No more I'll hear, at early dawn, [And who shall deck the hawthorn bower With me the Radcliff's name must end, And many a kinsman, many a friend Dear Shaftsbury" and Errington,3 Receive my last adieu. And fare thee well, George Collingwood, If thou and I have lost our lives, And fare thee well my bonnie gray steed, 1 The Widdringtons of Cheeseburn Grange, were deeply implicated in the rebellion of 1715. Ralph Widdrington, esq., was imprisoned and under sentence of death, at Liverpool; but he and his servant escaped out of the gaol, by means of a rope thrown across the ditch or fosse. Mr. W. retired a few years to the continent. He returned however, and though he lived long after 1745, was never molested.-Griffin's Jacobite Minstrelsy. Glasgow, 1829. 2 Mr. Surtees says that Shaftsbury should have been written Shafto. The Shaftoes of Bavington forfeited their estate in 1715, which was repurchased from the crown by their relation, Admiral Delaval, and restored to the family. One of the Shaftoes is buried in the great church at Brussels, with an epitaph expressing his loyalty to James III.— Ibid. 3 Lancelot Errington, and his nephew Mark, literally unassisted, secured Holy Island castle, and hoisted the white flag, but receiving no assistance were obliged to escape over the walls, were fired at, wounded (whilst swimming) and taken. They afterwards burrowed themselves out of Berwick gaol, were concealed nine days in a peat stack, near Bamborough Castle, (then General Forster's seat,) reached Gateshead House, and sailed from Sunderland for France. Both of them returned to England, and one of them lived long in Newcastle, but is said to have died of grief, at the result of the year 1746.— Griffin. I wish I had been asleep in my bed, The warning bell now bids me cease; Yon sun that rises from the sea, Albeit that here in London town O carry me to Northumberland, And when the head that wears the crown, Some honest hearts may then lament Farewell to pleasant Dilston Hall, My father's ancient seat; A stranger now must call thee his, ANECDOTE OF LORD ELDON. ORD ELDON (then Mr. Scott), was some time in the office of Mr. Bray an eminent conveyancer in London, when he was indefatigable in attention to his duties. After he left him, to attend at Lincoln's Inn, he had frequently to pass Mr. Bray's. One morning, while Mr. and Mrs. Bray were at breakfast, the former observed, when Mr. Scott was passing "my dear, that young man will be Lord Chancellor of England one day."-Maddison's Prestwick Carr. 4 Mr. Griffin, in his Jacobite Minstrelsy, here appends a note, describing the burial of the unfortunate Lord, the removal of the body, the aurora borealis which appeared on the evening of the execution, &c., but all these matters are more fully detailed in the Historical Division of the Table Book, to which we refer our readers-vide vol. i. pp. 345 to 353. Candlemas Day. EXTRACTED FROM HONE'S "EVERY-DAY BOOK." N this Festival, the second day of February, the Romish church celebrates with great pomp, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. It stands also as a holyday in the calendar of the church of England. According to "The Posey of Prayers, or the Key of Heaven," it is called Candlemas, because before mass is said this day, the church blesses her candles for the whole year, and makes a procession with hallowed or blessed candles in the hands of the faithful. The practice is treated of by Butler in his notice of the festival under this head, "On blessing of Candles and the Procession.” It is to be gathered from him that "St. Bernard says the procession was first made by St. Joseph, Simeon, and Anne, as an example to be followed by all the earth, walking two and two, holding in their hands candles, lighted from fire, first blessed by the priests, and singing." The candle-bearing has reference to Simeon's declaration in the temple when he took Jesus in his arms, and affirmed that he was a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel. Brand shows from "Dunstan's Concord of Monastic Rules," that the monks went in surplices to the church for candles, which were to be consecrated, sprinkled with holy water, and censed by the abbot. Every monk took a candle from the sacrist, and lighted it. A procession was made, thirds and mass was celebrated, and the candles, after the offering, were offered to the priest. The monk's candles signified the use of those in the parable of the wise virgins. In Roman Catholic states the people joined the priests in their public processions to the churches, every individual bearing a burning candle, and the churches themselves blazed with supernumerary illuminations at mid-day. It is to be noted, that from Candlemas the use of tapers at vespers and litanies, which prevailed throughout the winter, ceased until the ensuing ALL HALLOW MASS; and hence the origin of an old English proverb in Ray's Collection "On Candlemas-day Throw candle and candlestick away." Brand cites a curious anecdote concerning John Cosin, bishop of Durham, on this day, from a rare tract entitled "The Vanitie and Downefall of superstitious Popish Ceremonies, preached in the Cathedral Church of Durham, by one Peter Smart, a prebend there, July 27, 1628," Edinborough, 4to. 1628. The story is, that "on Candlemas day last past, Mr. Cozens, in renuing that popish ceremone of burning Candles to the honour of our lady, busied himself from two of the clocke in the afternoon till foure, in climbing long ladders to stick up wax candles in the said Cathedral Church: the number of all the Candles burnt that evening was two hundred and twenty, besides sixteen torches; sixty of those burning tapers and torches standing upon, and near the high Altar, (as he calls it,) where no man came nigh." It is curious to find a very late instance.-A contributor to the Gentleman's Magazine informs Mr. Urban, in 1790, that having visited Harrowgate for his health a few years before, he resided for some time at that pleasant market-town Rippon, where, on the Sunday before Candlemas-day, he observed that the collegiate Church, a fine ancient building, was one continued blaze of light all the afternoon from an immense number of Candles. Brand observes, that in the north of England this day is called the "Wives' Feast Day;" and he quotes a singular old custom from Martin's book on the Western Islands, to this effect:-The mistress and servants of each family dress a sheaf of oats in women's apparel, put it in a large basket, and lay a wooden club by it, and this they call Brüd's Bed; and the mistress and servants cry three times, 'Brüd is come, Brüd is welcome!' This they do just before going to bed. In the morning they look among the ashes, and if they see the impression of Brüd's club there, they reckon it a presage of a good crop, and prosperous year; if not, they take it as an ill omen." Bishop Hall, in a Sermon on Candlemas-day, remarks, that "it hath been an old (I say not how true) note, that hath been wont to be set on this day, that if it be clear and sun-shiny, it portends a hard weather to come; if cloudy and louring, a mild and gentle season ensuing." This agrees with one of Ray's proverbs: "The hind had as lief see his wife on the bier, As that Candlemas-day should be pleasant and clear." So also Browne, in his "Vulgar Errors," affirms, that, "there is a general tradition in most parts of Europe, that inferreth the coldness of succeeding winter from the shining of the sun on Candlemas-day, according to the proverbial distich : 'Si Sol splendescat Mariâ purificante, Major erit glacies post festum quam fuit ante.' The Country Almanac for 1676, in the month of February, versifies to the same effect: "Foul weather is no news; hail, rain, and snow, Are now expected, and esteem'd no woe; Nay, 'tis an omen bad, The yeoman say, If Phoebus shows his face the second day." Country Almanac, (Feb.) 1676. Other Almanacks prophesy to the like purport: "If Candlemas-day be fair and bright, But if Candlemas-day be clouds and rain, The next old saw is nearer the truth than either of the preceding : "When Candlemas-day is come and gone, The snow lies on a hot stone." Candlemas candle-carrying remained in England till its abolition by an order in council, in the second year of king Edward VI. Anecdote FROM "PENNINGTON'S MORAL ANNALS," 1793. Na northern county, a person of some influence in his neighbourhood, stepped into the cottage of a poor labourer, who had several sınall children, and after asking some questions relative to his situation (which was not the most desirable) presented him with a book. The poor man said he could not read, but little Tommy, his eldest boy, was "learning, and wanted a Testament." This will be more proper for him, said the gentleman: "What is it?" The Rights of Man. "Nay, nay, master," replied the cottager, "I know more of man than I like, and less of God than I should if you will give me a Testament, it will be of service both to me and my son; and whilst he reads to me I will pray for you." The gentleman struck with the remark, threw the pamphlet into the fire, and not only gratified the wish of the honest labourer, the next day, but ordered the boy to be educated at his expence. |