254 MEMOIR OF 



Again, at Stockleigh-Pomeroy parish, the rector, 

 Roope Ilbert, a well-known name in Devonshire, 

 desired his clerk to give notice that there would 

 be one service a day only at that church for a 

 month, as he was going to take duty at Stock- 

 leigh-English alternately with his own. The 

 clerk did so in the following words : — 



*'This is vor to give notiss — there'll be no 

 sarvice to thes church but wance a wick, cans' 

 maester's a-going to sarve t'other Stockleigh and 

 thes church to all-etarnity." 



It seems to have been a very common 

 fashion in Devonshire, in Russell's early days, 

 for gentlemen of standing in the county to 

 adopt the native dialect, especially when con- 

 versing with the country-folk — a habit arising 

 either from carelessness, or perhaps because 

 their speech in that provincial form was best 

 understood and most natural to the generality 

 of their neighbours. Russell relates, for instance, 

 that he was present when a colonel of the North 

 Devon Militia was reviewing his regiment, and 

 seeing a hare jump up in the midst of the men, 

 he shouted out wildly, '* There he go'th, boys, 

 a lashing great shaver." Then, forgetting the 

 exact point at which he had ceased to give the 

 word of command, he turned round and said, 

 "Where wor I, drummer-boy?"' 



" Present arms, sir," responded the youth ; 

 and the inspection went on. 



