Branks.—“They have an artifice at Newcastle under Lyme and Walsall," says Plot, "for correcting of scolds, which it does, too, so effectually and so very safely, that I look upon it as much to be preferred to the cucking stoole, which not only endangers the health of the party, but also gives the tongue liberty 'twixt every dipp; to neither of which this is at all liable: it being such a bridle for the tongue as not only quite deprives them of speech, but brings shame for the transgression and humility thereupon, before 'tis taken off which being put upon the offender by order of the magistrate, and fastened with a padlock behind, she is led round the town by an officer, to her shame, nor is it taken off till after the party begins to shew all external signes imaginable of humiliation and amendment." Staffordshire, p. 389. In a plate annexed, he gives a representation of a pair of branks. They still preserve a pair in the Town Court at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where the same custom once prevailed. Gardner's England's Grievance, 1656, and Brand's History, ii., 292. A fuller description of the brank occurs in Willis's "Current Notes" for May, 1854, where several engravings accompany and illustrate the letter-press. The writer says: It may be described as an iron skeleton helmet, having a gag of the same metal, that by being protruded into the mouth of an inveterate brawler, effectually branked that unruly member, the tongue. As an instrument of considerable antiquity at a time when the gag, the rack, and the axe were the ratio ultima Roma, it has doubtless been employed, not unfrequently for purposes of great cruelty, though in most examples, the gag was not purposely designed to wound the mouth, but simply to restrain or press down the tongue. Several of these instruments are yet extant, though their use has now, thanks to more considerate civilization, become obsolete. . . The earliest use of the brank in England is not antecedent to the reign of Charles." A curious variety of this old mode of penance is noticed in the same miscellany for October, 1854. Brawl. A dance introduced from France in or about the middle of the sixteenth century. See Halliwell in v. Bread. In Craven, in the West Riding of York, those who knead dough for baking are in the habit of making the sign of the cross, both when they knead or stiffen the material, and when they elt or moisten it with additional milk or milk and water, as a precaution against the sinister action of any witch or evil-eyed person at hand. Douce, in his interleaved copy of Brand's "Antiquities," pointed out that M. Thiers (in his Traitè des Superstitions) mentioned a belief as prevalent in France that bread baked on Christmas Eve would not turn mouldy. Bread and Cheese Land.— Hasted, speaking of Biddenden, tells us that "twenty acres of land, called the Bread and Cheese Land, lying in five pieces, were given by persons unknown, the yearly rents to be distributed among the poor of this parish. This is yearly done on Easter Sunday, in the afternoon, in 600 cakes, each of which have the figures of two women impressed on them, and are given to all such as attend the church; and 270 loaves, weighing three pounds and a half a-piece, to which latter is added one pound and a half of cheese, are given to the parishioners only at the same time. There is a vulgar tradition in these parts, that the figures on the cake represent the donors of this gift, being two women twins, who were joined together in their bodies, and lived together so till they were between twenty and thirty years of age. But this seems without foundation. The truth seems to be, that it was the gift of two maidens, of the name of Preston; and that the print of the women on the cakes has taken place only within these fifty years, and was made to represent two poor widows, as the general objects of a charitable benefaction." At Biddenden, Kent, yesterday, there was observed a curious Easter custom of distributing cakes hearing the impressed figures of the "Biddenden Maids." Their names were Eliza and Mary Chulkhurst, and they are said to have lived to the age of 34 years, when one died, and the other followed within six hours. They bequeathed land in the parish which produces about forty guineas a year, and from this the cost of the distribution is defrayed. The custom always attracts a very considerable number of visitors from the surrounding villages, and it is among these that the cakes, having a quaint representation of the maids, stamped with a boxwood die, are distributed, bread and cheese being given to the poor of the parish." Globe, April, 8 1890. There is a similar custom at Paddington, near London, where the gifts are thrown from the church steeple. Sussex Arch. Coll., xiv., 135. Breakfasting. A Sussex custom. Gloucestershire, a very strange quasi-jocuBriaval's, St.-At St. Briaval's, lar custom formerly prevailed on WhitSunday. Several baskets full of bread and cheese, cut very small, were brought into church, and immediately after service were thrown by the churchwardens from the galleries among the congregation, who scrambled for them. The custom was kept up, and may be still, in order to secure to the poor of St. Briaval's and Havelfield the right of cutting and carrying wood from 3,000 acres of coppice in Hudknoll and the Meend. Every householder was assessed 2d. towards defraying the cost of the bread and cheese. new situation. This custom must have doubtless been often abused: it breathed, however, a great deal of philanthropy, and In 1687, the "Orders and Rules would naturally help to increase populaof the Court of St. Briavells in the tion by encouraging matrimony. This cusForest of Dean, in the County of Glou-tom of making presents at weddings seems cester," were printed in a volume with similar regulations for the miners in the Forest. Bridal Bed. In the papal times no new-married couple could go to bed together till the bridal bed had been blessed. In a MS. cited by Blakeway, it is stated that "the pride of the clergy and the bigotry of the laity were such that new married couples were made to wait till midnight, after the marriage day, before they would pronounce a benediction, unless handsomely paid for it, and they durst not undress without it, on pain of excommunication." Blomefield's Norfolk, iv. 221. 66 also to have prevailed amongst those of the higher order. From the account of the nuptials of the Lady Susan with Sir Philip Herbert, in the reign of James I. it appears that the presents of plate and other things given by noblemen were valued at £2,500, and that the king gave £500 for the bride's jointure. His majesty gave her away, and, as his manner was, archly observed on the occasion that if he were unmarried he would not give her, but keep her for himself." Bride-ales are mentioned by Puttenham in his "Arte of Poesie":"During the course of Queen Elizabeth's entertainments at Kenilworth Castle, in 1575, a bryde-ale was celebrated Bride-Ale. In Ihre's "Glossarium with a great variety of shews and sports." Suio-Gothicum," 1769, we read: v. Brud- From a passage in Jonson's Silent skal. Gifwa i Brudskálen dicitur de Woman," Andrews infers that it seems to Erano vel munere collectitio, quod Sponsæ have been a general custom to make predie Nuptiarum a Convivis in pateram mit- sents to the married pair, in proportion titur, habito antea brevi Sermone a præ- to the gay appearance of their wedding. sente Sacerdote. Nescio, an huc quicquam Newton, speaking of rushes, says "Herefaciat Tributum illud, quod in Gallia with be made manie pretie imagined deSponsæ dabatur Escuellatta dictum, et de vises for bride-ales, and other solemnities quo Du-Fresne in Gloss. Lat." Ibid. v. as little baskets, hampers, paniers, pitchJul p. 1005: "Hemkomol, Convivium ers, dishes, combes, brushes, stooles, quod novi Conjuges in suis ædibus in-chaires, purses with strings, girdles. and struunt." In the "Christen State of manie such other pretie, curious, and artiMatrimony," 1543, fol. 48, verso, we read: ficiall conceits, which at such times many "When they come home from the church, do take the paines to make and hang up in then beginneth excesse of eatyng and the houses, as tokens of good-will to the dryncking-and as much is waisted in one new married bride: and after the solemdaye, as were sufficient for the two newe nitie ended, to bestow abroad for bridemarried folkes halfe a year to lyve upon." gifts or presents.' In reference to the The following is from the Court Rolls of rose, he says: "At bride-ales the houses Hales-Owen Borough, Salop, of the 15th and chambers were woont to be strawed Elizabeth: Custom of Bride - Ale: with these odoriferous and sweet herbes : "Item, a payne is made that no to signifie that in wedlocke all pensive sulperson or persons that shall brewe any lennes and lowring cheer, all wrangling weddyn ale to sell, shall not brewe above strife, jarring, variance, and discorde, twelve strike of mault at the most, and ought to be utterly excluded and abanthat the said persons so married shall not doned; and that in place thereof al mirth, keep nor have above eight messe of persons pleasantnes, cheerfulnes, mildnes, quietat his dinner within the burrowe: and be- nes, and love should be maintained, and fore his brydall daye he shall keep no unthat in matters passing betweene the huslawfull games in hys house, nor out of hys band and the wife all secresie should be house, on pain of 20 shillings.' In Harri- used." Herbal from the Bible, 1587, p. Description of Britain," it is re92. Compare Bid-ale and Bride-Wain. marked "In feasting also the husbandmen do exceed after their manner, especially at bridales, &c., where it is incredible to tell what meat is consumed and spent; ech one brings such a dish, or so manie with him, as his wife and he doo consult upon, but alwaies with this consideration, that the leefer friend shall have the better provision." Thus it appears that among persons of inferior rank a contribution was expressly made for the purpose of assisting the bridegroom and bride in their son's " Bride-Cake. The connection between the bride-cake and wedding is strongly marked in the following custom still retained in Yorkshire, where the former is cut into little square pieces, thrown over the bridegroom's and bride's head, and then put through the ring. The cake is sometimes broken over the bride's head, and then thrown away among the crowd to be scrambled for. This is noted by Aubanus in his description of the rites of marriage in his country paucis a Pronubo de mutato vitæ genere prefatis, in signum constantiæ, virtutis, defensionis et tutelæ, propinat Sponsæ et simul Morgennaticam (Dotalitium ob vir and time. "Peractâ re divinâ Sponsa ad, Sponsi domum deducitur, indeque Panis projicitur, qui a pueris certatim rapitur," fol. 68. To break the cake over the head of the bride appears to have been some-ginitatem) promittit, quod ipsa grato anitimes usual in Drayton's time, for that writer, in his "Nimphidia, or the Court of Fairy," 1627, applies the custom, with the licence habitual to poets, to the fairy Tita: "Mertilla. But coming back when she is wed, Who breaks the cake above her head? Claia. That shall Mertilla." Thus Smollett, in his Humphrey Clinker, 1733 : says: "But, Madam, as a present take mo recolens, pari ratione et modo, paulo post mutato in uxorium habitum operculo Capitis, ingressa, poculum, ut nostrates vocant, uxorium leviter delibans, amorem, fidem, diligentiam, et subjectionem promissum."--Stiernhook De Jure Suecorum et Gothorum vetusto, 672, p. 163. quoted by Malone. In the Workes of John Heiwood, the following passage occurs: "The drinke of my brydecup I should have forborne, Till temperaunce had tempred the taste beforne. I see now, and shall see while I am alive Who wedth or he be wise shall die or he thrive." Edit. 1576, sign. B. 4. Bride Favours.-In "The Fifteen Comforts of Marriage," a conference is introduced, concerning bridal colours in dressing up the bridal bed by the bridemaids-not, say they, with yellow ribbands, these are the emblems of jealousynot with "Fueille mort," that signifies fading love--but with true blue, that signifies constancy, and green denotes youthput them both together, and there's youthful constancy. One proposed blew and black, that signifies constancy till death; but that was objected to, as those colours will never match. Violet was proposed as signifying religion; this was objected to as being too grave: and at last they concluded to mingle a gold tissue with grassgreen, which latter signifies youthful jollity. For the bride's favours, top-knots, and garters, the bride proposed blew, goldcolour, popingay-green, and limon-colour The objected to, gold-colour signifying avarice-popingay-green, wantonness. younger bridemaid proposed mixturesflame-colour, flesh-colour, willow, and milk-white. The second and third were objected to, as flesh-colour signifies lasciviousness, and willow forsaken. It was settled that red signifies justice, and seagreen inconstancy. The milliner, at last, fixed the colours as follows: for the favours, blue, red, peach-colour, and orange16-tawney for the young ladies' top-knots, flame-colour, straw-colour, (signifying plenty), peach-colour, grass-green, and milk-white and for the garters, a perfect yellow, signifying honour and joy. this variety of colours in the bride favours used formerly, the following passage, wherein Lady Haughty addresses Morose, in Jonson's "Silent Woman," evidently alludes: Bride-Cup.-This custom has its traces in Gentilism. It is of high antiquity, says Malone, for it subsisted among our Gothic ancestors. 66 Ingressus domum convivalem Sponsus cum pronubo suo, sumpto poculo, quod maritale vocant, ac Το "Let us know your bride's colours and In Jonson's Tale of a Tub Turf is introyours at least." The bride favours have not been omitted in "The Collier's Wedding" "The blithsome, bucksome country maids, With knots of ribbands at their heads, And pinners flutt'ring in the wind, That fan before and toss behind," &c. And, speaking of the youth, with the bridegroom, it says: "Like streamers in the painted sky, At every breast the favours fly." Bride Knives. Strange as it may appear, it is however certain that knives were formerly part of the accoutrements of a bride. This perhaps will not be difficult to account for, if we consider that it anciently formed part of the dress for women to wear a knife or knives sheathed and suspended from their girdles: a finer and more ornamented pair of which would very naturally be either purchased or presented on the occasion of a marriage. Among the women's trinkets, about 1540, in the Four P's of John Heywood, occur: "Silke swathbonds, ribands, and sleevelaces, Girdles, knives, purses, and pin-cases." From a passage in the "Raigne of Edward the third," 1596, there appear to have been two of them. So in the Lottery for 1601, No. xi. is : "A Pair of Knives." Fortune doth give these paire of knives to you, To cut the thred of love if't be not true." duced as saying: "We shall all ha' bridelaces or points I zee." In the Lottery of 1601, the three following occur, in a list of prizes for ladies: A dozen of points, a scarfe, and a lace. Herrick, in his "Epithalamie on Sir Clipseby Crew and his Lady," thus cautions the bridegroom's men against offending the delicacy of the new-married lady: "We charge ye that no strife (Farther than gentleness tends) get place Among ye, striving for her lace:" And it is observed, in the account of the marriage of Jack of Newbury, that his bride was led to church between two sweet boys, "with bride-laces and rosemary tied about their silken sleeves." In "Honest the second part of Dekker's Whore," 1630, signat. K 3 verso, we read: "Looke yee, doe you see the bride-laces that I give at my wedding will serve to tye rosemary to both your coffins when you come from hanging." Heywood's Woman Killed with Kindness, 1607, alludes to the nosegays and bride-laces worn by the country lasses on this occasion in their hats. seu Bridegroom Men. These appear anciently to have had the title of brideknights. "Paranymphi ejusmodi Sponsi amici appellantur etiam (Matt. ix. 15) filii thalami nuptialis: quâ de re optimè vir præstantissimus Hugo Grotius. Singulare habetur et apud nos nomen ejusmodi eorum quos Bride-Knights id est, Ministros Sponsalitios qui Sponsam Seldeni deducere solent, appellitamus.' "Uxor Hebraica"; Opera, tom. iii. p. "de Para638. He gives, ibid. a chapter nymphis Hebreorum Sponsi Amicis, in utroque Foedere dictis et in Novo Filiis Thalami nuptialis." Those who led the bride to church by the arms, as if committing an act of force, were always bachelors; Fletcher's "Scornful Lady," 1616, (Dyce's B. and F. vol. iii. p. 16). But she was to be conducted home by two married persons. Polydore Vergil informs us that a third married man, in coming home from church, preceded the bride, bearing, instead of a torch, a vessel cf silver or gold. "In Anglia servatur ut duo pueri, velut Paranymphi, id est, Auspices, qui olim pro nuptiis celebrandis Auspicia capiebant, nubentem ad Templum et inde domum duo viri deducant, et tertius loco facis Vasculum aureum vel argenteum præferat." In "A Pleasant History of the First Founders," we read: "At Rome the manner was that two children should lead the bride, and a third bear before her a torch of white-thorn in honour of Ceres, which custome was also observed here in England, saving that, in place of the torch, there was carried before the bride a bason of gold or silver; a garland also of corn eares was set upon her head, or else she bare it on her hand, or, if that were omitted, wheat was scattered over her head in token of fruitfulness; as also before she came to bed to her husband, fire and water were given her, which, having power to purifie and cleanse, signified that thereby she should be chast and pure in her body. Moresin relates that to the bachelors and married men who led the bride to and from church, she was wont to present cloves for that service during the time of dinner. It was part of the bridegroom man's office to put him to bed to the bride, after having undressed him. Bride Maids. The use of bride maids at weddings appears as old as the time of the Anglo-Saxons: among whom, as Strutt informs us, "The bride was led by a matron, who was called the bride's woman, followed by a company of young maidens, who were called the bride's maids." The bride's maids and bridegroom men are both mentioned by the author of the "Convivial Antiquities" in his description of the rites of marriages in his country and time. Antequam eatur ad Templum Jentaculum Sponsæ et invitatis apponitur, Serta atque Corollæ distribuuntur. Postea certo ordine Viri primum cum Sponso, deinde Puellæ cum Sponsa, in Templum procedunt." Antiquitat. Convivial, fol. 68. Bride-Stake. Around this bridestake the guests were wont to dance as about a may-pole. Thus Jonson : "With the phant'sies of hey-troll Troll about the bridal bowl, And divide the broad bride cake Round about the bride's stake.' Bride-Wain. In Cumberland the Penny Wedding of the earlier Scots and the Bid-Ale of Wales had the appellation of a bride-wain, a term which will be best explained by the following extract from the Glossary, 1710, to Douglas's Virgil, v. Thig: "There was a custom in the Highlands and North of Scotland, where new married persons, who had no great stock, or others low in their fortune, brought carts and horses with them to the houses of their relations and Friends, and received from them corn, meal, wool, or whatever else they could get. The subsequent is extracted from the "Cumberland Packet," a newspaper: "Bride Wain. There let Hymen oft appear In saffron robe and taper clear, And pomp and feast and revelry, With mask and antient pageantry. "George Hayton, who married Ann, the daughter of Joseph and Dinah Collin of Crossley Mill, purposes having a bride wain at his house at Crossley near Mary Port on Thursday, May 7th, next, (1789), where he will be happy to see his friends and wellwishers, for whose amusement there will be a saddle, two bridles, a pair of gands d'amour gloves, which whoever wins is sure to be married within the twelve months, a girdle (Ceinture de Venus) possessing qualities not to be described, and many other articles, sports, and pastimes, too numerous to mention, but which can never prove tedious in the exhibition, &c." A short time after a match is solemnized, the parties give notice as above, that on such a day they propose to have a bride-wain. In consequence of this, the whole neighbourhood for several miles round assemble at the bridegroom's house, and join in all the various pastimes of the country. This meeting resembles our wakes and fairs: and a plate or bowl is fixed in a convenient place, where each of the company contributes in proportion to his inclination and ability, and according to the degree of respect the parties are held in and by this very laudable custom a worthy couple have frequently been benefited at setting out in life, with a supply of money of from ten to fourscore pounds. Eden, in "The State of the Poor," 1797, observes "The custom of a general feasting at weddings and christenings is still continued in many villages in Scotland, in Wales, and in Cumberland: Districts, which, as the refinements of legislation and manners are slow in reaching them, are most likely to exhibit vestiges of customs deduced from remote antiquity, or founded on the simple dictates of Nature: and indeed it is not singular, that marriages, births, christenings, housewarmings, &c., should be occasions in which people of all classes and all descriptions think it right to rejoice and make merry. In many parts of these districts of Great Britain as well as in Sweden and Denmark, all such institutions, now rendered venerable by long use, are religiously observed. It would be deemed ominous, if not impious, to be married, have a child born, &c., without something of a feast. And long may the custom last for it neither leads to drunkenness and riot, nor is it costly; as alas! is so commonly the case in convivial meetings in more favoured regions. On all these occasions, the greatest part of the provisions is contributed by the neighbourhood: some furnishing the wheaten flour for the pastry; others, barley or oats for bread or cakes; some, poultry for pies; some, milk for the frumenty; some eggs; some bacon; and some, butter; and, in short, every article necessary for a plentiful repast. Every neighbour, how high or low soever, makes it a point to contribute something. "At a daubing (which is the erection of a |