, 1872-11-10
~ENGLlSH STATUTE-FAlRS.
The Gid City Of WarWick---An ANTI
Quarian and Artistic PARA
disc.
The Fair as. 1t Was and ls.--Appearance
of the Girls and Men.
Pictureeque-Gr Grotesque Scenes
1.-The Merrynakings.

-"-1A6 1AcI1 y At.hAA51s
From, Our 0n'1 Correspondent.
LONDON, Oct. g, 1872.
Amid the many evidences around us Of the
business-likc activity Of the modern spirit 1T 1s
very dcceitful to be now and then reminded o.
the leisurelv enjoyments OF the olden time.
The annual Statute Fairs i'll England, datln6
from most ancient days, may serve this purpose.
Such fairs are common in the Mother Country
at this season of the year; and the last, and per-
haps the best from our point OF Wow, was held
at Warwick on the Saturday following Michael
mas-Day.
WARWICK
is very old city, and its proximity to
Leamington enables it to enjoy the dignl1icd
repose of age. bennington does the hard WORK
Of the district, receives VISITORS buys and sells,
and generally transacts business for all the |
country round, leaving the Older city but little
more to do than to sit down and contemplate
its own wrinkles in the glass Of Time. Warwick
is the antiquarians and the artists pcradise.-
full Of local history for the first, and, for the
last, Of those precious bits Of house-scenery
Of which fine pictures arc made. You may hear
there of charities many centuries Old, and enter
the dwellings Of their founders, ranged
IN QGurNllu1tF 1Au4AL cb1COto. ee~@A "AA~A
few people are about.-and thoy may be thus
seen very often during the day,-these street
| Beem to have no sort Of association With this
| ago. The imagination readily peoples them
with the figures Of our earlier classical drama;
but it costs great mental effort to fill in the
| ideal picture with the forms OF to-day. Coun-
cillor and Jester, gallant and knight, may at any
moment, it seems, step forth to talk blank Eerze
about the many-colored life OF the past.
The modern dreamer most fortunately cannot
SEQ himself, or his garb aud air would at
! once stamp him an intruder Should another
! person of tho period como in view, the anach-
ronism is as keonly resented as though prompt
er or call-boy had stepped III front OF Shak-
Of the red brick of Queen Annes time, and the
offence Of tloir comparative youth IL ]udlc1ouR-
ly cloakcd in ivy and in moss.
THE POOR
have their share in this Inheritance OF assocla-
! tions and twelve peculiarly privileged old men
| of their number live secure from want IN
building which, although it is buta kind OF aims
house, seems very Palace OF Delight to
every stranger visiting the town. Nothing finer il .:
in its way than this "Leyccster Hospital" IS
to-be seen in England. 1t stands as It WAS left
by the crtiticers Of Queen Elizabeth's time; and
its old oak cabinet and chairs are each worth
volume Of history. In one of its chambers
hangs scrap Of Amy Robsart's embroidery !;
in another King James 1 once sat down to feast,
with Fulke Greville at the board. The
carved Dear with Ragged STAFF keeps
watch over the courtyard and his efigy,
stamped Of in snssyt sys pattern s IN which the the
" Brethren" walk abroad. An inscription over
the refcctory door reminds these agcd pensioners
that they should deal kindly one with another |;
a legend running above the Masters porch saSs
| that rulers of men must be Just
1t is great thing for England to possess,
= along with her docks and warehouses, these
stores OF
FINE OLD CRUsTED POETRY.
In Warwick, the Legacy iH rarely diminished "
the hands OF innovation. The man who left the
place halfcentury ago would still find 1t the city
), Of his youth, Such traveller, On catching Sigh
L nroprietT weld to emotion il lle we're approach
ing the chimneys of London in the like case i
would be ine1cusable to shed tear
THE FAIR.
As for the Fair it has been greatly diverted
from it's original purpose. The old Statute Fai
g supplied one of the prime wants Of rural life
It offered masters and men in the aggregate al
O most their entire opportunity Of communication
for business purposes. Farms were fewer an
= farther apart than now; advertising was un
unknown and so it came to be d custom. sane
il toned by statute, that on given day, all mas
tcrs who wanted servants, and NIL servants VIII
+ wanted masters should assemble in the marke
place Of the provincial capital. These meeting
Il gradually assumed festive character III
r. hiring was for year; aud it was natural that
after an engagement Of that magnitude hn
70 been concluded, the parties should seek llttl
10 diversion. In England, institutions rarely pei
iBh; they simply change. Although farmers an
% servants in time found other Ways Of maxim
st their wants known to each other, they continue
TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL FAIR;
il but they came more aud more for amusomen
ut and less for business. To-day the hiring sti
takes place at Mchacmas; but they are effecte
I'd mainly through the medium OF the registr!
offices and the newspapers. But many Of tt
n good old-fashoned sort OF servants stand in tt
market-place il only for the fun of the thint
is and some few 60 there to seek engagements
the ancient way. Nearly everybody, in fac
si- finds something to his mind in the Incidents
tho gathering. The thrifty rustic meets Il
goods, and the conviyial rustic NEE
go his friend; it is an annual ma
tn keting for the one, aud an annual resel +. +.
the other. So that, on this October day OF 1877
he the msrket-place seems just as full as it is 81
III to have been Of yoro. and long rows OF men Al
mt women await tho bidders for their service o.
looks in vain for the typical peasants OF pore
lly lain paintings or OF the stage.
ria THE GIRLS
arc by no means all rosy or plump; and If tin
Ter wenr pretty rustic hats it is only because that
H. the last fashion which has reached them frc
town. Their dress 10 distorted reflection
nd tho London modes, wholly misunderstanding, a
,a- therefore wholly unbecoming.-a tumble
styles: Tho skirts OF Regent street and the he
Of nailed boots OF tho field, this years novelty
be bodlcos and the ugly woollen "com1oreer OF
ro- time. Their great hands are rendered donl
conspicuous BY being encased in bulgy clc
$50 gloves Of prepostorous dye. Some Of tho We
ing ors, indoeo, seem all bands and feet and may
IVY said to DO persons with constitutions! tende
ick cy to oxtromes. But side by nide with til
pale faces aud shrunken bodies arc you
MSS women of Horculcan mould,-the "strappi
wonchos" dear to the English matrons hen
ing This Michaclmaa trip to Warwick is, with the
an first outlook on the great world; but their
mobile fcatursB fall to givc expression to
lay. wonder that must stir their hoarts. Rte
,hi- statues transferred from ThobeH to Dlool
bury, oould hardly seem loss sensible Of char
is Of condition.
ell THE FARMERS WIVES
rec who have como to inspect them llavo all tho i
ing curiosity OF the viEitors to museum.
ack look right into the oyes Of tho naturesque CT
ong osities, without fearing any answering gaze
surprise or indignation. In their dress aud 6
on eraf appearance, theso rustic dauos stand n
An why between tho farn,-grlh and tho great to-
OF la4lics, their common mot{ol Tho younger o
.tAf-I tIAi III. l.