2''a S. X. Sept. 8. '60.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



185 



the summer following is generally wet. Can any 

 of your readers say whether they have found this 

 to be a fact ? Can they farther inform me whether 

 " choke " refers to " heat," or to " plenty " ? * 



Senescens. 



Tkeatment of Wife-beateks in the Ahr- 

 THAL. — In the Ahr-thal and on the neighbouring 

 Eifel, the country people still keep up a kind of 

 self-instituted police, called Thierjagen {Beast- 

 chasing). It revives each time that a husband 

 beats his wife, and woe to him that is found 

 guilty. With kettles, fireshovels, and tongs, boys 

 and women assemble under the venerable vil- 

 lage lime-tree, — the witness of scenes far more 

 solemn in ages past — and after having settled 

 everything, the mob hurries towards the culprit's 

 house, before whose door soon resounds a music 

 whose echoes a lifetime pei-haps does not shake off. 



J. H. VAN Lennep. 



Zeyst, near Utrecht. 



Dutch School-relics. — Some days ago we 

 had in Amsterdam an exhibition of objects either 

 belonging or having belonged to school-manage- 

 ment and school discipline. Amongst the objects, 

 dating from a former regime, were a ferula and 

 the semblance of a bird. The mode of application 

 was this : the bird was thrown to the offender, 

 who had to take it back to the schoolmaster in 

 order to receive his destined share of slaps on the 

 palm of the hand. There besides were an iron 

 comb, to unravel stubborn and uncultivated hairs, 

 a fool's cap loith bells and asses' s ears, a wooden 

 block for penitence, a painted piece of board, on 

 which an ass's head, to hang over the chest, &c. 



J. H. VAN LeNNEP. 



A Beeaking-up in Gkoningerland (Nether- 

 lands). — When in olden times, that is to say till 

 the end of the former century, the Groningen 

 school children obtained a holiday, before their 

 leaving the school they had to jump through a 

 hoop, which position the master always turned to 

 account, to slap their weariest part. Sometimes, 

 too, the schoolmaster posted himself within the en- 

 trance door, and the children had to wriggle 

 through between his legs. It was also the cus- 

 tom to give a kick-in (inslag") as well as a hick-out 

 (uitslag), but then, of course, the master changed 

 his position, and the pupils were dubbed in. In 

 commemoration of this custom, the word uitslag 

 in Groningerland is always used for breaking-up, 

 and in glad expectancy of the happy moment the 

 children sing : — 



" Uitslag, inslag, 

 Heele wake speuldag I " 

 [ Kick us out, kick us in, 

 Weeks of holidays begin ! ] 



J. H. van Lennep. 



[.* Several illustrations of the " Oak and Ash " saying 

 will be found in our 1«* S. v. vi. — Ed.] 



MANCHESTER RIOTS. 



I send you a letter which I have long had in 

 my possession. It affords a curious proof of the 

 extent of party feeling existing in the days in 

 which it was written. 



Perhaps some of your Manchester correspond- 

 ents can throw light upon the time and events to 

 which it relates. R. W. B. 



" Sir, 

 " Recollecting that you were formerly an acquaint- 

 ance of Major , who has now that post in my Lord 



Cobham's regiment of Draggoons, I do now send you 

 his letter to my Lord, which was wrote after he had 

 supprest the Rioters at Manchesf. But whether it will 

 recommend you to his farther conversation I know not. 



QT/ie Major's Letter.') 

 " Mr Lord, 



" I came early yesterday morning with two Troops of 

 y^ Lordship's Draggoons. I thought it best to come 

 earh' y' the mutineers should not be prepared. As soon 

 as I arrived I put the two troops into the two great Inns 

 of this Town w"'out staying for ye usual formality of 

 sending for Billets to the Constable. My Sudden arrival 

 and siezing of those two Inns struck a great damp 

 amongst the Tories. I find the occasion of all the dis- 

 order here only arises from the animositys that are be- 

 tween the Damnd high church Dogs and the honest 

 Presbyterians. I teach all my men to call the Tories 

 Jacobites. I kept a strong guard all day at my quarters 

 for fear of surprise. But orderd all the rest of my Drag- 

 goons to turn their horses into any corn or grass that 

 belonged to the High Church. This my Lord is the best 

 way to deal w"' them, and make them respect Cobham's 

 Draggoons. At night, as the Draggoons were going 

 merrily home, they met with some Townes fellows sneak- 

 ing by them. The Draggoons asked if they were High 

 church or Low, they answered trembling they were for 

 the Church of England : upon which an honest Drag- 

 goon, for we have many Jolly Doggs amongst us, knockt 

 one down : upon which ye rest made a grumbling noise. 

 The rest of the Draggoones, being Lads after mj' own 

 heart, ran amongst them, upon which more of the Townes 

 fellows got together. The Draggoons retreated to my 

 quarters where the Guard was: upon which I beat to 

 Horse. These foolish fellows, not knowing the advantage 

 they might have had, did not stir to hinder j'e assembling 

 of the Draggoons. However, it was Daylight ere I got 

 my two troops ; I beg y^ Lordship's pardon I should have 

 said y L-^sps Draggoons mounted. Those silly Currs 

 kept grumbling which v,'ay they ought to complain 

 against the Draggoons. 



" As soon as 1 advanced towards them a few of the 

 boldest advanced with their hats off by way of grumbling ; 

 but I cut the first I met with over the head, and ordered 

 the Draggoons to charge them sword in hand, which 

 they soon did, and ye cowardly Currs dispersed in an 

 Instant. I took however several of them Prisoners, and 

 have them on my guard. These talk of being revenged 

 and sueing for false Imprisonment. But I'll make the 

 Dogg's hearts ake, and respect y^ L^sps Draggoons. For 

 now we have begun with them we must not be baffled, 

 but goe thro Stitch with them, or else we shall be in 

 great danger. For the Church party is very strong here, 

 and will grow upon us if they are not immediately 

 crushd. 



" By God, my Lord, let me have smart orders, and you 

 shall see how I will execute them. I have writt tp my 

 L<i Viscount Townsend to know what I shall do with my 

 Prisoners, since we have no justice of Peace in this Town, 



