178 The Neiv Forest: its History and its Scenery. 



avowed, or will even be acknowledged by the first labourer who 

 may be seen. The English peasant is at all times excessively 

 chary — no one perhaps more so — of expressing his full mind ; 

 and a long time is required before a stranger can, if ever, gain 

 his confidence. But I do say that these superstitions are all, 

 with more or less credit, held in different parts of the Forest, 

 although even many who believe them the firmest would shrink, 

 from fear of ridicule, to confess the fact. Education has done 

 something to remove them ; but they have too firm a hold to be 

 easily uprooted. They may not be openly expressed, but they 

 are, for all that, to my certain know^ledge, still latent. 



Old customs and ceremonies still linger. Mummers still 

 perform at Christmas. Old women " go gooding," as in other 

 parts of England, on St. Thomas's Day. Boys and girls "go 

 shroving " on Ash Wednesday ; that is, begging for meat and 

 drink at the farm-houses, singing this rude snatch : — 



■' I come a shroving, a shroving, 

 For a piece of pancake, 

 For a piece of truffle-cheese* 

 Of your own making." 



When, if nothing is given, they throw stones and shards at 

 the door.f 



* The best cheese, the same as " rammel," as opposed to " ommary," 

 which see in Appendix I. 



•j- In the Abstract of Forest Claims made in 1670 some old customs 

 are preserved, amongst them payments of " Hocktide money," " moneth 

 money," " wrather money " (rother, hry<5er, cattle-money), " turfdele 

 money," and 'smoke money," which last we shall meet in the Church- 

 wardens' Books of the district. The following is taken from the Bishop 

 of Winchester's payments. — "Rents at the feast of St. Michael, 3s. 8d. 

 For turfdeale money, 3.s\ Od Three quarters and 4 bushels of barley at 

 the feast of All Samts. Three bushels of oats, and 30 eggs, at the Purifi- 

 cation of the Virgin Mary." — (p 57.) 



