The vestiges of this custom are frequent,* and it would seem that green peas too were often used, for Fosbrooke tells us in his British Monachism, "At Barking Nunnery, the annual store of provisions consisted of malt, wheat, russeaulx (a kind of allowance of corn) and to bake with eels on Sheer Thursday; green pease for Lent, green pease against Midsummer-"† and he adds in a note taken from the Order and Government of a Nobleman's House in the thirteenth volume of the Archæologia, p. 373, that "if one will have pease soone in the year following, such pease are to be sowenne in the waine of the moone at St. Andro's tide before Christmas."

But these doles, at all events in later times, do not appear to have been confined to either peas or beans. Furmety also was a standing -dish, a word derived by metathesis from the Latin, frumentum; it was made of what in Yorkshire was called, kneed wheat, that is, whole grains first boiled plump and soft, and then put into milk, when the mess was a second time boiled, and afterwards spiced and sweetened. It is also mentioned by a correspondent in the Gentleman's Magazine,‡ who says, "some things customarily probably refer simply to the idea of feasting or mortification according to the season and occasion. Of these perhaps are Lamb's Wool with

* In the Glossary to The Lancashire Dialect, 1775, carlings are thus explained: "peas, boiled on Care Sunday are so called." But the following account from a correspondent of the bland Sylvanus Urban, when speaking of the Northumberland custom, is yet more complete : "The yeomanry in general steep peas, and afterwards parch them, and eat them in the afternoon, and call them Carlings. This is said by an old author to have taken its rise from the disciples plucking the ears of corn and rubbing them in their hands." Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lvi. A.D. 1786. p. 1. 410. Whoever was the old author alluded to, he must have known very little of Pagan ceremonies.

+ Vol. ii. p. 127.

For 1783, p. 578,

Christmas Eve; Furmety, on Mothering Sunday; Braggot, which is a mixture of ale, sugar, and spices, at the Festival of Easter; and Cross Buns, Saffron-cakes, or Synnels in Passion Week; though these being, formerly at least, unleavened, may have a retrospect to the unleavened bread of the Jews, in the same manner as Lamb at Easter to the Paschal Lamb." The last remark seems very superfluous; but it is curious to see how soon our ancestors got rid of their mess of peas and beans, and how constantly they celebrated their fasts by eating something nicer than usual.

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There was yet another custom peculiar to this day, which seems worthy of notice, although it was confined, as far as I know to Franconia. It has been thus described: In the middle of Lent, the youth make an image of straw in the form of Death as he is usually depicted, and this they carry about upon a pole to the neighbouring villages, with much shouting. By some it is received kindly; they refresh the bearers with milk, peas, and dried pears, the common food of the season, and then send it home again; but others, deeming it a presage of evil-of death perhaps repel it from their boundaries with abuse and violence."*

The most important saint of this month is St. Cuthbert, whose whole life from infancy was emblazoned in a window of Durham Cathedral, hence called St. Cuthbert's Window. By the nine altars is his tomb, "with most

* In medio quadragesimæ, quo quidem tempore ad lætitiam nos ecclesia adhortatur, juventus in patria meâ ex stramine imaginem contexit, quæ mortem ipsam (quemadmodum depingitur) imitetur ; inde hasta suspensa in vicinos pagos vociferans portat. Ab aliquibus perhumanè suscipitur, et lacte, pisis, siccatisque pyris (quibus tum vulgo vesci solemus) refecta, domū remittitur; à cæteris, quia malæ rei (ut puta mortis) prænuncia sit, humanitatis nihil præcipit, sed armis et ignominiâ etiam adfectâ à finibus repellitur."—Orbis Terrarum Epitome, per Johannem Boemum Aubanum, p. 237, 12mo. Papiæ,

curious workmanship of fine and costly green marble, all lined and gilt with gold,"* which was so much frequented and enriched by pilgrims and others, "that it was esteemed one of the most sumptuous monuments in all England."+ The top of the shrine was made to move up and down by means of lines to which silver bells were attached, and on St. Cuthbert's Day in Lent, the cover being lifted, the bells "made such a goodly sound that it stir'd all the people's hearts within the church to repair to it. Also within the said feretory on both north and south side there were am bries § of fine wainscot, varnished and finely painted, and gilt over with fine little images very beautiful to behold for the reliques belonging to St. Cuthbert to lie in; and when his shrine was drawn the said ambries were opened, that every man that came thither at that time might see the holy reliques therein."||

But this splendid shrine was forbidden to women. St. Cuthbert it seems was a mysogunist, and would allow no women to come near his tomb, having been sorely scandalized during his lifetime by a fair piece of frailty, who finding herself likely to disgrace the king, her father, laid the blame of her seduction to St. Cuthbert-"that solitary young man who dwelleth hereby is he who hath overcome me," said the lady, whereupon the saint in great alarm uttered a fervent prayer, and the earth opened and swallowed her up. The king at this convinced of Cuthbert's innocence now in turn begged forgiveness, which * Ancient Rites, &c., P. 6. + Idem, p. 8.

A feretory is the sarcophagus in which the body lies, from the Latin feretrum. Vide Ducange, sub voce.

§ Ambrey is derived by Minshew from the Latin, armorium, "forte quòd esset olim præcipuè pro armorü conservatione-perhaps because it was formerly used chiefly to keep arms in."-He explains it, however, to mean a cupboard, and it is likely enough that he may be more correct than Barrett, who derives it from the French, aumoniere. || Ancient Rites, p. 9.

the saint granted upon condition that no woman was allowed to approach him for the future. Hence even after his death his faithful disciples would not allow any woman to come near his feretory, last they should disturb the sleep of the saint even in the tomb.

Lady-Day, or the Day of Annunciation, is only an abridgement of Our Lady's-Day, and is peculiarly dedicated to the Virgin Mary, from its having been the season when the angel announced to her that she should bring forth a Son.* Its near approach to the vernal equinox, one of the natural divisions of the year, was, it may be supposed, the reason of its being called Quarter Day, since it marks, though not quite correctly, the first of the four quarters. Beyond this, the month has no day requiring a particular notice.

LOUISA DE BUDOS.

AMONGST the many supernatural tales that have emanated from professed ghost-seers, I know of few that in the semblance of truth go beyond old Sully's account of Louisa de Budos. He was so complete a matter-of-fact personage, wore so respectable a beard, and was so stiff, not to say grim, in his outward man, that no one could suppose him guilty of anything in the shape of weakness. The style too is singularly indicative of the inan. believes with a sincerity of spirit that scorns all ornament derived from the imagination, and narrates with so little attempt to convince, that it would be really a want of Christian charity not to give him credit for all he is pleased to advance. The following is the substance of his story, though the version is somewhat of the freest.

He

This is what is related of Louisa de Budos, the lady of the Constable Montmorency, and as it was affirmed by the noble dames then at her mansion. She was conversing with them gaily in her cabinet, when one of her women entered in great perturbation, and informed her that a stranger of goodly presence,-saving that he was quite black and of gigantic stature—had just entered the