486 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2n<is. N-Sl., Dkc. 20.'66. 



of England, in suchewise and at suche tymes as it saj'th 

 hereafter : First at the sealinge of this Indenture, forty 

 shillinges and after that weekly as it may be understood 

 that the worke goeth forth. All the residue to be paid at 

 the end of the foresaid weeks, save alwayes before that 

 the said Maister and Wardens have remayninge in their 

 hands till the foresaid workis bee perfectlj'e ended five 

 pounds. For all the whiche Covenants well and trulj'e to 

 be performed the said John Stowell bindeth himselfe his 

 eyres and his executors by obligation in Twenty pounds 

 to be payd to y« said Mr. William Vowell or to his 

 assignees so that the saj'd John breake an)' of the Cove- 

 nants foresaid. In witnesse whereof the said partys fore- 

 said have putt theire seales &c." 



Ina. 



THE TWELVE SIXES OF MAN S LIFE. 



I copy the following quaint and curious verses 

 from a Salisbury Primer, with this title : 



" This prymer of Salysbury vse is set out a long witli- 

 outony serchyng, with many prayers, and goodlj' pyc- 

 tures in the kalender, in the matyns of our lady, in the 

 houres of the crosse, in the vii psalmes, and in the dyrge. 

 And be newly enpryted at Parys. M,D,xxxiij." 



It is, of course, black letter. Each month in the 

 calendar at the beginning has a verse on a separate 

 page, embellished with an appropriate woodcut. 

 " Janvarivs. 



The fyrst vi. yeres of manes byrth and aege. 



May well be compared to Janyuere. 



For in this month is no stregth no courage. 



More than in a chylde of the aege of vi. yere. 



" Febrvarivs. 

 The other vi yeres is lyke Febrvary. 

 In the ende ther of begynneth thesprynge. 

 That tyme chyldren is moost apt and redy. 

 To receyue chastysement, nurture, and lernj'nge. 



" Martivs. 

 Marche betokeneth te vi yeres folowj'nge. 

 Arayeng the erthe wt pleasaunt verdure. 

 That season youth careth for nothynge. 

 And without thought dooth his sporte and pleasure. 



" Aprilis. 

 The next vi yere maketh foure and twenty. 

 And fygured is to ioly Apryll. 

 That tyme of pleasures man hath moost plenty. 

 Fresshe and louyng his lustes to fulfyll. 



" Mayvs. 



As in the month of Maye all thyngis in myght. 

 So at XXX yeres man is in chyef lykyng. 

 Pleasaunt and lusty to euery mannes syght. 

 In beaute and strength to women pleasyng. 



" Jvrdvs. 

 In June all thyng falleth to rypenesse. 

 And so dooth man at xxxvi yere olde. 

 And studyeth for to acquyere rychesse. 

 And taketh a wyfe to kepe his householde, 



" Jvlivs. 

 At xl yere of aege or elles neuer. 

 Is ony man endewed with wx'sdome. 

 For than sortlion iiis myght fayleth euer. 

 As in July dooth euery blossome. 



" Avgvstvs. 

 The goodes of the erthe is gadred euermore. 

 In August so at xlviij yere. 

 Man ought to gather some goodes in store. 

 To susteyne aege that than draweth nere. 



" September. 

 Lete no ma thynke for to gather piety. 

 Yf at liiij he haue none. 

 Nomore than yf his barne were empty. 

 In Septembre whan all the come is gone. 



" October. 

 By Octobre betokeneth Ix yere. 

 That aege hastely dooth man assaj'le. 

 Yf he haue ought than it dooth appere. 

 To lyue quyetiy after his trauayle. 



" November, 

 Whan man is at Ixvi yere olde. 

 Whiche lykened is to bareyne Nouebre. 

 He wereth onweldy, sekely, and colde. 

 Than his soule helth is tj'me to remebre. 



" December. 

 The yere by Decebre taketh his ende. 

 And so dooth man at thre score and twelue. 

 Nature with aege wyll In'm on message sende, 

 The tyme is come that he must go \\jva. selue." 



Henrt Kensington. 



Mixiav ^att^i. 



Proverbs as illustrating National Character. — 

 As commentary upon Bacon's remark, " The 

 genius, wit, and spirit of a nation are discovered 

 by their proverbs," may I propose a collection of 

 proverbs illustrative of national and local charac- 

 teristics ? I collect the following (e. g-.) from the 

 pages of D'Israeli : 



Roman (applied to their last stake at play). "Rem ad 



triarios venisse." (Military.) 

 Hebrew. " When the tale of bricks is doubled, Moses 



comes." (Historical.^ 

 Arab. " Vinegar given is better than honey bought." 



(Showing poverty.) 

 Briton (early). " The cleanly Briton is seen in the hedge." 



(Agricultural.) 

 Chinese. "A grave and majestic outside is the palace of 



the soul." (Civilised.) 

 Bengalese. " He who gives blows is a master, he who 



gives none is a dog." (Slavish.) 

 Spanish. " Con el rej' y la inquisicion, chiton I " With 



the king and the inquisition, hush ! (Oppressed.) 

 Venetian. " Pria Veneziani, poi Christiane." First Ve- 

 netian, and then Christian. (Mistaken patriotism ?) 

 Italian. "II viso sciolto, ed i pensieri stretti." An open 



countenance but close thoughts. (Cunning.) 

 French. " Tel coup de langue est pire qu'un coup de 



lance." The tongue strikes more than the lance. 

 Scotch. " Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them." 



(Selfish closeness.) 

 Japanese. "A fog cannot be dispelled with a fan." 



(Drawn from frequent objects.) 



To take examples from England : 



Isle of Man. " As equallj' as the herring-bone lies be- 

 tween the two sides." 



