124 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 250. 



precedents still retain " saluteni et gratiam ;" 

 whereas now it seems, that "grace" and "bene- 

 diction" are both gone; and, if I mistake not, even 

 the poor little children just ready for confirm- 

 ation are invited in a letter from their spiritual 

 father, beginning: "John, by divine permission, 

 &c., sends greeting." 



When did this curt style come into use, and is 

 it now universal ? or is there any occasion on 

 which our bishops give " grace and benediction," 

 either in Latin or in the vernacular ? Of course 

 there is a place for everything. In our new forms 

 for cheap law, and plenty of it, a man may find 

 himself in chancery on reading : 



" Victoria R. 

 " To the within-named defendant C. D. greeting," &c. 



And, compared with the fatal context, this salu- 

 tation may appear gracious enough ; but it does 

 seem to me (cum omnimoda reverentia tantis 

 patribus debita) that the pastorals, with which 

 the faithful flock are honoured from their holy 

 fathers, might be adorned with the restoration of 

 the accustomed benediction without losing any 

 of the excellences now pertaining to those inter- 

 esting and rare documents. H. P. 

 Lincoln's Inn. 



THE SCHOOLBOY FORMULA. 



I know not If your Interest, or that of your 

 readers, extends to the history and origin of a 

 schoolboy game, or other whimsical formulae em- 

 ployed by him on certain occasions in the prelimi- 

 nary arrangement of choosing either " sides,"or the 

 individual performer in cases where the main 

 burden falls on one. I remember distinctly, but a 

 few years ago, having repeatedly formed one of the 

 ring around the spokesman or officer on such occa- 

 sions, whose business it was, guided by this formula, 

 to challenge alternately the Individuals of the party 

 who were ultimately to form the opposing forces In 

 the game, or to challenge all in succession until, by 

 this process of elimination, the one was left, upon 

 whose activity or prowess the game should depend. 



Nursery rhymes, originating centuries ago, have 

 before now occupied the attention of the learned 

 — and hidden sarcasm levelled at church and state 

 have been discovered, by those who are profound 

 enough, wrapped up in their simplicity. What mys- 

 tery may there not be involved In the odd succes- 

 sion of syllables employed from time immemorial in 

 our playgrounds ? What a field for the exercise of 

 ingenuity and learning may It not afford to those 

 who justly see, in every olden custom, some light 

 thrown upon the life and manners of our ancestors ? 



The following is the formula : — Pointing, in suc- 

 cession, to one after another in the circle, passing, 

 in the order of the watch-hand or the journey of 

 the sun, one for every word or syllable pronounced, 



the speaker, facing with all of us the centre of 

 the circle in which we stood, commenced with his 

 neighbour on his left, and counting himself in as 

 he proceeded round and round, weeded us one by 

 one In the manner I have described, by the run of 

 the following incantation : 



" One-er-y, two-er-y, tick-er-y, seven, 

 Ak-a-by, crack-a-by, ten, and eleven. 

 Pin, pan, 

 Musk-y Dan, 



Twiddle-utn, twaddle-um, twenty-one. 

 131ack, fish, white, trout, 

 Ee-ny, o-ny, 



You, go, OUT." 



I assure you that I am giving a faithful state- 

 ment of the formula as used in my days, and as I 

 doubt not many of your younger readers will certify 

 that It is still in existence. Now if any of those 

 interested in the history of our juvenile games can 

 throw any light upon the origin of this odd collection 

 of syllables, I, and all the others of that numerous 

 body, will feel much obliged to him. X. 



[We suspect there are numerous versions of these 

 " counting-out rhymes " to be found in our nursery tra- 

 ditional literature. Mr. Halliwell, in his Popular Rhymes 

 and Nursery Tales, p. 134., edit. 1849, has furnished th« 

 following : 



" One-ery, two-ery, 

 Tick-ery, tee-vj' ; 

 Hollow-bone, crack-a-bone, 



Pen and eevy. 

 Ink, pink, 



Pen and ink j 

 A study, a stive, 

 A stove, and a sink ! " 



" One-erj', two-ery, 



Tickery, teven ; 

 Alabo, crackabo, 



Ten and eleven : 

 Spin, spon, 



Must be gone ; 

 Alabo, crackabo, 



Twentv-one. 

 O^U—t spells out!" 



Something similar to this, adds Mr. Halliwell, is found 

 in Swedish, Arwidsson, iii. 492. : 



" Apala, mesala, 

 Mesinka, meso, 

 Sebedei, sebedo ! 

 Extra, lara, 

 Kajsa, Sara I 

 Heck, veck, 

 Viillingsack, 



Gack du din lange man veck, 

 Utl" 



" Igdum, digdum, didum, dest, 

 Cot-lo, we-lo, wi-lo, west ; 

 Cot-pan, must be done, 

 Twiddledum, twaddledum, twenty-one ! 



Hytum, skytum, 



Perridi styxum, 



Perriwerri wyxum, 



Abonum D."] 



