Fair," and is holden the Friday before Careing Sunday, which is the Sunday fortnight before Easter,—and the remembrance of that Sunday, which governs this Fair, and others in Lent, is also preserved in another common saying in the North, of

"Tid, Mid, Misera,

Carling, Palm, and Paste-Egg day."

66

This saying is thus explained, — the "Tid, Mid, Misera," being corruptions of the old Latin service Te Deum, Mi Deus, Miserere Mei, Carling, and Palm," as already elucidated, — and 'Paste-Egg day," allusive to the Paschal Eggs, which are presented on Easter Day, being prettily stained of various colours, 52

66

Gilt or coloured Eggs were considered by the Romish Church to be emblematical of the Resurrection, and were accordingly given away at this season.

The old appellation of " Care Sunday" is commemorated in the Will of WILLIAM

62

52 Brady's Clavis Calendaria, vol. i. p. 261.

HAWKES, dated in 1631, in which he desires that, out of the rents of certain lands, 13s. 4d. shall be yearly given, for ever, to the Minister who shall preach two Sermons, the one upon Care Sunday in the afternoon, and the other upon Palm Sunday, in the afternoon, within the Parish Church of St. Mary's, in the City of Lichfield.53

WHITTLE-GATE.

Before the close of the Fourteenth Century, and before the ancient Family of FURNIVAL (to whom the town of Sheffield is so largely indebted) had become extinct, the artificers of Sheffield had obtained a certain reputation for Cutlery, which still continues to be regarded as the staple manufacture of the place. For thus writes our venerable old Poet, CHAUCER, when describing the accoutrements and appearance of a Miller in the days of King EDWARD the Third,—

"A Shefeld thwitel bare he in his hose,

"Round was his face, and camuse was his nose.” The Reve's Tale.

A thwittel or whittle, a word not quite gone out of use, was a Knife, such as was carried about the person so late as the time of King CHARLES the First by those, whose quality did not entitle them to the distinction of a Sword.54

SHAKESPEARE also introduces it,

" for myself,

There's not a whittle in the unruly camp,

But I do prize it at my love, before
The reverend'st throat in Athens.”

Timon of Athens.

There was an ancient custom at Setmurthey and other places, in Cumberland, which was very characteristic of the simplicity of former times, called "The Whittle-Gate,"—this was the maintenance of the Schoolmaster for a certain number of weeks by each of the inhabitants, in part payment of his Salary for the education

54 Hunter's Hallamshire, p. 41.

of their children.55 This mode of maintenance has long been disused here. But it is not wholly obsolete in Westmorland.

COCK-PENNIES, AND HAT MONEY.

The Cock-Fightings, and Cock-Throwings, in England, which, much to the credit of the present generation, have been gradually sinking into disuse, were formerly general throughout the Kingdom, and their decline is to be attributed, in some measure, to the vigilance of our Magistrates, who have refused Licenses to those Publicans who promoted assemblages of persons for such cowardly and cruel diversions, and still more, it is to be hoped, to the increased morality of the people.56

The boys at school now throw at a wooden, instead of a living Cock,—and

55 Rep. v. p. 53.

56

Brady's Clavis Calendaria, vol. i. p.212.

near the Metropolis, even the vulgar have long disused this brutal custom, substituting in it's stead, oranges, tobaccoboxes, and other articles, placed upon sticks, all of which, out of compliment to the original, are denominated“ Cocks,” and, as such, are thrown at with bludgeons, by those who are tempted to strive for their possession.57

A gratuity, called a "Cock-Penny," is now presented at Shrove-tide to the Masters of several of the Northern Schools,partly in lieu of their providing Cocks for that disgraceful practice, and partly from the improved rents of the School estates. At the time that Cock-Pennies used to be paid to the Master of Crosthwaite, there was a Cock-fight close to the school, when a great scene of confusion took place, attended with injury to the premises. The cock-fight and the payment of the CockPenny were both abolished, when the rent of the school land increased, so as to

57 Brady's Clavis Calend. vol. i. p. 220.