcerers, and 'Witchcraft---Fairies--­ during the reign of King James I. who Second Sight---Omens, Corpse Can­ was himself a believer in witchc·raft. dIes, &c.---Charms and Ceremonies for These priests, in order to advance the obtaining- a knowledg'e of Futnre interest of their religion, or rather their Events---Superstitious Cures and Pre­ own emolument, pretended to have the ventatives --Sympathy---Things lucky power ofcasting out devils from demo­ and nnlucky---and Miscellaneons Su­ niacs and persons bewitched; and for perstitions. A GHOST. POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. 101

A GHOST.

A GHOST is supposed to be the spirit Glanvil tells us of the GIlDst of a of a person deceased; who is either person who had lived but a disorderly commissioned to I~eturn for some espe­ kind of life, for which it was con­ cial errand, such as the discovery of a demned to wander up and down the mUl'der, to procure ref;titution of lands earth, in the company of evil spirits, or money unjustly withheld from an till the day of j uugment. orphan or widow---or having committed In most of the relations of Ghosts, some inj ustice whilst living, cannot rest they are supposed to be mere aerial be­ till that is redressed.' Sometimes the ing's, without substance, and that they occasion of spirits revisiting' this world, can p~ss through walls and other solid is to -inform their heir in what secret bodies at pleasure, A particular in­ place, or private drawerin all old trunk, stance of this is given, in Relation the they had hidden the title-deeds of the 27th, in Glanvil's Collection, where one estate; or where, in troublesome times, David Hunter, neat-herd to the Bishop they huried their money or plate. Some of Down and Connor, was for a loug Ghosts of murdered persons, whose time haunted by the apparition of an bodies have been secretly bUl'ied, can­ old woman, whom he wa:,; by a secret not be at ease till their bones have been impulse obliged to follow whenever she taken up, and deposited in consecrated appeared; which, he says, he did for a ground, with all the rites of Chrbtian considerable time, even if in bed with burial. This idea is the remains of a his wife: and because his wife could very old piece ofHeathen Superstition: not hold him in his bed, she would go The Ancients believed that Charon was too, and walk after him till day, thoug'h 110t permitted to ferry over the Ghosts she saw nothing'; but his little dog of unburied persons, but that they was so well acquainted with the appa­ wandered up and down the banks of rition, that he would follow it as well as the river Styx for an hundred years, his mastel', Ifa tree stood in her walk, after which they were admitted to a he observed her al ways to go through , passage. This is mentioned by Virgil: it.--Notwithstanding this seeming im­ materiality, this ,'ery Ghost was not lIrcc omnis quam ceruis, inops illhumataque turba est: without some substance; for, having Portitor ilIe, Charon; hi quos ,"chit unda, sepulti. performed her errand, she desired Hun­ Ncc ripas datur horrcndas, nec ranca flucnta, ter to lift her from the ground; in the Transportarc prius quam sedibus ossa quierunt. doing of which, he says, she felt just Ccntun~ errant annos, volitantque hrcc littora cIrcum: like a bag of featherR, "Te sometimes TUIll, demum admissi, stagna exoptata revisunt. also read of Ghosts striking violent blows; and that, if not made way for, Sometimes Ghosts appear in conse­ they overturn all impediments, like a quence of an agreement made, whilst furious whirlwind. GIanvil mentions living, with some particular friend, that an instance ofthis, in Relation 17th, of he ,~'ho first died should appear to -the a Dutch lieutenant, who had the faculty surVIvor. of seeing Ghosts; and who, being pre- vented 102 POPUL\It SUPERSTITIONS.

Tented making' way for one w'hich he This, however, may be considered as a mentioned to some friends as coming' poetical licence, used in all likelihoou towards them, was, with his compa­ for the sake of the opposition of li(1J to­ nions, violently thrown down, and sore­ sable. ly bl'llised. 'Ve further learn, by He­ If, during the time of an apparition, lation 16th, that the hand of:l Ghost is there is a lighted candle in the room, it , as cold as a clod.' will burn extremely blue: this is so uni­ The usual time at which Ghosts versally acknowledged, that many emi­ make their appeamnce is midnight, and nent philosophers have busied them­ seldom before it is dark; though some selves in accounting' for it, without once audacious spirits have been said to ap­ doubting the truth of the fact. Dogs pear even by day-light: but of this too have the faculty ofseeing spirits, as there are few instances, and those instanced in David Hunter's relation,. mostly Ghosts who have been laid, above quoted; but in that case they perhaps in the ned Sea(ofwhich more usually shew signs of terror, by whining hereafter), and whose times of confine­ and creeping: to their master for pl'Otec­ ment were expired: these, like felons tion: and it is generally supposed that canlined to the lighters, are said to re­ they often see things of this nature turn more troublesome and daring than when theil' owner calinot ; there being. before. No Ghmits can appear on some persons, particularly those born CIll'istmas-eve; this Shakespeare has on a Christmas-eve, who cannot see put into the mouth of one of his c1la­ spirits, racters in Hamlet. The coming of a spirit is announced Ghosts commonly appear in the same some time before its appearance, by a dress they usually wore whilst living, variet\' of loud and dreadful noises;, though they are sometimes clothed all sometimes rattling' in the old hall like in white; but that is chiefly the chlll'ch­ a coach and six, and rumbling- up anu 'yard Ghosts, who have 110 particular down the stair-case like the trundling business, but seem to appear pro bono of bowls or cannon balls. At length jJllUico, or to scarc drunken rustics the door flies open, and the spectre from tumbling' OYer theil' gmves. stalks slowly up to the bed's foot, and 1 cannot learn that Ghosts carry opening the curtains,_ looks stedfastly tapers in their hands, as they are some­ at the person in beel by whom it is seen ;, times depicted, thoug:h thc room in a Ghost being very rarely visible to which they appear, if withont lire 01' more than one person, although there candle, is freqnently said to be as light are several in company.. It is here ne­ as day,. Dragging chains, is not the cessary to obsen-e, that it has been fashion of English Ghosts; chains and universally found. byexperience, as welL black vestments being chiefly the ac­ as affirmed by di\'€rs apparitions them-­ coutrements of foreign spectres,_ seen selves, that a Ghost has not the power in arbitrary governments: dead Ol:alive, to speak till it has been first spoken English spirits are free. One instance, to; so that, notwithstanding- the urg-en­ howevel', of an EngIish Ghost dressed cy of the business on which it may in black, is found in the celebrated come, every thing must stand still tilL ballad of \Villiam and Margaret, in the the person visited can find sufficient following' lines: courage to speak to it; an event that And c1a)--cold Was her lily haud, sometimes does not take place for many That held her sable shroud. years. It has not been fOllnd that fe- male AG If 0 S T, 103 male Ghosts al'e lllore loquacious than It is somewhat remarkable that those of the male sex, both being' Ghosts do no go about thejr business equally restrained by this law. like the persons of this world. In cases The mode of addressing a Ghost is of murder, a Ghost, instead of going to hy commanding' it, in the name of the the next j IIstice of the peace, and lay­ Three Persons of the Trinity, to tell ing its information, or to the nearest you who it is, amI what is his business: relation·ofthe person murdered, appears this it may be necessary to repeat three to some poorlahourer who knows none times; after which it will,'in a low and of the parties, draws the curtains of hollow voice, declare its satisfaction at some decrepit nmse or alms-woman, or being spoken to, and desire the party hovers ahout tllC place where his body addressing it not to be afmid, for it will is deposited. The smne circuitous do him no hal·m. This being' premised, mode is pursued with respect to re-' it commonly enters into its narrative, dressing' injured orphans or widows; which being completed, and its request when it seems as if the shortest and or commands g'i\ren, with injunctions 1110st cer~ain way would be, to go to the that they be immediately executed, it person guilty of the injustice, and vanishes away, frequently in a flash of haunt him continually till he be terri-, light; in which case, some Ghosts have tied, into a restifution. Nor are the' been so considerate as to desire the pointing outlost writings ge1H::rally ma­ party to whom they appeared to shut nag'ed ill a more summary way; the their eyes: sometimes its departure is Ghost commonly applyillg,to a thin! attended with delig'htful music. During person, igllOrant of the "hole atlitil', the narration of its· business; a Ghost and a'stmnger to all concerned.---But musthy no, means be intermptNI by it is presumptuous to scrul'inize too fal' questions of any kind; so doing is ex­ into these matters: Ghosts have, 11n­ tremely dangerous·: ifany doubts arise, doubtedly, forllls and customs peculiar they must be stated after the spirit has to t hemsel"es~ done its tale. Questions respecting its If, aftel' the fil'st appearance, the state, 01' the state of any of their former persons employed neglect, or are pre­ acquaintance, are offensive, and not vented from, performing the messag'c often answered; spirits, perhaps, heing or busine8s committed to their manag'e­ restrained from divulging the secrets of ment, the Ghost appears continually to thei\~ prison,llOllse. Occasionally spirits them; at fir"t with'a discontented,next will e\'en condescend to talk on com­ an angTy, and at length with a furious mOn OCCUlTences, as is instanced by countenance, thl'eatening to teal' them Glanvil, in the apparition of Major to pieces if the matter is not forthwith George Sydenham to C;:tptain 'William executed; sometimes terrifying them, Dyke, Helation 10th, wherein the Ma­ as in Glanvil's Relation 26th, hy ap­ jor reproved the Captain for suffering' a pearing in many formidable shapes, and sword he had g'iven him to grow rusty; sometimes even striking them a violent saying, ' Captain, Captain, this sWO\'d blow. Of blows given by Ghosts there , did not use to be kept after this man­ are many instances, and some wherein e nerwhen it was mine.' This attention they have been followed with an ill­ to the state of arms was· a· remnant of cllmble lameness. the Major's professional' duty- when It should' have been oUsened; that living. Ghosts:-, in delivering theircornmisslons, ill 10·1 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. in order to ensure helief, communicate its being a safel' prison than any otller to the persons employed some secret, nearer at hand; though neither history lmown only to the parties concel'l1ed nor tradition gives us any instance of and themsel\'es, the relation of which Ghosts escaping' or retuming from this' always produces the eflect intended. kind of transportation before their The business being completed, Ghosts time. appeal' with a cheerful countenance. Having thus given the most striking saying they shall now be at rest, and outlines of the popular Superstitions will never more disturb anyone; and, respecting' Ghosts, 1 shall next treat of thanking' their agents, by way of re­ another species of human apparition, ward communicate to them something which, though it something resembles relative to themselves, which they will it, does not come under the descrip­ never reveal. tion of a Ghost. These are the exact Sometimes Ghosts appear, and dis­ fig'ures and resemblances of persons hub a house, without deigning to give then living, often seen not only by their any reason for so doing': with these, friends at a distance, but many times the shortest and only.way is to exor~ by themselves; of which there are se­ eise, and eject them; or, as the vulgal' veral instances in Aubery's Miscella­ term is, lay them. For this pnrpose nies: one, of. Sir Richard Napier, a there must·be two or three clerg'ymen, physician of London, who being on the and the ceremony must he performed road from Bedfordshire to visit a friend in Latin; a language that strikes the in Berkshire, saw at an inn his own ap­ lIlost audacious Ghost with terror. A parition lying' on the bed as a dead Ghost may be laid for any term less corps; he nevertheless went forward, than an hundred years, and in any and died in a short time: another, of place or body, full or empty; as, a Lady Diana Rich, daughter of the Earl solid oak---the pommel of a sword---a of Holland, who met her own appari­ barrel of beer, if a yeoman or simple tion walking' in a garden at Kensing­ gentleman---or a pipe of wine, if an ton, and died a month after of the esquire or a justice. But of all places small-pox. These apparitions are called the most common, and what a Ghost l<'etches, and in Cumberland, Swarths; least likes, is the Red Sea; it being they most commonly appear to distant related, in many instances, that Ghosts friend~ and relations, atthe very instant have most earnestly besought the exor­ preceding the death ofthe person whose cists not to confine them in that place. figure they put on. Sometimes, as in It is nevertheless considered as an in­ the instances above mentioned, there is disputable fact, that there are an infi­ a greater interval between the appear­ nite number laid there, perhaps from ance and death.

A WITCH is almost nniversally 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 WI TC H. 105

that is, a kind of turn-up linen sleeve: stolen goods, and doing other acts of this man promises her, ifshe will sign utility, for which they take money, be­ a contract to become his, both soul and come bond-slaves to the Devil: they body, she shall want for nothing, and are at continual enmity with the Black thathe will revenge her upon all herene­ 'Witches, insomuch that one or the other mies. The agTeement being coucluded, often fall a sacrifice to their wicked he gives her some trifling' sum ofmoney, arts ~ these are commonly styled 'White from half-a-crown down t,o four-pence, 'Yitches. The third sort are those to bind the bargain; then cutting or who can both help and hurt; and, as pricking her finger, causes her to sign they seem a sort of mixture between her name, or make a cross as her mark, 'Yhite and Black, and wanting a name, with her blood, on a piece of parch­ may, without any great impropriety, be ment: what is the form of these con­ named Grey Witches. tracts, is no where mentioned. In ad­ But to retul'll to the common 'Witch, dition to this signature, in Scotland, which seems of the black sort; we 00 the I)evil made the Witches put one not find, that, in consequence of hel' lland to the sale of their foot, and the wicked compact, she enjoys much of other to the crown of their head, there­ the good things of this world, but still by signifying they were entirely his. continues in abject penury. Some­ In making these bargains there is some­ times, indeed, she, in company with times a great deal of haggling', as is others of her sisterhood, are carried instanced in the account of the nego­ through the air on brooms, spits, &c. ciation between Oliver Cromwell and to distant meetings, or sabbaths, of the Devil, before the battle of \Vor­ Witches; but for this they must anoint cester, published in Echard's History themselves with a certain mag'ical oint­ of England. Before the Devil quits ment, g'iven them by the Devil. llis new recl'Uit, he delivers to her an At these meetings they have feast­ imp or familiar, and sometimes two 01' ings, music, and dancing; the Devil three; they are of different shapes and himself sometimes condescenoing to forms, some resembling a cat or kitten, play on the pipe or cittern; and some others a mole, a miller fly, or. some of them have carnal copulation with ,other insect or animal: these are to him, the produce of which is toads come at her call, to do such mischief ano serpents: sometimes the Devil, to as she shall direct them; at stated oblige a male Witch 01' Wizard, of times of the day they suck her blood, which there are some few, puts on the throug-h teats on different parts of her shape of a woman. 1\'11'. Sinclair tells body ~ these on inspection appeal' reu us, in his book intitled, The Invisible and raw. Feeding, suckling, 01' re­ \Yorld, that one William Barton, who, warding these imps, was by law de­ with his wife, was burnt in Scotland clared felony. for Witchcraft, confessed that he lay There are, it is held, three sorts of with the Devil in the shape of a gen­ 'Vitches. The first can hurt, but not tlewoman, and had fifteen pounds of help; these, from their diabolical qna­ him in good money; but this he again lities, are called Black Witches. The denied before his execution. His wife second sort can help, but not hurt: confessed that the Devil went before these are unhappy persons, who, for them to a dancing, in the shape of a the power of curing diseases, finding dog, playing upon a pair of pipes; I) and, 100 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS:

and, comiilg down the hill back again, and set it before a fire;- ami as the wax he carried the candle in his bottom, melts by the heat, so the body of the­ under his tail, which played, cy 1m"g person represented decays by sickness~ wag, wig wag: that, she said, was al­ with great torture, having the sensatiOlL most all the pleasure she ever had. of thoms stuck into his or her flesh. Generally, before the assembly breaks On some occasioni';, \Vitches content up, they all have the honour ofsaluting themselves with a less cruel revenge, Satan's posteriori';, who, for that cere­ and only oblige the objects of their an~ mony, usually appears under the figlIre gel' to swallow p,ins,.crooked nails, dirt, oIa he-goat, though in Scotland it was cinders, and trash of all sorts, which­ performed when he appeared unde)' the they invisibly convey to them, or send human form. In their way to and from them by their imps. Freqnently they these meetings, they sometimes sing 01' -shew their spite, by drying up cows," l:epeat certain barparous words~' in and killing oxen ;, which last they have going, they use these words---tout, tout particular power to do, because, as the· a tOllt, tOllt tougltt, tll1'OuglIOUt anel Apostle says, " Doth God take care of" about; in retuming, rcntmn tormcntU1Jl. oxen?" J Cor. ix. 9. For any slight of­ In Scotland it was confessed and de­ fence, they prevent butter from coming. posed, that,_ at some of these meetings, in the churn,or beer from working. the Devil got up into the pulpit, and "Vitches, in vexing persous, some-­ preached a sermon in a voice hough and times send a number ofevil spirits into gustie; and afterwards caused the them; these, as they (that is, the spi­ \Vitches to open several graves, out of rits) have informed several exorcists,_ which they took part of the body, the -are also of different ranks and degrees. joints of the fingers and toes, with In one Sarah 'Villiams were these: Kil-­ some of the winding-sheet:. this was to lico, Hob, and a third anonymous; Co­ -prepare a powder for magical uses. ronell Portorichio, Frateretto, Fliber­ It now and then happens that Satan,_ digg'ibbet, Hoberdidance, Tocobatto,_ being' out of humour, or for diversion, and Lusty Jolly Jenkin, Pnffe and beats the Witches black and blue, with Purre, Lustie Dickie ComeI'd Cappe,. the spits and brooms, the vehicles of Nurre, Molken, "Vilken, Helemodion,_ their transportation, and plays them and Kellicocum. Besides these, there divers other unlucky tricks, Anyone were in others, Captain Pippen, Cap-­ repeating the name of God, instantly taiu Philpot, Captain Maho, and Cap­ puts the whole assembly to flight. tain Soforce: these were all leaders. Here likewise the Devil distributes There were also sometimes, with these apples, dishes, spoons, 01' other trifles, Captains, divers private spirits;. as in a to those \Vitches who desire to torment lUI'. Trayford there were, Hilco, Smal­ any particular person; these they pre­ kin, Hillio, Hiachto, and Lustie Huff sent to them, and thereby obtain a Cap; all these may be fonnd in a book power over them. intitled, Ecrregions Popish Impostures, -When a Witch wishes to destroy any &c. practis~d by Edmunds, alias Wes­ one to whom she bears an ill wiIl, she ton, a Jesuit, &c. published in 1603,. and her sister 'Vitches make an image p. 49, 50. . of wax, which, with many ceremonies, One l\fother Samuel, the witch of is baptized by the Devil, and named 'Varbois, had nine spirits that belong·ed. after the person meant to be inj ured ; to her and her family; two of their aftcl' which they stick thorns into it, names are forgotten, but those of the other A WIT C H. 107 other seven were,' Plucle, Hardname, but he set them at light: he bragged Catch---three of the name of Smack, that he could beat two of them himsel4 who were cousins---and one called and his cousin Smack would be on his Blew. These spirits used to converse side;" freely with the children of Mr. Throg­ I will not tire the Reader with any morton, whose house they troubled. more of this miserable nonsense; but· The following was a dialogue which what can we think of a court of jndi­ passed between the eldest daughter, a cature, that would permit such stuff to girl of about seventeen, aild one of the be repeated before them as evidence? Smacks, whom she s'upposed in love Nevertheless this, and such like, was with her.---'" From whence come you, deemed sufficient to condemn a man, , Nfl'. Smack, and what news do you his wife, and daughter, who were all • bring?' The spirit answered, that' he executed. The old woman, it is said, , came from fighting.'---' From fighting'!' confessed her gnilti but it is likewise said she; 'with whom, I pray you?' believed she was, at that time, from the The spirit answered, ' With Pluck.'--­ vexation, and experiments she had un­ 'Where did you fight, I pray?' said dergone by way of trial, rendered in­ she. The spirit answered, ' In his old sane. < dame's back-house,'---which is an old Frequently Witches, in vexing the house standing' in Mother Samuel's parties troubled, were visible to them J'ard; and they fought with great cowl only; and, when they hare struck at staves this last night.---' And who got them with a knife, or other weapon, 'the mastery, I pmy you?' says she. the Witches have been found to have He answered, 'that he broke Pluck's received a hurt in the part where their 'head.'---Said she, ' J would that he apparitions were struck. , had broke your neck also.' Saith the Scratching or pricking a 'Witch, so spirit, ' Is that all the thanks I shall as to draw blood of her, prevents her 'have for my labour?'---' 'Vhy,' saith having any POWel' over the person that she, 'do you look for thanks at my does it, provided it is done before allY , hand? I would you were all hanged spell has taken place; and it may be' < up, one against another, and Dame done by proxy, for one's child; pro­ , and all, for you are all naught: Lut it vided, at the time, it is said to be done. • is n'o matter,' said she; 'I do not on the child's account, or for its sake. 'well to curse you, for God, I trust, 'Vitches, perhaps for the sake of air , will defend me fmm you all.'---So he and exercise, or to vex the squire, jus­ departed, and hade fareweII.---Soon tice, and parson of the village wherein after, she sees Pluck coming with his they reside, often transform themselves head hang'ing' down; and he told her into hares, and lead the hounds and again of the battle, and how his heac! huntsman a long and fruitless chace: was broke. When he was gone, Catch, thoug'h this is sometime" attended with she said, came limping with a broken danger to themselves, as appears from leg; and, after him, Blew broug-ht his the account of the trial of Julian Cox. arm in a string: but they threatened published by GIanvil; wherein it ,:a~ that, when they should be well, they deposed, by the huntsman, that, havmg would join together, and be revenged chased a hare till it was fairly run of Smack. Next time that Smack down, he stept before the hounds to c..arne, she told him of their design; take it up; when, to his great amaze- ment. 108 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. ment, instead of u hare, he found old method used for the discovery of .T ulian! breathless, and grovelling on 'Vitches; it was thus managed: hav.ing the earth, with her globes upwards; for taken the suspected 'Witch, she is­ so he termed her backside. placed in the middle of a room, upon, There are· vari'ous experiments and a stool or table, cross-legged, or in. trials for discovering a Witch. One, some other ulleasy posture; to which. by weighing' her against the church if she submits not, she is then bound Bible, which, if she is guilty, will pre­ with cords:. there is she watched, and ponderate: another, by making her at­ kept without meat 01' sleep for the tempt to say the Lord's !Jruyel'; this space of twenty-four hours, (for, they no Witch is able to repeat entirely, but say,. within that time they shall see her will omit some part 01' sentence thereof. imp come and suck). A little hole is I t is remarkable, that all "Titches do likewise made in the door, for imps to not hesitate at the same place; some come in at; and lest it should come in leaving out one part, and some another. some less discernible shape, they that Teats, through which the imps suck, watch are taug'hi to be ever and anon are indubitable marks of a 'Vitch: sweeping the room, and if they see any these, as has been before observed, are spiders or flies, to kill them; and, if always raw, and also insensible; and, they cannot kill them, then they may be­ jf squeezed, sometimes )'ield a drop of sure they are imps. blood. If 'Vitches, under examination orr A Witch cannot weep more than torturf', will not confess, all their ap­ three tears, and that only out of the parel must be changed, and every hail' left eye: this want of tears was, by the of their body shaven off with a sharp witch-finders, and even by some judges, razor,. lest they secrete magical charms considered as a very substantial proof to prevent their confessing-. 'Vitches of g·uiIt. are most apt to confess on Fridays. Swimming a '''itch, is another kind In England, 'Vitchcraft has been' of popular ordeal g'enerally practised: chiefly confined to women;_ the reason. for this, she must be stl'ipped naked, assigned is, that the Devil having ex­ and cross bound, the right thumb to perienced, in the temptation of Eve, the' the left toe, and the left thumb to the facility with which that sex are led­ right toe: thus prepared, she is thrown, astray---and also fonnd that, when they into a pond or river, in which, if guilty, once deviate from the paths of virtue, she cannot sink; for having', by her they become more wicked than men--­ compact with the Devil, renoullced the he therefore makes his attacks on them,. benefit of the water of baptism,. that in preference to the other sex. . element, in its turn, rellounces her, and Not only women, but even little chil­ refuses to receive her into its bosom. dren, have been convicted of ·Witch-· Sir Robert Filmel' mentions two craft in Sweden, as may be seen in the others, by fire: the first, by burning account printed in GlanviI. the thatch ofthe house of the suspected Some hair, the parings of the nail~, 'Vitch; the othel', burning' any animal and urine, of any person bewitched--­ supposed to be bewitched by her, as a or, as the tel'lll i:", labouring' under al~ lJOg 01' ox: these, it was held, would evil tong'ue---being put into a stone force a 'Vitch to confess. bottle, with crooked nails,corked close,. The trial by the stool,. was another and tied down with wire,. and hung up the A WITCH. 109 the chimney, will cause the Witch to 1st of King James I. will shew that suffer the most acute torments imagi­ the belief of most of the articles here nable, till the hottle is uncorked, and related was not confined to the popu­ the mixture dispersed;- insomuch that lace; nor was it repealed till the 9th they will even risk a detection, by year of the reign of King George I. coming to the house, and attempting , Anyone that shall use, practise, or to pull down the bottle. 'exercise any invocation or conjnra­ On meeting a supposed Witch, i"t is .. tion of any evill or wicked spirit, Ol' adviseable to take the wall of her in a , consult, covenant with, entertaine or town or street, and the right hand of ,- employ,feede or reward, any evil! or her in a lane 01' field; and, whilst pass­ 'wicked spirit, to 01' for any intent or ing hel', to clench both hands, doubling ,. plll'pose; 01' take up any dead man, the thumbs beneath the fingers: this 'woman, or child, ant of his, her, or will prevent her having a power to in­ , their grave, or any other place where jure the person so doing at that time. 'the dead body resteth, or the skin,. It is well to salute a Witch with civil , bone, or other part of any dead per­ words, on meeting her, before she 'son, to'be employed or used in any speaks. But no presents of apples, , manner of \vithcraft, sOI'cery, charme, eggs, 01' any other thing,- should be re­ , or enchantment; or shall use, practise, ceived from her on any account.. '01' exercise any witchcraft, enchant­ Some persons, born at particular 'ment, charme, or sOI'cery, whereby times, and under certain combinations , any person shall be killed, destroyed, of the planets, have the power of dis­ , wasted, consumed, pined, or lamed, in ting'uishing Witches at first sight, One , his or her body, or any part thereof, ofthese persons, named Matthew Hop­ 'such otfenders, duly and lawfully kins, of Manningtree, in Essex, with , convicted and attainted, shall suffer a John Stern, and a woman in their , death. company, were, in lG"H, permitted to , If any person shall take upon him, go round, from town to town, through , by witchcraft, enchantment, charme, most parts of Essex, Suffolk, and Hnn­ , or sorcery, to tell or declare in what tin~donshire, with a sort of commission , place any treasure of gold or silver to ~discover Witches; nay, it is said, , should or might be found or had ill were paid twenty shillings for each , the earth, or other secret places, or town they visited. J'11any persons were , where goods or things lost or stolne pitched upon by them, and tlll'ough , should be found or become; or to the their means convicteu. Till at length , intent to provoke any perSall to un­ some gentlemen, out of indig'nation at , In wful love; Ol' whereby any cattell Hopkins's barbarity, tied him in the , or goods of any person shall be de­ manner he had bound others, that is, 'stroyed, wasted, or impaired; 01' to thumbs and toes together; in which , destroy 01' hurt any person in his or state, putting him into the water, he 'her body, though the same he not swam. This cleared the country of , effected, &c. a yeare's imprisonment them. 'and pillory, &c. and the second con­ The following statute, enacted the ,. viction, death.'

A SOR- 110 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS.

A SORCERER, OR l\IAGI€IAN.

A SORCERER, orMAGICIAN, differs from 'gular, quadrangular, round, double, a Witch in this: A witch derives all her , or single, according to the forme of power from a compact with the Devil; 'the apparition they crave. But to a Sorcerel' commands him, and the in­ 'speake of the diverse formes of the fernal spirits, by his skill in powerful , circles, of the innumerable characters charms and invocations; and also , and crosses that are within and with­ soothes and entices them by fumiga­ , out, and out-through the same; of the tions: for the devils are observed to , qiverse formes of apparitions that the }lave delicate nostrils, abominating and , craftie spirit illudes them with, and of flying some kinds ofstinks; witness the , all such particulars in that action, I flight of the evil spirit into the remote , remit it to over manv that have busied parts of Egypt, driven by the smell of , their heads ill descl:ibing of the same, a fish's liver burned by Tobit. They 'as being but curious, and altogethel' are also found to be peculiarly fond of 'unprofitable. And this farre only I certain perfumes; insomuch that Lilly , touch, that, when the conj urecl spirit informs us that one Evans, having raised , appeares, which will not be while after a spirit, at the request of Lord Both­ , many cil'cumstances, long prayers, and well and Sir Kenelm Dig'by, and for­ 'much muttering and murmurings of getting a suffllmigation, the spirit, vexed , the conjurors, like a papist priest dis- . at the disappointment, snatched him , patching a hunting masse---how soone, from out his circle, and carried him ,I say, he appeares, if they have missed from his house, in the Minories,' into a , one jote of all their rites; 01' if any of field near Battersea Causeway. , theil' feete once slyd over the circle, King James, in his Dremonologia, 'through terror of his fearful appari- says, 'The art of sorcery consists in , tion, he paies himself at that time, in , diverse forms of circles and conj ura­ , his owne hand, of that due debt which 'tions rightly joined together, few or , they ought him, and otherwise would 'more in Humber, according to the 'have delaicd longer to have paied , number of persons conjurors (alwaiea , him: I mean, he carries them with , passing the singular number), accord­ , him, bodv and soule. If this be not 'ing' to the qualitie of the circle, and , now a just canse to make them weary , form of the apparition. Two princi­ , of these formes of conjuration, I leave , pall things cannot well in that errand , it to you to judge upon; considering 'be wanted: holy water (whereby the , the longsomeness of the labou!", the , Devil! mockes the papists), and some , precise keeping of daies and homes • present of a living' thing unto him, '(as I have said,) the terribleness of • There are likewise certaine daies and , the apparition, and the present peril , houres that they observe in this pur­ , that they stand in, in missing the least 'pose. These things being all ready , circumstance or fl'eite that they ought , and prepared, circles are Illade, trian- , to observe: and, on the other part, the A· SORCERER, OR MAGICIAN. 111

t' the Devill is glad to moove them to a matician: his speculator was named , plaine and square dealing with him, Kelly. From him, and others prac­ , as I said before.' tising this art, we have a long muster­ This is a pretty accurate description roll of the infernal host, their different of this mode of conjuration, styled the natures, tempers, and appearances. Circular Method; but, with all due Doctor Reginald .Scot has given a list respect to his Majesty's learning, ofsome of the chiefs of these devils or square and triangular circles are figures spirits, of which I shall here set down not to be found in Euclid', or any of the two or three, which, I dare say, the common writers on geometl·Y. But, Reader will think fuJly sufficient. perhaps, King James Jearnedhis ma­ 'Theirfirst and principal king (which thematics from the same system as 'is the Power of the East), is called

,Doctor Sacheverellr who, in one of his , Badl, who, when IlC is conjured up. speeches or sermons" made use of the , appeareth with three heads; the first following simile: 'They concur like , like a toad, the second like a man, "parallel lines, meeting in one common 'the th~rd like a cat. He speaketh ~centre.'.' 'with a hoarse voice; he maketh a Another mode of consulting spirits , man to go invisible. He hath under was by the berryl, by means of a spe­ , his obedience and rule sixty-and-six culator or seer; who, to have a COlll­ , legions of devils.. plete sig'ht, ought to be a pure virgin, a 'The first duke under the Power youth who had not known woman, or 'of the East, is named Agal'es. He at least a person of irreproachable life 'cometh up mildly, in the likeness of and purity of mannerE; The method , a fair old man" riding upon a croco­ of such consultation is this: The con­ , dile, and carrying' a ha~vk on his fist. .i.uror having' repeated the necessary , He teacheth presently all manner of charms and adjurations, with the Li­ , tongnes; he fetcheth hack all such tany, or invocation peculiar to the spi­ , as run awayy aud maketh them run rits or angels he wishes to call (for 'that stand still ;', he overthroweth all everyone has his particular form), the , dig'nities supernatural and temporal; seer looks into a chrystal or berryl, , he maketh earthquakes: and is of the wherein he will see the answer, repre­ , order of virtues, having under his re­ sented either by types or figures; and , giment thirty-one legions. som'etimes, though very rarely, will hear '.lI1m·bas, alias Barbas, is a'great the angels or spirits speak articulately. , president, auel appeareth in the form Their pronunciation is, as Lilly says, , of a mighty lion; uut, at the com­ like the Irish, much in the throat. , mandmellt of a conjurery cometh up Lilly describes one of these benvIs 'in the likeness of a man, and an­ or chrystals. It was, he says" as JaJ:g'e 'swereth fuJly as touching any thiuQ; as an orange, set in silver, with a cro~<;s , that is hidden or secret. He bringeth at the top, and round about engraved 'diseases, and cureth them; he pro­ the names of the angels Raphael, Ga­ 'moteth wisdom, and the knowledge briel, and Uriel. A delineation of an­ , of mechanical arts, or handicrafts; other is engraved in the frontispiece to , he chang'eth men into other shapes; Aubery's Miscellanies. , and under his presidency or govern­ This mode of enquit'y was practised , ment are thirty-six legions of devils by Doctor Dee,.the celebrated mathe- , contained.' These 112 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS.

These Sorcerers 01' Magicians do not goods; to foretel future events, and the always employ theil' art to do mischief; state of absent friends. On this ac­ but, on the contrary, frequently exert count, they are frequently .called White it to cure diseases inflicted by witches; Witches. 10 discover thieves; recover stolen

FAIRIES.

THIS piece of Superstition seems to says they are likewise friends to per­ come from the East, and was probably sons of strict diet, of an upright life, imported into Europe by some of the and using' fervent prayers to God. Crusaders; as this kind of spirits, in Fairies are particularly fond ofmaking many instances, resembles the g'enii, of cakes; in the (h:}jng of which they are whom so many wonderful stories are said to be very noisy. In Ireland, they told by the Arabians; though some de­ frequently lay bannocks, a kind of rive them from the lares and larl:a: of oaten cakes, in the way of travellers the Romans. ovel' the mountains; and if they do Fairies, according to the popular ac­ not accept of the intended favour, and counts of them, are a sort of intenne­ eat the bannock, or at least take it up, rliate beings between men and spil'its; they seldom escape a hearty beating, or having bodies, with the powor of ren­ something worse. dering them invisible, and of passing Fairies oft change theil' weakly and them through all SOl'tS of inclosures. starveling elves, or children, for the They are remadmbly small of stature, more robust offspring' of men. But with fail' complexions, whence they ob­ this can only be done before baptism; tained the name of Fairies. Both male for which reason it is still the custom, and female are generally clothed in in the Highlands, to watch by the cra­ green; and frequent groves, mountains, dles of infants most assiduously till they . the southern sides of hills, and green are christened. Children so changed meadows, where they amuse them­ have been kept for seven years. There selves with dancing, hand in hand, in are divers methods of discovering whe­ a circle, by moonlight. The traces of ther a child belongs to the Fairies or their feet are visible next morning on not. One is g'iven in the following the grass, and are commonly called story, printed in a book intitled, A plea­ Fairy Rings, or Circles, sant Treatise on Witchcraft. Fairies appear to have all the pas­ 'A certain woman having put out sions and wants of men; but are great 'her child to nurse in the counll'y, lovers of cleanliness and propriety; for , found, when she came to take it home, the obsel'vance of which they fre­ , that its form was so much altered that quently reward servants, by dropping' , she scarce knew it: nevertheless, not money in their shoes: they likewise , knowing what time might do, took it severely punish sluts and slovens, by , hOlUe for her own. But when, after pinching them black and blue. Lilly , some ~'ears, it could neither speak nor go, FAIRIE S. 113 t,go, the pOOl' woman was fain to carry testimony to the CUl'l'ent belief of these • it, with much trouble, in her arms; changes. As all the Fairy children "and one day, a poor man coming to were little, backward of their tongue, " the door, " God bless you, Mistress," and seemingly idiots; therefore stunt­ 'said he, H and your poor child; be ed and idiotical children were sup­ "pleased to be~tow something on a posed changelings. "poor man."--" Ah 1 this child," re­ Some Fairies d well in the mines, and 4' plied she, " is the cause of all my seem to imitate the actions of the work­ "~ sorrow:" and related what had hap­ men; but never, unless insulted, do , pened; adding, moreover, that she them harm, but rather are of service ',thought it chang'ed, and none of her to them. In certain silver and lead 'child. The old man, whom years had mines, in 'Vales, nothing is more com­ , rendered more prudent in such mat­ mon than these snhterraneous spirits, 'tel's, told her, that, to find out the called Knockers, who good.naturedly 'truth, she should make a clear fire, point out where there is a rich vein. ',sweep the hearth vel'Y clean, and place These Knockers are sometimes visible. "the child fast in his chair, that he Mr. John Le,~'is, in his correspondence , might not fall, before it; then break a with Mr. Baxter, describes them as 'dozen eggs, and place the four-and­ little-statnred, and about half a yard e h\cnty half shells befo"re it; then go long; and adds, that at this very in­ , Ollt, and listen at the door: for, if the stant there are miners on a discovery , child spolw, it was certainly a change­ of a 'vein of metal on his own lauds, , liug: and then she should carry it and that two of them are ready to make 'out, and leave it on the dunghill to oath they heard these Knockers in the 'cry, and not to pity it; till she heard day-time. e its voice no more. The woman, hav­ In Scotland there were a sort of , ing done all things according to these domestic Fairies, from their sun-burnt 'words, heard the child say, " Seven complexions called Brownies: these " years old was I before I came to the were extremely useful, performing all " nurse, and four years have I lived sorts of domestic drudgery. "since, and never'saw so many milk­ Fairies sometimes shoot at cattle, " pans before." So the woman took it with aITows headed with flint-stones: , up, and left it on the dunghill to cry, these are often fonnd, and are called , and not to be pitied; till at last she elf-shots. In order to effect the cure , thought the voice went up into the of an animal so injured, it is to be , air; and coming, found there her own touched with one of these elf-shots, or 'natural and well-favomed child.'--­ to be made drink the water in which The very term Changeling', now used one has been dipped. to signi(y one almost an idiot, bears

THE SECOND SIGHT.

THE Second-Sight is so called frolll whereby certain appearances, predic­ i~s being' a supplemental faculty of tive of fntme events, preHent them­ SIght, added to that of COlllmon vision, sel\'e~ suddenly and spontaneously be- Q fore ]14 POPULAR SUPERSTITIOXS.

fo)'e pcrsons so gifted, without any en­ rider, or a See)' in company witTl him, dea\'our or desire on their part to see sees a vision of any kind, by nig'ht or them. by day. It is observable of a horse, Accounts differ milch respecting this that he will not go forwards towards facilIty; sol'ne make it hercditary, which the apparition, but mnst be led round, is denied by others. The same di{:' at some distance from the common fcrence aris~s respecting the power of road; his terror is evident, from his communicating it. TInt, according to becoming all over in a profuse sweat, an account from a gentleman at Straths­ although quite cool a moment before. pey to .Mr. Aubrey, some of the Seers TIalaam's ass seems to have possessed acknowleclged the possibility of teach­ this power, or faculty; and, perhaps, ing it. This gift, or fac.ulty, is in gene­ what we improperly style a startlish l'al rather troublesome than agTeeable horse, may be one who has the gift of to the possessors of it, who are chiefly the Second-Sight. That cows have the found among the inhabitants of the Second-Sight, is proved by the follow­ Highlands of Scotland, those of the ing circumstance: If a woman, whilst 'Western Isles, of the Isle of Man, and milking a cow, happen to have a vision of Ireland. The account sent to MI'. of that kind, the cows run away in a Aubrey says, 'In the Isle ofSky, espe­ great fright at the same instant, and , cially before the Gospel came thither, cannot, for some time, be brought to , several families had it by succession, stand quietly. , descending from parents to children; To judge of the meaning of many , and as yet there are many that have visions, or the time in which they wilt 'it that way: and the only way to be be accomplished, requires observation . freed from it is, when a woman hath and experience. In g'elleral, the time 'it herself, ann is married to a man of accomplishment bears some relation , that hath it also, if, in the very act of to the time of the day in which they 'delivery, upon the first sight of the al'e seen. Thus, visions seen early in , child's head, it be baptized, the same the morning (which seldom happens), , is free from it;. if not, he hath it all will be much sooner accomplished than , l1is life.' those appearing' at noon; anu those These visions are not confined to seen at noon, will take place in a much solemn or important events. The future shorter time than those happening at visit of a mountebank, or pipe)'; a plen­ night: sometimes the accomplishment tiful draught of fish; the arrival ofcom- of the last does not fall out within a . mon travellers; or, ifpossible', still more yea!' or more. trifling matters than these, are foreseen The appearance of a person wrapt in by the Seers. a shroud, is, in general, a prognostic of Not only aged men and women have the death of the party. The time when: the Second-Sig'ht, but also children, it will happen, may be judged £i'om the llOrses, and cows. Children, endowed height it reaches; for if it be not seen with that faculty, manifest it by crying above the middle, death is not to be aloud, at the very time that a corpse expected for a year or more: but when appears to a Seer: of this many in­ the shroud appears closed about the stances could be given. That horses head, the accomplishment is not many possess it, is likewise plain, from their homs distant. l'iolent and sudden starting, when their If, in a vision, a woman is seen stand­ ing SECOND SIGHT. 115

ing near a man's left lJand, she wiII be­ a vision without doors, on coming into come his wife; if there are two or a house, and approaching the fire, wiII three about him, he will marry them immediately fall into a s,,·oon. All all in succession, according to their those that have the Second-Sig-ht, do proximity. A spark of fire, falling on not see these appearances at the same the belly of a married woman, predicts time; but if one having this faculty de­ IJer delivery of a dead child ; the like signedly touche!> his fellow Seer, at the spark, falling on her arm, b~tokens she instant that a vision appears to him, ill shall shortly carry a dead child. If a that case it will be seen by both. seat, in which a person is sitting, sud­ During the appearance of a vision, denly appears empty, although he hath the eyelids of some of the Seers are so not moved, this is a certain presage erected and distended, that they cannot that such person will very shortly die. close them otherwise than by drawing Persons who have not long been them down with their fingers, or by gifted with Second-Sight, after seeing emplo~ring' others to do it for them.

OMENS PORTENDING DEATH.

THE howling of a dog is a certain sign out of the fire to any particular person, that some one of the family will very betokens their death 1Iot far off. shortly die. A collection of tallow rising up A screech-owl flapping its wings against the wick of a candle, is styled against the windows of a sick person's a Winding-Sheet, and deemed an omen chamber, or screeching at them, por­ of death in the family. tends the same. Besides these general notices, many Three loud and distinct knocks at families have particular warnings or the bed's head of a sick person, or at notices; some by the appearance of a the bed's head or door of any of his bird, and others by the figure of a tall relations, is an Omen of his death. woman, dressed all in white, that goes .'\. drop of blood from the nose, com­ shrieking about the house. This ap­ monly foretells death, or a very severe parition is common in Ireland, where fit of sickness: three drops are still it is called Bell-SllCa, and the Sllriek­ more ominous. £llg-T-Vomall. Hats g'nawing the hangings ofa room, Mr. Pennant says, that many of the is reckoned the forerunner of a death great families in Scotland had their ill the family. dmmon, or genius, who gave them mo­ Breaking' a looking'-glass betokens a nitions of future c,'ents. Thus the f.'l­ mortality in the family, commonly the mily of Rothmul'chas had the Bodaclt master. an dllll, or tlte Gltost of tlte Hill .. Kin­ If the neck of a dead child remains chardines, tlle Spectre of tIle Blood!! flexible fa I' several hours after its de­ 1:la1ld: Gartinbeg' house was haunted cea~e, it portends that some person ill by Rodaclt Gartill; and Tullock Gorms that house will die in a short time. by lUau/!; J.1Ionlacli, or tlte Girl n'itll tlie A coal in the shape of a coffin, flying flaily Lcj~ Hand. The synod ga,·e frequent 116 POPULAft SU1)EIlSTITIONS~ frequcnt oruers that cnquiry shonld be of lVlJo. Davis's writing the retter'lJeFe made into the truth of' this apparition; quoted." and oue or two declarcd that they had A nothcr kind of fiery apparition pe­ secn one that answered the description. culiar to 'Vales, is what is called the CORPSE CANDLES arc vcry common 'P«n-we, 01' Tan-wed. "This appear­ appearancesin the counties o{Cardigan, eth," sa\'s ]\'11'•. Davis,. " to OUl' seem­ Caermarthen, and Pembroke, and also ing', in 'the lower region of the air, in some other parts of \Vales. "They straight and long, not much nnlike a. are called Candles, from their rcsem­ glaive; mom's or shoots dil'ectly and blance, not of the body of the candle, level (as who shOldd say, I'll hit), but but the tire; because tllat fire," says the far more slowly than falling' stars. It llOnest 'Velchman, MI'. Davis, in a letter lig'hteneth all the ail' and gqHmd where­ to Mr'-Baxtcr, " doth as much resemble it passetll, lasteth three ai' four miles,_ material candle-lights, as eggs do egg's; or more, for aug'ht is known, because saving,that in their journey, these can­ no man seeth the risilJg or begil)ning of dIes are sometimes visible, and some­ it; and, when it falls to the ground, it. times disappear;. especially if anyone spaddeth,_ and lig'hteth all about:' comes neal' to them, or in the way to These commonly allnounce the decease meet them. On these occasions they of freeholders, by falling' on their lands;. Yanish, but presently appeal' again be­ " and you shall scarce bury any such llind the observer, and hold on their with us," says Mr. Davis,_ " be he but comse. If a little candle is seen, of a a lord of a house and garden, but you pale or bluish colour, then follows the shall find some one at his burial, that ~orpse, either of an abortive, ai' some hath seen this fire fall on some part of infant; if a large one, then the cOI'pse his lands." Sometimes those appear­ of SOllle one COllle to age. If there be ances have been seen by the persons­ seen two, threc, 01' more, of difIerellt whose death they foretold; two in­ sizes--some big, some small---then shall stances of which Mr. Davis records, as. so many corpses pass together, and of having happened in his own family. suell ages, 01' degrees. If two candles The clicking of a death-watch is an come from different places, and be seen omen of the death of some one ill the to meet, the corpses will do the same; house wherein it is heard. and if any of thesc candles be seen to A child, who does not cry, when turn aside, through some bye-path lead­ sprinkled in baptism, will not live. ing' to the church, the following corpse Children prematurely wise are not will be found to take exactly the same longo-lived; that is, rarely reach matu­ way. rity. This notion is quoted by Shake­ " Sometimes these Candles point out speare, and put into the mouth of the places where persons shall sicken Richard Ill, Fond parents are, however, and die. They have also appeared apt to terrify themselves on this occa­ on the bellies of preg'nant women, sion, without any great cause; .witness pI'evious to their delivery; and pre­ the mother, who g'ave as an lllstance dicted the drowning of persons passiug of the uncommon sense of her boy, of a ford. All these appearances have only six years of age, That he having been seen by a number of persons laid his dear little hand on a red-hot ready to g'ive their testimony of the poker, took it away, without anyone truth thereof, some within three weeks soul alive bidding him. CHARMS POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. 117

CHARl\1S AND CEREl\10NIES

FOR KNOWING FUTURE EVENTS.

ANY person fasting on Midsummer ing alone; and as you rehearse the fol­ eve, and sitting in the church porch, lowing verses, at every comllla knit a will at midnight see the spirits of the knot: persons of that parish,. who will die that year, come and knock at the church " This knot I knit, " To know the thing I know 110t yet j dOM, in the order and succession in " That I may see which they will die. One of these " The man [woman] that shall my husband watchers, there being' several in com­ [wife] be; pany, fell into a sound sleep, so that " How he goes, and what he wears, he could not be waked: whilst in this " And what he does all days and years." state,. his ghost or spirit was seen by Accordin~ly, in a dream, he will ap­ the rest of his companions, knocking pear, with the insignia of his trade or at the- church-door. See Pandemo­ profession. niwn, by R. B. Another, pet'formed by charming the Any unmarried woman fasting on Moon, thus :---At the first appearance Midsummer-eve, and at midnight laying of the New Moon, immediately after a clean cloth,. with bread, cheese, and the new year's day (though some say ale, and sitting down, as if going to any other New Moon is as good), go eat, the street door being, left open---the out in the evening, and stand over the person whom she is afterwards to mar­ spars of a gate 01' stile, and looking 011 l'Y wiII come into the room, and drink the Moon, repeat the following lines: to het' by bowing: and afterwards fill­ ing the glass, will leave it on the table, " All hail to the Moon! all hail to thee! and, making another bow, retire. See " I prithee, good Moon, reveal to me, P andemonill1Jl, " This,night, who my husband [wife] must be." On St. Agnes night, 21st of Janua­ 1'y, take a row of pins, and pull out The person must presently aftel' go to everyone, one after another, saying a bed, when they will dream of the per­ Pater-noster on sticking a pin in your son destined for their future husband sleeve, and you will dream of him or or wife. 11er you shallmal'ry. A slice of the. bride-cake, thrice Another method to see a future drawn through the wedding' ring, and spouse in a dream :---The party enquir­ laid under the head of an unmarried ing must lie in a different county fi'om man or woman, will make them dream that in which he commonly resides; of their future wife or husband. The and, on going to bed, must knit the same is practised in the North with a left g'artel' about the rig'ht-Iegged stock­ piece of the gToaning cheese. ing, letting the other g'arter and stock- To discover a thief by the sieve and . shears. 118 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. shears :---Stick the points of thc shcars wards ask St. Petcr and St. Paul, if ill thc wood of thc sicvc, and lct two A. or B. is the thicf, naming all thc pcrsons support it, balanccd upright, persons you suspect. On naming the with thcir two fingers: then read a ccr­ real thief, the sieve will turn suddenly tain chaptcr in thc Bible, and after- round about.

SUPERSTITIOUS CURES AND PREVENTATIVES.

A SLUNK or abortive calf, buried in the affected. It seems as if the hand of llighway over which cattle frequently a person dying a violent death was pass, will greatly prevent that misfor­ deemed particularly efficacious; as it tune happening to cows. This is com­ very frequently happens, that nurses monly practised in Suffolk. bring' children to be stroaked with the A ring made of the hinge of a coffin hands of executed criminals, even is supposed to have the virtue of pre­ whilst they are hanging on the gal­ ,'enting the cramp. lows. Certain herbs, stones, and othel' sub­ Touching a dead body, prevents stances, as also particular words written dreaming of it. on parchment, as a charm, have the The word ABACADABARA, written as property ofpreserving men from wounds under, and worn about the neck, will in the midst of a battle or engagement. cure an ague: This was so ullivcrsally credited, that an oath was administered to persons ABACADABARA going to fight a legal duel, 'That they BACADABAR , had ne charme, ne herbe of virtue.' ACADABA The power of rendering themselves in­ CADAB 1'ulnerable, is still belie\'ed by the Ger­ ADA mans; it is performed by divers charms D and ceremonies; and so firm is their belief of its efficacy, that they will To cure ?va1'ls :---Steal a pIece of rather attribute any hurt they may re­ beef from a butcher's shop, and rub ceive, after its performance, to some your warts with it; then throw it down omission in the performance, than de­ the necessary house, or bury it; and, fect in its virtuI'. as the beefrots, your warts will decay. A halter wherewith anyone has been The chips or cuttings of a gibbet or hanged, if tied about the head, will gallows, on which one or more persons cure the head-ache. have been executed or exposed, if worn Moss growing on a human skull, if next the skin, or round the neck, in a dried, powdered, and taken as snuff. bag, will cure the ague, 01' prevent it. will C1ll'e the head-ache, , A stone with a hole in it, hung' at A dead man's hand is supposed to the bed's head, will prevent the night­ l]ave the quality of dispellillg tumours, mare: it is therefore called a hag-stone, such as wens, or swelled glands, by from that disordel', which is occasioned stroaking with it, nine times, the place by a hag, or witch, sitting on the sto- mach SUPERSTITIOUS CURES A1'.'1) PREVENTATIVES. 119 mach of the party afflicted. It also 'ration was performed, the wounded prevents witches riding horses; for , tree was bound up with a packthread; which purpose it is often tied to a , and, as the bark healed, the child was stable key. • to recover. The first of the young Ifa tree, of any kind, is split---and , patients was to be cured of the rickets, ,~eak, ricketty, or ruptured children , the second of a rupture.' This is a drawn through it, and afterwards the "ery ancient and extensive piece of su­ tree is bound together, so as to make perstition.--Creeping through tolmen, it unite---as the tree healS; and grows or perforated stones, was a Druidical together, so will the child acquire ceremony, and is practised in the East strength. Sir John Cullum, who sa,,,, Indies. 1\'[1'. Borlace mentions a stone, this operation twice performed, thus in the parish of Marden, having a hole describes it: ' For this purpose a young in it, fourteen inches diameter; through • ash was each time selected, and split which many persons have crept, for 'longitudinally about five feet: the pains in their backs and limbs; and • fissure was kept wide open by my many children have been drawn, for the • gardener; whilst the friend of the rickets. In the North, children are • child, having first stripped him naked, drawn through a hole cut in the , passed him thrice through it, always groaning cheese, on the day they are , head foremost. As soon as the ope- christened.

SYl\fPATHY.

THE wounds' of a murdered person foot-patl], would live in one continual will bleed afresh, on the body being fit of shaking. touched, ever so lightly, in any part, by "Then a person's cheek, or ear, burns, the murderer. it is a sign that some one is then talk­ A person being suddenly taken with ing of him or her.' If it is the rig'ht a shivel'ing', is a sign that some one has cheek, or ear, the discourse is to their just then walked over the spot of their advantage; if the left, to their disad­ future gmve. l)robably all persons are vantage. not subject to this sensation; other­ When the right eye itches, the party wise the inhabitants of those parishes, affected will shortly cry; if the left, whose burial grounds lie in the common they will laug·h.

THINGS LUCKY AND UNLUCKY.

IT is customary for women to offer to legged, with the fingers interlaced, ,,'as sit cross-legged, to procure luck at anciently esteemed a magical po,.,tnre. cards for their friends. Sitting cross- It is deemed lucky to be born with a caul, 120 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. caul, or membrane, oyer the face. This denotes marriage or meniment; three, is an ancient and g'eneral Superstition. a snccessful journey; four, an unex­ In France, it is proverbial: eire ne' pected piece of good news; five, you co!l!(fe, is an expression signifying that will shortly be in a great compallY. a person is extremely fortunate. This To kill a mag'pie, will certainly be caul is esteemed an infallible preserva­ punished with some terrible misfortune. tive against drowning; and uncleI' that If, in a family, the youugest daughter idea, is frequently advertised for sale should be married before her eldest in our public papers, and purchased by sisters, they must all dance at her wed­ seamen. It is related that midwives dingwithout shoes: this will counteract used to sell this membrane to advocates, their ill luck, and procure them hus­ as an especial means of making them bands. eloquent; and one Protus was accuse

It is a common practice among the which they are as generally unlucky; lower class of hucksters, pedlars, or these days are d;{ferent to diflerent dealers in fruit or fish, on receiving the persons. Mr. Aubrey has given seve­ price of the first goods sold that day, ral instances of both in divers persons. which they call hansel, to spit on the Some days, however, are commonly money, as they term it, for good luck; deemed unlucky; among- others, Fri­ and boxers, before they set to, com­ day labours under that opprobrium; monly spit in their hands,' which was and it is pretty generally held, that n9 originally done for luck's sake. new work or enterprize should be com­ The first time a nurse brings a child menced on that day. Likewise re­ to visit its parents or relations, it is specting the weather, there is this pro­ unlucky to send it back without some verb: gift, as eggs, salt, or bread. " Friday's moon, It is held extremely unlucky to kill .. Corne when it will, it comes too soon:' a cricket, a lady-bug-, a swallow, mar­ tin, robin red-breast, or wren; perhaps 'Waslling hands in the same bason, from its being a breach of hospitality; or with the same water, as another all those birds and insects taking re­ person has \~'ashed in, is extremely llll­ fuge in houses. lucky, as the parties will infallibly There is a particular distich in favour quarrel. of the robin and the wren: To scatter salt, by overturning the vessel in which it is contained, is very .. A robin and a wren .. Arc God Almighty's cock and hen." unlucky, and portends quarrelling with a friend, or fracture of a bone, sprain, Persons killing any of the above­ or othe.' bodily misfortune. Indeed, mentioned birds or insects, or destroy­ this may in some measure be averted, ing their nests, will infallibly, within by throwing a small quantity of it over the course of the year, break a bone, one's head. It is also unlucky to help or meet with some other dreadful mis­ another person to salt: to whom the fortune. On the contrary, it is deemed ill-luck is to happen, does not seem to lucky to have martins or swallows be settled. build their nests in the eaves ofa house, 'Vhistling at sea is supposed to cause or on the chimneys. an increa:se of wind, if 110t a storm, It is unlucky to lay one's knife and and therefore much disliked by sea­ fork cross-wise: crosses and misfor­ men; though, sometimes, they them­ tunes are likely to follow. selves practise it when there is a dead Many persons have certain days of calm. the week and month on which they are Drowning a cat at sea is extremely particularly fortunate, and others in unlucky.

MISCELLANEOUS SUPERSTITIONS.

THE passing-bell was anciently rung soul just departing; the other, to dri\'e for two purposes: one, to bespeak the away the evil spirits who stood at the prayers of all good Christians for a bed's toot, and about the house, ready R to 122 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS.

to seize their prey, 01' at least to molest den acquisition of riches to the person and terri(v the soul in its passage: but near whom it falls. by the ringing of that bell (for Dnrau­ A flake of soot hanging at the bars dus informs us, evil ~pirits are much of the grate, denotes the visit of a afraid of bells), they were kept aloof; stranger, fl'ol11 that part of the country and the soul, like a hunted hare, gain­ nearest the object: a kind of fungus ed the start, or had what is by sports­ in the candle predicts the same. men called Law. Hence, perhaps, A spark in the candle denotes that exclusive of the additional labour, was the party opposite to it will shortly re­ occasioned the high price demanded ceive a letter. for tolling the gl'eatest bell of the Jn setting' a hen, the good women church; for that being louder, the evil hold it an indispensable rule to put an :;pi!'its must g'o farther off, to be clem' odd number of eggs. of its sound, by which the poor soul All sorts of remedies are directed got so much more the start of them: to be taken three, se\'en, or nine times. besides, being heard farther off, it would Salutes with cannon consist of an odd likewise procme the dying man a number; a royal salute is thrice seven, gTeater number of prayers. This dis­ or twenty-one g'l1ns. This predilection like of spirits to bells, is mentioned in for odd numbers is very ancient, and is the Golden Legend, by W. de Warde. It mentioned by Virgil, in the eighth , is ~aid, the eviJl spirytes thatben in the Eclogue,where many spells and charms , I'egyon of th'ayre, doubte moche when still practised, are recorded; but not­ , they here the belles rong'en: and this withstanding these opiuions in favour , is the cause why the belles ben rong'en of odd numbers, the number thirteen , whan it thondreth, and whan gTete is considered as extremely ominous; , ternpeste and outrages of wether hap­ it being' held that, when thirteen per­ 'pen, to the ende that the reindl'S and sons meet in a room, one of them will 'wycked spirytes shold be abashed die within the year. , and flee, and cease of the rnovynge It is impossible for a person to die , of tem peste.' whilst resting on a pillow stuffed with The toad has a stone in its head, the feathers of a dove; but they will very efficacious in the cure of divers struggle with death in most exquisite di1>eases; but it must be taken out of torture. The pillows of dying persons the animal whilst alive. are therefoi-e frequently taken away, The ass has a cross on its back, ever when they appear in gl'cat agonies, lest since Christ rode on one of these ani­ they may have pigeons feathers in them. mals. Fern seed is looked on as having­ The haddock has the mark ofSt. Pe­ great magical powers, and must be g'a­ ter's thumb, ever since St. Peter took thered on midsummer-eve. A person the tribute penny out of the mouth of a who went to gather it, reported that fish of that 1>pecies. the spirits whisked by his ears, and Most persons break the shells of ~ometimes struck his hat, and othet· eggs, after they have eaten the meat. parts of his body; and at length, when This was originally done, to prevent he thought he had got a good quantity .thl:'ir being used as boats by witches. of it, and secured it in papers and a A coal hopping out of the fire, in box, when he came home, he found the shape of a pLll'::;e, predicts a sud- both empty. See Pandemonium. Any l\IISCELLANEOUS SUPERSTITIONS. 123

Anyone wounded by a small fish, have given; by the help of which they called a Sting Hay, which often hap­ will pass over unhurt: that is, provided pens in catching sand-eels, wiII feel the the shoes have no holes in them, a pain of the wound very severely till the circumstance the fabricator of the tale next tide. . forgot to stipulate. The Reverend Mr. Shaw, in the His­ " When a maid takes the pot off the tory of the province of Moray, in Scot­ fire, she sets it down in great haste, land, says :---' \Vhen a corpRe is lifted, and with her hands stops the pot-hooks 'the bed of straw, on which the de­ from vibrating'; believing that our Lady , ceased lay, is carried out, and burnt, greeteth (that is weepeth) all the time 'in a place where no beast can come the pot-hooks are in motion. , near it; and they pretend to find next "Between the towns of Aten and , morning, in the a~hes, the print of the Newton, near the foot of Hosberrye , foot of the person in the family who Topping'e, there is a well dedicated to , shall first die.' St. Oswald. The neig'hbours have an Althou~h the devil can partly trans­ opinion, that a shirt, or shift, taken ofr form himself into a variety of shapes, a sick perSall, and thrown into that he cannot change his cloven foot, ,vhich well, wiII shew whether the person will wiII always mark him under e-very ap­ recover, or die: for if it floated, it de­ pearance. noted the recovery of the party; if it sunk, there remained no hope of their A lJlanuscript in the Cotton Librar!!, life: and to reward the Saint for his marked Julius, F.6, lws tltefollowing intelligence, they tear off a rag of the Superstitions, practised in tlte Lord­ .shirt, and leave it hang'ing on the briars -$ltip of Gasborollglt, in Cleveland, thereabouts; 'where,' says the writer, Yodcshi1'e: ,I have seene such numbers, as might , have made a fayre rheme in a paper " ANYOne whistling, after it is dark, 'myII.' These wells, called Rag-wells, or day-light i13 closed, must go thrice were formerly not uncommon. Some­ about the house, by way of penance. thing like them is mentioned by Mr. How this whistling becomes criminal, Hanway, in his Travels in Persia, '-01. i. is not said. p. 177; where he says, ' After ten days " When anyone dieth, certain wo­ , journey, we arrived at a desolate car­ men sing a song to the dead body, 'ravansera, where we found nothing reciting the journey that the party , but water. I observed a treo with a deceased must g·o. , number of rags tied to the branches: " They esteem it necessary to give, , these were so many charms, which once in their lives, a pair of new shoes , passengers coming' from Ghilan, a pro­ to a poor person; believing that, after , vince remarkable for ag'ues, had left their decease, they shall be obliged to , there, in a fond expectation of leav­ pass hare-foot over a great space of , ing this disease also on the same spot.' ground, orheath, overgrown with thorns The Heverend 1"11'. Brand, in his inge­ and furzes; unless, by such gift, they nious Annotations on Boume's Popu­ have redeemed this obligation; in which lar Antiquities, mentions a well of this case, when they come to the edge of kind, at Benton, in the neighboUl'hood this heath, an old man will meet them, of Newcastle. Mr. Pennant tells us with the :;elf·same pair of shoes they of two in Scotland: these were visited for 124 POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS; for many distempers, where the offer­ tionless, insomuch that they couTdnot ings were small pieces of money, and stir, any more than if they were dead ~ lJits of rags. secondly, that it was the haud of a " The fishermen every ~'ear change hanged nlan;, and thirdly, that it must their companions, for luck's sake. Ou be prepared in the manner following: St. Peter's day they new paint their "Take the hand,Jeft or right"ofa per­ boats, and give a treat to their friends son hanged, and exposed on the high;" and neighbours; at which they sprinkle way; wrap it up in a piece ofa shroud, their boa,ts with ale, observing certaiu, 01' winding sheet, in which let it be well ceremomes. squeezed, to get out any small quantity " The seventh son of a seventh SOIl is of blood that may have remained in it; born a physician;' having an intuitive then put it into an earthen vessel, with knowledge of the art of curing all dis;' zimat,. saltpetl'e, salt, and long pepper, orders, and sometimes the faculty of the whole well powdered;: leave it performing wonderful: cures by touch­ fifteen days in that vessel ;. afterwards ing only." take it out,. and expose it to the noon­ To conclude this atticle, and my tide sun in the dog days,. till it is book, I shall transcribe a foreign piece thoroughly dry;:: and if the sun is not of Superstition, firmly believed in many sufficient, put it into an. oven lleated parts of France, Germany, and Spain. with fern and ven'ain :. then compose no The account of it, and· the mode of kind of candle with tllei'at of a hanged preparation, appears to have been given. man, virgin wax, and sisame of Lap­ by a judge:- in the latter, there is a Iand. TheHand of Glory is used as a striking resemblance to the charm in candlestick to hold this candle, when Macbeth. lighted. Its properties are, that where­ soever anyone goes with, this dreadful OJ. the Hand of Glory., 'Which is made instrument,. the persons to whom it is 1lse of by housebreakers,. to en(er into presentedwiH be deprived of aU power llOllses at nigltt, without fear of oppo~ of motion; 'Oil'. being asked if there· sition. was no remedy, or antidote, to coun­ .. I acknowledge that I never tried tel'act this charm, they said the Hand the secret of the Hand of Glory, but of Glory would cease to take effect, I have thrice assisted at the definitive and thieves could not make use of it,. judgment of cel'tain criminals, who,. ifthe threshold of the door of the house, under the torture, confessed having and other places by which they might used it. Being asked what it was, enter, were anointed with an unguent how they procured it, and what wel'e composed of the gall of a black cat, its uses and properties?---they answer­ the fat of a white hen, and the blood ed ; first, that the use of the Hand of of a screech owl, which mixture mllst Glory was to stupify' those to whom it necessarily be prepared during the dog was presented, and to render them mo- days.

THE END.

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