solemnity. For after sacrifice the priest in a white garment ascended the tree, cut down the misselto with a golden hook, and received it in a white coate;* the virtue whereof was to resist all poisons, and make fruitful any that used it-vertues not expected from classical practice; and did they fully answer their promise, which are so commended in epileptical intentions,† we would abate‡ these qualities. Country practices hath added another,—to provoke after-birth—and in that case its decoction is given unto cows. That the berries are poison as some conceive, we are so far from averring, that we have safely given them inwardly; and can confirm the experiment of Brassavolus, that they have some purgative quality."|| Oak-leaves and Acorns.-"The Druides performed no sacred services without the leaves of oak, and not only the Germans, but the Greeks, adorned their altars with green leaves of oak. In the rites performed to Ceres they were crowned with oak; in those of Apollo, with bays; in those to Hercules with poplar; in those to Bacchus with myrtle (qy. vine?) Was not the oak * i.e., a white cloth, or tunic. In Holland's translation of Pliny, from whom it is plain that Aubrey has borrowed this account, we find, "the priest araied in a surplesse or white vesture climeth up into the tree, and with a golden hooke or bill cutteth it off, and they beneath receive it in a white soldier's cassock or coat of arms. (Holland's Pliny, Book xvi, chap. 44, p. 497, vol. 1.) Now the original word in Pliny is indeed sagum, which in its most common acceptation meant a military robe; but as soldiers' equipments seem quite out of place in a religious ceremony, and as sagum was also used for the cloth, of which the cassock was made, I have no doubt that Pliny meant us merely to understand a white cloth, or woollen robe. +i.e. Tendencies.. Disregard, dispense with. By country-practice, Aubrey means the practice of the rustics. abused by the Druides to superstition? And yet our late reformers gave order, which was universally observed accordingly, for the acorn, the fruit of the oak, to be set upon the top of their maces, or crowns, instead of the Herefordshire Charm-" Mrs. Clarke, a Herefordshire Woman.-Bury the head of a black catt with a Jacobus, or a piece of gold in it, and putt into the eies too black beanes. (What was to be donne with the beanes she had forgot). But it must be donne on a Tuesday at twelve o'clock at night; and that time nine nights the piece of gold must be taken out; and whatever you buy with it, (always reserving some part of the money) you will have money brought into your pocket; perhaps the same piece. of gold again."† Funeral Garlands. "It is a custome still at the funerall of young virgins to have a garland of flowers carried on the corpse, which is hung up in the church over her grave."+ Salt-"The falling of Salt is an authentic presager of ill-luck, nor can every temper contemn it; nor was the same a general prognostic among the ancients of future evil, but a particular omination concerning the breach of friendship; for salt, as incorruptible, was the symbole of friendship, and, before the other service, was offered unto their guests. But whether salt were not only a symbol of friendship with man but also a figure of amity, and reconciliation with God, and was therefore offered in sacrifices, is a higher speculation."§ Fairies." When I was a boy,|| our country-people would IDEM, folio 162. IDEM, folio 166. i.e. when Aubrey was a boy; for he is the narrator of this fable, and writes in 1625-6, November 3rd, at Esaton-Piers, in the north division of Wiltshire. talke much of them. They sweapt up the hearth cleane at night, and did sett their shoes by the fire, and many times they should find a threepence in one of them. Mrs. Markey, a daughter of serjeant Hoskyns the poet, told me that her mother did use that custom; and had as much money as made her, or bought her, a little silver cup, thirtie shillings value."* Pewits-Staffordshire-"But the strangest web-footed water-fowle that frequents this county is the Larus cinereus Ornotholgi, the Larus Cinereus tertius Aldrovandi, and the Cepphus of Gesner and Turner-in some counties called the Black Cap; in others the Sea, or Mire-Crow ; here the Pewit-which, being of the migratory kind, came annually to certain pooles in the estate of the right worshipful Sir Charles Skrymsher, knight, to build and breed, and to no other estate in, or neer, the county, but of this family to which they have belonged ultra hominum memoriam, and never mooved from it, though they have changed their station often. They anciently came to the old Pewit poole above mentioned, about half a mile S. W. of Norbury church, but it being their strange quality (as the whole family will tell you, to whom I refer the reader for the following relation) to be disturbed and remove upon the death of the head of it as they did within memory, upon the death of James Skrymsher Esq., to Offley Moss near Wood's Eves, which Moss, though containing two gentlemen's lands, yet (which is very remarkable), the pewits did discern betwixt the one and the other, and build only on the land of the next heir, John Skrymsher, Esq., so wholly were they addicted to this family. At which Moss they continued about three years, and then removed to the old pewit-poole again, where they continued to the death of the said John Skrymsher Esq. which happening on the eve to our Lady-day the very * IDEM, folio 180. time when they are laying their eggs, yet so concerned were they at this gentleman's death, that notwithstanding this tye of the law of nature, which has ever been held to be universal and perpetual, they left their nest and eggs; and though they made some attempts of laying again at Offley-Moss, yet they were still so disturbed that they bred not at all that year. The next year after they went to Aqualat, to another gentleman's estate of the same family, (where though tempted to stay with all the care imaginable) yet continued there but two years, and then returned again to another poole of the next heir of John Skrymsher deceased, called Shebben-poole in the parish of High Offley where they continue to this day, and seem to be the propriety, as I may say (though a wildfowle) of the right worshipful Sir Charles Skrymsher, knight, their present lord and master."* It is amusing to find a learned doctor of laws gravely recording such absurdities as these without the slightest doubt or hesitation. A useful lesson, however, may be derived from it by those who choose to do so. If things of this nature can be so attested, it is plain that human testimony is absolutely worthless when opposed to reason, and the necessity for the constant exercise of our own understanding becomes the more evident. * Dr. Plot's Natural History of Staffordshire; p. 231. folio. Oxford, 1686. 281 THE MONTHS-DECEMBER. DECEMBER is so called from the Latin December, as being the tenth month from March, while with our Anglo-Saxon forefathers it had the name of Christmonat-because in this month Christ was born-Wintermonath, or Midwintermonath, and Giul Erra, meaning the first or former Giul. It was the feast of Thor, and was celebrated in the mother-night, that is to say at the winter solstice. Of the derivation of Giul I have already spoken at some length, and any repetition would be useless. In Northumberland this month was called Hagmana, a word of which I shall presently have occasion to make mention. It may now be said to be winter, both according to the weather and the almanack, though they do not always agree.* The winds about this time are high and frequent, * The seasons, however, do not admit of being fixed with absolute precision, although for common purposes they may be thus divided :WINTER-popularly comprises December, January, and February : Astronomically, it begins when the sun enters Capricorn, which is about the 21st of December, that is to say at the time of the Winter Solstice; and ends when the sun enters Aries, which is about the 21st of March, that is to say, at the time of the Vernal Equinox. SPRING-popularly comprises March, April, and May: Astronomically, it begins when the sun enters Aries; and ends when the sun |
