464 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



i:2n'J S. X. Dec. 15. '60. 



wife entered, he related to her what had happened, 

 and their own cat, which had accompanied her, 

 exclaimed " Is Doldrum dead ? " and immediately 

 rushed up the chimney, and was heard of no more. 

 Of course there were numberless conjectures upon 

 such a remarkable event, but the general opinion 

 appears to be that Doldrum had been King of Cat- 

 land, and that Dildrum was the next heir. D. C. 

 [A similar legend, current in Northumberland, will be 

 found in " N. & Q.," !»» S. vi. 70.] 



St. Cattern's Day, — A paragraph in the 

 Cambridge Chronicle for Dec. 8, 1860, mentions 

 that the carpenters of Chatteris, in the Isle of Ely, 

 had observed the feast of their patron saint, St. 

 Catherine, by assembling together at a trade din- 

 ner, &C. CUTHBERT BeDE. 



The Yule-baby. — This was a sweetmeat image 

 which was given to children in commemoration 

 of the Saviour's birth. The custom was observed 

 in Northumberland in 1822. See Davison's Hin- 

 tory of Alnwick for that year, p. 262. 



CuTHBERT BeDE. 



CHRISTMAS AT EXETER IN 1737. 

 Some curious notices of Christmas customs at 

 Exeter, in 1737, are to be found in a scarce local 

 work (written in 1737, but not published till 1770), 

 of which the following is the title : — 



" The Mobiad : or Battle of the Voice. An Heroi- 

 CoMic Poem, sportively satirical; being a briefly his- 

 torical, natural and lively, free and humorous, description 

 of an Exeter Election. In Six Cantos. Illustrated 

 with, such notes as for some readers may be supposed 

 useful. By Democritus Jcvenal, Moral Professor of 

 Ridicule, and plaguy-pleasant Fellow of Stingtickle Col- 

 lege : vulgarly Andrew Brice, Exon." 



From this volume I extract some verses, with 



their explanatory notes : — 



1. Throwing at Cocks at Christmas-time : — 



" Less numerous, a white long Winter spies 

 From glowing Hands hard-kneaded Snowballs'rise, 

 And Truncheons, hurl'd to solemnize the Birth 

 Divine, maul Cocks less swift with murd'rous mirth." 



P. 35. 



" Cocks. — To the Credit of Parents, Masters, Consta- 

 bles, and other Overseers, ought it to be over and over 

 mention'd, 'till the detestable Nuisance ceases, that the 

 very wicked Diversion ( Horrible ! that the Human Nature 

 can ener be diverted with Inhumanity) of Throwing at 

 Cocks, which otherwheres, I think, is thus most barba- 

 rously practised but on Shrove-Tuesdays, not only con- 

 tinues here the whole Christmas holy Days, but commences 

 some Weeks before them. It's observable, too, that some 

 of those who are the greatest Sticklers for what they call 

 celebrating the solemn Festival, too much countenance 

 this horrible Pollution of it. For Shame, ye Parents! 

 For Shame, ye School-masters. And why should I not 

 say. For Shame, ye Magistrates, &c. It's recorded of 

 Diogenes, the Cynick, that seeing a Boy commit a Fault, 

 he ran at his Master, and striking him, said, • Wlierefore 

 are your Scholars not better taught? ' " 



This throwing at cocks at Christmas is an un- 



usual instance of the observance of this barbarous 

 custom, and is not mentioned in Hone's Works, 

 and similar publications. That the custom was 

 continued up to 1770, we may conclude from the 

 above note not being corrected or altered by the 

 author, as is the case with many of the notes in the 

 books. Mr. Brice, I may here observe,was a printer 

 in Exeter, manager of a newspaper, and author of 

 a Topographic Dictionary. 



2. Christmas Carols and Christmas- drink : — 



" Let Bangs on Stalls, and jollier Wickedness, 

 Hoots, Drabbing, Fiddling, Swearing, Cavils, cease. 

 And Brabbles, on the morn when born the Prince of 



Peace." 

 " The Christmas-Day Morning is most scandalously 

 abused here by the Particulars above-mentioned, and a 

 hellish Variety of other Wickedness and Outrage. Mean 

 while, some accompanied with Fiddles, others without 

 them, rove about the City, and under Windows sing 

 Carols of Christ, God, and the Holy-Ghost, and so make 

 them in Deeds the Song of the Drunkard. And for such 

 impudent Prophaneness they are rewarded, having not 

 only Christmas Drink, but money to be more drunk with, 

 given 'em, 1737. l_But such scandalous Night- Mobbings, 

 &^c., ^c, have of later years been, much suppressed and nearly 

 quash'd, 1770]." 



3. Christmas Mummers : — 



" With less Decorum Christmas Mummer struts. 

 Than on He bears his goodly Grace of Guts, 

 Though that same Mummer England's Heroe plays. 

 And Dragon with his Whineard's Flourish slays." 



P. 90. 

 " England's Heroe. — St. George for England. At 

 Christmas are (or at least very lately were) Fellows wont 

 to go about from House to House in Exeter a mumming : 

 one of whom, in a (borrow'd) Holland Shirt, more gor- 

 geously beribbon'd, over his Waistcoat, &c., flourishing 

 a Faulchion, very valiantly entertains the admiring Spec- 

 tators thus : — 



" ' Oh I here comes I Saint George, a Man of Courage bold, 

 And with my Spear, I winn'd three Crowns of Gold. 

 I slew the Dragon, and brought him to the Slaughter; 

 And by that very means I married Sabra, the beau- 

 teous King of Egypt's Daughter.' 



(Play Musick)." 



4. Christmas Bell-men of the Night : — 



" Next Beadles (as in Packs of Cards be Knaves, 

 Two Couple just) with Brazen-headed Staves, 

 In tuck'd Blue Vests, and Bonnets Gold of Brim, 

 (What Turk's Head Sign stares, tho' mustach'd, so 

 grim ?) 



The Staves they bear 

 Not those which in black Winter Nights with Knock 

 From Rest us startle — but to learn the Clock, 

 Or feel tremendous Rhj'me, in mumbling wise 

 Croak'd horrible, our tingling Ears chastise, 

 When dismal Voice, and dismal Clink of Bell, 

 Inflict Good-Morrow, with Death, Judgement, Hell." 



Pp. 91. 93. 

 "Beadles. — Those whom we commonly call Stave- 

 bearers, from the Staves with large brazen Heads which 

 they carry in their Hands on Duty. In the Christmas 

 Quarter they become Bell -men of the Night, and thump 

 carefully and frightfully at our Doors, at every Turn fe*- 

 peating", in the most abominable manner that can pos- 

 sibly be conceiv'd a Bull-dog could by the Gift of Speech 



