very fine kid, some sweet wine, and flowers, to a noble fountain in his own Sabine villa." Brand, in his "Description of Orkney,” p. 58, speaking of St. Tredwell's Loch, says, "It is held by the people as medicinal; whereupon many diseased and infirm persons resort to it, some saying that thereby they have got good." "Yet I hear that when they have done all that is usual for them to do-as going about the loch, washing their bodies or any part thereof, leaving something at the loch, as old clouts and the like, &c.-it is but in few in whom the effect of healing is produced. As for this loch's appearing like blood before any disaster befal the Royal Family, as some do report, we could find no ground to believe any such thing."

In the "Statistical Account of Scotland," vol. xviii. p. 630, parish of Mary-Kirk, co. of Kincardine, we read: "There is at Balmano a fine spring well, called St. John's Well, which in ancient times was held in great estimation. Numbers who thought its waters of a sanative quality brought their rickety children to be washed in its stream. Its water was likewise thought a sovereign remedy for sore eyes, which, by frequent washing, was supposed to cure them. To show their grati

tude to the saint, and that he might be propitious to continue the virtues of the waters, they put into the well presents, not indeed of any great value, or such as would have been of the least service to him if he had stood in need of money, but such as they conceived the good and merciful apostle, who did not delight in costly oblations, could not fail to accept. The presents generally given were pins, needles, and rags taken from their clothes. This may point out the superstition of those times."

Using rags as charms, it seems, was not confined to England or Europe, for I read the following passage in Hanway's “Travels into Persia," vol. i. p. 177: "After ten days' journey we arrived at a desolate caravanserai, where we found nothing but water. I observed a tree with a number of rags tied to the branches: these were so many charms, which passengers coming from Ghilan, a province remarkable for agues, had left there, in a fond expectation of leaving their disease also on the same spot."

Park, in his "Travels in the Interior of Africa," has the following passage: "The company advanced as far as a large tree, called by the natives Neema Taba. It had a very singular appearance, being covered with innumerable rags or scraps of cloth, which persons travelling across the wilderness had at different times tied to its branches: a custom so generally followed, that no one passes it without hanging up something." Mr. Park followed the example, and suspended a handsome piece of cloth on one of the boughs.

() Martin, in his "History of the Western Islands of Scotland," speaking of the Isle of Lewis, says that " St. Andrew's Well, in the village of Shadar, is by the vulgar natives made a test to know if a sick person will die of the distemper he labours under. They send one with a wooden dish, to bring some of the water to the patient; and if the dish, which is then laid softly upon the surface of the water, turn round sun-ways, they conclude that the patient will recover of that distemper; but if otherwise, that he will die." P. 7.

"About a mile to the west of Jarrow (near Newcastle-upon-Tyne) there is a well still called Bede's Well, to which as late as the year 1740 it was a prevailing custom to bring children troubled with any disease or infirmity; a crooked pin was put in, and the well laved dry between each dipping. My informant has seen twenty children brought together on a Sunday to be dipped in this well, at which also, on Midsummer Eve, there was a great resort of neighbouring people, with bonfires, musick, &c." Brand's History of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, vol. ii. p. 54.

Collinson, in his "History of Somersetshire," vol. iii. p. 104, mentions a well in the parish of Wembdon, called St. John's Well, to which in 1464 "an immense concourse of people resorted: and that many who had for years laboured under various bodily diseases, and had found no benefit from physic and physicians, were, by the use of these waters (after paying their due offerings), restored to their pristine health."

(10) Mr. Shaw, in his "History of the Province of Moray," tells us "that true rational Christian knowledge, which was almost quite lost under Popery, made very slow progress after the Reformation. That the prevailing

ignorance was attended with much superstition and credulity; heathenism and Romish customs were much practised: Pilgrimages to Wells and chapels were frequent," &c.

Martin, ut supra, p. 140, observes, "Lochsiant Well in Skie is much frequented by strangers as well as by the inhabitants of the isle, who generally believe it to be a specific for several diseases; such as stitches, headaches, stone, consumptions, megrim. Several of the common people oblige themselves by a vow to come to this well and make the ordinary tour about it, called Dessil, which is performed thus: they move thrice round the well, proceeding sun-ways, from east to west, and so on. This is done after drinking of the water; and when one goes away from the well it's a never-failing custom to leave some small offering on the stone which covers the Well. There is a small coppice near it, of which none of the natives dare venture to cut

the least branch, for fear of some signal judgment to follow upon it."

Ibid. p. 242. He speaks of a well of similar quality, at which, after drinking, they make a tour, and then leave an offering of some small token, such as a pin, needle, farthing, or the like, on the stone cover which is above the well.

In "The Irish Hudibras," a burlesque of Virgil's account of Æneas's descent into hell, 8vo. Lond. p. 119, we have the following allusion to the Irish visits to holy wells on the patron's day:

"Have you beheld, when people pray,

At St. John's Well, (a) on patron-day,
By charm of priest and miracle,
To cure diseases at this well,
The valley's fill'd with blind and lame,
And go as limping as they came?"

(11) Vol. i. p. 339, and Append. p. 622. "St. Mary's Well, in this village (Jesmond), which is said to have had as many steps down to it as there are articles in the Creed, was lately enclosed by Mr. Coulson for a bathingplace; which was no sooner done than the water left it. This occasioned strange whispers in the village and the adjacent places. The well was always esteemed of more sanctity (a) In the north [of Ireland].

than common wells, and therefore the failing of the water could be looked upon as nothing less than a just revenge for so great a profanation. But, alas! the miracle's at an end, for the water returned a while ago in as great abundance as ever." Thus far Bourne.

Hasted, in his "History of Kent,” vol. iii. p. 333, speaking of Nailbourns, or temporary land-springs, which are not unusual in Kent, in the parts eastward of Sittingbourne, says that "their time of breaking forth, or continuance of running, is very uncertain; but, whenever they do break forth, it is held by the common people as the forerunner of scarcity and dearness of corn and victuals. Sometimes they break out for one, or perhaps two, successive years, and at others, with two, three, or more years' intervention, and their running continues sometimes only for a few months, and at others for three or four years."

In the "Statistical Account of Scotland," vol. v. p. 185, the minister of Unst, in Shetland, says, "A custom formerly prevailed for persons to throw three stones, as a tribute to the source of the salubrious waters, when they first approach a copious spring called Yelaburn, or Hiclaburn (the Burn of Health), in that neighbourhood. A considerable pile has thus been raised. But the reputation of the spring begins to decline, and the superstitious offering is now no longer so religiously paid."

Two presaging fountains have been already noticed in a former page from Alexander Ross. In "The Living Librarie, or Historical Meditations," fol. Lond. 1621, p. 284, the author gives us the following more minute account of them: "I have heard a prince say that there is in his territories a fountaine that yeelds a current of water which runs continually; and ever when it decreaseth it presageth dearnesse of victuals; but when it groweth drie it signifieth a dearth. There is a fountaine in Glomutz, a citie of Misnia, a league from the river Elbis, which of itselfe making a pond, produceth oftentimes certaine strange effects, as the inhabitants of the country say, and many that have seene the same witnesse. When there was like to be a good and fruitful peace in all the places about,

4. A tub elevated on a pole, and three naked boys running at it with a long stick.

5. Playing at chess. D. Jeu de Merilles. 6. Shooting at rabbits, fowls, &c., with long and cross bows.

7. Fighting with sword and round buckler. 8. Playing at bowls.

9. Whipping tops, as at present.

10. Playing at dice; one stakes his cloak against the other's money.

11. A man leaping through a hoop held by two men, his clothes being placed on the other side for him to leap on.

20. Balancing a sword on the finger, and a wheel on the shoulder.

21. A boy seated on a stool holding up his leg. Another in a sling, made by a rope round a pulley, holding up his foot, and swung by a third boy, so that his foot may come in contact with the foot of the first boy, who, if he did not receive the foot of the swinging boy properly, would risk a severe blow on the body.

22. A dancing bear, with a man holding something not understood in his hand.

23. Running at the quintain on foot. A man holds up the bag of sand.

24. Two boys drawing a third with all their force seated on a stool (on which is a saddle) running on four wheels.

25. A moveable quintain. The bag supposed to be held out.

26. A man laid on his belly upon a long stool, his head hanging over a vessel with water at the bottom; another man standing at the other end of the stool to lift it up and plunge the head of the first in the water.

27. Two boys carrying a third upon a stick thrust between his legs, who holds a cock in his hands. They are followed by another boy with a flag. See vol. i. p. 48.

28. Water-quintain. A boat rowed by four persons and steered by one. A man with a long pole at the stern.

29. Walking upon the hands to pipe and

tabor.

30. A species of music.

31. A man seated, holding out his foot, against which another presses his.

32. Fighting with shield and club.
33. Carrying on pickapack.

34. Five women seated, a sixth kneeling and leaping upon her hands. One of them lifts up her garments over her head, which the rest seem to be buffeting.

35. A boy seated cross-legged upon a pole supported by two stools over a tub of water, in one hand holding something not understood, in the other, apparently, a candle.

36. The game of "Frog in the middle, you cannot catch me."

37. Three boys on stools, in a row, striking at each other.

38. A man carrying another on his shoulders. 39. A man in armour seated, holding a shield, another running at him with a pole. The armed man in place of a quintain. I suspect this to be nothing more than the human quintain.

40. Two men seated feet to feet, pulling at a stick with all their might.

41. Two men balancing in their hands a long board on which a boy is kneeling on one knee with three swords, forming (by their points meeting) a triangle, and to music.

42. A man hanging upon a pole with his elbows and feet together, and his head between his hams, supported by two other men.

43. Two men fighting with club and target. 44. Two hand-bells, common with the other music in the masquerade dances. It may be noted that the women do not appear to

have been disguised; the men only, and in various forms, with the heads of all manner of animals, devils, &c.

45. A man with two bells, and two figures disguised as animals.

46. A man and bear dancing.

47. A man with monkeys tumbling and dancing.

48. Four figures, one blindfold with a stick in his hand, and an iron kettle at a little distance on which he appears to strike; the others waiting for the event.

49. Three figures with their hands elevated,

as if to clap them together; one of them has his fingers bent, as if taking a pinch of snuff.

50. A man with a long pole like a ropedancer.

51. Boys: one blindfold, the others beating him with their hands.

52. Four men, one putting his hand upon the head of a fifth, who sits in the middle cross-legged and cross-armed; the rest seem as if advancing to strike him open-handed.

53. A dance of seven men and seven women holding hands.

THERE was an old sport among children, called in Shakspeare's "Hamlet," "Hide fox and all after," which, if I mistake not, is the same game that elsewhere occurs under the name of "All-hid;" which, as Steevens tells us, is alluded to in Dekker's "Satiromastix :" "Our unhandsome-faced poet does

play at bo-peep with your grace, and cries all-hid, as boys do."

In a curious little book entitled "A Curtaine Lecture," 12mo. Lond. 1637, p. 206, is the following passage: "A sport called allhid, which is a mere children's pastime."

IN Coates's" History of Reading," p. 223, among the churchwardens' accounts of St. Lawrence parish, A. D. 1549, is the following entry :

"Paid to Will'm Watlynton, for that the p'ishe was indetted to hym for makyng of the Butts, xxxvis."

Ibid. p. 131, St. Mary's parish, sub anno 1566, "İtm. for the making of the Butts, viijs.” Ibid. p. 132, 1622, "Paid to two laborers to playne the grounde where the Buttes should be, vs. vjd."

1629." Paid towards the Butts mending, ijs. vjd."