the care of other urchins as innocent, as happy, as noisy, and luckily a few months older than itself. In Cumberland, where women perform much of the harvest-work, and whole families turn out, it is no unusual thing to see swarms of children in an unoccupied portion of the field; the infants secured in clothes-baskets' (rulgariter swills), by which those who have the burden of an additional year or two on their shoulders can drag them about when a little change of position is requisite: and at noon, fathers and mothers, and elder brothers and sisters, cluster round them, give and take the homely, hearty repast, and enjoy in every variety of picturesque form and attitude the hour's repose, which the morning's labours render so requisite, so refreshing, and so sweet.

The “ Harvest Home” gala is still in some measure observed: the labourers have still a harvest-supper, at which in some places the master condescends to make one; but of the original and graphic features and ceremonies of the feast few traces remain. These ceremonies varied in different places, but all included some rustic merriment or some magnificent pageant on the bringing home of the hock-cart, or cart containing the last sheaves of corn. The horses of this cart are universally garlanded ; the cart itself and the sheaves are hung with the same flowery spoil, while the sons and daughters of summer, “ by whose tough labours and rough hands” the work was perfected, crowned with ears of corn, ride triumphantly in the cart, or with more humble devotion parade hy its side; or, if (as still in some counties) more classically inclined, buxom damsel, in gay attire, and garlanded with ears of corn, is mounted on the forehorse, and, as Ceres, queens it on her willing subjects for the remainder of the feast. Sometimes the gentle goddess is only effigied by a bundle of wheat rudely formed and dressed as a woman,

and placed upright in the cart among the supporting sheaves; in some places this deity is dispensed with altogether, and a more homely and practically merry joke is in vogue of forcing the owner to drive home his own hockcart, while his merry helpmates strive with all their energies to throw pails of water on the newly-dried corn during its progress; nor is the most able Jehuship of the charioteer at all times efficacious to avert the calamity. Herrick's numbers want none of their usual fascination when he describes the hock-cart of his own county.

“ Crown'd with the eares of cornc, now come,

And, to the pipe, sing harvest home.
Come forth, my lord, and see the cart,
Drest up with all the country art.
See, here a maukin, there a sheet,
As spotlesse pure as it is sweet;
The horses, mares, and frisking fillies,
Clad all in linen white as lillies.
The harvest swaines and wenches bound
For joy to see the hock-cart crown'd.
About the cart heare how the rout
Of rurall younglings raise the shout,
Pressing before, some coming after,
Those with a shout, and these with laughter,
Some blesse the cart, some kisse the sheaves,
Some prank them up with oaken leaves ;
Some crosse the fillhorse, some with great
Devotion stroak the home-borne wheat;
And other rusticks, lesse attent
To pray'rs are than to merryment."

The labours, and they are often intense ones, are concluded by a merry and plentiful feast. “ The furinenty-pot welcomes home the harvestcart, and the garland of flowers crowns the captain of the reapers. The pipe and the tabor are now busily set awork, and the lad and the lass will have no lead on their heels. O, 'tis the merry time,” when

“ The barvest-men ring summer out

With thankful songs and joyous shout." The time appointed for rejoicing ended, they repair to their respective occupations, not less willing to work for, nor less ready to obey, the mandates of a master, who has cherished the kindliest feelings of their nature, by descending for a time from his higher station to unite in hearty good feeling and fellowship with them.

It is hardly possible to allude to a rural festival of this season of the year without reverting to that which, in many of the northern counties, holds so distinguished a place both in the annals of the village and in the hearts of the villagers. We mean those wakes, revellings, rushbearings, hoppings, or feasts of dedication, which have afforded such ample scope for the reveries of modern antiquarians. They are beguiling memorials of older times, “ misty annals of a world long lost,” pegs on which to hang vast mantles of conjecture, bright points round which to involve a beautiful mystic maze of brilliant imaginings. But the curious and apparently absurd custom of wakes may be traced to a simple and satisfactory origin.

Some deduce the wakes from the Ayamai, or love-feasts, of the ancient Christians,* or from the anniversary feast of dedication of the Jews ; others from earlier rites of Paganism. It seems, however, to have been ever customary in this island to keep a feast yearly on a certain day in remembrance of the building of the parish church (the previous night being spent in watching and prayer in the church—thence the name wake); and this perhaps was more especially the case, or perhaps, indeed, originated, in those temples of Pagan institution which were converted and consecrated to the use of the Christian church. Pope Gregory the Great ordained that the solemn anniversary of the dedication of such churches should be celebrated with religious feasts, kept in sheds or arbories made up with branches and boughs of trees round the said church. “The institution," says a learned antiquarian, t “ of these church encania, or wakes, was, no question, on good and laudable designs; as, first, thankfully to commemorate their bounty and munificence who had founded and endowed the church; next, to incite others to the like generous acts of piety; and chiefly to maintain a Christian spirit of unity and charity by such sociable and friendly meetings, and therefore care was taken to keep up the laudable custom.”

The assemblage of so many people could hardly take place without the store of necessary refreshment gradually increasing somewhat beyond the bounds prescribed by nature's wants. The traffic increased and varied. The pedlar, a primitive Autolycus, appeared with “ribands of all the colours i' th' rainbow, inkles, caddisses, cambricks, lawns, and he

over as they were gods or goddesses.” The charlatan came also with love-powders, philtres of every sort, charms of all kinds, and especially a powder that would force a man to speak the truth.

“Give me of it,” says a clownish swaggerer, notorious for throwing the hatchet; and, much to the delight of his neighbours, he took and swallowed it. Hardly, however, had it touched the throat ere, with horrible grimaces and dreadful spluttering, he endeavoured to void it. " It is infamous !” gasped he. "I know it," replied the vender; " said I not that it would make thee speak the truth ?"* From this primitive traffic may be deduced the origin of those great fairs since so noted and so important in various parts of the country. The pack of the wayfaring pedlar was soon superseded by the store of the travelling merchant. Rival “ houses set forth stalls and booths in considerable style, and the churchyard became a scene of barter and merchandise.t Every variety of character was assembled -

Both jeasters, rogues, and minstrels with their instruments are here." Nor were there wanting those who

“ in that age, Ennobled had the buskin'd stage." Some lofty spirit, some prototype of that magnanimous hero who, a few ages later, “could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in,” such

a sweet-faced man would be well supported by fitting compeers ; nor was the contrast of the “ motley jacket and cock’s-comb wanting to complete the Thespian array. For these plays appear to have consisted of “ comic tales and stories, intermixed with coarse jests, and accompanied, in the acting, with instrumental music, singing, dancing, gesticulations, mimicry, and other arts of raising laughter without much regard to decency. They were acted by companies of strollers, composed of minstrels, mimicks, singers, dancers, wrestlers, jugglers, and tumblers.”I

But from their licentiousness these attempts at theatrical representation called down the reprobation of the wise and good; and, with the praiseworthy aim of beguiling the minds of the people from demoralising entertainments, without depriving them of innocent relaxation and amusement, the church forbade these performances, and introduced in their place those dramatised representations of Scriptural passages which were the original of the famous mysteries and miracle plays.Ş But it answered not. “ In the beginning of holi chirche it was so that the pepull cam to the chirche with candellys brennyng, and would wake and coome with light toward night to the chirche in their devocions ; and after they fell to lecherie, and songs, and daunses, harping, piping, and also to glottony and sinne, and so tourned the holinesse to cursydnes.” These disorders caused very properly the removal of the feasting and gaiety from the churches and churchyards to the public and private houses around, the church, however, being always first repaired to for devotion, and prayers, and offerings.

“ This laudable custom of wakes prevailed for many ages, till the nice puritans began to exclaim against it as a remnant of Popery.”| Consequently orders were issued for their suppression, which caused Bishop Laud's interference in their behalf, and the certificates of near a hundred of the clergy in their favour, coupled with a petition, on behalf of the people and of themselves, that wakes might be continued “ for preserving the memorial of the dedication of their several churches, * MSS. Harl. 6395.

† Brand's Popular Antiquities. | Henry's Hist. Eng. $ Warton's Hist. Eng. Poetry. | Kennett.

for civilising the people, for composing differences by the mediation and meeting of friends, for increase of love and unity by these feasts of charity, for relief and comfort of the poor,” &c. Therefore the King ordered that these feasts should be continued and observed.

But from this time they gradually in some counties fell into desuetude; and there is every probability that we are indebted to this interference of the puritans for the first blow which was struck at the religious observance of wakes.

The modern wakes, as now held in the northern counties, are merely a series of rustic merriment; and, though we would gladly see a portion of the ancient religious observance infused into these memorials, yet if that be, as it probably now is, impossible, we should still earnestly deprecate the entire removal of this landmark of ancient customs, this almost sole remaining jubilee of England's hearty and, always at this time, happy peasantry. That disorders sometimes prevail it is true, but to by no means so great an extent as we are led to suppose; or at least not in that county in which alone we have been accustomed to see them. The bull-baiting--a most barbarous custom-has received its death-blow; and what are the worst features of the remaining wakes'. sports compared with those of the " cock-pit,” which gentlemen and even hoary senators patronise? what are the greatest disorders which can be cited of a “ wake's-time” compared with those which are exhibited on every race-course in the kingilom, where are assembled all the fashion, and beauty, and aristocracy of the neighbourhood ? and which is most worthy of reprobation? (but let us not be misinterpreted : we loathe and abhor drunkenness ;) the habitually sober peasant who once in the year, excited by the hearty hilarity of those sporting gaily around him, should unintentionally exceed the bounds of moderation-elevated probably as much by merriment as by liquor—or him of higher rauk who, while gravely reprobating the loose morals of the lower classes, does yet daily swallow as much of the “ sweet poison of misused wine” as would turn the heads of any two of the unhappy wights he has been decrying, though his own is by habit proof against its influence ?

The rural games and pastimes now in vogue at wakes are of the rudest and homeliest sort possible ; but perfectly harmless, and, in their enactment, intensely ludicrous. Everything is shaped for fun, broad uncontrolled fun; for

“Rigour now is gone to bed,

And advice, with scrupulous head,
Strict age, and sour severity,

With their grave saws, in slumber lie."
There is “ hunting the pig," i.e. trying to catch a pig by the tail, that
tail being profusely soaped ; “ climbing a pole” for a new hat, which
is displayed at the top, the pole not only being perfectly smooth, but
also greased; “sack-racing," where each aspirant is enveloped up
to the neck in a sack, and in such guise makes the best speed he
can for the goal ; “ eating scalding hasty pudding,” or, better still,
“ toast and treacle,” for a prize; here the gastronomic combatants are
seated round a waggon with their hands tied behind them, and on the
knees of each person is placed a slice of bread of enormous thickness
and toasted hard; whoever first discusses it has half-a-crown, and the
second-best pair of masticators obtain a shilling. To these may be
added the “ wheelbarrow-race,” for which the parties are blind-folded,

46

and on a level piece of ground have to conduct the wheelbarrows to a certain goal (which, however, they seldom reach), and the “ grinning through a horse-collar.” It would be doing infinite injustice to this graceful accomplishment to allude to it in other words than Mr. Addison's :-" The first of these diversions that is to be exhibited by the 101. race-horses (the winner was to be sold for 101.) may probably have its use; but the two last, in which the asses and men are concerned, seem to me altogether extraordinary and unaccountable. Why they should keep running asses at Coleshill, or how making mouths turn to account in Warwickshire, more than in other parts of England, I cannot comprehend. I have looked over all the Olympic games, and do not find anything in them like an ass-race, or a match at grinning. However it be, I am informed that several asses are now kept in body-clothes, and sweated every morning upon the heath; and that all the country fellows within ten miles of the Swan grin an hour or two in their glasses every morning, in order to qualify them for the 9th of October. The prize which is proposed to be grinned for (a gold ring) has raised such an ambition among the common people of out-grinning one another, that many very discerning persons are afraid it should spoil most of the faces in the country, and that a Warwickshire man will be known by his grin.”_" The prize at length fell upon a cobler, who produced several new grins of his own invention. The whole assembly wondered at his accomplishments, and bestowed the ring on him unanimously; but, what he esteemed more than all the rest, a country wench, whom he had wooed in vain for above five years before, was so charmed with his grins and the applauses which he received on all sides, that she married him the week following."

The most attractive accompaniment of the modern wake is the Rushcart. We need not inform our readers that even so late as Henry the Eighth's time the great and noble of the land were fain to repose their aristocratic limbs on rushes, which, from times long preceding those, had formed an appropriate covering to the floor of God's holy temple. On the day on which the anniversary of the Dedication was celebrated, it was usual to bear or carry a fresh supply of rushes for the strewing of the church, whence this festival obtained its name of “rush-bearing. But the soft cushion and the luxurious carpet have, in the natural course of things, superseded the primitive luxury of the rushes, which, thus driven from their accustomed destination, have been appropriated by the ingenuity of succeeding times to a gorgeous and by no means unsightly pageant. An enormous house (so to speak) is formed entirely of rushes on the substantial foundation of a farmer's cart. It is a solid mass of rushes, of great height and bulk, but finished off in form like the roof of a house, the rushes outside being woven in a variety of ingenious patterns, and everywhere ornamented and garlanded with flowers. These flowers are cheerfully given by the gentry in the different neighbourhoods, who often interest themselves in watching the construction of the rush-cart. The front is profusely decorated with silver spoons, cups, tankards, &c., which are freely lent, and carefully returned. Triumphant on the top ride those leaders of the revel who

* Within the last five years (and the practice may be still continued) the chapel at Unsworth, in Lancashire, was strewn with rushes, which were renewed yearly on the annual festival-day.

Dec.-VOL, LIV. NO. CCXVI.

21