Jan. 3. 1852.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



speare's plays, and of Theophilus Field, who (in 

 spite of his father's hostility to the church and 

 bishops, and in spite of his brother's devotion to 

 the stage,) was afterwards Bishop of LlandaiF from 

 1619 to 1627, Bishop of St. David's from 1627 to 

 163,3, and Bishop of Hereford from 1635 to 1636, 

 when he died. J. Payne Coli.iee. 



FOLK LORE. 



New Year's Rain — Saxon Spell. — T have just 

 read a good-natured notice * in The Athenceum of 

 December 6th, in which your contemporary sug- 

 gests that communications on the subject of Folk 

 Lore should be addressed to you. The perusal of 

 it has reminded me of two Queries upon the sub- 

 ject, which I liad originally intended to address 

 to the editor of that paper, as they refer to articles 

 which appeared in his own pages. On his hint, 

 however, I will transfer them to your columns ; 

 and avail myself of the opportunity of thanking 

 the editor of The Athenaum for having for so long 

 a period and so effectually directed the attention 

 of the readers of that influential journal to a sub- 

 ject of great interest to many, and of considerable 

 historical value. The first relates to a song sung 

 by the children in South Wales on New Year's 

 morning, when carrying a jug full of water newly 

 drawn from the well. It is given in The Athe- 

 ncBum, No. 1058,, for the 5th Feb., 1848, and there 

 several references will be found to cognate super- 

 stitions. My object is to ask if the song is known 

 elsewhere ; and if so, whether with any such va- 

 rieties of readings as would clear some of the ob- 

 scurities of the present version : — 



" Here we bring new water 

 From the well so clear, 

 For to worship God with 

 This happy New Year. 

 * Sing levez dew, sing levez dew, 



The water and the wine ; 

 The seven bright gold wires 

 And the bugles they do shine. 

 " Sing reign of Fair Maid 



With gold upon her toe, — 

 Open you the West Door, '^ 



And let the Old Year go. 

 Sing reign of Fair Maid, 



With gold upon her chin, 

 Open you the East Door, 

 Ana let the New Year in." 

 The second is from The AthencEuni s very able 

 review of Mr. Kemble's Saxons in England, — a 



* We should not be doing justice either to our own 

 feelings or to the kindness and liberality of our able 

 and most influential contemporary, if we did not take 

 tLis opportunity of acknowledging not only his kindness 

 upon the present occasion, but also the encouragement 

 which The Athenwum has taken every opportunity of 

 affording to "Notes and Queries." — Eu. N. & Q. 



work of learning and genius not yet nearly so 

 well known as it deserves. The reviewer says : 



" In one of the Saxon spells, which Mr. Kemble 

 has inserted in his appendix, we at once recognized a 

 rhyme which we have beard an old woman in our 

 childhood use — and in which many Saxon words, un- 

 intelligible to her, were probably retained," 



If my communication should meet the eye of 

 the gentleman who wrote this, I hope he will let 

 the readers of "Notes and Quekies" become 

 acquainted with the rhyme in question. For it 

 is obvious that among them will be found many 

 who agree with him that " a very curious and 

 useful compilation might be made of the various 

 spells in use in different parts of England, classed 

 according to their localities, — more especially if 

 the collectors would give them verbatim," and 

 who would therefore be willing to assist towards 

 its formation. A Folk-Lorist. 



Fishermen's Superstitions. — A friend recently 

 informed me that at Preston Pans the two follow- 

 ing superstitious observances exist among the 

 fishermen of that place. If, on their way to their 

 boats, they meet a pig, they at once turn back |Qd 

 defer their embarkation. The event is an omen 

 that bodes ill for their fishery. 



It is a favourite custom to set sail on the Sun- 

 day for the fishing grounds. A clergyman of 

 the town is said to pray against their sabbath- 

 breaking; and to prevent any injury accruing 

 from his prayers, the fishermen make a small 

 image of rags, and burn it on the top of their 

 chimneys. U. 



THE AUTHOR OP HUDIBRAS AT LUDLOW CASTLE. 



So little is known of Butler, — his life, as his 

 biographers have given it to us, is made up of so 

 very i'evr anecdotes and dates, — that I have 

 thought any Note which contained afact about him, 

 would be an acceptable addition to " N. & Q." 

 (I shall value your space, you see, in future con- 

 tributions). The following entries are copied 

 from Lord Carbery's Account of the Expense 

 incurred in making Ludlow Castle habitable after 

 Clarendon's " Great Rebellion" (query, Civil War) ; 

 and the entries are valuable as specifying the 

 period of Butler's services as steward of Ludlow 

 Castle, and the nature of the services performed 

 by the great wit : — 

 " For sundry supplyes of furniture 



paid for by Mr. Samuell Butler, 



late Steward, from January, 1661, 



to January, 1662, ix^'. ij^ v"!., and 



more by him paid to sundry Bra- 



siers, Pewterers, and Coopers, vj''. 



vij', iij"^. In both _ - - xv''. ix". vlij^. 

 " For sundry other supplyes of fur- 

 niture paid for by Mr. Edward Lloyd 



