bearer and the other squire, and one shilling and sixpence from the other individuals. This was termed cellarage, and was divided between the yeoman of the cellar and the butler. But these golden days are over. Since the days of the Fitzaleyns and Whittingtons, it has been found expedient to make the lord mayors an allowance to enable them, or rather assist them, to maintain the hospitality and splendour of their station; but such is the perverseness of human nature, that as this has from time to time been increased, the gorgeousness of the display seems to have decreased. The following are the receipts and expenses of Mr. Wilkes during his mayoralty: Receipts. Payments from the cham- £. berlain's office Cocket office Gauger 8. d. Annual present of plate from the Jews Lessees of Smithfield-market Licenses From the bridge-house to wards the feast Alienation of a young man's place 0 0 10 0 0 4 10 O 50 0 0 40 0 0 0 Sale of a young man's place 1000 Presentation of the sheriffs For keeping the mansionhouse in order 13 6 800 100 0 0 130 O 0 10 10 0 £4889 0 61 £ s. d. • 2050 0 0 - 1500 0 0 520 0 0 · 1200 0 0 190 0 0 730 0 0 420 Servants'wages, liveries,&c. 570 0 0 Lamps, wax, and other candles 295 000 The rout was first discontinued by sir Brooke Watson, because it was always customary to have it in passion week. The allowance has since had an increase of 3000/. This liberality on the part of the corporation, instead of exciting a corresponding feeling on the part of their magistrates, seems rather to have raised in them a spirit of cupidity, and of late years, on many occasions, the office seems to have been undertaken on a kind of speculation for saving money. Though allowed 15001. a year for the swordbearer's table, every chicken and bottle of wine began to be grudged; and after repeated appeals by the household to the court of common council, on account of the shabby reductions successively made, and which were considered as unjust, as they had purchased their places with the usual privileges, the corporation concluded a treaty with them a short time ago, by which a specified sum of money was secured to each individual, either on giving up his place, or at his death to be paid to his family. They have of course given up the right of alienating their places, and thus perpetuating the system. The corporation have thus gained an extensive increase of patronage; though the number of officers is to be reduced as the places fall in. But some of the aldermen below the chair were rather disagreeably surprised at the result; for the common council very justly deducted the 1500 at which the expense of the table was ge nerally calculated, from his lordship's allowance. I am, &c. C.R.H. The lord mayor's household, scarcely known in its constitution by the citizens whom the lord mayor selects for his visitors, is well set forth by the preceding letter of a valuable correspondent. It concerns all who are interested in the maintenance of civic splendour, and especially those who are authorized to regulate it. Such papers, and indeed any thing regarding the customs of London, will always be acceptable to the readers of this work, who have not until now been indulged with information by those who have the power to give it. The EveryDay Book is a collection of ancient and present usages and manners, wherein such contributions are properly respected, and by the Editor they are always thankfully received. On Michaelmas-day the sheriffs of London, previously chosen, are solemnly sworn into office, and the lord mayor is elected for the year ensuing. Pennant speaking of the mercers' company, which by no means implied originally a dealer in silks, (for mercery included all sorts of small wares, toys, and haberdashery,) says, "This company is the first of the twelve, or such who are honoured with the privilege of the lord mayor's being elected out of one of them." If the lord mayor did not belong to either of the twelve, it was the practice for him to be translated to one of the favoured companies. The custom was discontinued in the mayoralty of sir Brook Watson, in 1796, and has not been revived. E. I. C. The "Gentleman's Magazine" notices a singular custom at Kidderminster-"On the election of a bailiff the inhabitants assemble in the principal streets to throw cabbage stalks at each other. The town-house bell gives signal for the affray. This is called lawless hour. This done, (for it lasts an hour,) the bailiff elect and corporation, in their robes, preceded by drums and fifes, (for they have no waits,) visit the old and new bailiff, constables, &c. &c. attended by the mob. In the mean time the most respectable families in the neighbourhood are invited, to meet and fling apples at them on their entrance. I have known forty pots of apples expended at one house." No. 43. Michaelmas Goose. "September, when by custom (right divine) Geese are ordain'd to bleed at Michael's shrine." Churchill. Mr. Brand notices the English custom Michaelmas-day. He cites Blount as of having a roast goose to dinner on telling us that "goose-intentos" is a word used in Lancashire, where "the husbandmen claim it as a due to have a goose intentos on the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost; which custom took origin from the last word of the old church-prayer of that day: Tua, nos quæsumus, Domine, gratia semper præveniat et sequitur; ac tos.' The common people very humourbonis operibus jugiter præstet esse intenously mistake it for a goose with ten toes." To this Mr. Brand objects, on the authority of Beckwith, in his new edition of the "Jocular Tenures:" that "besides that the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, or after Trinity rather, being movable, and seldom falling upon Michaelmas-day, which is an immovable feast, the service for that day could very rarely be used at Michaelmas, there does not appear to be the most distant allusion to a goose in the words of that prayer. Probably no other reason can be given for this custom, but that Michaelmas-day was a great festival, and geese at that time most plentiful. In Denmark, where the harvest is later, every family has a roasted goose for supper on St. Martin's Eve." Mr. Douce is quoted by Mr. Brand, as saying, "I have somewhere seen the following reason for eating goose on Michaelmas-day, viz. that queen Elizabeth received the news of the defeat of the Spanish Armada, whilst she was eating a goose on Michaelmas-day, and that in commemoration of that event she ever afterwards on that day dined on a goose." This Mr. Brand regards as strong proof that the custom prevailed even at court in queen Elizabeth's time; and observing that it was in use in the tenth year o king Edward the Fourth, as will be shown presently, he represents it to have been a practice in queen Elizabeth's reign, before the event of the Spanish defeat, from the "Posies of Gascoigne," published in 1575. "And when the tenauntes come "At Christmasse a capon, at Michaelmasse A GOOSE; Gascoyne. So also the periodical paper called "The World," represents that "When the reformation of the calendar was in agitation, to the great disgust of many worthy persons who urged how great the harmony was in the old establishment between the holidays and their attributes, (if I may call them so,) and what confusion would follow if MICHAELMAS-DAY, for instance, was not to be celebrated when stubble-geese are in their highest perfection; it was replied, that such a propriety was merely imaginary, and would be lost of itself, even without any alteration of the calendar by authority: for if the errors in it were suffered to go on, would in a certain number of years prothey duce such a variation, that we should be mourning for a good king Charles on a false thirtieth of January, at a time of year when our ancestors used to be tumbling over head and heels in Greenwichpark in honour of Whitsuntide: and at length be choosing king and queen for Twelfth Night, when we ought to be admiring the London prentice at Bartholomew-fair." According to Brand, geese are eaten by ploughmen at the harvest-home; and it is a popular saying, "If you eat goose on Michaelmas-day you will never want money all the year round." In 1470, John de la Hay took of William Barnaby, lord of Lastres, in the county of Hereford, one parcel of the land of that demesne, rendering twenty-pence a year, and one goose fit for the lord's dinner on the feast of St. Michael the archangel, with suit of court and other services. According to Martin, in his "Description of the Western Islands of Scotland," the protestant inhabitants of Skie, observe the festivals of Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, and that of St. Michael, on which latter day they have a cavalcade in each parish, and several families bake the cake called St. Michael's bannock. So also, "They have likewise a general cavalcade on St. Michael's-day in Kilbar village, and do then also take a turn round their church. Every family, as soon as the solemnity is ended, is accustomed to bake St. Michael's cake, and all strangers, together with those of the family, must eat the bread that night." We read too, in Macauley's History, that "It was, till of late, a universal custom among the island. ers, on Michaelmas-day, to prepare in every family a loaf or cake of bread, enormously large, and compounded of dif ferent ingredients. This cake belonged to the archangel, and had its name from him. Every one in each family, whether strangers or domestics, had his portion of this kind of shew-bread, and had, of Course, some title to the friendship and protection of Michael." Macauley, in the "History of St. Kilda," says, that "In Ireland a sheep was killed in every family that could afford one, on the same anniversary; and it was ordained by law that a part of it should be given to the poor. This, and a great deal more was done in that kingdom, to perpetuate of a miracle wrought there by St. Patrick through the assistance of the archangel. In commemoration of this, Michaelmas was instituted a festival day of joy, plenty, and universal benevolence." the memory Ganging Day. at Mr. Brand found in a London newspaper of October 18, 1787, the following extraordinary septennial custom Bishops Stortford, in Hertfordshire, and in the adjacent neighbourhood, on old Michaelmas-day: "On the morning of this day, called Ganging-day, a great number of young men assemble in the fields, when a very active fellow is nominated the leader. bound to follow, who, for the sake of diThis person they are version,generally chooses the route through ponds, ditches, and places of difficult passage. Every person they meet is bumpby two other persons taking them up by ed, male or female; which is performed their arms, and swinging them against each other. The women in general keep at home at this period, except those of less scrupulous character, who, for the sake of partaking of a gallon of ale and a plumb-cake, which every landlord or pubfican is obliged to furnish the revellers with, generally spend the best part of the night in the fields, if the weather is fair; it being strictly according to ancient usage not to partake of the cheer any where else." M. Stevenson, in "The Twelve Moneths, Lond. 1661, 4to." mentions the following superstition; "They say, so many dayes old the moon is on Michaelmass-day, so many floods after." Anecdote of a Goose. An amusing account of a Canada goose once the property of Mr. Sharpe, at Little Grove, near East Barnet, was inserted by that gentleman in his copy of "Willughby's Ornithology." He says: The following account of a Canada goose is so extraordinary, that I am aware it would with difficulty gain credit, were not a whole parish able to vouch for the truth of it. The Canada geese are not fond of a poultry-yard, but are rather of a rambling disposition. One of these birds, however, was observed to attach itself, in the strongest and most affectionate manner, to the house-dog; and would never quit the kennel, except for the purpose of feeding, when it would return again immediately. It always sat by the dog; but never presumed to go into the kennel, except in rainy weather. Whenever the dog barked, the goose would cackle and run at the person she supposed the dog barked at, and try to bite him by the heels. Sometimes she would attempt to feed with the dog; but this the dog, who treated his faithful companion rather with indifference, would not suffer. This bird would not go to roost with the others at night, unless driven by main force; and when, in the morning, she was turned into the field, she would never stir from the yard gate, but sit there the whole day, in sight of the dog. At last, orders were given that she should be no longer molested, but suffered to accompany the dog as she liked: being thus left to herself, she ran about the yard with him all the night; and what is particularly extraordinary, and can be attested by the whole parish, whenever the dog went out of the yard and ran into the village, the goose always accompanied him, contriving to keep up with him by the assistance of her wings; and in this way of running and flying, followed him all over the parish. This extraordinary affection of the goose towards the dog, which continued till his death, two years after it was first observed, is supposed to have originated from his having accidentally saved her from a fox in the very moment of distress. While the dog was ill, the goose never quitted him day or night, not even to feed; and it was apprehended that she would have been starved to death, had not orders been given for a pan of corn to be set every day close to the kennel. At this time the goose generally sat in the kennel, and would not suffer any one to approach it, except the person who brought the dog's or her own food. The end of this faithful bird was melancholy; for, when the dog died, she would still keep possession of the kennel; and a new house-dog being introduced, which in size and colour resembled that lately lost, the poor goose was unhappily deceived; and going into the kennel as usual, the new inhabitant seized her by the throat, and killed her. Michaelmas-day is one of the "four usual quarter-days, or days for payment of rent in the year." A Michaelmas Notice to quit. TO ALL gad-flies and gnats, famed for even-tidé hum, WHEREAS, on complaint lodged before me this day, AND, WHEREAS, on the last sultry evening in June, AND WHEREAS Sundry haunches and high-seasoned pies, AT YOUR PERIL, ye long-legs, this notice despise ! FLORAL DIRECTORY. Michaelmas Daisy. Aster Tradescanti. Dedicated to St. Michael and all Angels. September 30. St. Jerome, Priest, Doctor of the Church, A. D. 420. St. Gregory, Bp. surnamed the Apostle of Armenia, and the Illuminator, 4th Cent. St. Honorius, Abp. of Canterbury, A. D. 653. St. Jerome. This saint is in the church of England calendar and almanacs. Particulars concerning him will be related hereafter; it is sufficient to observe, for the present, that the church of England sets him forth as an authority for reading the Old Testament Apocrypha. Custom at Kidderminster. The annual election of a bailiff at this town, before noticed,* is still accompanied by the rude mirth of the populace. The Editor is obliged to a lady for the following communication. To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Dear Sir, I have just cast my eye upon your definition of the term "costermonger," and it reminds me of an annual custom at Kidderminster, (my native town,) which you may perhaps think an account of, a fit subject for insertion in the Every-Day Book. The magistrate and other officers of the town are annually elected, and the first Monday after Michaelmas-day is the day of their inauguration, in celebration of which, they each of them cause to be In Col. 1337. thrown to the populace, (who assemble to the amount of some thousands,) from the windows of their houses, or sometimes from the town-hall, a large quantity of apples, in the whole often amounting, from twenty to thirty pots, (baskets containing five pecks each.) This praetice occasions, of course, a kind of prescriptive holiday in the town, and any one having the temerity to refuse bis apprentice or servant leave to attend the "apple-throwing," would most probably have cause to repent such an invasion of right. A rude concourse therefore fills the streets which are the scenes of action; and as a sort of "safety valve," if I may FLORAL DIRECTORY. H. M. Golden Amaryllis. Amaryllis Auren. * From Times Telescope. |
