Seest thou yon tall ROCKS where, midst sunny light beaming, Seest thou yonder VALLEY where gushes the fountain; Hearest thou the blue ring-dove in yonder tree cooing; Yet ever to pleasure such notes will belong! And this is the VALLEY OF NIGHTINGALES ;-listen To those full-swelling sounds, with those pauses between, Seest thou yon proud ship on the stream adown sailing, The rocks now re-echo the songs of the sailor As he cheerfully bounds on his watery way; But the maiden!-ah! what shall that echo avail her, Behold her all breathless, still gazing, pursuing, And waving, at times, with her white hand adieu; Dost thou see yon flush'd HECTIC, of health poor remainder, With a dark hollow eye, and a thin sunken cheek; While AFFECTION hangs o'er him with thoughts that have pained her, Yes, FRIENDSHIPS! AFFECTIONS! ye ties the most tender! To that tyrant remorseless-all, all must surrender! Now the sun, o'er the earth, rides in glory uncloud And this is the valley of nightingales ;-listen To those full-swelling sounds, with those pauses between, Where the bright waving shrubs, midst the pale hazels, glisten, 'There oft may a troop of the songsters be seen. The hot wells are, unfortunately, too often the last resor" of the consumptive. + A promising youth who died some years since at Berbice. Harvest Home at Hawkesbury on Cotswold. The last in-gathering of the crop HARVEST-HOME is the great August festival of the country. VUL II.--89. An account of this universal merrymaking may commence with a communi cation from a lady, which the engraving graceful a stock, I ascertained two or is designed to illustrate. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Westbury, Wiltshire, August 8, 1826. Sir, The journal from whence I extract the following scene was written nearly two years ago, during a delightful excursion I made in company with one near and dear," and consequently before your praiseworthy endeavours to perpetuate old customs had been made public. Had my journey taken place during the present harvest month, the trifle I now send should have been better worth your perusal, for I would have investigated for your satisfaction a local custom, that to me was sufficiently delightful in a passing glance. I am, Sir, &c. I. J. T. HAWKESBURY HARVEST HOME. September, 1824.-After dinner, at Wotton-under-edge, we toiled up the side and then struck off again towards the middle of the hills, leaving all beauty in the rear; and from thence, until our arrival at Bath the next day, nothing is worth recording, but one little pleasing incident, which was the celebration of a harvest-home, at the village of Hawkesbury, on the top of Cotswold. As we approached the isolated hamlet, we were "aware" of a Maypole that unsophisticated trophy of innocence, gaiety, and plenty; and as we drew near, saw that it was decorated with flowers and ribands fluttering in the evening breeze. Under it stood a waggon with its full complement of men, women, children, flowers, and corn; and a handsome team of horses tranquilly enjoying their share of the finery and revelry of the scene; for scarlet bows and sunflowers had been lavished on their winkers with no niggard hand. On the first horse sat a damsel, no doubt intending to represent Ceres; she had on, of course, a white dress and straw bonnet-for could Ceres or any other goddess appear in a rural English festival in any other costume? A broad yellow sash encompassed a waist that evinced a glorious and enormous contempt for classical proportion and modern folly in its elaborate dimensions. During the rapid and cordial glance that I gave this questionable scion of so three circumstances-that she was goodnatured, that she enjoyed the scene as a downright English joke, and that she had the most beautiful set of teeth I ever beheld. What a stigma on all toothdoctors, tooth-powders, and tooth-brushes. this simple festival, and I felt my heart There was something very affecting in heave, and that the fields looked indis tinct for some minutes after we had lost sight of its primitive appearance; however it may now, I thought, be considered by the performers as a good joke," it had its origin, doubtless, in some of the very finest feelings that can adorn humanity-hospitality, sociality, happiness, contentment, piety, and gratitude. Our fair correspondent adds : P. S.-Intelligence could surely be obtained from the spot, or the neighbourhood, of the manner of celebrating the festival; it is probably peculiar to the range of the Cotswold; and a more elaborate account of so interesting a custom would, doubtless, be valuable to yourself, sir, as well as to your numerous readers. I can only regret that my ability does not equal my will, on this or any other subject, that would forward your views in publishing your admirable Every-Day Book. The editor inserts this hint to his readers in the neighbourhood of Cotswold, with a hope that it will induce them to oblige him with particulars of what is passing under their eyes at this season every day. He repeats that accounts of these, or any other customs in any part of the kingdom, will be especially acceptable. Another correspondent has obligingly complied with an often expressed desire on this subject. HARVESTING ON SUNDAY. London, August 4, 1826. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,-As you request, on the wrapper of your last part, communications, &c., respecting harvest, I send you the following case of a very singular nature, that came before the synod of Glasgow and Ayr. In the harvest of 1807, there was a great deal of wet weather. At the end of one of the weeks it brightened up, and a drying wind prepared the corn for being housed. The rev. Mr. Wright, minister of Mayhole, at the conclusion of the forenoon service on the following sabbath-day, stated to his congregation, that he conceived the favourable change of the weather might be made use of to save the harvest on that day, without violating the sabbath. Several of his parishioners availed themselves of their pastor's advice. At the next meeting of presbytery, however, one of his reverend brethren thought proper to denounce him, as having violated the fourth commandment; and a solemn inquiry was accordingly voted by a majority of the presbytery. Against this resolution, a complaint and appeal were made to the synod at the last meeting. Very able pleadings were made on both sides, after which it was moved and seconded, "That the synod should find that the presbytery of Ayr have acted in this manner, in a precipitate and informal manner, and that their sentence ought to be reversed." It was also moved and seconded, "That the synod find the presbytery of Ayr have acted properly, and that it should be remitted to them to take such further steps in this business as they may judge best." After reasoning at considerable length, the synod, without a vote, agreed to set aside the whole proceedings of the presbytery in this business.* This subject reminds me of the following verses to urge the use of " the time present." DELAYS. By Robert Southwell, 1595. Fly their fault, lest thou repent thee; Sober speed is wisdom's leisure. Take thou hold upon his forehead; And behind his scalp is naked. Your obliged and constant reader, * Literary Panorama, 1807. We are informed on the authority of Macrobius, that among the heathens, the masters of families, when they had got in their harvest, were wont to feast with their servants, who had laboured for them in tilling the ground. In exact conformity to this, it is common among Christians, when the fruits of the earth are gathered in, and laid in their proper repositories, to provide a plentiful supper for the harvest men and the servants of the family. At this entertainment, all are in the modern revolutionary idea of the word, perfectly equal. Here is no distinction of persons, but master and servant sit at the same table, converse freely together, and spend the remainder of the night in dancing, singing, &c., in the most easy familiarity. Bourne thinks the origin of both these customs is Jewish, and cites Hospinian, who tells us that the heathens copied after this custom of the Jews, and at the end of their harvest, offered up their firstfruits to the gods, for the Jews rejoiced and feasted at the getting in of the harvest. This festivity is undoubtedly of the most remote antiquity. That men in all nations, where agriculture flourished, should have expressed their joy on this occasion by some outward ceremonies, has its foundation in the nature of things. Sowing is hope; reaping, fruition of the expected good. To the husbandman, whom the fear of wet, blights, &c. had harrassed with great anxiety, the completion of his wishes could not fail of imparting an enviable feeling of delight. Festivity is but the reflex of inward joy, and it could hardly fail of being produced on this oc casion, which is a temporary suspension of every care.* If he be of able body, he commonly leads the swarth in reaping and mowing. It is customary to give gloves to reapers, especially where the wheat is thistly. As to crying a Largess, they need not be reminded of it in these our days, whatever they were in our author's time." Stevenson, in his "Twelve Moneths," 1661, mentions under August, that "the furmenty pot welcomes home the harvest cart, and the garland of flowers crowns the captain of the reapers; the battle of the field is now stoutly fought. The pipe and the tabor are now busily set a-work, and the lad and the lass will have no lead on their heels. O! 'tis the merry time wherein honest neighbours make good cheer; and God is glorified in his blessings on the earth." THE HOCK CART, OR HARVEST HOME. Come sons of summer, by whose toile And bacon, which makes full the meale; And here all-tempting frumentie. And for to make the merrie cheere If smirking wine be wanting here, Which freely drink to your Lord's health, Hoacky is brought Home with hallowin, Boys with plumb-cake The cart following. Herrick. Poor Robin, 1676. Mr. Brand says," the respect shown to servants at this season, seems to have sprung from a grateful sense of their good services. Every thing depends at this juncture on their labour and despatch. Vacina, (or Vacuna, so called as it is said à vacando, the tutelar deity, as it were, of rest and ease,) among the ancients, was the name of the goddess to whom rustics sacrificed at the conclusion of harvest. Mo-esin tells us, that popery, in imitation of this, brings home her chaplets of corn, whick she suspends on poles, that offerings are made on the altars of her tutelar gods, while thanks are returned for the collected ture ease and rest. stores, and prayers are made for fuImages too of straw or stubble, he adds, are wont to be carried about on this occasion; and that in England he himself saw the rustics bringing home in a cart, a figure made of corn, round which men and women were singing promiscuously, preceded by a drum or piper." The same collector acquaints us that Newton, in his "Tryall of a Man's owne Selfe," (12mo. London, 1602,) under breaches of the second commandment, "the adorning with garlands, or presenting unto any image of any saint, whom thou hast made speciall choice of to be thy patron and advocate, the first censures There's that which drowns all care, stout lings of thy increase, as corne and graine, beere, and other oblations.' |