By F. A. Carrington, Esq. 



199 



his company, by their consents it was granted that the town should have so 

 much ground in common next adjoining to this way as the woman would ride 

 round upon a bare ridged horse. She undertakes it, and for the ascertaining 

 of the ground the king appointed Sir Walter, a knight that wayted on him, to 

 follow the woman or goe with her, which being done, and made known to the 

 monks at Malmesbury (they to show their liberality upon the extent of the 

 king's charity), gave a piece of ground, parcell of their inheritance and adjoyn- 

 ing to the churchyard, to build a house upon for the Hayward to live in, to look 

 after the beasts that fed upon this common ; and for to perpetuate the memory 

 of it appointed the following prayers to be said upon every Trinity Sunday in 

 that house with the ceremonie ensuing. And because a monk of that time, 

 out of his devotion, gave a bell to be rung here at this house before prayers 

 began, his name was inserted in the petitions for that gift. 



"the ceremonie. 



" The parishioners being come to the door of the Hay wards' house, the door 

 was struck thrice in honour of the Holy Trinity, then they entered ; the bell was 

 rung, after which silence being imposed, they read their prayers aforesaid. 

 Then was a ghirland of flowers, made upon a hoop, brought forth by a mayd of 

 the town upon her neck, and a young man (a bachelor) of another parish first 

 saluted her three times,* in honour of the Trinity, in respect of God the Father. 

 Then she putts the ghirland upon his neck and kisses him three times, in honour 

 of the Trinity, particularly God the Sonne ; then he puts the ghirland on her 

 neck again and kisses her three times, in respect of the Holy Trinity and parti- 

 cularly the Holy Ghost. Then he takes the ghirland from her neck and by the 

 custome must give her a penny at least, which as fancy leads is now exceeded, 

 as 2s. 6d., or &c. 



" The method of giving this ghirland is from house to house annually till it 

 comes round. 



" In this evening every commoner sends his supper up to this house which is 

 called Ealehowse (ale-house), and having before layed in there equally a stock 

 of mault which was brewed in the house, they supp together and what was left 

 was given to the poore. — N. of the Ealahus see Somner's Glossary at the end of 

 the English Historians, printed at London, 1652. 



"'the foeme of peayee. 



" 'Peace, good men, peace, this is the house of charitie, and house of peace, 

 Christ Jesus be with us this day and evermore. Amen. 



"'You shall pray for the good prosperitie of our Soveraigne Lord King 

 Henry VIII. and the royal issue (of later dayes King Charles II., Q,ueen Katha- 

 rine, Duke of York, and the rest of the royal progenie), with all the nobilitie of 

 this land, that Almighty God would give them such grace, wisdome, and dis- 

 cretion, that they may doe all things to the glory of God, the king's honour, 

 and the good of the kingdome.' 



" N.B. This form was made by Mr. Richard Estcourt in favour of the present 

 government. 



" ' You shall pray to God that moved the heart of King Athelstan f and Dame 



* The kiss of peace [origl. note]. 



+ Athelstan was king from a.d. 925 to a.d. 940. 



2d2 



