200 



Ancient Ales in the County of Wilts. 



Mawd his good queen to give this ground to our forefathers, and to us, and for 

 all them that shall come after us, in fee for ever. 



" ' You shall pray to Grod for the sowle of Sir Walter, the good black knight, 

 that moved his heart to our forefathers and us this ground both to tread and 

 tite, and to them that shall come after us, in fee for ever. 



" ' You shall pray to God for the sowle of Abbot Loringe,* that moved his 

 heart to give this ground both to build this house f upon, to our forefathers and 

 to us, and to them that shall come after us, in fee for ever. 



" 'You shall pray to Grod for the sowle of Don Alured, % the black monke, 

 that moved his heart to give the bell § to this house. 



" ' For the sowles of these benefactors whom the Lord hath moved their 

 heartes to bestowe these benefitts upon us, let us now and ever pray.' Pater 

 noster, &c. 



" In the late warres this house was burnt downe by the soldiers, and the 

 custome of supping is yet (1670) discontinued, together with brewing that 

 quantity of drinke. The rest of the ceremonies are yet continued in the 

 Toft, || and on the old door of the house which yet remains, which they then carry 

 thither, and a small quantity of drinke of six or eight gallons is yet dranke 

 after the ghirland is given. 



" Mem. About 1660, one was killed striving to take away the ghirland. 



" The towne anciently belonged to the Abbey of Malmesbury, and was given 

 to them by .... Y. Leiger Book. 



" The church here was anciently a chapel of ease to Malmesbury from whence 

 it is distant above two miles." 



In the prayer at Newnton there is a very extraordinary mixture 

 of dates. King Athelstan reigned from the year 925 to the year 

 940. Abbot Loring was Abbot of Malmesbury from the year 1205 

 to the year 1223, and King Henry VIII. began to reign in the 

 year 1509, but our clerical readers will readily recognize with 

 regard to time the Bidding prayer of that reign which is cited by 

 the Rev. Edward Burton, in his preface to the Three Primers of 

 King Henry VIII. 1 and which was composed about the year 1534. 



THE HERD'S ALE AT OGBOUKNE ST. GEORGE. 



The Herd's ale at Ogbourne St. George was described to me two 

 years ago by Mrs. Charlotte Mills of that place, who is between 



i P. lxvii. 



* Walter Loringe was Abbot of Malmesbury, from 1205 to 1223 [Dug. Mon., vol. ii., p. 255]. 

 t Tbe Hay wards bouse, called tbe Eale house [orgl. note], 

 t- This probably means Dominus Alured : see vol. i. 332. 



\ This bell is now at Mr. Richard Escourt's house.— Vide what inscripn. it hath [orignl. note]. 

 || Toft, a place where a Messuage hath stood, Cowell's Interp. Tit. Toft, citing West's Symboleo- 

 graphy, part n., Tit. Fines, sect. 26. 



