It is still customary with our boys, both in the south and north of England, to go out and gather slips with the willowflowers or buds at this time. These seem to have been selected as substitutes for the real palm, because they are generally the only things, at this season, which can be easily procured, in which the power of vegetation can be discovered. It is even yet a common practice in the neighbourhood of London. The young people go a palming; and the sallow is sold in London streets for the whole week preceding Palm Sunday, the purchaser commonly not knowing the tree which produces it, but imagining it to be the real palm, and wondering that they never saw the tree growing! It appears, however, from a passage quoted in Halliwell's Dictionary, p. 600, that the sallow was anciently so called. In the North, it is called, "going a palmsoning of palmsning." In a Short Description of Antichrist, &c., is the following: "They also, upon Palmes Sonday, lifte up a cloth, and say, hayle our Kynge! to a rood made of a wooden blocke." f. 8, is noted the Popish "hallowinge of Palme Stickes."1 At the worms. Well, it so fell out, that the ague, indeed, was driven away; but God knoweth, with the death of the poore yoong man. And no marvell. For the leaves of boxe be deleterious, poisonous, deadlie, and to the bodie of man very noisome, dangerous, and pestilent." In another curious tract, entitled a Dialogue, or Familiar Talke, betwene two Neighbours. From Roane, by Michael Wodde, the 20 of February, 1554, 12mo., it appears that crosses of Palme were, in the Papal times, carried about in the purse. These crosses were made on Palme Sunday, in Passion time, of hallowed Palm. "The old Church kept a memorye the Sunday before Ester, how Christes glory was openly received and acknowledged among the Jewes, when they met him with Date-tree bowes, and other faire bowes, and confessed that he was the sonne of God. And the Gospel declaring the same was appointed to be read on that day. But nowe our blind leaders of the blind toke away the knowledge of this, with their Latine processioning, so that among x. thousande scarce one knew what this ment. They have their laudable dumme ceremonies, with Lenten Crosse and Uptide Crosse, and these two must justle, til Lent breake his necke. Then cakes must be cast out of the steple, that all the boyes in the parish must lie scrambling together by the eares, tyl al the parish falleth a laughyng. But, lorde, what ape's-play made they of it in great cathedral churches and abbies! One comes forth in his albe and his long stole (for so they call their girde that they put about theyr neckes;) thys must be leashe wise, as hunters weares their hornes. This solempne Syre played Christes part, a God's name! Then another companye of singers, chyldren, and al, song, in pricksong, the Jewe's part-and the deacon read [The following lines occur in some curious verses on Palin Sunday in a MS. of the fourteenth century in the British Museum, MS. Sloane 2478. "Nou zee that bereth to day 3our palme, Wel auzte ze queme such a qualm, to Crist 3our herte al 3yve; As dude the chyldren of tholde lawe, Lewede, that bereth palm an honde, Hit is a tokne that alle and some 3yf eny habbeth braunches y-brozt, Hy maketh ham holy as y were, Vort hy boe schryve hy schulleth boe skere The ceremony of bearing palms on Palm Sunday was retained in England after some others were dropped, and was one of those which Henry VIII., in 1536, declared were not to be contemned and cast away. In a Proclamation in the library of the Society of Antiquaries, dated 26th February, 1539, concernyng rites and ceremonies to be used in due fourme in the Churche of Englande," wherein occurs the following clause: "On Palme Sonday it shall be declared that bearing of Palmes renueth the memorie of the receivinge of the middel text. The prest at the alter al this while, because it was tediouse to be unoccupyed, made crosses of Palme to set upon your doors, and to beare in your purses, to chace away the Divel. Hath not our spiritualitie well ordered this matter (trow ye) to turne the reading and preaching of Christes Passion into such wel favoured pastymes? But tell me, Nicholas, hath not thy wyfe a crosse of Palme aboute her? (Nich.) Yes, in her purse. (Oliver.) And agoon felowshippe tel me, thinckest thou not sometyme the Devil is in her toungue? Syghe not, man. (Nich.) I wold she heard you, you might fortune to finde him in her tong and fist both. (Oliver.) Then I se wel he cometh not in her purse, because the holi palme crosse is ther; but if thou couldest intreate her to beare a crosse in her mouth, then he would not come there neither." Christe in lyke maner into Jerusalem before his deathe." In Fuller's Church History, also, p. 222, we read that "bearing of palms on Palm Sunday is in memory of the receiving of Christ into Hierusalem a little before his death, and that we may have the same desire to receive him into our hearts." Palms were used to be borne here with us till 2 Edw. VI. ; and the Rhenish translators of the New Testament mention also the bearing of Palms on this day in their country when it was Catholic. A similar interpretation of this ceremony to that given in King Henry the Eighth's Proclamation, occurs in Bishop Bonner's Injunctions, 4to. 1555. "To cary their palmes discreatlye," is among the Roman Catholic customs censured by John Bale, in his Declaration of Bonner's Articles, 1554, as is, "to conjure palmes." In Howes's edition of Stow's Chronicle, it is stated, under the year 1548, that "this yeere the ceremony of bearing of palmes on Palme Sonday was left off, and not used as before." That the remembrance of this custom, however, was not lost is evident. In "Articles to be enquired of within the Archdeaconry of Yorke, by the churche wardens and sworne men, A.D. 163+," I find the following, alluding, it should seem, both to this day and Holy Thursday: "Whether there be any superstitious use of Crosses with Towels, Palmes, Metwands, or other memories of idolaters." Douce says, "I have somewhere met with a proverbial saying, that he that hath not a Palm in his hand on Palm Sunday must have his hand cut off." In Yet a Course at the Romysh Foxe, a Dysclosynge or Openynge of the Manne of Synne, contayned in the late Declaration of the Pope's olde Faythe made by Edmonde Boner, Byshopp of London, &c. by Johan Harryson (J. Bale) printed at Zurik, A.D. 1542, 8vo., the author enumerates some "auncyent rytes and lawdable ceremonyes of holy churche," then it should seem laid aside, in the following censure of the Bishop: "Than ought my Lorde also to suffre the same selfe ponnyshment for not rostyng egges in the Palme ashes fyre," &c. In Dives and Pauper, cap. iv. we read: "On Palme Sondaye at procession the priest drawith up the veyle before the rode, and falleth down to the ground with all 'Wheatly on the Common Prayer, Bohn's edition, p. 222. the people, and saith thrice, Ave Rex Noster, Hayle be thou our King. He speketh not to the image that the carpenter hath made, and the peinter painted, but if the priest be a fole, for that stock or stone was never King; but he speakethe to hym that died on the crosse, for us all, to him that is Kynge of all thynge." "Upon Palm Sunday," says Carew, in his Survey of Cornwall, "at our Lady Nant's Well, at Little Colan, idleheaded seekers resorted, with a palm crosse in one hand and an offering in the other. The offering fell to the priest's share; the cross they threw into the well, which, if it swamme, the party should outlive that yeare; if it sunk, a short ensuing death was boded, and perhaps not altogether untruly, while a foolish conceyt of this halsenyng (i. e. omen) might the sooner help it onwards." The Russians (of the Greek Church) have a very solemn procession on Palm Sunday. [There is a very singular ceremony at Caistor Church, Lincolnshire, on Palm Sunday, which must not be passed over unnoticed. A deputy from Broughton brings a very large In the churchwardens' accounts of St. Mary-at-Hill, in the city of London, 17 to 19 Edw. IV., I find the following entry: " Box and Palm on Palm Sunday, 12d." And among the annual church disbursements, "Palm, Box, Cakes, and Flowers, Palm Sunday Eve, 8d. 1486: Item for flowrs, obleyes, and for Box and Palme ayenst Palm Sondaye, 6d. 1493: For settyng up the frame over the porch on Palme Sonday Eve, 6d. 1531: Paid for the hire of the rayment for the Prophets, 12d., and of clothes of Aras, 18. 4d., for Palm Sunday." (Nichols's Illustrations of the Manners and Expences of Ancient Times.) In Coates's History of Reading, p. 216, Churchwardens' Accounts of St. Laurence parish, 1505: "It. payed to the Clerk for syngyng of the Passion on Palme Sunday, in Ale, 1d. 1509: It. payed for a quart of bastard, for the singers of the Passhyon on Palme Sonday, iiijd. 1541: Payd to Loreman for playing the Prophet, on Palme Sondaye, iiijd." Among Dr. Griffith's Extracts from the old Books of St. Andrew Hubbard's parish, I found, " 1524-5: To James Walker, for making clene the churchyard against Palm Sonday, 1d. :-On Palm Sonday, for Palm, Cakes, and Flowrs, 6d. ob.-1526-7. The here of the Angel on Palme Sonday, 8d., Clothes at the Tower, on Palme Sonday, 6d.-1535-7. For Brede, Wyn, and Oyle, on Palm Sonday, 6d. : A Preest and Chylde that playde a Messenger, 8d.-1538-40. Rec. in the Church of the Players, 1s. Pd. for syngyng bread, 2d. :-For the Aungel, 4d." In Mr. Lysons's Environs of London, i. 231, among his curious extracts from the Churchwardens' and Chamberlains' Accounts, at Kingston-upon-Thames, occurs the following: "1 Hen. VIII. For ale upon Palm Sonday on synygng of the Passion, ld." ox-whip, called there a gad-whip. Gad is an old Lincolnshire measure of ten feet; the stock of the gad-whip is, perhaps, of the same length. The whip itself is constructed as follows. A large piece of ash, or any other wood, tapered towards the top, forms the stock; it is wrapt with white leather half way down, and some small pieces of mountain ash are inclosed. The thong is very large, and made of strong white leather. The man comes to the north porch about the commencement of the first lesson, and cracks his whip in front of the porch door three times; he then, with much ceremony, wraps the thong round the stock of the whip, puts some rods of mountain ash lengthwise upon it, and binds the whole together with whipcord. He next ties to the top of the whip-stock a purse containing two shillings (formerly this sum was in twenty-four silver pennies); then taking the whole upon his shoulder, he marches into the church, where he stands in front of the reading-desk till the commencement of the second lesson he then goes up nearer, waves the purse over the head of the clergyman, kneels down on a cushion, and continues in that position, with the purse suspended over the clergyman's head till the lesson is ended. After the service : is concluded, he carries the whip, &c. to the manor-house of Undon, a hamlet adjoining, where he leaves it. There is a new whip made every year; it is made at Broughton and left at Undon. Certain lands in the parish of Broughton are held by the tenure of this annual custom.] ALL FOOLS' DAY, (OR APRIL FOOLS' DAY.) "While April morn her Folly's throne exalts; While Dobb calls Nell, and laughs because she halts ; Verses on several Occasions, 8vo. Lond. 1782, p. 50. A CUSTOM prevails everywhere among us on the 1st of April, when everybody strives to make as many fools as he |