Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-07-20

wild, barbaric conveying BY children of |
all vagabond travelling shows; the "wiping |
of the shoe by the pilcher-packing fish |
wives Of st. Ives, or daubing the strangers |
shoes with oil. Tor which half-crown FOR |
luck of the fair maids that feed and clothe |
the poor (the pllchersl must be paid, or
husling or ducking will follow the very
ancient harvest home custom OF "cryinB
the neck" which consists OF elevsting
small sheaf of the best heads of grain three
times and crying '.The Neck y as o token
that the field is done, and a signal, for
farmside generosity and jollity; and those
quaint old customs at Cornish funerals OF
''carryin' the boxn (the coffin) "layin'
ooth the corpse, s,watchin',n which is
nearly equivalent In all essentials to the
Irish wake, the display of the "bierers'
| (bearers) and their unique cottin.tackle,
the slow, weird, psalm.chanting process:
SIGNALS to the churchyard, the wailing OF
all females at the church, the compensa-
| ton of the 'passon" in coin in the pres.
ence of the multitude the final "cheerin'"
| of the mourners at the homes of the latter,
and the gallons of 'shnaegrum" at the
public house, over which the laiuented
"Coden jack is paid the highest eulogy
| known to Cornish genius, "'E knowed
tint
In England generally the great number
/ of old customs surviving, and almost pre-
| vailing is far more remarkable to those
who will see, than can the absence OF their
| like be either striking or lamentable save
to those of completely Opaque vision. In
modern London, modern as Paris or New
York in most of its cosmopolitan charac-
terstics. there are no end OF ancient GUS
toms still in vogue, especially among the
ancient guilds and among the extremes of
society from the costermonger's annual
outlandish parade to the lord mayors
banquet. There is q no greater nest OF
odd sN1A oil nd ttatr
may at any time be observed in about par
lament and the house of lords; while for
every half-dozen court ceremonials in
vogue during the time Of Elizabeth that
have been discarded, any person of ihtelli-
gence can point out score, equally an
tique, curious, and, some might insist,
ridiculous which have been dauntlessly
retained
As | have previously shown in these ar
ticles, English villages and village life are
in most particulars as charming aud char
actertul us they were any time at or beyond
q century ago. The customs remain with
these practically the same: and the change
in essentials is largely in the imagination
of those who remove to the cities, and who
are themselves subject to such radical
change that their former provincial en-
vironment seems mean and deformed from
the new and wondrous view. But coming
directly to the most important and eilec'
tive illustration that can be made, take life
in and about the great English, or for that
estates. As British institutions and socio
logy go, these provide the highest possible
example. With few exceptions--such al
the discontinuance of housekeeping oil
ale, and the provision of q servants hall
in place Of the common table--the entire
!; regime of these splendid places remains tht
same as IN the time when the old robbel
barons' fortified stone barrels, with bitches
, around them were transformed int
princely Elizabethian castle or hall.
In nearly every detail of relations be
4 tween lord and tenant; between tenant anc
= hind; in the management of the HON,
! demesne; in the force of retainers AMI
I their duties-from steward or agent, dowr
q past head forester and under foresters
y head gamekeeper, helpers and heaters,
head gardener and under gardeners, lodge
y keepers and all house seryants--there re
= mains, strong and fixed and seemingl,
II Interchangeable, every olden custom. ohsers
y ance, duty, gratuity and pleasant or I'LL
i, pleasant association of master and maj
y that have, for nearly quarter of thor
!, sand years, provided the most interestili
! pages of English literature and seerte
q the almost mistaken admiration, ii nc
always affection, Of those who have, d,
y spite of all political turmoil, held th
y British nation together; all OF which is nc
Y of historic fact and practical Illustrate
y of most interesting sociological spectacle,
"a Generalizing, there are innumerable al
TX cient customs and observances remainin
in England peculiar TO its people which al
Ne almost as unconscious as fadeless. III
~ greatest host of these are of half reli
o. ious and half social nature, solely the ou
10 growth of the influence Of the Church
10 England, which are so much part of NJ
" tional and individual life, even amor
re dissenters, that their existence is almo
~ unacceptable among the people then
ne selves. The single instance that the a
hne cient caudle ane christening feas
~ and ceremonies are greatly revived, AT
q often more extravagant than in form
at times, is sufficiently illustrative. | ha'
NO heard the town crier announcing the q
lse rival of the coach at old Warwick tow
OF and grotesquely uniformed Sergeants
N Mace--."robin ed-breasts" they are local
We called-stride about within the walls
~ ancient Londonderry precisely as they d
"; before the long siege. Derby Day, Il
IA memorable movable feast and outing, al
he the statutory feast of the 18th OF Augu
ny are religiously kept. Parliament alWa
hd adjourns for the first, and nothing b
,ni impending national calamity could tenn
no it to meet at the time dedicated to t
OF opening slaughter of grouse.
en- Nearly all the old university and En-
lish public school observances and CT
OF toms are intact. Everybody knows tn
les Guy Fawkes is annually officially a
ne literally searched for i'll the cellars OF RI
M liament-house before the opening of p
IA Lament. The ancient custom of dolein
y food and clothing to the poor is still
IN served on St. Thomas Day in Kent. III
ow unimpeachable custom of universal VI
oW cling which, in 1874 alone, brought I
ein national treasury revenue OF 43l 900, U
OF seems to bravely hold his olden own. o,
OF at great Yarmouth by the sea you will 81
gle find in general use the famous ancient ty
| 70 wheeled Yarmouth cart" little, narrl
int and low and with shafts as long
isn Cuban volantes. AT Coventry tho TO-
the council meets in St. Mary's Hall, strr
teu ure built for this self-same purpose
ny, years ago, and many of the oldest ce
YES monies are preserved, while every v
the brings its Lady Godiya professionals III
W. which Peeping Toms with wooden he
III and leering eyes look down. English loy
anu still run away to get married after
tate ancient Scotch fashion of consent bef
om- witnesses at Gretna Green.
Over in Derbyshire is still splendi
''ays alive the ancient and beautiful C,
ineS mony of embarrassing" and in the ht
of Wordsworth's Land, beside the v
spot where the grand old singer lies, Il
PATS be annually seen that sweetest of all ri
!, IN pastoral customs, rush bearing,n a e
sted mony perhaps a thousand years older b
long Christianity itself. There are more =
!. cross buns' now sold every Good Fri
Old In L,npland than were Avpr disrpsad nf