166 SPRING-TIDE. 



often in the Anglo Saxon version of the 

 Gospels, and which in ours is always re- 

 presented by the word "straightway." If 

 they speak of a scanty crop of corn they 

 say " a bad rip there," and we find in A. S. 

 " micel rip and feawa wyrta" (Matt. ix. 

 37) : four out of the five words of this 

 sentence are still retained by our rural popu- 

 lation. They use the phrase u most in deal " 

 for " generally, or for the most part," which 

 is also the Anglo Saxon form "maest dsel." 

 But I am wearying you with these proofs of 

 the antiquity of the language spoken by 

 my rustic neighbours. 



J. By no means, I perceive, that you 

 have taken possession of tenable ground, 

 and I promise you that by the time we meet 

 again I will know more of the language you 

 quote from. 



S. There are also many words which 

 by the rustics are pronounced as their fore- 

 fathers and ours evidently pronounced them ; 



