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our little wild black, also a dwarf one not exceeding three feet high.

Chestnuts. They had six sorts, some more easily separated from the skin than others, and one with a red skin: they roasted them as we do.

Figs. They had many sorts, black and white, large and small, one as large as a pear, another no Iarger than an olive.

Medlars. They had two kinds, the one larger, and the other smaller.

Mulberries. They had two kinds of the black sort, a larger and a smaller. Pliny speaks also of a mulberry growing on a brier : Nascuntur et in Rubis, 1. xv.. sect. 27; but whether this means the raspberry or the common blackberry does not appear.

Nuts. They had hazle-nuts and filberds (has quoque mollis protegit barba) 1. 15, sect. 24: they roasted these nuts.

Pears. Of these they had many sorts, both summer and winter fruit, melting and hard, they had more than 36 kinds, some were called Libralia: we have our pound pear.

Plums. They had a multiplicity of sorts (ingens turba prunorum), black, white, and variegated: one sort was called Asinina, from its cheapness; another Damascena, this had much stone and little flesh: from Martial's epigram, xiii. 29, wwe may conclude that it was what we now call prunes.

Quinces. They had three sorts, one was called Chrysomela from its yellow flesh; they boiled

them with honey, as we make marmalade. See Martial, xiii.

24.

Services they had, the appleshaped, the pear-shaped, and a small kind, probably the same as we gather wild, possibly the azarole.

Strawberries they had, but do not appear to have prized: the climate is too warm to produce this fruit in perfection, unless in the hills.

Vines. They had a multiplicity of these, both thick-skinned (Duracina) and thin-skinned: one vine growing at Rome produced 12 amphoræ of juice, 84 gallons. They had roundberried and long-berried sorts; one so long that it was called Dactylides, the grapes being like the fingers on the hand. Martial speaks favourably of the hard-skinned grape for eating,

xiii. 22.

Walnuts. They had soft-shelled and hard-shelled, as we have. In the golden age, when men lived upon acorns, the gods lived upon walnuts, hence the name Juglans, Jovis glans.

As a matter of curiosity, it has also been deemed expedient to add a list of the fruits cultivated in our English gardens in the year 1573: it is taken from a book entitled Five Hundred Points of good Husbandry, &c. by Thomas Tusser.

Thomas Tusser, who had received a liberal education at Eton School, and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, lived many years as a far mer in Suffolk and Norfolk: he afterwards removed to London, where he published the first edibandry, in 1557.

tion of his work, under the title of Quince trees. One Hundred Points of good Hus

In his fourth edition, from whence this list is taken, he first introduced the subject of gardening, and has given us not only a list of the fruits, but also of all the plants then cultivated in our gardens, either for pleasure or profit, under the following heads.

Seedes and herbes for the kychen, herbes and rootes for sallets and sawce, herbes and rootes to boyle or to butter, strewingherbes of all sorts, herbes, branches and flowers for windowes and pots, herbes to still in summer, necessarie herbes to grow in the gardens for physick not reherst before.

This list consists of more than 150 species, besides the following fruits:

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Raspis.

Reisons.

Small nuts.

:

Strawberries, red and white.
Service trees.

Wardens, white and red.
Wallnuts.

Wheat plums.

Though the fig is omitted by Tusser, it was certainly introduced. into our gardens before he wrote. Cardinal Pole is said to have imported from Italy that tree which is still growing in the garden of the Archbishop's Palace, at Lambeth.

Account of ancient Customs in Cheshire,

[From Messrs. Lysons' Magna Britannia, Vol. II. Part II.]

Of the customs and ceremonies peculiar to certain parts of the kingdom, Cheshire has its full share; we shall notice some of those which are most remarkable. There is a custom among the young men, of placing, on the first of May, large birchen boughs over the doors of the houses, where the young women reside to whom they pay their addresses; * and an alder-bough is often found placed over the door of a scold.

Another singular custom which prevails in this county, is that of lifting at Easter. On Easter Monday, the young men deck out a chair with flowers and ribbands,

* Mr. Owen, in his Welch Dictionary, under the word bedro, birch, says, that • it was an emblem of readiness, or complacency, in doing a kind act. If a young woman accepted of the addresses of a lover, she gave him the birchen-branch, mostly formed into a crown; but if he was rejected, she gave him a collen, or hazel.'

and

and carry it about, compelling every young woman they meet to get into it, and suffer herself to be lifted as high as they can reach into the air, or be kissed, or pay a forfeit. On Easter Tuesday the young women deck out their chair, and lift the men, or make them pay a fine.* This custom, which also prevails in some of the neighbouring counties, or something very like it, seems to have been admitted among the highest ranks in the thirteenth century; for it appears, from a wardrobe account preserved among the records in the Tower, that King Edward the First, in the eighteenth year of his reign, paid a large sum of money, more than equivalent to four hundred pounds at this time, to the queen's seven ladies of the bed-chamber and maids of honour, on a similar occasion.

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Rush - bearing, or carrying rushes to the churches, and there strewing them, was a custom which formerly prevailed generally in Cheshire; but has been much disused for many years, since close pews have been erected in most churches. It took place on the day of the wake, and was at tended with a procession of young men and women, dressed in ribbands, and carrying garlands, &c. which were hung up in the

church: we saw these garlands remaining in several churches.

The most prevalent custom of this county is the shouting of the marlers, when any money has been given to them. When a marlepit is to be dug, the set of labourers, or marlers, as they are called, who undertake it, choose one of their number to be lord of the pit. When at work, they never ask for money; but if any is given them, they are summoned together by their lord, and after announcing with great solemnity the donation, and the name of the donor, they join their arms, forming a ring, and make four bows towards the centre of it, shouting every time; the fonrth time they give a lengthened and much louder shout, letting the sound die away gradually: this ceremony is repeated several times, in proportion to the sum given; they shout four times for silver, though only sixpence; sixtimes for a shilling; for half a crown the shouts are continued as long as their breath will hold out. My lord keeps the money till the next Saturday evening, when it is spent at the next ale house, and the shouts are there renewed, as the healths of the givers are repeated in succession. When the marlers have finished their work, they dress up a pole with flowers

* The following is the entry in that account: "XV die Maii, vii Dominabus et Domicellis Regine, quia serperunt Dominum Regem in lecto suo in Crastino Pashe, et ipsum fecerunt finire versus eas pro pace regis quam fecit de dono suo per manus Hugonis de Cerru Scutiferi Domine de Weston.'---xiij. li. Lib. Controtulat de Anne XVIIJ Ed. I. fol. 45. b

+ One stepping aside, cries oyez three times; another says with great solemnity, Mr. A. B., dwelling at the township of C. has been here to-day, and has given to my lord and all his men, part of a thousand pounds! I hope another will come by and by, and give us as much more, and we will return him thanks therefore, and shout Lrge; the last word is evident'y a corruption of Lar ess.

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and ribbands, and hanging their silver watches, spoons, and other glittering articles upon it, carry it about to collect money; this is called carrying the garland."

The Sheriffes' Breakfaste.

"There is an achant custome in this cittie of Chester, the memory of man now livinge not knowinge the original *, that upon Monday in Easter weeke, yearely, commonly called Black Mondaye †, the two sheriffes of the cittie doe shoote for a breakefaste of calves heades and bacon, comonly called the sheriffes' breakfaste I, the maner beinge thus: the daye before the drum sowndeth through the cittie with a proclamation for all gentelman, yeomen, and good fellowes, that will come with their bowes and arrowes to take parte with one sherriff or the other, and

upon Monday-morning, on the Rode-dee, the mayor, shreeves, aldermen, and any other gentelmen, that wol be there, the one sherife chosing one, and the other sherife chosing another, and soe of the archers; then one sherife shoteth, and the other sherife he shoteth to shode him, beinge at length some twelve score: soe all the archers on one side to shode it till it be shode, and so till three shutes be wonne, and then all the winers' side goe up together firste with arrowes in their handes, and all the loosers with bowes in their hands together, to the commonball of the cittie, where the mayor, aldermen, and gentlemen, and the reste take parte together of the said breakfaste in loving manner; this is yearly done, it beinge a comendable exercise, a good recreation, and a lovynge asserm blye.'

By some MS. annals, quoted in another part of Archdeacon Rogers's book, it appears to have been begun in 1511.

† So called from remarkably dark and inclement weather, which happened on an Easter Monday, when King Edward the Third lay with his army before Paris, and proved fatal to many of his troops. See How's Chronicle.

In the year 1640, the sheriffs gave a piece of plate to be run for, instead of the calves-head breakfast. In 1674, a resolution was entered in the corporation Journals, that the calves-head feast was held by ancient custom and usage, and was not to be at the pleasure of the sheriffs and leave lookers. In the month of March 1676-7, the sheriffs and leave-lookers were fined 101, for not keeping the calves head feast. The sheriffs of late years have given an annual dinner, but not any fixed day."

VOL. LII.

Xx

MISCEL

MISCELLANEOUS.

• Manners, Customs, Laws, Sc. of tect them from oppression or bondage. And they may enviably be classed with the very few tribes

the Mosquito Indians. [From Capt. Henderson's Account of whose liberties have remained uninterrupted by European aggres

Honduras.]

THE Mosquito Indians inhabit son on this side the Atlantic

space of country on the continent of America, nearly extending from Point Castile, or Cape Honduras, the south ern point of the Bay of Truxillo, to the northern branch of the river Nicaragua, called usually St. Juan's; and comprehending within these limits nearly 100 leagues of land on the sea coast, from latitude 11 to 16 degrees. A chain, of high mountains may be considered as the natural barrier between their nation and the Spanish possessions in this part of the world.

These people have long been in alliance with the King of Great Britain, and entertain generally a most exalted opinion of the justice and magnanimity of the English, and a perfect detestation of their neighbours the Spaniards. A tradition has long prevailed amongst them, that the grey-eyed people, meaning the English, have been particularly appointed to pro

The soil they inhabit is abundantly fertile, and capable of many modes of cultivation. Indian corn of the finest quality, plantains, cassava-root, varieties of the yam and sweet potatoe, are plentifully raised from it. The sugar-cane, cotton, and tobacco thrive equally well; and in the mountainous situations, coffee, no doubt, might be produced, not inferior to that which is raised in the West India islands.

In this country there is also plenty of mahogany, and many other kinds of wood, which might probably meet the purposes of ornamental use extremely well. But the entire want of harbours of sufficient depth for any vessels but those of the smallest burthen, must prevent any material advantage resulting from these sources. Several species of dye-wood are likewise found, some of which are used in colouring a coarse kind of cloth, the manufacture of the natives.

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