Aug. 24. 1850.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



197 



lucky by the vulgar to throw an old shoe after a 

 person when they wish him to succeed in what he 

 is going about. This custom is very prevalent 

 in Norfolk whenever servants are going in search 

 of new places; and especially when they are going 

 to be mai-ried, a shoe is thrown after them as they 

 proceed to church. C. P. H. M. 



Some years ago, when the vessels engaged in 

 the Greenland wliale-hshery left Whitby, in York- 

 shire, 1 observed the wives and friends of the 

 sailors to throw old shoes at the ships as they 

 passed the pier-head. Query, What is the origin 

 of this practice ? i^. ^1. 



Roasting Mice for Hooping-covgh is also very 

 common in Norfolk ; but 1 am sorry to say that a 

 more cruel superstitious practice is sometimes in- 

 dicted on the little animal; for it is not many years 

 since I accidentally entered the kitchen in time 

 to save a poor little mouse from being hung up by 

 the tail and roasted alive, as the means of expel- 

 ling the others of its race fi-om the house. I trust 

 that this barbarous practice will soon be forgotten. 



K. G. r. M. 



The Story of Mr. Fox. — Your correspondent 

 F.L., who has related the story of Sir Kichard, 

 surnamed Bloody, iJaker, is, doubtless, aware of a 

 similar tale with which Mr. lilakeway furnished 

 my late friend James Eoswell, and which the 

 latter observed " is perhaps one of the most happy 

 illustrations of Shakspeare that has appeared." — 

 (Malone's Shakspeai-e, vol. vii. pp. 20. 163.) 



The two narratives of Eloody Ijaker and ]\Ir. 

 Fcjx are substantially the same. Variations will 

 naturally creep in when a story is related by word 

 of mouth ; for instance, the admonition over the 

 chamber in Mr. Fox's house — 



" Be bold, be bold ! but not too bold, 

 Lest tliat your heart's blood should run cold." 



is altogether of a more dignified character than 

 the similar warning given by the parrot, at p. 68. 

 Each of these worthies, Baker and Fox, is seen 

 bringing into his house tiie cor[)se of a murdered 

 lady, whose hand falls into the lap of the concealed 

 visitor ; but in Fo,\'s story the ornament on the 

 hand is a rich bracelet, in Baker's a ring. The 

 assassins are, in both stories, invited to the visitor's 

 house, and upon Fox summary ]\x.s.\\cQ is inflicted. 

 It may be asked, if Baker was burned, how came 

 he to have a tomb with gloves, helmet, &c., sus- 

 pended over it in Cranbrook Church ? Such 

 honour was not paid to a man of higher rank in 

 Salisbury Cathedral, a murderer also, who was 

 hung, viz., J^ord Stourton. Dodsworth tells us 

 that till about 177.5, no chivalrous emblems were 

 suspended over tlie latter, but only a twisted wire, 

 with a noose, emblematic of the halter. Allow nie 

 to ask, What instances have we of tombs or grave- 

 stones, as memorials of individuals who have 



suffered at the stake, exclusive of those monu- 

 ments which in after times may have been raised 

 in honour of distinguished martyrs at the Refor- 

 mation ? J. H. M. 

 Bath. 



Baptismal Superstition. — In the north of Eng- 

 land, when several children are brought to be 

 baptized at the same time, great anxiety is shown 

 by the people lest the girls should take the pre- 

 cedence of the boys; in which case it is believed 

 the latter, when arrived at man's estate, would be 

 beardless. E. H. A. 



Rushbearing (Vol. i., p. 259.). — ^Wednesday, July 

 21, 1847, Grasmere Church was decorated with 

 ribbons, which had some reference to the rush- 

 bearing which had taken place on the preceding 

 Sunday. 



It takes place at Ambleside one Sunday later. 



Extract from lilack's '^ Guide to the Lakes," p. 43. 

 " An interesting ceremony takes place at Ambleside 

 once every year, which the stranger may think himself 

 fortunate in seeing, not so much for the mere sight 

 itself, though that is pretty enough, as for its being the 

 vestige of a very ancient observance. The ceremony 

 alluded to is called Rushbearing. On the eve of the 

 last Sunday in July, the village girls walk in proces- 

 sion to the chapel bearing garlands of flowers (formerly 

 rushes), which are there tastefully disposed. After 

 service, the day following, these are removed, and it is 

 usual that a sermon, in allusion to the event, be 

 preached. This observance is probably as remote as 

 the age of Gregory IV., who is known to have recom- 

 mended to the early disseminators of Christianity in 

 this country, that on the anniversary of the dedication 

 of churches wrested from the Pagans, the converts 

 should build themselves huts of the boughs of trees 

 about their churches, and celebrate the solemnities 

 with religious feasting. In former times, the rushes 

 were spread upon the floor of the sacred edifice, and 

 the garlands remained until withered. Possibly the 

 practice of covering the floors of buildings with rushes 

 by way of protection against the damp earth, may have 

 had something to do with keeping the custom in ex- 

 istence, long after the origin of the institution had 

 been forgoUcn. The ceremony of Rushbearing has 

 now fallen into complete disuse, except in a few se- 

 cluded hamlets in Westmoreland, and in one or two 

 other places in the kingdom ; nor can that disuse be 

 much regretted, since what was founded as a religious 

 act, every where degenerated into an occasion for un- 

 seemly revelry, in fact, into a sort of rustic saturnalia. 

 And yet, when we look at this remain of the olden 

 time, as observed at Ambleside, we are tempted to say 

 wilh the poet, — 



" ' Many precious rites 

 And customs of our rural ancestry 

 Are gone or stealing from us: ttih, I hope 

 Will last for ever.' " 



