neglected the protecting the "Woolcombers." Since the introduction of machinery, by Arkwright and others, very little cloth is manufactured by hand. The woolcomber's greasy and oily wooden horse, the hobby of his livelihood, with the long teeth and pair of cards, are rarely seen. When scribblers, carders, billies, and spinning jennies, came into use, the wheel no longer turned at the cottage door, but a revolution among the working classes gave occasion for soldiers to protect the mills-time, however, has ended this strife with wool, and begun another with cotton 246. "Pancake Day." It is a sine qua non at "Tedbury Mop," before a maid servant is wholly qualified for the farmer's kitchen, that she make apple fritters, and toss them without soot, or spoiling the batter. 348. "Sadler's Wells." It closed this season (1826) with a real benefit for Mrs. Fitzwilliam, October 2d. The new feature has been the horse-racing, in the open air, represented as at Newmarket. Boards were erected on every side, to conceal the race from the public in general, and ensure novelty to the play-going folks in particular. To give publicity to this amusement, the high-mettled racers, with riders, flags and bugles, in proper costume, paraded the environs daily, and distributed bills descriptive of cups, plate, bets, and other taking articles of jockeyship, which took place at evening. The thing did not take so much money as wished. 361. "St. Patrick's Day" being my natal day, though not of Erin's clime, I never fail dedicating a large plum pudding to his saintship; round my table the "olive branches" spread, and I make this record to encourage all persons to do the same, in remembrance of their parent's solicitude, and the prospective harmony of the young. 402. "Good Friday." The bun so fashionable, called the Sally Lunn, originated with a young woman of that name in Bath, about thirty years ago. She first cried them, in a basket with a white cloth over it, morning and evening. Dalmer, a respectable baker and musician, noticed her, bought her business, and made a song, and set it to music in behalf of "Sally Lunn." This composition became the street favourite, barrows were made to distribute the nice cakes, Dalmer profited thereby, and retired; and, to this day, the Sally Lunn cake, not unlike the hotcross bun in flavour, claims preeminence in all the cities in England. 423. "Lifting" is a custom practised with hurdles among shepherds, in the South Downs, at their marriages. The bride and bridegroom are carried round a flock of sheep; a fleece is put for their seat, and may-horns, made of the rind of the sycamore tree, are played by boys and girls. There is another sort of " lifting," however; I have seen a tale-bearer in the village tossed in a blanket by the maids, as it is represented in " Don Giovanni in London," a scene in the King's Bench. I am, Sir, Your's sincerely, MEMORANDA II. JEHOIADA. On Vol. I. of the Every-Day Book. Franklin says, 'farthings will amount to pounds : So memorandums saved, will books produce. Videlicit. 507. "The Martin." It is considered a presage of good, for this bird to build its nest in the corner of the bedroomwindow; and particularly so, should the first inhabitants return in the season. I know it to be true, that a pair of martins built their nest in the curtains of a bed belonging to Mrs. Overton, of Loverrall, Yorkshire. The nest was suffered to remain unmolested, and access given to it from the air. Six successive seasons the old birds revisited their chosen spot, brought forth their young, and enjoyed their peace, till the death of their most kind benefactress; when a distribution of the furniture taking place, it dislodged the tenants of the wing, which to each of them was not all Mihi Beati Martini— "My eye, Betty Martin." 570. "Milkmaids' garland." After I had sailed up the river Wye, and arrived at Chepstow-castle, my attention was arrested by one of the prettiest processions I remember to have enjoyed. It consisted of milkmaids dancing and serenading round an old man, whose few gray hairs were crowned by a wreath of wild flowers; he held a blossomy hawthorn in his right hand, and bore a staff, with cowslips and bluebells, in his left. A cow's horn hung across his shoulders, which he blew on arriving at a house. The youths and lasses were more than thirty in number. Their arms, and heads and necks, were surrounded by clusters of lilies of the valley, and wild roses. Then came an apple-cheeked dame with a lowcrowned, broad-brim hat; she wore speetacles, mittens were drawn up to her elbows, her waist trim, a woollen apron bound it, her petticoat short, blue worsted stockings, a high-heeled pair of shoes with silver buckles, and a broad tongue reposing on each instep. In one hand she held a brass kettle, newly scoured, it was full of cream; in the other, a basket of wood strawberries. To whoever came up to her with a saucer or basin, she gave a portion of her cream and fruit, with the trimmest curtsey I ever saw made by a dainty milkwoman betwixt earth and sky. She was "Aunt Nelly," and her "Bough Bearer," called "Uncle Ambrose," was known for singing a song," "Twas on one moonshiny night," which his defective pronunciation lisped meaun sheeiney." Ambrose strummed an instrument in his turn, partly harp, and partly hirdy-girdy. Six goats, harnessed in flowers, carried utensils in milking and butter making; and the farmer of the party rode on a bull, also tastily dressed with the produce of the fields and hedges. A cheese and a hatchet were suspended behind him, and he looked proudly as he guided the docile animal to the public-house, into which the milkmaids and their sweethearts went, quickened in their motions by the cat-gut, which made stirring sounds up stairs. The flowery flag was thrust upwardly into the street, facing the iron bridge; and, getting again into the fisherman's boat, I sailed and loitered down the banks of the river, charmed with what I had seen, felt, and understood. Of the milkmaids, Miss Thomas of Landcote was the darkest, the neatest, and the tallest-she stood only five feet, ten inches high. 692. "Kiss in the ring." The kissing crust' is that part of the loaf which is slightly burnt, and parted from the next loaf: hungry children who go home from the baker's, know best what it is, by the sly bits they filch from that part denominated the kissing crust.' 6 . 807. "Buy a Broom!" Since Bishop harmonised this popular cry, the Flemish girls cry Buy a brush?' but a greater novelty has arisen in some of them singing glees, quartets, and quintets in the streets. The tune is unconcordant, slow, and grave; these warblers walk in a line down the centre, with their hands crossed before their stomachs. Their simple attitude, together with their sunny cast, and artless glance, render them objects of pity; but the pence fall not so plentily to them as to the real John Bull, straightforward songs of the young weavers that go about with the model of a loom in work, fixed to the top of a rod five feet high, 839. "French pulpit." The pulpit at Union Chapel, Islington, is made of beautiful grained "Honduras mahogany;" and that of St. Pancras, New-road, of the farfamed "Fairlop oak."-Wesley and Whitefield were contented to emerge in their first career from the hogsheads of a grocer in Moorfields. 858. "Copenhagen-house." This year, the Spanish and Italian refugees have resorted to this house in great numbers, and played many famous matches at ball. Nothing can be more retired than the garden formed into bowers for visitersif the building mania should not recover, age will give the young plantations beauty, pleasure, and effect. Two new roads are made near Copenhagen-house; the one. leading from Kentish-town to Holloway, the other, from the latter to Pentonville. At "the Belvidere" racket is much played, and archery practised at "White Conduit-house." It is gratifying that the labours of the Every-Day Book are not in vain-the "Conduit" spoken of in vol. ii. col. 1203 has undergone repair; it is hoped, it will be enclosed by the proprietors as one of the new relics of venerable antiquity. 1435. "Beadles." The beadle of Camberwell is a lineal descendant of Earl Withrington, of the same name so celebrated in the battle of Chevy Chase. JEHOIADA NATURALISTS' CALENDAR. Mean Temperature... 40 · 25. November 20. Edmund. King and Martyr. OFFENSIVE BARBERS. On the 20th of November, 1746, fiftyone barbers were convicted before the commissioners of excise, and fined in the penalty of twenty pounds each, for having in their custody hair-powder not made • See vol. i. col. .493. of starch, contrary to act of parliament; and, on the 27th of the same month, fortynine other barbers were convicted of the like offence, and fined in the same penalty. ROMAN STATIONS AT PANCRAS AND To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. London. Mr. Lysons, in that work, treats the idea of a camp having been made near this spot as quite conjectural, and remarks, that Dr. Stukely's imagination, in the pursuit of a favourite hypothesis, would sometimes enable him to see more than other antiquaries; leaving the language of conjecture, the Dr. points out the disposition of the troops, and the station of each general's tent, with as much confidence as if he had himself been in the camp. Here was Cæsar's prætorium; here was stationed Mandubrace, king of London; here were the quarters of M. Crassus, the quæstor; here was Cominus; there the Gaulish princes, &c. &c. It is but justice to Dr. Stukely's memory to mention, that this account of Cæsar's camp was not printed in his life-time. As he withheld it from the public, it is probable he was convinced that his imagination had carried him too far, on this subject. Dr. S. remarks, that the vallum thrown up in the civil war was in the fields next the duke of Bedford's : he adds, that it was levelled after the Restoration, and that scarcely a trace of it was (when he wrote) visible, notwithstanding Caesar's camp remained in so perfect a state after an interval of 1800 years. Mr. Lysons does not suppose, that the entrenchment at the Brill was thrown up by the Londoners in 1642, since the name denotes something more ancient; but it certainly appears, by the diurnals published at the time, that entrenchments and ramparts were thrown up in the fields near Pancras-church, during the civil war. He thinks it not improbable, that the moated areas, above-mentioned, near the church, were the sites of the vicarage and rectoryhouse, which are mentioned in a survey of the parish of Pancras circa 1251.1 This is certainly the most probable conclusion, and far superior to the wild chimeras of the learned doctor. I will conclude this slight, and, I am aware, imperfect view of the various opinions, for and against, by observing, that I resided in Somers-town and its neighbourhood for a considerable period; I carefully watched every excavation made for sewers, foundations for houses, chapels, &c., but I never heard of any discoveries having been made. The place lies too low to have even been frequented by the Romans, more especially when the violence of the river of Wells is considered, which must have descended from the hills like a torrent, and have flooded the whole of the neighbourhood of Somers-town, Battle-bridge, &c. I am, Sir, yours, &c. T. A Towards the latter end of the seventeenth century, an entertainment was instituted, on the 22d of November, in commemoration of her, by many of the first rank in the kingdom; which was continued annually for a considerable time A splendid entertainment was provided at Stationers'-hall, which was constantly preceded by a performance of vocal and instrumental music, by the most capital performers. This feast is represented by Mr. Motteux, in 1691, as "one of the genteelest in the world; there are no formalities nor gatherings like as at others, and the appearance there is splendid." The words, which were always an encomium on their patroness, were set by Purcell, Blow, and others of the greatest eminence; and it became the fashion for writers of all ranks to celebrate saint Cecilia. Besides the odes to her by Dryden, and Pope, Addison, and Yalden, employed their talents on this subject. We have also odes to saint Cecilia by Shadwell, D'Urfey, and some still more indifferent poets. It appears by Mr. Motteux, that there were in 1691 " admirable concerts in Charles-street and York-buildings." On the anniversary of St. Cecilia, in 1697, a sermon Bride's church by Dr. Brady, which he published under the title of "Churc. Music Vindicated." The last accoun discovered by Mr. Nichols, of any enter tainment to her memory at Stationershall, is in Mr. Hughes's ode in 1703 The festivity appears to have been also celebrated at Oxford, and to have been continued there longer. There are two odes to St. Cecilia; one, in 1707, composed by Mr. Purcell, the other, in 1708, by Dr. Blow, "both performed at St. Mary-hall, in Oxon, by Mr. Saunders and Mr. Court, assisted by the best voices and bands." Mr. Addison's ode was performed there: in 1699; and he has "a song," without date, on the same occasion.* CECILIAN SOCIETY. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book, The "Cecilian Society," established in 1785 by a few individuals, has continued, to the present day, to meet once a week for rehearsal, and once a fortnight for the public performance of vocal and instrumental music, chiefly sacred, by Handel, occasionally relieved by popular modern composition. This society has been the school of eminent composers and performers: such as Barthelomon, Everett, Purkis, Banner, Busby, Griffin, Russel, Miss Bolton, Jacobs, Miss Gray, and many others; among whom are the brothers, the Mr. Nightingales, so highly esteemed in the musical world for their professional talent, and irreproachable demeanour. The venerable president, Mr. Z. Vincent, is one of the old school of harmonists, and a man of letters. His heart and soul are identified in Handel's oratorios, and his judgment continues unimpaired. A Mr. Edwards is another instance of attachment to the society, he having been a member upwards of twenty years. The great "unity" that has prevailed, and still prevails, in this society, is an example worthy of a niche in the Every-Day Book. Their present performances are held at the "Albion Hall," Moorfields, and well attended by the issue of "tickets." In honour of this day, a grand miscellaneous concert is annually performed; many celebrated professionals attend, and the lovers of harmony never fail of having a high treat. was preached at St. Butler's Chronological Exercises. + See vol. i. col. 1495, Nichols's Sel. Coll. of Poems. |