The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-12-21
SUPERSIITIOUS PEOPLE
Some Curious Old Time Beliefs
Held in England.
. GLANCE INTO THE PAST.
To Escape the Galiows bv Marriage
Avoiding Debts by Wearing scant At
tire -Bestriding the Peiting Stone
Lady Fox's Warning Wedding Days.


fate, provided some compassionate woman
came forward at the foot Of the gallows
and expressed her willingness TO marry
him. The belief Is placed by Darlington
in the category of legal vulgar errors,
but none the less was 1t regarded by the
people as valid-as an unwritten law, in
fact--and was frequently enough acted
upon.
Something similar was not unknown In
France and Italy up to quite recent
date, and Manningham, the lawyer, who
lived at the beginning OF the Seventeenth
century, and whose diary has been pub
lished by the Camden Society, tells US,
after quoting some instances, that in our
country, Z" il woman will beg con-
demned person for her hus band, she must
come in her smock only, and white
wand in her hand" Among the Rox-
burghe ballads is one dating from Man
ningham's time, which sets forth how
merchant of Chichester killed German
at Emden town, and how, after he had
made his dying speech on the scaffold, no
less than ten goodly maidens begged
for his hand and his life.
This is our law!" quoth they.
ave may your death remove,
you, In lieu OF our good will, a
will grant TO us your love-"
This merchant was a fastidious person
age, however; perhaps wide experience
had made him an epicure; certainly no
one Of the maidens was "goodly "enough
for his taste, and he quietly asked the
executioner to perform his Office. Then
an eleventh damsel intervened, and by
the comb bined force Of her charms and ell
90 uence made the merchant relent and
accept her kind offer.
The famous border thief, Scott OF Har-
den, married his wife as an alternative
from the gallows. He had lifted the cat
tie of Murray of Blibank, and had been
trapped and driven, with his followers
and the stolen animals, back to Blibank
Castle.
Murray told his wife that Scott would
not escape him that time-that now he
was caught he should hang "high upon
the gallows- tree" when Mrs. Murray
deferentially suggested that ii would be
a pity to hang so winsome fellow when
they bad three such sorry girls pining in
single blessedness at home. Murray
caught at the idea, sent for Meg o the
Mouth, the ugliest and eldest of his three
daughte and presented her to the as
tonished prisoner, with the request that
he would choose between the lady and
certain high tree which he pointed out.
Scott swore vehemently, and fatty re-
fused to have her at any price; and 1t
was not until he felt the moose tighten
around his neck that he gave in, married
the elderly, ugly daughter, and returned
to Harden a sadder and a wiser man, to
curse that unlucky raid that had brought
him such a Nemesis.
Another curious belief In connection
with marriage was, that IL a woman
lacked modesty as well as money, she
| might throw of her debts with her dress,
| and by going to church in one garment
| only made her creditors shift for their
| dues-much as though law were like the
| lion in the FAIRY Queen" and lost all
herceness before an unclad Una. In the
records of the Fleet marriage this kind OF
thing is commonly met with-so COM
monly, indeed, that one ceases even to
smile on reading OF beauty unadorned
skipping across Ludgate Hill to change
her name and begin her life anew by the
aid of a rascally Fleet parson.
| In Lindisfarne the dying fire OF very
| old superstition is still famed into a
fame now and then by the ceremony
known as the bestriding OF the Pelting-
stone. This is the socket stone Of q pom
derous cross erected by the Saxon bishop
| Ethelwald, and broken to pieces by the
Danes on one OF their early piratical ex-
peditions against the northern English,
Whenever marriage takes place at the
village church the bride steps up on the
Pelting stone, and il she cannot stride
from one end to the other she knows that
her matrimonial venture will result un-
happily.
Such fancied foreknowledge as this ID
apt to-and, no doubt, very often does
work out its own fulfillment, as in the
case of the widow of Sir Walter Long oi
Draycott. This lady promised her hus-
band on his death that on no account
would she think Of marrying again; but
having, like the majority OF us, con-
venient memory, clean forgot the promise
she had given when Sir Stephen Fox came
a-wooing.
Sir Stephen Fox led her to the altar an6
led her home again, when, on returning
to the drawing room OF her house, the
picture of Sir Walter fell on her shoulder
and broke in the fall-sn extraordinar,
warning which the newly made Lad,
Fox, absolutely ignorant, no doubt, o
the laws OF causation, took as a super
natural warning that her promise break
ing would be avenged and her seconC
marriage prove an unfortunate one, anc
she herself made it SO by dwelling con
stantly upon the incident and the death
he'd scene which IL called to mind.
In Chambers's " Book OF Days " ther
is quoted a manuscript OF the Fifteenth
century, from which it appears there ar
thirty-two days in the year upon whicl
IL is advisable TO go to church to be joine'
in holy matrimony, the particular day
being these: January l, 2, 4, B, Z, 10, Is
February 6, Z, IS; March 1, g. s; May 5,
Z; June Z, IS; July 8, 10; August 10, 10
September 8, Z; October 8; November Il
l6, and December is, 10, IL. As for th
days OF the week, other things bein
equal, the old rhyme tells us-omittin
Sunday as day OF invsriable good luck
Monday for wealth;
Tuesday for health;
Wednesday the best day Of all;
Thursday for crosses;