painter, and by a very rare refinement and delicacy of mind. He was an artist as well as a man of letters. Before his health declined he exhibited several pictures of great promise in the Royal Academy, and among his less ephemeral literary works were "A Cruise upon Wheels," a description of a tour in France; and two novels, "The Bar Sinister and "Strathcairn.' Mr. Collins, who died in his 46th year, married the younger daughter of Charles Dickens. He was the youngest son of the distinguished artist Mr. William Collins, R.A., whose elder son, Mr. Wilkie Collins, has gained such a high place as a novelist.Echo. THE author of "The Teutonic Name System," and "The River Names of Europe," in the above volume, supplies a useful and, at the same time, highly interesting contribution to the etymology of one of our most beautiful and favourite counties. Almost all tourists, of any observation at all, cannot fail to be struck by the constant recurrence of prefixes and terminations in the local geography of the counties to which they resort, the meaning of which must be merely conjectural to almost all except the student of language. Such travellers, who, in a twofold sense, are not averse to reading while they run, and who choose the country of lake and fell, Helvellyn, and Wordsworth for their yearly glimpse of beautiful scenery, can hardly do better than put Mr. Ferguson's concise volume in their knapsacks. The explanatory chapters give a good insight into the formation of the Cumbrian dialect, and effectively point out the various national characteristics which, under Celtic, Scandinavian, Teutonic, and Anglo-Saxon influences, successively made themselves felt, leaving enduring monuments of their sway in the texture of the local language. The general reader, as well as the curious in old word-lore, will find pleasant study for stray half-hours in the glossary, which, be it remarked, possesses the inestimable advantage of being printed in a clear and agreeable type. The derivation of language is in itself a fascinating study, branching out into numerous pleasant and instructive paths. Not the least engrossing feature of its pursuit, is the tracing of words back to an origin scarcely suspected at first sight. But the genuine etymologist, like a keen and resolute detective, unflinchingly perseveres; nor does he rest until he has tracked the fugitive signification to its lair. The spirit of the chase is his, and "joy's soul lies in the doing!" An example of the modifications to which words in their different stages of existence are subject, is found in the word oat, a simpleton or idiot, derived from the Ang.-Sax. alf, Old Norse alfr, Dan. alfe, elf, fairy. "The word," says the author, "originates in the superstitious belief that idiot children are changelings, the originals having been carried away by fairies." A flattering unction, doubtless, to the souls of the parents, but a sorry fate to befall the etymological representatives of Titania's airy court, and all the eerie favourites of our beloved nursery books! Spectacles find an old cognomen in barnacles, which also mean the irons put on the nose of a horse to make him stand quiet." Scrat and scratch come from the Old Norse skratti, a goblin or evil spirit, whence our "Old Scratch doubtless derives his patronymic. " Mr. Ferguson, in this treatise on the Dialect of Cumberland, states his chief aim to be "the etymological analysis of its constituents, with a view to ascertain the position which it occupies as regards the standard language, and as regards the other dialects of Scotland and northern England." In the chapter upon terms found in the names of places, the author remarks: "The tendency among men to call their lands after their own names' is strongly characteristic of the Teutonic race; and in England, as in Germany, a large proportion of the names of places are derived from the names of the men who founded them.' This tendency to call their lands after their own names Mr. Ferguson attributes, to some extent, to a want of imagination less common among the Celtic than the Scandinavian races. The names of villages and districts in Cornwall might be adduced in favour of this theory. "St. Anthony in Roseland," and numbers of almost equally beautiful and picturesque local appellations in this county attest the presence of a population in whom romance and poetry are naturally indigenous. In this chapter, some interesting and suggestive observations on the river names of the district are also to be found. The author remarks with considerable acuteness upon the manner in which the position and characteristics of an invading nation are reflected in the words introduced by the same into the original language. He allots only a small percentage of words traceable to a Celtic origin to the dialect as it at present stands; maintaining that the distinctly Scandinavian character of words indicating ownership of the soil "would seem to prove that it had passed away from the original owners to their northern invaders." The mother-wit of the Celt may be observed in the "many words descriptive of personal peculiarities, more especially with reference to physical character. istics, containing generally something of a ludicrous or sarcastic sense," and apparently of Celtic origin. On the other hand, words relating to mental obtuseness are almost entirely Teutonic. "It is,” says the author, "the race which rules that gives the words expressive of stupidity.' Mr. Ferguson carries these analogies and comparisons still further into detail. To the speculative and curious in such matters, his suggestions and deductions cannot fail to be extremely interesting. Though we should have liked to quote still further from the author, limited space compels us to refer the reader to the book itself; and, as the style in which it is written is clear and the arrangement of material systematic, we can promise those who may peruse it a few hours profitably and agreeably spent. Answers to Correspondents. T. T. R.-Miles Coverdale, the translator of the Bible, was Bishop of Exeter from 1551 till his deprivation by Queen Mary. After Mary's death, he held, for a short time, a rectory in London. L. H.-"The Miller and his Men" was written by Isaac Pocock, a native of Bristol, who achieved some celebrity both as a painter and dramatist. R. D. S.-Flora Macdonald, who assisted the young Pretender, Prince Charles Edward, in making his escape from his pursuers, died in 1790. A. Holles.-The dagger with which Sir W. Walworth slew Wat Tyler is preserved in Fishmongers' Hall. R. A. Abdy.-The proceedings of the British Archæological Association are published quarterly to members, and in an occasional volume for the public, at 15s. each, entitled "Collectanea Archæologia." H. Somers. You will find the descent of the family of Gladstone from Henry III., King of England, and Robert Bruce, King of Scot land, set forth in Burke's "Royal Descents." T. T. R.-The "Fair Geraldine" of the poet Surrey, was Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald, daughter of Gerald, ninth Earl of Kildare. X. (Windsor).-The best account of Fuller, the eminent historian, will be found in "Memorials of the Life and Works of Thomas Fuller," by the Rev. A. T. Russell. A. H. W-The earliest authentic notice of Robin Hood is in the "Vision of Piers Ploughman," a poem written about the middle of the fourteenth century. J. S. T.-It is the woods of Dynevor, Carmarthenshire, that Spenser has made the scene of his imaginary cave of Merlin. T. T. S (Bolton).-The lines you allude to have reference to Sir Rauf de Assheton, one of the feudal lords of Ashton-under-Lyne, living in the thirteenth century. They are as follows:Sweet Jesu, for thy mercy's sake, And for thy bitter passion; Oh, save me from a burning stake, And from Sir Rauf de Assheton." L. A. Redfern.-"Byron's Oak" was planted in 1798, on the occasion of the poet's first arrival at Newstead. B. A.-John, second Earl of Rochester, celebrated for his wit and profligacy, died in 1680. T. Phippen. The "Rival Ladies" was the title of a tragedy written by Dryden. ERRATUM.-By a typographical error, the signature to the reply headed "An Ancient Carol" (see p. 178 ante) was given as L. A. Cairns; it should have been 7. A. Cossins. NOTICES. Correspondents who reply to queries would oblige by referring to the volume and page where such queries are to be found. To omit this gives us unnecessary trouble. A few of our correspondents are slow to comprehend that it is desirable to give not only the reference to the query itself, but that such reference should also include all previous replies. Thus a reply given to a query propounded at page 48, Vol. iii., to which a previous reply had been given at page 20, and another at page 32, requires to be set down (Vol. t. 48, 20, 32). We shall be glad to receive contributions from competent and capable persons accomplished in literature or skilled in archæology, and generally from any intelligent reader who may be in possession of facts, historical or otherwise, likely to be of general interest. To all communications should be affixed the name and address of the sender; not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. Communications for the Editor should be addressed to the Publishing Office, 11, Ave Maria-lane, E.C. LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1873. CONTENTS.-No. 61. THE CASTLES, HALLS, AND MANOR HOUSES OF ENGLAND:-Kneb- THE venerable mansion of Knebworth-sometimes called Knebworth Place-stands on very high ground, about twenty-seven miles from London, and four miles from the town of Stevenage, where there is a station on the Great Northern Railway. The park, though not very extensive, is pleasantly diversified with slopes and lawns, well wooded with stately trees, and contains some of the best deer in the county; several of the avenues date from the time of Elizabeth, and the view of the surrounding country afforded by its lofty situation, particularly towards the east, is just such an one that might well awaken in the mind of the beholder thoughts such as those entertained by Milton when he penned the lines quoted above. From a very early period the property has been in the possession of the Lytton family. The house was long the residence of the late Lord Lytton, the accomplished and popular poet, novelist, dramatist, and orator, of whom it may be truly said that he "touched nothing which he has not adorned." In every way the mansion is worthy of a man of letters and taste. There are pictures, antiquities, treasures of art, and objects of historic interest, and charming grounds, where the author of the "Disowned" might well enjoy the attractions of delightful sylvan scenery, and glades sombre enough for even the teller of the "Strange Story." The village of Knebworth is long and straggling; the cottages are exceedingly neat and rural in appearance, and all provided with gardens. In the centre is a row of almshouses for widows, built and endowed by the late Mrs. Bulwer Lytton, who, whilst casting a watchful eye over those whose duty was in any way connected with her estate or in restoring the princely home of her ancestors, was ever mindful of the interests of her poorer neighbours. Near the entrance to the village, and abutting on the main road, is a picturesque lodge of Gothic architecture, embattled, and profusely overgrown with ivy. This building of which it formed part of the ancient gateway; but was stood originally in front of the quadrangle of the mansion, removed to its present site by Mrs. Bulwer Lytton, mother of the late Lord Lytton, during the alterations she had carried out early in the present century. Over the centre of the gateway is a tablet with the following inscription:This lodge was built to commemorate the ancient gateway, or lodge, which stood in front of Knebworth House, before it was altered, of which this is the representation. The stones of the archway having been numbered, that they might be replaced as before. Erected A.D. 1816, by Mrs. Bulwer Lytton." From the lodge-gate the road winds through the richly-wooded park for about three-quarters of a mile, and, skirting the garden wall, approaches the edifice on its eastern side. The mansion was originally a spacious quadrangular range of brick buildings, surrounding a court, with a square castellated pile in the centre of the principal front, of an earlier period than the other parts of the structure. For many years the building had received little attention from its various owners, being for the most part uninhabited, till, as above stated, Mrs. Bulwer Lytton set herself the task of restoring and renovating the mansion, which she proceeded to do with as much spirit as good taste and judgment. Among the alterations that were effected at this period, was the removal of three sides of the house; the fourth side, which was erected by Sir Robert de Lytton, in the reign of Henry VII., was preserved intact. This portion of the edifice is in the earliest style of Tudor architecture, and in the restoration strict attention was paid to all the minutest details, in order to preserve as far as possible the ancient character of the building. The exterior of the house as it now stands comprises two lofty wings, flanked by highly ornamented turrets, and surmounted with cupolas and gilded vanes. All the win dows are square-headed and divided by stone mullions into small panes, many of which are filled in with stained glass. The east front has a projecting porch, of noble proportions, above which rises a lofty square tower, with a flag turret. The west front, which opens upon the garden, is profusely adorned with carved work, comprising shields with heraldic devices, rebuses, badges, &c. In the centre is a large circular tower, squared towards the basement, with a projecting embayed window, and over the door appears carved in stone the initials of Sir Robert Lytton (R. L.), with the date of its erection, 1499. The garden, which stretches out into the park, is laid out in the fashion which prevailed in the reign of James I., and consists of tasteful parterres, stone-pierced balustrades and statuary, and stiff and straight walks; indeed, to quote the language of one of the old poets, it may be said that "Grove nods to grove, each alley hath its brother, And half the garden just reflects the image of the other." From the north and east sides of the house, stately avenues of limes and chestnut spread out in various directions. The principal apartments are the banqueting-hall, the oak drawing-room, the library, and the great drawing-room, or presence chamber. Passing through the porch the visitor enters a narrow corridor, the walls of which are profusely decorated with armour of different dates, but chiefly of the time of the civil wars. Over the doorway leading to the butteries hangs a crusader's chain-mail, together with a large double-handed sword of the same period. To the left of this corridor is the banquet-hall; it is about 56 feet in length, 24 in breadth, and 30 in height. The ceiling dates from the time of Henry VII., but considerable alterations and additions have been made in it at subsequent periods; the beautiful screen is of the workman- families of Norreys and Robinson in the time of Anne, whilst ship of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and has carved on the armorial bearings upon the frieze show the principal the panels the arms of Sir Rowland Lytton, quartering descents, by alliances, from the Tudors and Plantagenets. those of Booth and Oke, of which families he was heir-male. The walls are mostly in green and gold, depicting the crests, Above the screen is the minstrels' gallery. The richly badges, and mottoes of the family. The chimney-piece of decorated chimney-piece bears upon its panelling a date which denotes that it was constructed in the reign of Charles II., at the time when Inigo Jones had made the Corinthian columns fashionable, but the massive fire-dogs on the ample hearth are of the date of Henry VII., as shown by the supporters of Sir Robert de Lytton, which figure upon them. The oak panels that surround the hall are of the time of Charles I.; these rise to a considerable height, and on the walls above them are carved deers' heads with gigantic antlers. In this hall there are some fine suits of armour of the periods of Henry VII., Henry VIII., and James I., and trophies dating from the time of Elizabeth and Charles I. are suspended between three Gothic pierced windows. One of the doors at the extreme end of the hall led to a spacious cellar raised on arches, to which it was the custom in former ages for the revellers to retire after feasting in the hall, to finish their potations at a bin undisturbed. This vault is the more curious from the fact that there are few houses now remaining with similar constructions. The corresponding door gives access to the_oak_drawing-room. This noble apartment is 36 feet in length, with deep wainscot panelling, and a curiously enriched fire-place rising to the ceiling, ornamented with the arms and supporters of the Lytton family. In the upper compartments of the windows are figured the heraldic achievements of Booth, Godmanstone, and Oke, quarterings brought into the family by the marriage of Sir W. Lytton with the heiress of the Booths, in the reign of Henry VIII. Among the portraits that hang upon the walls of this room, are Elizabeth and Mary Stuart, Cardinal Wolsey, Algernon Sidney, Andrew Marvel, and Galileo; the Duke of Alba and Clara Eugenia, by Rubens; and the Elector Palatine, husband to Elizabeth Stuart. In the oak drawing-room, in the reign of Charles I., the great parliamentary leaders, Pym, Elliott, and Hampden, used to meet to concert their measures; for the Sir William Lytton of that day, who sat in parliament for the county, was their staunch supporter. the great drawing-room is of stone, beautifully carved with Gothic design, gilt and blazoned, and has upon the frieze the following motto:-"A Dieu foy, aulx amys foyer." Among the paintings that adorn the walls of the state apartments, may be mentioned the portraits of the Earl of Strafford and his widow, Lord Darnley, Sir Francis Russell, Sir Robert Cecil (first Lord Salisbury), Sir Philip Sidney (his own gift to Sir Rowland Lytton); the young Duke of Gloucester, son of Charles I.; Marie de Medici, by Tintoretto; and Edward VI., presented by the king to Sir William Lytton. "The Magician's Study," by Rembrandt; a "Magdalene," by Carlo Dolce; a "Madonna," by Galleyo, a pupil of Albert Durer; a "Holy Family," by Albert Durer; "The flight into Egypt," by Nicholas Poussin; "The Dancing Group," by Lancret; an "Oriental Fair;" a "Battle-piece," by Wouvermans; and "Acis and Galatea,” by Salvator Rosa. Many relics of the olden time are preserved here, which, with the furniture and decorations, impart to the rooms a marked air of antiquity. Of these may be remarked two tables in ivory and ebony, and also a curious oak cabinet of the time of Henry VIII.; two cabinets in oak and gold, of that of Henry VII.; a Venetian cabinet, exquisitely wrought in tortoiseshell and silver ; sets of chairs covered with the old Genoese cloth of gold, and ebony tables of the time of Elizabeth. The rooms also contain some fine specimens of sculpture on marble pedestals, by Canova, Thorwaldsen, and Gibson; of the latter is the statue of "Flora," which was presented by the artist to Lord Lytton. At the end of the great drawing-room, forming the termination of this suite of rooms, there is a magnificent stained glass window, upon which is painted a full length portrait of Henry VII., together with the following inscription : King Henry the VII., to whose blood are akin the heirs of Sir Robert de Lytton, of Knebworth, K.B., Privy Councillor and Keeper of the Great Wardrobe, A.D. 1508; 1st, by Margaret Beauchamp, from whom descended Anne St. John, wife of Sir Rowland Lytton, temp. Elizabeth. 2nd, by Anne, sister of Sir Owen Tudor, and wife of Sir William Norreys, temp. Henry VII., from whom descended William Robinson Lytton, temp. Anne." The library, which is entered from the drawing-room, is a spacious apartment, and has a fine deep-set oriel window, overlooking the garden. The book-cases entirely line the room; they are of dark oak, elaborately carved, Returning to the great hall, the visitor passes up the other surmounted by the Cornish chough-the crest of the Norreys. flight of stairs to the lobby communicating with the minThe chimney-piece is of carved stone, emblazoned with the strels' gallery, and with the round tower chamber. The arms of Stanley, Robinson, Grosvenor, Beaufort, St. John, and walls of this latter apartment are covered with embossed Lytton, whilst the windows are enriched with the armorial leather, white and gold, and contains portraits of Madame bearings of the joint descents of the families of Robinson Du Barri, mistress to Louis XV., Viscountess Falkland, and Lytton. A double flight of oak stairs leads to the state- daughter of Sir Rowland Lytton, and one or two others. rooms, the carved balustrades of which are ornamented with From the music gallery a corridor leads to the principal lions supporting shields with heraldic devices. The long sleeping appartments, which are, for the most part, furnished mullioned windows, which light this part of the house, are and decorated in character with the rest of the house. The filled with richly stained glass, and upon the walls hang room called the Falkland chamber is furnished in the style trophies of armour, banners, family portraits, and other pictures. prevalent in the time of Charles II., and has three beauAscending the right hand flight of stairs, the visitor passes tiful family portraits of that date, namely, Elizabeth, through an elaborately carved screen into the lobby, which daughter of Sir William Lytton, wife of W. Windham, of opens into the state apartments. These are four in number. Felbrigge, Norfolk; Judith, another daughter, married to The first is a small square room, richly ornamented; the Sir Nicholas Strode; Dorothy, wife of Sir Francis Barring walls are covered with gilt stamped leather in high preserva-ton; and the fourth, Margaret, wife of Viscount Hewyt. tion; the woodwork is in panels, curiously carved with There is also a half-length portrait of Charles II. hanging representations of the Cardinal Virtues, and upon the ceiling over the chimney-piece. Another room bears the name of are painted the armorial bearings of the Lyttons. The next Hampden, from the family tradition that the illustrious John room is long but somewhat narrow, and is hung with rich Hampden once slept here; and from this apartment the tapestry, glittering with bugles. Folding doors open from passage leads to a room known as Queen Elizabeth's bedthis room into the oval room, and thence again into the chamber. This room is hung with antique tapestry, and principal drawing-room, formerly called the "presence contains an elaborately carved oaken bedstead, stated to chamber." The whole of these rooms are most magnifi- have been occupied by her majesty during her stay at Kneb cently decorated; the ceilings and windows contain about worth at the time of the Armada. The chimney-piece in ninety different quarterings, brought in through the ancient this room has been restored, and has upon it this inscription: -"Hic anno devictis armis Hispan, memorabili requievit Elizabetha, R.A., 1588." Adjoining this is the room occupied by Mrs. Bulwer Lytton, and which is now called after her. This is entirely modern, and forms a striking contrast to the rooms above described. The walls are of wainscot, panelled in white and gold, and are hung with drawings and paintings executed by herself; and also some portraits of her own immediate family: her three sons, her mother, &c. On the chimneypiece is the following inscription :-"This room, long occupied by Elizabeth Bulwer Lytton, and containing the relics most associated with her memory, her son trusts that her descendants will preserve unaltered. Liberis Virtutis exemplar.'" About one hundred yards from the house, and within the park, stands the venerable church of Knebworth. In the Lytton chapel are some very costly and elaborate marble monuments to several members of the family, surrounded by faded banners, and three crested helmets of some of the old line of the Lyttons, which have been pronounced the "finest and rarest specimens seen in England." Near the church is the family mausoleum erected by Mrs. Bulwer Lytton. In Sir Bernard Burke's "Visitation of Seats," we read that Knebworth appears to have been a fortress at a very early period, and that it was held as such by Eudo Dapifer at the time of the Conquest. From those early times to the present, the estate of Knebworth, important in itself, has received a yet deeper interest from the names of its many illustrious possessors. In the reign of Edward I. it was held by Robert de Hoo, and in that of Edward II. it had passed into the hands of Thomas de Brotherton, fifth son of Edward I. Its next owner was Sir Walter Manny, who became possessed of Knebworth through marriage with Margaret, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Thomas de Brotherton. On the death of Sir Walter Manny, she continued to hold the property under the title of Duchess of Norfolk. At her decease, it passed to her daughter and heiress, Anne, wife of John de Hastings, Earl of Pembroke. The property was subsequently sold to John Hotoft, treasurer of the household to Henry VI., whose daughter, Idonea, conveyed it in marriage to Sir John Barres, Knt., and at her decease left an only daughter and heiress, Isabel, widow of Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Devonshire, who married, secondly, Sir Thomas Bourchier, Knt. He died in 1490, the sixth year of Henry VII., after which the estate was purchased by Sir Robert de Lytton, of Lytton in the Peak, Derbyshire, a Knight of the Bath, keeper of the great wardrobe, and under treasurer, whose grandfather, Sir Robert de Lytton, had married a daughter of the above named John Hotoft. Sir Robert de Lytton was a man of great note and power in his time, and fought with Henry at the battle of Bosworth Field. He is reported to have held rich lordships in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Herts, and Northamptonshire, and "is mentioned by Perkin Warbeck, in one of his manifestos, as exercising considerable influence in the councils of Henry VII., and was one of the most powerful of that king's supporters in point of possession and descent." Sir Robert de Lytton made Knebworth his principal residence. He had no sooner come into possession of the fort, than he set about enlarging it, changing its character into the elaborate and enriched architecture which the part of the house now standing-and originally constructed by him, still retains. Such of the work as he had begun, but left unfinished, was continued by his successor, William de Lytton, governor of Boulogne Castle. Such, however, was the slow and steady pace of building in those days, that he, too, left the work in an unfinished state; nor was it completed till the reign of Elizabeth, when the finishing touch was put to it by Sir Rowland de Lytton. This gentlemen was lieutenant for the shires of Hertford and Essex, and held many other offices of distinction, including that of captain of the band of gentlemen pensioners; and at the time of the Spanish invasion he was in command of the forces of the above counties at Tilbury Fort. Sir Rowland married Anne, daughter of Oliver, Lord St. John of Bletsoe, and great-grand-daughter of Margaret Beauchamp. By her second marriage with the Duke of Somerset, this Margaret Beauchamp was the grandmother of Henry VII., so that Anne, Lady Lytton, claimed the honour of a blood-relationship with Queen Elizabeth, who favoured Knebworth with several visits during her reign. In the reign of Charles I., Sir William Lytton, knight of the shire for Herts, and an intimate friend of Pym, Elliot, and Hampden, was one of the commissioners appointed to treat with the king at Oxford, but subsequently becoming opposed to Cromwell, was consigned with other refractory members to the place popularly called "Hell-hole.' in one of the towers, now demolished, received that signifi To commemorate this event, an old subterranean chamber cant name. without issue, the estate passed to his cousin, William In the reign of Anne, the heir-male of the Lyttons dying Robinson, Esq., of Gwersylt, Denbighshire, whose greatgrand-daughter, Elizabeth Barbara, daughter and sole heir of Richard Warburton Lytton, Esq., of Knebworth, assumed the name and arms of Lytton on succeeding to the William Earle Bulwer, of Heydon Hall and Wood Dalling, estates of that family. She had married Brigadier-General Norfolk, by whom she had three sons: William Earle Lytton Bulwer, who inherited Heydon Hall; Henry, some time ambassador at Constantinople, late Lord Dalling and Bulwer; and Edward, who succeeded his mother by will, in 1843, and took the name of Lytton. He was created a baronet in 1838, was for some time Secretary of State for the Colonies, and a Privy Councillor, and in 1866 was raised to the peerage with the title of Baron Lytton, of Kneb worth. His lordship died in January, 1873, and is succeeded in the title and estates by his only son, Edward, who has been some time Secretary to the Embassy at Paris. Notes. W. D. CARRYING GARLANDS AT FUNERALS : RURAL CUSTOMS, &c. THIS beautiful rite is still in existence in some of those rural hamlets where ancient customs and traditions are not effaced by matter-of-fact sentiment; or possibly, in most instances, where the giant arms of the railway have not yet penetrated. The custom, sweet in its simplicity, did not escape the notice of that admired American writer, Washington Irving, who, in pathetic language, records many of the simple funeral observances in use among our country folks; lingering relics, as it were, of similar customs valued by the Romans, and extolled by their poets, as shown by Basil Kennett, in Roma Antique Notitia, &c. It is to be deplored, that many tokens of affectionate regret and esteem have become things of the past. The present age, with its revolutionary tendencies, bids fair to sweep away all touching symbols remaining, however dearly prized; confronting therewith cold stern reality, plain unpoetical opinion, backed by the ever-occurring "why" and "wherefore." But is it for the best? Time, the leveller of all distinctions, will, I think, prove negatively. As the subject of all rustic funereal observances has long met with my full sympathy, I intend to show in the present paper, the feelings of some of our poets, breathed through their works, recognizing the prevalency-at the time they wrote-of the customs here considered. In the old poem Corydon's Doleful Knell (verses 5, 6, and 7), a lover thus plaintively records his affection by his loving intentions :— "A garland shall be framed, By art and nature's skill, "Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, I'll stick a branch of willow "And sundry-colour'd ribbands, But chiefly black and yellowe, "I'll deck her tomb with flowers, And with my tears as showers, I'll keepe them fresh and green. Pope thus beautifully expresses the custom :— "Ye gentle muses, leave your crystal spring, In 1790, it was the usual custom in many parts of Eng. land, to carry a garland of flowers before the corpse of a young and unmarried female. Irving, speaking of the custom being observed in his time in some of the remote villages of the south, says-"A chaplet of white flowers is borne before the corpse by a young girl, nearest in age, size, and resemblance, and is afterwards hung up in the church over the accustomed seat of the deceased. These chaplets are sometimes made of white paper, in imitation of flowers, and inside of them is generally a pair of white gloves. They are intended as emblems of the purity of the deceased, and the crown of glory which she has received in heaven." About forty years ago (not later) this rite was observed at Chingford, in Essex; also at the same period in one of the rural villages of Hertfordshire. Gay, our own most pleasing poet, has these words : "To her sweet mem'ry flow'ry garlandst strung, The custom of decorating graves is still observed in a modified form, though once generally prevalent. "Osiers were carefully bent over them, to keep the turf uninjured, and about them were planted evergreens and flowers.We adorn their graves,' says Evelyn in his Sylva, with flowers and redolent plants, just emblems of the life of man, which has been compared in Holy Scriptures to those fading beauties, whose roots being buried in dishonour, rise again in glory.'”—Irving. I have seen several old engravings in which osiers or willow twigs have been thus represented over graves. The white rose was sometimes planted at the grave of a virgin as an emblem of innocence and purity; while the red rose was occasionally used in token of those noted for benevolence. But, as Irving remarks, "roses in general were appropriated to the graves of lovers. Evelyn tells us that the custom was not altogether extinct in his time, near his dwelling in the county of Surrey, where the maidens yearly planted and decked the graves of their "An imitative chaplet Of roses, is suspended o'er her pew." Isle of Wight, a poem by H. Atkins, M.A. + There were also love garlands, consisting of various flowers selected by the giver and arranged to please the eye of the favoured maiden or youth. Our pastoral poetry contains many allusions to this subject The following example is very pretty "I'll make a strawy garland, I'll make it wondrous fine, And I'll present it to my love when he returns from sea, For further examples, consult among others, the works of Dryden, defunct sweethearts with rose-bushes.' And Camden likewise remarks in his Britannia, 'Here is also a certain custom, observed time out of mind, of planting rose-trees upon the graves, especially by the young men and maids who have lost their loves, so that this churchyard is now full of them."" Rose-bushes may now occasionally be seen in some of our village church-yards; but I do not think the old custom regarding their being exclusively devoted to those "who have lost their loves," is now considered; as instances can be given, in which aged parents, and relatives, have been thus honoured. Great care is now generally bestowed in adorning the graves of children. The loving hand of a fond mother may be distinctly traced in their adornment, showing the lingering affection to the little one now in Heaven. In Waltham Abbey Cemetery, many of the little mounds are made flat upon the top-the sides backed with turf-upon which pretty and simple flowers are grown, bordered with mignonette, etc., with, perhaps, a shell placed at head and foot, making quite a pretty and fragrant scene, recalling to mind Shakespeare's beautiful expression"And from her fair and unpolluted flesh May violets spring!"- Hamlet, Act v., s. I. At other graves may be seen the bay-tree, and other mournful emblems of sorrow; but these are common to most places of interment. The cypress tree, yew, and willow have long borne melancholy associations with them as emblems of profound sorrow. It was the custom of the Romans to put up some sign which betokened that the house was in mourning. "This was done by fixing branches of cypress or pitch-tree near the entrance, neither of which trees being once cut down ever revive, and have on that account been thought proper emblems of a funeral."* It has been said that the cypress and yew were formerly only planted or strewn over the graves of those persons who had been particularly unhappy in their loves or lives; and in poems by Stanley (pub. 1651) occurs the following: "Yet strew Upon my dismall grave, Such offerings as you have, Forsaken cypresse and sad yewe; For kinder flowers can take no birth Or growth from such unhappy earth." But these trees were not always planted as denoting unhappiness in the lives of those commemorated, but, as now, according to fancy. Many of our poets treat of the yew and Cypress, and mostly with sadness. Ogilvie speaks of "Sorrow's cypress bough," and Carter of "Yon dark grove of and in a pastoral ballad by Rowe, a despairing shepherd mournful yews." Mickle observes the " weeping yews; sighs thus: "If, while my hard fate I sustain, In her breast any pity is found, Is to shade me with cypress and yew; The yew is mentioned by Kirke White in mournful tones and also by several other writers. The willow is used as a refrain by some of our old writers, to give by its sadden ing memories a mournful tendency to the subject. Shakes peare's Desdemona sings of the willow garland,† and the old song from which it is said Shakespeare's was taken, must be noted. The last verse runs thus: "Farewell, faire false-hearted: plaints end with my breath! Thou dost loath me, I love thee, though cause of my death. O willow, willow, willow! Sing, O the green willow shall be my garland! * Kennet, Rom. Antiq. Not. quoting Pliny, lib. 16, c. 33, and Servius ad. En.. 4. + Othello, Act iv., s. 3. |