The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-11-30

tleman while traveing in the East had
 a marvellous escape from an attack by
 a lion, and this fact is what Is SC | quaintly commemorated by the annua
 "Lion Sermon" at the Church of St ] Catherine Cree not far from the Man.
 sion House. Speaking, too, of dead men
 sermons ana churches reminds me that | at FessingIeld in Suffolk there is lit-
 tie Baptist meeting house the design of which Is in the shape of coffin. It Is
 known as ''The Coffin Chapel" and was 1 expressly planned on these lines by a 1 former pastor as a practical reminder
 to his people of their latter end.
 l Londoners were puzzling not long ago over what they thought was new rate l of halfpenny in the pound, called the | Trophy Tax" Because 1t hadn't been | levied for a number of years they were inclined to kick, thinking it new way l of getting at their pocket books. But it turned out to be an exaction that | had the stamp of antiquity upon it, and, of course, when people knew how old it was they couldn't help feeling, I being English, you know, that it was all | OK. It is levied only when special llSSu dIiSGS. u WdS lltSL leNleu CSlllul . ies ago under the old train-hand sys- tenn, and has been confirmed to the City Fathers by every monarch from | Charles IT. to Edward VII. Somewhat akin to this are some ancient rights of toiling that have pust been asserted at Chetwode Manor in Bucks. Beginning some time in October and ending Mo- vember Eth all cattle passing on any road within the liberty of the manor had to pay a toll. called the Rhyme Toll" This toll is at the rate of two shillings score. In preparing to col leot 1t a horn was blown first at Church Hill, Buckinghamshire after which the officer made his way to another part of the liberty" and blew the horn a sec ond time on the borders of OXfordshre. Then the toll was legally on and collec- tors took positions at various places to enforce it.
 But of all the old English customs which still survive here and there to bless or curse the people there is per- haps none more harmless or more gro- tesquely amusing than that which is called Beating the Bonds" It refers to the bounds of Parishes and goes back to the old time when surveyors records were lacking and when proof Of where one Parish left off and another began was such only as could be furnished by word of mouth out of the recollection of old parishioners. At that time the Bounds" were beaten regularly and in such a way that those taking part would not forget where these bound aries were. The whole parish turned out. Here big stone would mark the line, elsewhere a steram or pond and to be sure of good evidence in years to come the lads of the village would all be stoutly bounced on the stone and vigorously doused afterward in the wa ter.
 This custom is still kept up in some places. It has not fallen wholly into disuse even in London, though, of course, it is modified now from what it was anciently. The bounds of some of the London Parishes are found now in queer places. Those of the parish of St Catherine Colman were beaten" the other day. One mark was found in the center of a merchants strong room, an other lay in a stack of chimneys on the top of a roof, another on one of the tracks at Fenchurch St. Railway Sta ton and still another i'll the midst of some beer engines under the Refresh ment Room of that Station
 HENRY TUCKLEY.