tells us on the authority of Hartmann's" Teufels-Stucklein, Frankf. 1678," that a Jew once presented himself before Duke Albrecht of Saxony, and offered him a charm (Knop), engraved with rare signs and characters which should render him invulnerable. The Duke determined to try it, had the Jew led out in the field, with his charm hanging round his neck, he then drew his sword, and at the first thrust ran the Jew through!

NO. CLXXXIII.-LENT IS DEAD.

It is the custom for the boys and girls in country schools, in several parts of Oxfordshire, (as Blechington, Weston, Charlton, &c.) at their breaking up in the week before Easter, to goe in a gang from house to house, with little clacks of wood, and when they come to any door there they fall a beating their clacks, and singing this song,

"Herrings, herrings, white and red,

Ten a penny, Lent's dead.
Rise dame and give an egg,

Or else a piece of bacon.

One for Peter, two for Paul,

Three for Jack a Lent's all,

Away, Lent, away."

They expect from every house some eggs or a piece of bacon, which

they carry baskets to receive, and feast upon at the week's end.

At first coming to the door, they all strike up very loud,

often repeated.

As soon as they receive any largess they begin the chorus,

"Here sets a good wife,

Pray God save her life,

Set her upon a hod,

And drive her to God."

But if they lose their expectation, and must goe away empty, then

"Here sits a bad wife,

The Devil take her life,

Set her upon a swivell,

And send her to the Devill."

And in further indignation they commonly cut the latch of the door, or stop the key-hole with dirt, or leave some more nasty token of displeasure. White Kennet. Aubrey, 206 vo.

The "Jack a'Lent," named in the preceding song, refers to an image so called, which was formerly thrown at in Lent, like cocks on Shrove Tuesday. Thus Ben Jonson, in his Tale of a Tub, says,

"On an Ash Wednesday,

When thou didst stand six weeks the Jack a' Lent,

For boys to hurl three throws a penny at thee."

In the introduction to the second volume of "Kinder und Haus-Märchen" of the Brothers Grimm, we are told, that in the "Neckarthal," it is the custom for the boys to dress themselves with paper caps, wooden swords, and sham mustachios, and go from house to house singing,

"Eier 'raus, Eier 'raus

Der Marder ist im Hühnerhaus!"'

Eggs out! eggs out! the polecat 's in the hen-house!

until they receive some eggs, which at night they either eat or sell.

NO. CLXXXIV.-TOM A'BEDLAMS.

Before the Civil Warre I remember Tom a'Bedlams went about a begging. They had been such as had been in Bedlam and there recovered, and come to some degree of sobernesse, and when they were licensed to goe out they had on their lefte arme an armilla of tinne (printed), about three inches breadth which was sordered on.

Aubrey, 234 vo.

The practice of thus marking the poor "Tom a'Bedlams," resembles that of compelling the poor lepers of the middle ages to reside in houses set apart for them, and to give notice of their approach by ringing a bell, or sounding their clap-dish; a custom which has given rise to some of the most pathetic incidents introduced into the ballads and songs of the people. One of the most striking instances is in the old Dutch song of "Verholen Minne," "Concealed

Love," in which a maiden out of love for a knight, for whom she entertains a passion which he is not aware of, assumes the character of a leper, and resides for seven years in a lazarhouse without seeing sun or moon; her constancy being at length rewarded by the hand of her beloved. See Hoffmann "Hora Belgica, pars ii. Hollandische Volkslieder," s. 122 et seq.

NO. CLXXXV.-"HO, HO, HO," OF ROBIN GOODFELLOW. Mr. Lancelot Morehouse did aver to me, super verbum Sacerdotis, that he did once heare such a lowd laugh on the other side of a hedge, and was sure that no human lungs could afford such laugh.

Aubrey, 148 vo.

This anecdote of Mr. Lancelot Morehouse, whom the reader will remember, is described in No. CLXVII, as "wont to marke this mark [the Pentalpha], at the top of his missive letters," reminds us of Dr. Johnson's belief of having once heard his mother's voice calling "Samuel," when they were many miles asunder.

NO. CLXXXVI.-FAIRIES.

Not far from Sir Bennet Hoskyns there was a labouring man that rose up early every day to go to work, who for a good while together found a ninepence in the way that he went. His wife wondering how he came by so much money, was afraid he got it not honestly, at last he told her; and afterwards he never found any more.

Aubrey, 166 ro, Mr. Elias Ashmole sayes, that a Piper at Lichfield was entertayned by the Fayries, who sayd he knew which of the houses of the towne were fayry ground.

Mr. Ashmole also spake of a cavous place, e. g. that at *

in Surrey, where people, against weddings, &c. bespoke spitts, pewter, &c. and they had it, but were to returne or else they should be never be supplyed any more. Ibid. 177 vo.

When I was a boy our countrey people would talke much of them. They swept up the harth alwaies at nights, and did sett their shoes by

the fire, and many times they should find a three pence in one of them. Mrs. Markey (a daughter of Serjeant Hoskyns, the poet,) told me that her mother did use that custome; and had as much money as made her (or bought her) a little silver cup, thirtie shillings value.

Ibid. 179 vo.

These are acceptable additions to our stock of Fairy Lore. We are told in Busching's “Volks-Sagen,” s. 331, and Thoms' “ Lays and Legends of Germany,” p. 10, the poor people of Tilleda went to the Kyffhauser mountain to borrow spits, pewter, &c. against weddings. The "cavous place in Surrey," is, we fear, no longer available, and we doubt whether its place is very adequately supplied by the numerous loan societies, whose placards meet the wall-eye of the curious reader at all corners of the street.

Sir Bennet Hoskyns, who was created a Baronet in 1676 (the lineal ancestor of the present Sir Hungerford Hoskyns, Bart.), was of Harwood in Herefordshire. He was the son and

heir of Serjeant Hoskyns, already noticed in p. 45; and Mrs. Markey above mentioned, the wife of John Markey, of Alton, co. Hereford, esq. was his sister.

NO. CLXXXVII.-Selden'S TABLE Talk.

Mr. J. Selden writt a 4to booke called Table Talke, which will not endure the test of the presse. Speaking there of Ovid's Fastorum, he saies, "That he was the Canonist of those times."

The Earle of Abingdon hath a copie of it in MS. as also the Earle of Carbery; it will not endure the presse.

Selden's "Table Talk" was first published in 1689, its editor being the Rev. Richard Milward, who had been for many years Selden's amanuensis, and had consequently the most favourable opportunities of becoming acquainted with the sentiments and opinions which he has recorded.

Mr. Johnson, in his "Life of Selden," p. 359, from which we derive the above information, quotes a note made by the Earl of Oxford on a MS. copy of this work (Harleian MS. 1315, pl. 426), stating, "this book was given in 168-, by Charles Earl of Dorset, to a bookseller in Fleet Street, to have it printed, but the bookseller delaying to have it done, Mr. Thomas Rymer sold a copy he procured to Mr. Churchill, who printed it ;" and which seems to contradict the former part of his statement. Mr. Johnson adds, that the authors of the Leipsic "Acts of the Learned" disbelieved the genuineness of he book, while Dr. Johnson paid it the high compliment of pronouncing it better than any of the French Ana. The anecdote related by Aubrey, does not appear to have been before brought under the notice of the reading public.

END OF PART THE SECOND.

Peter pence was an alms granted to the Pope, viz. a peny upon every hearth or chimney, payable at the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula. This alms was granted only by the King, ex regali munificentia, out of his owne demesnes, and it issued only out of such houses as yielded thirty pence rent, vivæ pecuniæ. This grant passed at first under the lowly title of an almes, but afterwards it was called Romescot, or Romesfeogh, or heord-penny, and the whole summe of it annually amounted but to £200. 06s. 08d. Collet, p. 9.

Much curious information relative to the origin of this tax, and its supposed connexion with the celebrated "Schola Saxonum," as well as to the foundation of that institution, will be found in Dr. Lappenberg's valuable "Geschicte von England," i. 199; a work which, as it is understood to have found a very able translator in the learned editor of Cadmon, it is to be hoped will ere long be made accessible to the English student.

NO. CLXXXIX.-THE CLERK OF THE MARKET.

The Clerk of the Market (though now a lay person) was originally so called because in the Saxons' time the custody of all weights and measures belonged to the Bishop, who committed the same to some Clerk whom he trusted therewith.

Collet, p. 9.