376 A FARMER'S YEAR 



standing in a semicircle facing the door, drink beer each in turn 

 and sing this song : 



Now supper is over, and all things are past, 



Here's our mistress's good health in a full flowing glass ; 

 She is a good mistress, she provides us good cheer ; 



Here's our mistress's good health, boys — come, drink half your beer. 



She is a good mistress, she provides us good cheer ; 

 Here's our mistress's good health, boys — come, drink off yonx beer. 



Here's health to our master, the Lord of the feast, 



God bless his endeavours and send him increase. 



And send him good crops, that we may meet another year. 

 Here's our master's good health, boys — come, drink half yowx beer. 



God send him good crops — come, drink offyowx beer. 



ending with the cry of ' Largesse ! Largesse ! Largesse ! ' uttered 

 by all in unison. 



I remember that my mother noted down the music of the air 

 to which this quaint and ancient song was sung. I imagine that 

 it is not to be heard in Norfolk nowadays, and indeed never will 

 be heard again. 



Talking of largesse reminds me that I have forgotten to say 

 that after harvest wages fell a shilling all round in sympathy with 

 the drop in the price of corn. 



October 31. — To-day we have been thrashing barley from the 

 Ape field. The return is not very good, about seven coombs to 

 the acre, but the sample seems excellent. 



This morning I was serving on the County Grand Jury. At 

 Norwich the Grand Jurors are crowded together in a kind of bird- 

 cage near the roof of the Court, while the learned Judge charges 

 them, or rather his blotting paper, down below. I found from 

 the papers afterwards, for it was impossible to hear what his Lord 

 ship said, that the subject of his address was the Criminal Evidence 

 Act, of which he does not seem entirely to approve. In this age 

 of change it is rather curious that Grand Juries should still survive 

 as an institution. One can well understand that in past generc^- 



