Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-11 00:00:00

EARBY ACADEMY,- Vici DARLINGTON,

YORKSHIRE.
Conducted by Mr. SIMPSON, and Talented Assistants.
UPILS PREPARED for Professional and Corn-
mercial Life. Tepats from 21 to 23 Guineas per Annitm,,
an no VabatiOn nor Extras unless deeired. Prospectuses and
'eeferences may be obtained from Earby, and at the Bull Hotel,
Dale-street, Liverpool, where Mr. Simpson will attend on the
1 19th, and 20th instant, from Eleven till One o'clock
p.m.
13ja19

OLD CUSTOMS AT ST. PAUL'S
CATHEDRAL.

Formerly a buck's head was carried in procession at
St. Paul's Cathedral. This, by some antiquaries, is
presumed to have been the continuation of a ceremony
in more ancient times, when, according to certain
accounts, a heathen temple existed on that site. It is
remarkable that :this notion as to the usage is enter-
tained by writers whose experience in other respects
has -obtained them well earned regard. The origin
of this custom is stated by Stow to the following
purport :—Mentioning the opinion already noticed,
which, strange to tell, has been urged -ever since
his time, he ,says, in his refutation, " But true it
is, I have read an ancient deed—to this effect ;" and
,
the " effect" is—that in 1294,. the dean and chapter
of 'St. Paul's granted twenty-two acres of land, part
of -the manor of Westley, in Essex, to Sir, William
Baud,' Knight, for the purpose of being inclosed by him
within his park at Curingham ; in consideration whereof
he undertook to bring them on the feast day of the Con-
version of St. Paul, in winter a good doe, seasonable
and sweet ; and upon -the feast of the Commemoration
of St. Paul, in summer, a good buck, and offer-the same
to be spent (or divided) among the canons- resident ; the
doe to be brought by one man, at the hour of procession,
and through the 'procession to the-high altar, and the
bringer to have nothing;- thebuck to be brought by
all his men in like manner, and they to be paid twelve-
pence only, by -the chamberlain of the church, and
no more 'be required. For the perforMance of this
annual present of venison he charged his lands
and bound his Itirs ; and - twenty-seven years after-
wards his son, Sir Walter, confirmed the grant. The
observance of the ceremony as to the buck was very
curious, and in this manner : On the aforesaid feast-
day of the Commemoration, the buck being brought
up -to the steps of -the high alter in St. Paul's-church
at the hour of procession, and the dean and chapter
beiue, apparelled- in their copes and vestments,
with° garlands of roses on their heads, they sent
the 'lady of the buck to be baked; and having fixed
the head on a pole, caused it to be borne before
the cross in their procession within the church, until
they (issued out of •the west door. There, the keeper
that brought it blew" The death of the buck," and then
the horsiers that were about the city answered him in
like manner. For this the Dean and Chapter gave each
man fourpence in money and his dinner, and the keeper
that brought it was allowed, during his abode there, meat,
drink, and lodging, at the Dean and Chapter's charges,
and 56. -in money on his going away, together with' a'
loaf of-bread, with the picture of St. Paul on it. • It ap-
Spears, also, that the granters of the venison present to.
t. Paul's Cathedral two special suits-of vestments, to
be "worn on those two days, the one being embroidered
with bucks, and the other .with does. The translator of
.Dußre's work on the " Conformity between Modern and
Ancient Ceremonies," alio misled by other authorities,
presumed that the " bringing up of a fat buck to the
altar of St. Paul's, with hunters, horns blowing, &c.. in
the-middle of divine service;" was of heathen derivation,' •
whereas we see it was only a provision for a venison -
feast by the Romish clergy, in return for some waste land
of one of their manors.--City_,Press.

ESCAPE AND-CAPTURE OF A DESPERATE CONVICT IN
THE PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARD.--.-011 Monday morning;
soon after nine o'clock, an alarm was given that a con-
vict, known as a most determined ruffian, had effected
his escape from the gang to which he was attached.
Measures were instantly taken to surround the outlets
of the fortifications of Portsmouth; and vigilant officers
were placed in every direction to prevent the egress of
the convict from the dockyard.' The convict was sup-
posed to have got in among a lot of boilers (unappro-
priated) at the north end of the yard,_ and which were
pretty closely stowed together. After five hours' deter-
mined chase by police, dockyard men, and boys, the fel.;
tloh
eluded
the aanshoalte length discovered,
of
theboilers. The convict
the vigilance of his warder by tearing up his
blanket
aile makingnlooked very chop-
otfhe
the
convictsaAßßlVAL OF THE 24TH itiEGIMENT AT CORK.—Her
Mgliesty's screw steam troop-ship
andf when takentrousers
to
Urgent, Commander
W. E. Hire, arrived in Cork Harbour on Friday night
rle. p
e no
with ten companies of thnsecond battalion of the 24th
Regiment, which had been engaged in, the affray with
the Tower Hamlets Militia at Aldershot camp, and were
subsequently ordered to the garrison. They had a more
than usually protracted voyage, nearly six days having
been consumed in the run from Portsmouth to Cork:
The Urgent sailed from Portsmouth at noon on Sunday
week, and immediately afterwards began to encounter
extremely bad weather, which compelled her on Tuesday
to run into Falmouth. There she remained for-a day,
and again resumed her passage, making Cork, as already
mentioned, on Friday night.
PnoPosEn HOME FOR WORKHOUSE GIRLS.—A pro-
position has recently been made to the guardians of
several metropolitan workhouses, bk the _ ladies of the
'Workhouse Visiting Society, through theirhonorary
secretaries, Miss Bnrdett Coutts and Miss Louisa-Twin-
ing, to form a " Female Home" for workhouse girls
above the age of 16, where they can be properly trained for
service, either for home or to be sent to the colonies, as
an intermediate step between the workhouse and a
domestic home.' It is to be regretted, however,- that on
application to the Poor-law. Board, that- board have
decided that the plan is illegal, and in consequence the
ladies referred to have written to the Holborn Union,
and other parishes, stating that they cannot carry out
their,proposal until there is an alteration in the law,
which they advise steps should be taken to procure,