Observations on Popular Antiquities Chiefly Illustrating the Origin of Our Vulgar Customs, Ceremonies, and Supersititions

Front Cover
Chatto and Windus, 1900 - Christian antiquities - 807 pages

From inside the book

Contents


Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 321 - And then it started, like a guilty thing Upon a fearful summons. I have heard The cock, that is the trumpet to the morn, Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat Awake the god of day; and at his warning. Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air, The extravagant and erring spirit hies To his confine; and of the truth herein This present object made probation.
Page 120 - Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger, Comes dancing from the East, and leads with her The flowery May, who from her green lap throws The yellow Cowslip and the pale Primrose.
Page 569 - Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck, And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, Of healths five fathom deep ; and then anon Drums in his ear, at which he starts, and wakes ; And, being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two, And sleeps again. This is that very Mab, That plats the manes of horses in the night ; And bakes the elf-locks in foul sluttish hairs, Which, once untangled, much misfortune bodes...
Page 567 - When in one night, ere glimpse of morn, His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn That ten day-labourers could not end; Then lies him down, the lubber fiend, And, stretched out all the chimney's length, Basks at the fire his hairy strength; And crop-full out of doors he flings, Ere the first cock his matin rings.
Page 207 - Two hazel nuts I threw into the flame, And to each nut I gave a sweetheart's name ; This with the loudest bounce me sore amaz'd, That in a flame of brightest colour blaz'd. As blaz'd the nut, so may thy passion grow ; For 'twas thy nut that did so brightly glow.
Page 515 - LITTLE tube of mighty power, Charmer of an idle hour, Object of my warm desire, Lip of wax and eye of fire ; And thy snowy taper waist, With my finger gently braced ; And thy pretty swelling crest, With my little stopper prest, And the sweetest bliss of blisses, Breathing from thy balmy kisses.
Page 515 - ... a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black stinking fume thereof nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless.
Page 372 - Did they, for this, draw down the rabble, With zeal and noises formidable, And make all cries about the town Join throats to cry the bishops down...
Page 571 - Or Ciss to milking rose, Then merrily went their tabor, And nimbly went their toes. Witness those rings and roundelays Of theirs which yet remain, Were footed in Queen Mary's days On many a grassy plain. But since...
Page 269 - First, in the feast of Christmas, there was in the king's house, wheresoever he was lodged, a lord of misrule, or master of merry disports, and the like had ye in the house of every nobleman of honour or good worship, were he spiritual or temporal.

Bibliographic information