These little blemishes kill such delicate things: prose feeds on grosser punctualities. Will the reader be pleased to make the above corrections with a pen, and allow the fact of illness in excuse for editorial mischance?

SNUFF AND TOBACCO.

For the Table Book.

In the year 1797 was circulated the following:

PROPOSALS for Publishing by Subscription, a HISTORY OF SNUFF AND TOBACCO, in two Volumes.

Vol. I. to contain a Description of the Nose Size of Noses-A Digression on Roman Noses-Whether long Noses are symptomatic-Origin of Tobacco-Tobacco first manufactured into Snuff—Enquiry who took the first Pinch-Essay on Sneezing-Whether the ancients sneezed, and at what-Origin of Pocket-handkerchiefsDiscrimination between Snuffing and taking Snuff; the former applied only to Candles - TrouParliamentary Snufftakers bles in the time of Charles the First, as connected with Smoking.

Vol. II. Snufftakers in the Parliamentary army-Wit at a Pinch-Oval Snuffboxes first used by the Round-headsManufacture of Tobacco Pipes-Dissertation on Pipe Clay-State of Snuff during the Commonwealth-The Union-Scotch Snuff first introduced-found very pungent and penetrating-Accession of George the Second-Snuff-boxes then made of Gold and Silver-George the Third-Scotch Snuff first introduced at Court-The Queen -German Snuffs in fashion-Female Snufftakers-Clean Tuckers, &c. &c.-Index and List of Subscribers.

In connection with this subject I beg to mention an anecdote, related to me by an old Gentleman who well remembered the circumstance :

"When every Shopkeeper had a Sign hanging out before his door, a Dealer in Snuff and Tobacco on Fish Street Hill, carried on a large trade, especially in Tobacco, for his Shop was greatly frequented by Sailors from the Ships in the River. In the course of time, a Person of the name of Farr opened a Shop nearly opposite, and hung out his Sign inscribed 'The best Tobacco by Farr.' This (like the Shoemaker's scription, Adam Strong Shoemaker,' so

6

And if the blind god, Cupid,

Should strike you to the heart, man, Take up a glass, and toast your lassAnd-ne'er from smoking part, man! ; 7.

And also if you're married,

In Hymen's chains fast bound, man ; To plague your wife out of her life, Smoke still the whole year round, man! 8.

How sweet 'tis of an evening

When wint'ry winds do blow, man, As 'twere in spite, to take a pipe, And smoke by th' fire's glow, man!

9.

The sailor in his ship, man,

When wildly rolls the wave, man, His pipe will smoke, and crack his joke Above his yawning grave, man!

10.

The soldier, in the tavern,

Talks of the battle's roar, man; With pipe in hand, he gives command, And thus he lives twice o'er man! 11.

All classes in this world, man,

Have each their own enjoyment, But with a pipe, they're all alike— 'Tis every one's employment!

12.

Of all the various pleasures

That on this earth there are, man, There's nought to me affords such glee As a pipe or sweet cigar, man!

O. N. Y.

Old Customs and Manners.

BY JOHN AUBREY, 1678.

Ex MS. COLL. ASHмOL. MUS. OXFORD.

Education.

There were very few free-schools in England before the Reformation. Youth were generally taught Latin in the monasteries, and young women had their education not at Hackney, as now, scilicit, anno 1678, but at nunneries, where they learnt needle-work, confectionary, surgery, physic, (apothecaries and surgeons being at that time very rare,) writing, drawing, &c. Old Jackquar, now living, has often seen from his house the nuns of St. Mary Kingston, in Wilts, coming forth into the Nymph Hay with their rocks and wheels to spin, sometimes to the number of threescore and ten, all whom were not nuns, but young girls sent there for their education.

Chimneys.

Anciently, before the Reformation, ordinary men's houses, as copyholders, and the like, had no chimneys, but flues like louverholes; some of them were in being when I was a boy.

Painted Cloths.

In the halls and parlours of great houses were wrote texts of Scripture on the painted cloths.

Libels.

The lawyers say, that, before the time of king Henry VIII., one shall hardly find

an action on the case as for slander, &c. once in a year, quod nota.

Christmas.

Before the last civil wars, in gentlemen's houses at Christmas, the first dish that was brought to the table was a boar's head with a lemon in his mouth. At Queen's College in Oxford they still retain this custom; the bearer of it brings it into the hall, singing to an old tune an old Latin rhyme, "Caput apri defero," &c. The first dish that was brought up to the table on Easter-day was a red herring riding away on horseback, i. e. a herring ordered by the cook something after the likeness of a man on horseback, set in a corn salad.

Easter.

The custom of eating a gammon of bacon at Easter, which is still kept up in many parts of England, was founded on this, viz. to show their abhorrence to Judaism at that solemn commemoration of our Lord's resurrection. In the Easter holydays was the clerk's ale for his private benefit, and the solace of the neighbourhood.

Salutations.

The use of "Your humble servant" came first into England on the marriage of queen Mary, daughter of Henry IV. of France, which is derived from Votre très humble serviteur. The usual salutation before that time was, "God keep you!" "God be with you!" and among the vulgar, "How dost do?" with a thump on the shoulder.

Court Rudeness.

Till this time the court itself was unpolished and unmannered. King James's court was so far from being civil to women, that the ladies, nay the queen herself, could hardly pass by the king's apartment without receiving some affront.

Travellers in France.

At the parish priests' houses in France, especially in Languedoc, the table-cloth is on the board all day long, and ready for what is in the house to be put thereon for strangers, travellers, friars, and pilgrims, so 'twas, I have heard my grandfather say, in his grandfather's time.

Private Heralds.

Heretofore noblemen and gentlemen of fair estates had their heralds, who wore their coat of arms at Christmas, and at other solemn times, and cried " Largesse" thrice,

At Tomarton, in Gloucestershire, anciently the seat of the Rivers, is a dungeon thirteen or fourteen feet deep; about four feet high are iron rings fastened to the wall, which was probably to tie offending villains to, as all lords of manors had this power over their villains,(or soccage tenants,) and had all of them no doubt such places for their punishment. It is well known, all castles had dungeons, and so I believe had monasteries, for they had often within themselves power of life and death.

In days of yore, lords and gentlemen lived in the country like petty kings; had jura regalia belonging to their seigniories, had their castles and boroughs, had gallows within their liberties, where they could try, condemn, and execute. Never went to London but in parliament-time, or once a year to do their homage to the king. They always ate in gothic halls, at the high table or oreille, (which is a little room at the upper end of the hall, where stands a table,) with the folks at the side-tables. The meat was served up by watchwords. Jacks are but of late invention. The poor boys did turn the spits, and licked the dripping for their pains. The beds of the men-servants and retainers were in the hall, as now in the grand or privy chamber. Here in the hall, the mumming and the loaf-stealing, and other Christmas sports, were performed.

The hearth was commonly in the middle, whence the saying, "Round about our

coal-fire."

A neat-built chapel, and a spacious hall, were all the rooms of note, the rest more small.

Private Armories.

Every baron and gentleman of estate kept great horses for men at arms. Some had their armories sufficient to furnish out some hundreds of men.

Justices' Halls.

The halls of the justices of peace were dreadful to behold; the screen was garnished with corselets and helmets gaping with open mouths, with coats of mail, lances, pikes, halberds, brown bills, batterdastors, and buckles.

Inns.

Public inns were rare. Travellers were entertained at religious houses for three days together, if occasion served.

Gentry Meetings.

The meeting of the gentry were not at averns, but in the fields or forests, with

hawks and hounds, and their bugle-horns, in silken bawderies.

Hawking.

In the last age every gentleman-like man kept a sparrow-hawk, and the priest a hobby, as dame Julian Berners teaches us, (who wrote a treatise on field-sports, temp. Henry VI. :) it was a divertisement for young gentlewomen to manne sparrowhawks and merlines.

Church-houses-Poor-rates.

Before the Reformation there were no poor's rates; the charitable doles given at religious houses, and church-ale in every parish, did the business. In every parish there was a church-house, to which belonged spits, pots, crocks, &c. for dressing provision. Here the housekeepers met and were merry, and gave their charity. The young people came there too, and had dancing, bowling, shooting at butts, &c. Mr. A. Wood assures me, there were few or no alms-houses before the time of king Henry VIII.; that at Oxford, opposite to Christ church, is one of the most ancient in England. In every church was a poor man's box, and the like at great inns.

In these times, besides the jollities above-mentioned, they had their pilgrim ages to several shrines, as to Walsingham, Canterbury, Glastonbury, Bromholm, &c. Then the crusades to the holy wars were magnificent and splendid, and gave rise to the adventures of the knight-errant and romances; the solemnity attending processions in and about churches, and the perambulations in the fields, were great diversions also of those times.

Glass Windows.

Glass windows, except in churches and gentlemen's houses, were rare before the time of Henry VIII. In my own remembrance, before the civil wars, copyholders and poor people had none.

Men's Coats.

About ninety years ago, noblemen's and gentlemen's coats were of the bedels and yeomen of the guards, i. e. gathered at the middle. The benchers in the inns of court yet retain that fashion in the make of their gowns.

Church-building.

Captain Silas Taylor says, that in days of yore, when a church was to be built, they

watched and prayed on the vigil of the dedication, and took that point of the horizon where the sun arose for the east, which makes that variation, so that few stand true, except those built between the two equinoxes. I have experimented some churches, and have found the line to point to that part of the horizon where the sun rises on the day of that saint to whom the church was dedicated.

Before the wake, or feast of the dedication of the church, they sat up all night fasting and praying, (viz.) on the eve of the wake..

Learning, and learned Men."

From the time of Erasmus till about twenty years last past, the learning was downright pedantry. The conversation and habits of those times were as starched as their bands and square beards, and gravity was then taken for wisdom. The doctors in those days were but old boys, when quibbles passed for wit, even in their ser

mons.

Gentry and their Children.

The gentry and citizens had little learning of any kind, and their way of breeding up their children was suitable to the rest. They were as severe to their children as their schoolmasters, and their schoolmasters as masters of the house of correction : the child perfectly loathed the sight of his parents as the slave his torture.

Gentlemen of thirty and forty years old were to stand like mutes and fools bareheaded before their parents; and the daughters (grown women) were to stand at the cupboard-side during the whole time of her proud mother's visit, unless (as the fashion was) leave was desired forsooth that a cushion should be given them to kneel upon, brought them by the servingman, after they had done sufficient penance in standing.

The boys (I mean the young fellow) had their foreheads turned up and stiffened with spittle: they were to stand mannerly forsooth thus, the foretop ordered as before, with one hand at the bandstring, and the other behind.

Fans.

The gentlewomen had prodigious fans, as is to be seen in old pictures, like that instrument which is used to drive feathers, and it had a handle at least half a yard long; with these the daughters were oftentimes corrected, (sir Edward Coke, lord chief justice, rode the circuit with such a fan; sir William Dugdale told me he was an eye-witness of it. The earl of Manchester also used such a fan,) but fathers and mothers slashed their daughters in the time of their besom discipline, when they were perfect women.

University Flogging.

At Oxford (and I believe at Cambridge) the rod was frequently used by the tutors and deans; and Dr. Potter, of Trinity college, I knew right well, whipped his pupil with his sword by his side, when he came to take his leave of him to go to the inns of court.

This is a "London cry 99 at the present time: the engraving represents the crier, William Liston, from a drawing for which he purposely stood.

This "public character" was born in the Gallowgate in the city of Glasgow. He became a soldier in the waggon-train, commanded by colonel Hamilton, and served under the duke of York in Holland, where, on the 6th of October, 1799, he lost his right arm and left leg, and his place in the army. His misfortunes thrust distinc tion upon him. From having been a pri"ate in the ranks, where he would have re

He

mained a single undistinguishable cipher 0, amongst a row of ciphers 0 00000000 he now makes a figure in the world; and is perhaps better known throughout England than any other individual of his order in society, for he has visited almost every town with " young lambs to sell." has a wife and four children; the latter are constantly employed in making the "young lambs," with white cotton wool for fleeces, spangled with Dutch gilt, the head of flour paste, red paint on the cheeks, two jet black spots for eyes, horns of twisted shining tin, legs to correspond, and pink tape