LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1873. CONTENTS.-No. 45. REPLIES:-Lord Justice Selwyn, 20-Chaff-Roger of that Ilk REPLIES TO QUERIES AB EXTRA:-Pennytersan, Cunstone, &c., 22 Surnames-Owen. FACTS AND JOTTINGS, 23. PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES, 24. NOTICES OF Books, 24. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS, 24. Miscellanea. SCRAPS OF BELL ARCHEOLOGY. III. But the interest which belongs to this bell lies not so much in its antiquity, for there are many bells in existence as old as the sixteenth or even the fifteenth century, but in the antiquarian problem which the first few letters of the MISCELLANEA-Scraps of Bell Archaeology, 13-Narrative of the ur? To increase the difficulty of solution there is a little inscription presents. In fact, who was is de Barmig et Shipwreck of William Duncan, 14-Lockit Buik of the Burgesses indistinctness in the first letter which has caused it to be of Dundee, 15. NOTES:-Fly-leaf Scraps, 16-Unpublished Letter of Lord Brougtaken by some for a t, and by others for an i. It would ham-Prince of Wales Heraldry-Amy Robsart's Tomb-Christ- seem that the latter is the correct reading. Those, however, mas "Boar's Head"-Shakespeare's Commentators-Odds and who have adopted the t have considered the initials to refer Ends, Slang Sayings, and Folk Lore-Effigy of Tom Paine- to Thomas Stanley, of Burscough; but as he was Earl of Folk Lore-Curious Squint in Faversham Church. QUERIES:-Electoral Bonnet, 20-Photogram-Arms and Armour-Derby, the title of armiger which follows the initials on the Heraldic: Frasier-Merchants' Marks-Vicarage House, Cran- bell would be inadmissible. With greater probability the brook, Kent-Recumbent Tombstones-Wood Engraving-Old donor belonged to the family of Scaresbreck, who possessed Tower, Dundee-Emblem of St. Ann-Teetotaller-Quotations: estates in the neighbourhood. Mr. Brooke Herford has so Authors Wanted. with the point at issue that we do not hesitate to quote his ably condensed and further investigated the facts connected own words. After referring to the doubtful rendering of the first letter of the inscription, he proceeds, it has been "conjectured that they were the initials of James Scaresbreck, who, by an inquisition of 4 Henry VII., held lands in Burscough,' or else of another James Scaresbreck, who married Margaret, daughter of Thomas Atherton, of Bickerstaffe, and whose daughter, Elizabeth Scaresbreck, married Peter Stanley, of Aughton. Neither of these conjectures, however, is admissible. The first named James Scaresbreck, whose inquisition is dated 24 Henry VII., was a minor at his death in 1508, while the second named, the uncle of the first, would not be of Bickerstaff' until after his father-in-law's death in 1514, while his wife, whose initial would be м not E, was, at her father's death, only OLD DATED BELLS.-In a former article (Vol. ii. 260) thirty years old, and consequently could not have been we stated that the oldest dated bell known to exist in this married 1497. By the kindness of Mr. William Hardy, of country belongs to the village church of Duncton, in Sussex. the Duchy of Lancaster Office, I have, however, obtained This bell, which, by the way, bears the inscription + DE copies of the various inquisitions referred to, which show FLOTHE A É LA HAGUE FET LAN MCCCLXIX, has that there was another James Scaresbreck (hitherto overbeen for a long time regarded by those who interest them-looked in the controversy), father of James Scaresbreck, who selves in the archæology of bells, as possessing a just claim married Margaret Atherton, and grandfather of James to that distinction. Such, however, is not the case. Scaresbreck, who died a minor in 1508. His wife's name Claughton, a village situate in the Hundred of Lonsdale, was Elizabeth; he held estates in both Burscough and Lancashire, is a bell on which is the date 1296, thus claim-Bretherton; he is found living in 1494, dying some time ing a precedence over that of Duncton by more than seventy between that date and 1501, his wife surviving him; and his years. A drawing of the inscription on this ancient bell son Gilbert's will shows the family's interest both in the was, among others, lately exhibited by Mr. Stainbank, at a priory of Burscough and Ormskirk church. 'I will that meeting of the British Archæological Association. The mine exrs content and pay towards the buying of a cross to letters, as one might expect on a bell of such antiquity, are that we have in this James Scaresbreck, the elder, the donor the church of Ormskirke 5s.' Thus it seems not improbable in the character called Lombardic, and are arranged as of the bell J.S.de B et E ux--1497. One difficulty, follow;—ANNO DNI M° CC NONOG AI°, the V being turned indeed, still remains; James Scaresbreck, the elder, was 'of upside down. Although unknown to most bell-hunters, the antiquity of this bell was ascertained in 1853 by the Scaresbreck,' and though he held lands both in Burscough Rev. W. B. Grenside, when curate of the parish. Before and Bretherton, would hardly be named from them. this date nobody was aware that of the two bells belonging not the donor, the solution of the enigma has still to be to the church, one was really a campanological curiosity. sought." There is another old bell in Lancashire deserving a few remarks. We refer to the tenor at Ormskirk. Though it is dated 1497, a subsequent date on the waist shows that the bell was recast in 1576, and the old inscription reproduced, perhaps through the instrumentality of the descendants of the donor. The inscription runs:-is de B armig et e ux me fecerunt in honore trinitatis R.B. 1497. Between the several letters and words are ornamental stops, on which are various devices, embracing floral badges, pairs of roses, the red dragon, the portcullis, and the fleur-de-lis, while below is a neat border with similar devices, the design being repeated so as to encircle the bell. It should be said that tradition points to the original bell as having belonged to Burscough Priory, and when the effects of this religious house were sold at the Dissolution, the bell was purchased by the parishioners, and transferred to the parish church. 5. The recasting not having taken place till 1576, in the reign of Elizabeth, it is probable that the damage it had sustained, which rendered this necessary, occurred while the bell was suspended in the tower of the parish church. At If he be Little can be added to these interesting particulars, which appear to us to embody as probable a solution of the question, as at this distance of time can possibly be arrived at. There have been other suggestions as regards the donor's name, but with these it is useless to trouble the reader, as they will conclude by observing that the remaining bells of the cannot stand in the face of the above explanation. We peal, of which this old one forms the tenor, bear the following inscriptions, and were cast in 1714 and 1774, at the foundry of the Rudhalls, at Gloucester. 1. 1774 2. PEACE AND GOOD NEIGHBOURNOOD 1774 3. W GRICE, P'SH CLERK A [a bell] R 1714 6. BENI FLETCHER, THOS MOORCROFT, THOS ASPIN- 7. THOMAS RUDHALL, GLOCESTER, FOUNDER, 1774 E. H. W. DUNKIN. NARRATIVE OF THE SHIPWRECK OF WILLIAM cutting up the seams we fastened them together with DUNCAN, OF SEASIDE.-The annexed is copy of a tran- Knaitles & ribbands of our clothes, the best way we could. script of the original MS. in the handwriting of William Duncan, in the possession of the Kirk Session of Dundee. William Duncan, of Seaside (afterwards of Lundie), was a merchant of that town, and one of the progenitors of the noble family of Camperdown. I am not aware that it has ever been printed. Nisbet gives the armorial bearing of "Duncan of Seaside now of Lundie in Angus, gules, a chevron or, between two cinquefoils in chief, and a hunting horn in base, argent, garnished azure, crest, a ship under sail; motto, Disce pati. The crest, "a ship under sail (why a ship under sail to denote a shipwreck I hardly perceive), with the motto DISCE PATI, are known to refer to the events here described. The narrative is preceded by a list of the passengers and crew who accompanied William Duncan in the ill-fated vessel, and which I here subjoin. The date is September 25, 1631. THOMAS OGILVIE, prentice to the skipper; and WILLIAM DUNCAN (writer hereof), in all eleven. "My Lord God has put it into my heart to leave on record how he has been so extraordinarily merciful & gracious to me by sea & land in many dangers, & from many perils did work my deliverance, & particularly in that miraculous one hereafter discribed. That my successors may think on it, & with God's assistance it may be a means to teach them to be humble & thankful to God for having so protected and preserved me, & made his fatherly love so many ways known to me. "In the year 1631 in Septr month, on wednesday at midnight, I think it was the 25th day of the said month, I being one of eleven merchants & company of a ship whereof Alex Blair, of Dundee, was master, coming from Christiana, most part loaded with Tar bound for Dundee, & being by our Account 150 miles W.S.W. from the Naze of Norway, on said day & time, (I being then 18 years & 3 months of age); a ship larger than ours coming before the wind, then at N.W., struck us on the starboard side, and broke our bark through, which immediately filled with water & fell on her broardside, but did not sink, owing to the lightness of her lading,- -our boat lying on the overlays on the starboard side of the mast. We got all into the boat, & cut the seizings, so that she floated on the overlays; & finding three oars in her, we made haste & rowed after the ship that run us down, for she had braced up her sails with an intention, as we imagined, to take us up. But when we came near she filled her sails & run from us. It was then clear starlight and fair weather, & we continued rowing & calling till we could no longer see her. Being then at a loss what to do, having neither meat, drink, nor compass in the boat, some were for seeking our own ship, others for running towards Norway, expecting to meet with some other ship by the way, but most conclude to row for Scotland having as good a chance to meet with ships that way as the other, & so we directed our course, by the stars at night, and sun in the day time; & so rowing with three Dars (one rather longer & stronger than the other two,) till Thursday at Sunset, when the wind came in at W.S.W. & lew hard, so that a small ship could only carry her laigh ils, & the sea was so great that we could not row any way. Ve concluded that the best way for longest life was to make sail, & steer before the wind & sea. We then took mine another long sea coat, with a pair of canvas breeches; & By God's providence there was a small rope in the boat which served for a stay & shroud, & the boatstick for a yard for the sail, & the largest oar for a mast, & one of the others for a rudder. We then made sail before the wind, which by the setting of the sun we knew to be W.S.W. After midnight the weather was cloudy & rain, that we did not see sun, moon, or stars, so long as we were at sea after. On friday about noon, we saw three ships on our starboard side, steering to the southward under two laigh sails, about 5 or 6 miles from us, but they did not see our boat, & we durst not lay her side to the sea to steer towards them, but were obliged to steer before the wind & sea, which increased more & more, so that we were obliged to sit close together in the afterpart, & do our best to prevent the sea from breaking in & filling the boat,-Three of us casting out the water as it came in, with three plates that by providence, we found in the boat. On saturday we got amongst currants, and the sea broke so over the boat that with great difficulty we kept her above water. At sunset the rain increased, & soon after it began to clear, & we saw land before us about two or three miles off which made us very glad. So we came in with the harbour called Sillerage, at the east end of the laigh land of yarden, & run our boat on shore on a sandy beach within the harbour. None of us did eat or drink the whole time except the skipper, who made his water in one of the plates, and drank it. When we came to land, we could hardly walk, & staggered as if we had been drunk. There was no house near but a fisher's little hut, & in it himself, wife, & a young child. He had a milk cow, & said after Michaelmas, all the winter time he lived farther up the country with his family. The fisherman received us very kindly into his hut, (which could hardly hold us all, & put on a fire of wood in the middle of the hut, there being He also told an opening in the top to let out the smoke. us that if any of us were able to go farther up the country he would shew them a house where they would be better lodged & get what else they needed. Halliburton one of the merchants, & Robt. Peddie our carpenter, abler than the rest, went with him, & soon after the fisherman returned with some Norway bread, made of bear meal, & some butter, which he offered us to eat, but we could not look on it nor taste it that night, for we had gotten no sleep since we left the ship. We lay down on the ground near the fire, & slept well till daylight, & then, being very hungry, the fisherman put a kettle on the fire with what milk he had, & warmed them altogether, which we ate heartily, & were much refreshed. Thereafter we went to a kirk about two miles distant, where it being the Lords day, many people were assembled, & there was several houses. The people entertained us with the best they had, while we remained there about eight days, for which we gave them our boat, as she came on shore. We then got strength & thinking on the best way to get home, we resolved to go to Strangar, seven leagues by land distant. I sewed together my long coat, which was part of our sail, & it being very cold, found much comfort from it. We set out on our journey for Strangar, the skipper, merchant, &.I on horseback, the rest on foot. I had saved no more money than six rixdollars & an half. The half dollar I paid for horsehire. When we came to said Town we found one William Watson a Scotsman, one of the rulers of the town, who gave us lodging & we staid there about 8 days; & hearing that there were three Scotch ships lying at the sea mouth, in the harbour called the Kettle & Topness, we got a boat, & went to them, & found on conversing with the master, that they were the same three ships we had seen from our boat the day before we landed. One of them belonged to Anstru ther,-one to Eyemouth,-& the third to Ferry Port-orCraigs, called the Marten, James, & Willm. Paterson, masters. We divided ourselves in the ships to come home, but most of us were in the Marten, of whom I was one. We were wind bound fourteen days, when the wind coming James fyndlawson and Alexander Ramsay bailleis Bailleis of ye said burgh of ye Burgh of Dundie containing the Annualrentis few (2) Item furth or ye east end of ye Tenement callit the N.W. we all three put to sea; & when off shore 10 or 12 leagues, we found much wind & a very great sea, which separated the Marten from the other ships. About midnight a great sea broke on board her, & carried our beer & water off our overtop, & tossed the ship so much above the water, that we were obliged to steer before the wind; & after three days any nights tossing to & fro on the sea, we returned to Norway, at Winifred, near the Kirk Stetherey; & hearing that there was a small Scotch vessel taking in her lading at the head of that harbour, Willm, Halliburton & I hired a boor to row us in his yawl to her. The masters name was Andw. Darnsie, & she belonged to Montrose, & was loaded two days after. She was about 20 lasts burden, & sailed the next day, the wind E.S.E.; & the fourth day we were landed, (being the Lords day,) in Fife by a boat, the vessel passing on to Leith. We came into a house, the Gudewife's name was Dyke, & we desired Lodgings, which | she granted; & after supper, I told her I had no money but half a rixdollar, & desired that she would be pleased to hire horses for me to Dundee water side, & take the rest for my supper & bed, which she was content to do. Next morning before day Willm Halliburton & I set out for Dundee & came there about mid-day; and the first person that spoke to me was James Man my mother's father; he did not know me, but having heard that I was one of those in that ship, he asked me where I had left his oye. I answered that it was himself that he spake to. (It was no marvel he did not know me, being much altered in person & colour, it being then forty days since I left the ship, & all the time without shifting, except once, on a clear sunshining day, one of our party & I took off our shirts, & washed & cleaned them in a stripe of water, & put them on not quite dry.) After my Grandsire & I did speak, he & I did so weep that we be hoved to sunder. He went to my mother's & told her I was come to the Town, & I went to the house of William Roger, who was married to my mother's sister, which was near the place I met with my grandsire, for I thought shame to go through the street to my mother's house; & when my mother's sister saw me, neither did she know me till we did speak, & then she took me in her arms & kissed me, partly mourning & partly rejoicing. When my mother heard I was in her sister's house, she sent her servant to me with clean linen, & with a cloak, clothes, hat, shoes & stockings, which I had worn on the Lordsday before I went on that voyage to sea; & when they came, I went into a room by myself & put them on which did much refresh me. Threttene ss fourd I then went to my mother's house, who was very glad to Suma huius pagine xvi lib xix ss vid see me, & thanked my Lord God for my preservation, who has ever since been very gracious to me,-Blessed be his (7) Item furth of Alex Carnegyis Land Lyand on ye north name! & the praises which I give are due unto Him; de-syid of ye Kirk wynd Betuix ye land of William Drumond siring all those who shall succeed me not to be unmindful zeirlie to ye hospitall on ye east and ye Land of AlexTM galloway on ye west pairtis or unthankful to God for his great mercies to me. "This is all Truth & veritie in every particular, so far as my memary doth serve me. In witness whereof I have written & sbuscribed these presents at Dundee, the 4th day of March 1671. "WILLIAM DUNCAN." LOCKIT BUIK OF THE BURGESSES OF DUNDEE.-The following entries are the certified excerpts from the Lockit Buik of the Burgesses of Dundee, in the action of Declarator the Presbytery of Dundee against the magistrates of Dundee. I trust they may be of sufficient interest to find a place among the miscellanea of the Antiquary. J. C. threttie ane ss (3) Item furth of ye west end of ye Said tenement callit ye Auld Tolbwith now pertening to Thomas Ogilvie zeirlie to ye said hospitall fiftie ss and to the said chaiplanrie of Sanct Katherines threttie ane ss (4) Item furth of ye Tenement Callit the Ladie wark stairis Sumtyme pertening to Mark Barrie now to Johne Cowstoun Lyand nixt at ye west end of ye said tenement Callit ye auld Tolbwith zeirlie to ye Choristaris fyveten ss (5) Item furth of william Drumondis tenement angular lyand on ye eist end of ye Kirk wynd and north syid yairof zeirlic to Sanct Ninianis Chaiplanrie foure lib threttene ss fourd (6) Item furth of Robert Lowellis land lyand on ye South syid of ye mercatt gaitt Betuix ye land of George Hayis airis on ye east and ye Land of Valter Ramsay on ye west partis zeirlie to ye choristaris ten ss (8) Item furth of Johne zoungis land Lyand on ye north syid of Oure Lady gaitt Betuix ye Land of Johne gairdyne on ye east and and ye land sumtyme of Johne Sountair now of Johne Kynloch on ye west pairtis to Sanct Johne The Baptistis Chaiplanrie zeirlie sewine markis And furth of ye samyn land zeirlie to Sanct Ninianis chaip- (9) Item furth of ye said Johne Kynlochis land haiffand on THE Buik of ye cōmoun Rentallis of the Burgh of Dundie fluishous and Kirk wark thairof with the names of all (11) Item furth of ye land of James Scrymgeor alias franche burgesses friemen and brether of gild maid within ye sam James now sett in few to James Ramesey Richard Cathrow sen the moneth of September ane thowsand fyve hundreth James Ker Johne Pattorsone and George Durward lyand on and threttene zeiris and swa to follow in tyme cumming ye east syid of Spaldingis Wynd zierlie to Sanct Androis This maid and devysit in the tyme of Mr. James Halic- Chaiplanrie threttie ss burtoun Provest Alexander Scrymgeour William Forrester | (12) Item furth of ye land of ye airis of vmqle John fairney Lyand on ye south syid of Oure Lady gaitt Betuix ye land of William Kynneir and William Cowteis airis on ye east and ye land of Thomas Howie and Thomas Meviris airis on ye west pairtis zeirlie to ye choristaris tuentie aucht ss (13) Item furth of ye foirland of Alex Scott Quhilk is ye front of ye said Johne fairneis airis land Lyand as said is to ye choristaris zierlie tuentie ss (14) Item furth of ye vast pece land pertening to Mr Johne Lyndesay Lyand on ye south syid of ye flucker gaitt Bewix ye land of ye Laird of Banff on the east, and ye said Mr Johnis grihit tenement on ye west pairtis to choristaris zeirlie aught ss (15) Item furth of ye land of James Lowell on ye south syid of ye fluker gaitt Betuix ye land of Mr Hercules Rollok on ye east and ye Land of Robert gairdyne on ye west pairtis to ye choristaris zeirlie fiftie ane ss ten ss zeirlie and furth of ye samy land to ye hospitall zeirlie (16) Item furth of ye said Robert gairdynis Land Lyand as said is to ye Chaiplanrie of Sanct Johne ye Euangelist fourtie fyve ss (17) Item furth of ye land of James forrester Lyand on ye north syid of ye fluker gaitt Betuix ye land of ye airis of Johne Wedderburne on ye east and ye land of ye Laird of Ogillvie on the west pairtis to ye Chorastiris zeirlie fiftie ss Suma huius paginae xxiiii lib vi ss iid (18) Item furth of Johne Baxteris Land Lyand on ye north syid of ye fluker gaitt Betuix ye land of Mr. David Scrymgeor on ye east and ye land of ye airis of vmqle Thomas Walker on ye west pairtis zeirlie to Choristaris ye thre ss (19) Item furth of ye land of Maister Andrew forrestaris airis Lyand on ye nort syid of ye fluker gaitt Betuix ye land of Thomas Walkeris airis on ye east and the Land of David Cockburn on ye west partis to the Choristaris zeirlie fourtene ss (20) Item furth of ye Said David Cogkburnis land foresaid haffand on ye west the Land of Johne Jakis airis to ye gray freiris zeirlie sewine ss vid (21) Item furth of ye land of Johne Jakis airis foirsaidis haiffand on ye west Seress wynd to ye choristaris (To be continued.) Notes. FLY-LEAF SCRAPS. Sex ss viiid THE accompanying pieces are taken from the fly-leaf of a copy of the sixth edition (1731) of a somewhat famous macaronic comedy, called Ignoramus, written about the commencement of the seventeenth century, by a witty Master of Arts, of the name of George Ruggle. I think I have seen somewhere that Ignoramus was performed before James VI., at Cambridge, in 1616, and afforded his pedantic majesty so much amusement as to call forth the honour of at least two "bespeaks" on subsequent occasions. To those who have not stumbled on this witty production it will be necessary to say that Ignoramus is a London attorney, and that Dulman and Pecus are two of his clerks. T. J. Prologue to Ignoramus in 1730, when acted before His Royal Highness the Duke.* Ye judges, say if we can merit praise, When Terence show'd his manly pleasant strain, Epilogue, by Dulman and Pecus. D. O Pecus, O frater, non cor tibi pectore saltat? Scilicet a Dominis venit experientia nobis, Et nostr causæ sollicitantur ope. Aureolique fluunt. P. Isthæc palmaria res est. D. Isthæc pars legis practica semper erit. Hinc delitescentes merito thrivamus honore, Et dat, si volumus sumere, barra togam. His gradibus tandem Dulman est Ignoramus. P. Et Pecus ad pacem justiciarius est. UNPUBLISHED LETTER OF LORD BROUGHAM.-The following is an exact transcript of a letter by the late Lord Advocate. The letter is merely signed Brougham to his friend J. A. Murray, Esq., then Lord "H. B.," but it is in the handwriting of his lordship (then Mr. Brougham), and was found among the papers of the late Lord Murray. It has reference evidently to the great West Riding of Yorkshire election about the year 1832. "Your plan is materially defective-for what security can I have of coming back here from York? The Disso1n may be resolved on-or even without it a canvas may be necessary-Therefore-I really thing [think] before York the surest plan and I dont despair of your meeting fifty here on Thursdy If Willm cant think of York, & wont come here to go back-perhaps he will take this later-when the canvassing may be over-but that is supposing no Diss1 takes place. "Yours ever "In haste "H. B. "A: Thomson goes direct to York-I shall write to him by next post to let him know particularly the House where we are and where everything will be in readiness on Saty [William, Duke of Cumberland, in theatrical phrase, the "heavy tho' I shall not be there that day." villain" of some of the Scottish Jacobite Songs.-ED.] "PRINCE SANSCRIT. OF WALES HERALDRY."-This is a term given by Mr. Joseph Bain, a correspondent of Notes and Queries, who writes under the pseudonym of ANGLO-SCOTUS, to a species of heraldry granted at the Lyon Office about the first quarter of the present century. The following coat may be taken as an example. This was granted to a wood merchant in Glasgow, named William Rodger, I think about the year 1825, namely, sable, a stag's head erased argent, attired with ten tynes, or holding in its mouth a mullet of the last, all within a border of the third charged with three escallops. Crest on a mount vert, a buck courant, proper, between two branches of laurel vert. Motto, Nos nostraque deo. First, the arms placed within the border are those assigned by Nisbet to the name of Roger, which is distinct from Rodger. Next, the crest and motto belong to a Devonshire baronet named Rogers, lately raised to the peerage by the title of Lord Blachford. This coat is recorded by Burke | in his Landed Gentry as that of Rodger, of Hadlow Castle, Kent, the son of the original grantee. What the scallop shells can mean is more than I know. The grantee's wife's name is stated to have been Agnes Robertson. A.D. 1560. to St. We have often wondered why no stone was ever placed to and lastly "the Mayor of Oxford and his brethren." They entered in at the west door of the church and the body was placed on the hearse, and on "eche syde of the hersse stod 2 gentlemen holdinge the bannerroles and at the feet stood he that held the great banner," and then the service began, first "sarteyne prayers, then the 10 commandments, the quire answering in Peyke-songe, then the Pystle and the Gospell began, and after the Gospell the offeringe," and Iwhen this was finished "the sermon began, made by Dr. Babyngton, whose antheme was Beati mortui qui in Domino moriuntnr." The more the death of Lady Amy Dudley is investigated, the clearer does it appear that the tra ditional accounts are almost entirely wrong. An inquest was after a long inquiry a verdict of accidental death was held with all due formalities immediately after the event, and returned. It is a source of great regret to all lovers of historical truth that Mickle's well-known ballad of "Cumnor Hall," and Sir Walter Scott's still more famous novel of Kenilworth" should serve to perpetuate historical fallacies long since proved to be false. CHRISTMAS: "BOAR'S HEAD."-The old custom of feasting upon a boar's head at Christmas tide, of which much has been written, is still carried out in its integrity at St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell. It is well known that at the Christmas feast at Queen's College, Oxford, the "Bore's Heed" is carried into the banqueting hall, with due ceremony, but the same is duly observed in the more appropriate remnant of the Knight Hospitalers of St. John's every Christmas-tide, and the following carol is chanted. Garoll at the bryngyge in the Bores Heed. Caput apri differo. Reddens lando domino. Servite cum cantico. Be gladde, lordes, both more and lasse, This same carol is used at Oxford, and was printed by The Yule Log is burned, and rushes are strewn on the floor of the old hall over St. John's Gateway. The Wassail is brought in during the banquet, and the "Lorde of Mysrewle" presides, and everything is carried out as in the olden time. I cannot refrain from quoting the lines of Mr. E. B. Tylor, whose learning is charming at all times. He says "It is a remnant of old sacrificial rite, when the Swedes still bake at yule-tide a cake in the shape of a boar, representing the boar sacrificed of old to Freyr."+ The origin of Christmas is thus stated by the above "The Roman winter solstice festival, as mentioned writer. celebrated on December 25 (viii. Kal. Jan.), in connexion with instituted in the special form by Aurelian about A.D. 273, the worship of this Sun-god, Mithra, appears to have been and to this festival the day owes its apposite name of Birth. day of the Unconquered Sun. Dies natalis solis invicti. With full symbolic appropriateness, though not with historical justification the day was adopted in the Western Church, where it appears to have been generally introduced by the 4th century, and whence in time it passed to the Eastern Church, as the solemn anniversary of the birth of Christ, the Friars," pp. 73-76. |