Observations on the Popular Antiquities of Great Britain: Chiefly Illustrating the Origin of Our Vulgar and Provincial Customs, Ceremonies, and Superstitions, Volume 2Bohn, 1849 |
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Page 6
... for the east , which makes that variation , so that few ( churches ) stand true except those built between the two equinoxes . I have experimented some churches , and have found the line to point to that part of 6 COUNTRY WAKES .
... for the east , which makes that variation , so that few ( churches ) stand true except those built between the two equinoxes . I have experimented some churches , and have found the line to point to that part of 6 COUNTRY WAKES .
Page 18
... stand , For they petition with their arms in hand ; And till ye give , or some good sign appears , They listen to ye with their harvest - eares . If nothing drops into the gaping purse , Ye carry with ye , to be sure , a curse ; But if ...
... stand , For they petition with their arms in hand ; And till ye give , or some good sign appears , They listen to ye with their harvest - eares . If nothing drops into the gaping purse , Ye carry with ye , to be sure , a curse ; But if ...
Page 19
... standing by , And here a custard , there a pie , And here all - tempting frumentie . " [ The Suffolk peasantry use , amongst others , the following Harvest - home song : " Here's a health to the barley - mow ! Here's a health to the man ...
... standing by , And here a custard , there a pie , And here all - tempting frumentie . " [ The Suffolk peasantry use , amongst others , the following Harvest - home song : " Here's a health to the barley - mow ! Here's a health to the man ...
Page 20
... stands fixed on a pole all day , and when the reaping is done , is brought home in like manner . This they call the Harvest Queen , and it represents the Roman Ceres . ' An old woman , who is respectable authority on a subject of this ...
... stands fixed on a pole all day , and when the reaping is done , is brought home in like manner . This they call the Harvest Queen , and it represents the Roman Ceres . ' An old woman , who is respectable authority on a subject of this ...
Page 24
... stand- ing at some distance , throw their sickles at it , and he who cuts the knot has the prize , with acclamations and good cheer . ' I was informed of the following custom on this occasion at Hitchin , in the same county , where each ...
... stand- ing at some distance , throw their sickles at it , and he who cuts the knot has the prize , with acclamations and good cheer . ' I was informed of the following custom on this occasion at Hitchin , in the same county , where each ...
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Common terms and phrases
Account of Scotland Æneid alluded ancient antiquity appears barley-break Bartholomew Faire bell bride bridegroom burial buried cake called ceremony Christians church churchyard cock corpse cuckold curious custom dance dead death deceased devil doth drink Dunmow England fair fairies feast find the following flowers following passage formerly friends funeral garlands give gloves grave hand harvest hath head Herrick's Hesperides Hesperides History History of Northamptonshire holy honour horns Hudibras husband Ibid King lady London Lord maids marriage married mentioned month's mind neighbours Newcastle-upon-Tyne night nine men's morris observed occasion parish person play pledge Poems Poor Robin's Almanack prayers quæ ring Robin Goodfellow Romans rosemary round says Scotland Scottish Language Skimmington speaking sport Statistical Account strewed Strutt superstition supposed tells thou unlucky unto vulgar wake wedding wife wine woman women word yew-trees young
Popular passages
Page 245 - ... and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness : And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited : and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
Page 490 - Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck, And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, Of healths five fathom deep ; and then anon Drums in his ear, at which he starts, and wakes ; And, being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two, And sleeps again. This is that very Mab, That plats the manes of horses in the night ; And bakes the elf-locks in foul sluttish hairs, Which, once untangled, much misfortune bodes...
Page 495 - O'er ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream, Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are: Sometimes she gallops o'er a courtier's nose, And then dreams he of smelling out a suit; And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig's tail Tickling a parson's nose as a...
Page 486 - When in one night, ere glimpse of morn, His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn That ten day-labourers could not end ; Then lies him down the lubber fiend, And, stretched out all the chimney's length, Basks at the fire his hairy strength, And crop-full out of doors he flings, Ere the first cock his matin rings.
Page 262 - Come away, come away, death, And in sad cypress let me be laid ; Fly away, fly away, breath ; I am slain by a fair cruel maid. My shroud of white, stuck all with yew, O, prepare it ! My part of death, no one so true Did share it. Not a flower, not a flower sweet, On my black coffin let there be strown ; Not a friend, not a friend greet My poor corpse, where my bones shall be thrown : A thousand thousand sighs to save, Lay me, O, where Sad true lover never find my grave, To weep there ! Duke.
Page 511 - This Puck seems but a dreaming dolt, Still walking like a ragged colt, And oft out of a bush doth bolt, Of purpose to deceive us ; And, leading us, makes us to stray, Long winters nights out of the way, And when we stick in mire and clay, He doth with laughter leave us.
Page 226 - Candlesticks, which have been borrowed perhaps at five miles distance, as many candles as the poor person can beg or borrow, observing always to have an odd number. Pipes and Tobacco are first distributed, and then, according to the ability of the deceased, Cakes and Ale, and sometimes Whiskey, are dealt to the company — * Deal on, deal on, my merry men all.
Page 262 - Mark it, Cesario; it is old and plain: The spinsters and the knitters in the sun, And the free maids that weave their thread with bones, Do use to chant it ; it is silly sooth, And dallies with the innocence of love, Like the old age.
Page 382 - St. Keyne," quoth the Cornishman, "many a time Drank of this crystal Well ; And before the angel summoned her She laid on the water a spell : " If the husband, of this gifted Well Shall drink before his wife, A happy man henceforth is he, For he shall be master for life.
Page 290 - Now it is the time of night, That the graves, all gaping wide, Every one lets forth his sprite, In the church-way paths to glide...