CHAP. VII.

Of Church-Yards; why the Vulgar are generally afraid of pass-

ing through them at Nights: The Original of this Fear; that

there is nothing in them now, more than in other Places to

be afraid of.

·

83

CHAP VIII.

Of visiting Wells and Fountains: The Original of this Custom:

The naming of them of great Antiquity: The Worship paid

them by the Papists, was gross Idolatry.

CHAP. IX.

90

Of Omens: Their Original: The Observation of them sin-
́ful.

96

CHAP. X.

Of the Country Conversation in a Winter's Evening: Their

Opinions of Spirits and Apparitions: Of the Devil's appear-

ing with a Cloven Foot: Of Fairies and Hobgoblins: Of the

walking Places of Spirits: And of haunted Houses.

CHAP. XI.

The Form of Exorcising an haunted House.

CHAP. XII.

113

137

Of Saturday Afternoon; how observed of old, by the Ancient

Christians, the Church of Scotland, and the old Church of

England: What End we should observe it for: An Exhorta-

tion to the Observation of it.

-

CHAP. XIII.

161

Of the Yule-Clog and Christmas-Candle; what they may sig-

nifie; their Antiquity; the like Customs in other Places. 172

CHAP. XIV.

Of adorning the Windows at Christmass with Laurel: What

the Laurel is an Emblem of: An Objection against this Cus-

CHAP. XV.

Of the Christmas-Carol, an ancient Custom: The common

Observation of it, very unbecoming.

CHAP, XVI.

200

Of New-Year's Days Ceremonies: The New-Year's Gift an

harmless Custom: Wishing a good New-Year, no way sin-

ful: Mumming a Custom, which ought to be laid aside. 207-

CHAP. XVII.

Of the Twelfth-Day; how observed: The Wickedness of ob-

serving the Twelve Days after the common Manner. 220

CHAP. XVIII.

Of St. Paul's-Day: The Observation of the Weather, a Custom

of the Heathens, and handed down by the Monks: The

Apostle St. Paul, himself is against such Observations: The

Opinion of St. Austin upon them.

CHAP. XIX.

230

Of Candlemass-Day; why it is so called: The Blasphemy of

the Church of Rome in consecrating Wax-Candles.

CHAP. XX.

244

Of Valentine-Day; its Ceremonies: What the Council of Trul-
lus thought of such Customs; that they had better be omit
ted.

250

CHAP. XXI.

Of Shrove-tide; what it signifies: The Custom of the Papists at

this Season: That our present Customs are very unbecom-

ing.

CHAP. XXII.

255

Of Palm-Sunday; why so called; How observed in the Popish

Times: What it is truly to carry Palms in our Hands on that

ir Jar What is meant by the Sun

inquiry of rising early on this Day:

The great Advantage of it. 267

2. XXIV.

Tme of Relaxation from Labour :

te tars Ages of Popery: That our Customs

as e prung from theirs.

CHAP. XXV.

- 276

717: ne Custom of going to the Woods the Night ..s the Practice of other Nations: The Original

The Unlawfulness.

283

CHAP. XXVI.

i Perambulations; their Antiquity; the Benefit and

Alvantage of them.

CHAP. XXVII.

292

Ci Milisummer-Ere: Of kindling Fires, their Original: That ts Custom formerly was Superstitious; but now may be used with Innocence.

CHAP. XXVIII.

Of the Feast of Sheep-shearing, an ancient Custom.

CHAP. XXIX.

301

313

Of Michaelmass: Guardian Angels the Discourse of the Coun try People at this Time: That it seems rather true, that we protected by a Number of Angels, than by one parti

cular Genius.

CHAP. XXX.

320

Of the Country Wake: How observed formerly: A Custom of the Heathens, and regulated by Gregory the Great. 329

CHAP. XXXI.

Of the Harvest-Supper: A Custom of the Heathens, taken from the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.

THE

ANTIQUITIES

OF THE

Common People.

CHAP. I.

Of the Soul-Bell, its Antiquity, the Reason of its Institution, the Benefit, and Advantage of it, an Exhortation to the Use of it according to its first Institution.

THE Ceremony of tolling the Bell at the

Time of Death, seems to be as ancient as the having of Bells themselves; we are told, * it was about the seventh Century when Bells were first in the Church, and that venerable Bede is the first that mentions them. If this be true, then it is as true, that the tolling of the Bell was instituted about that time; for

*Bingham's Orig. Eccl. Lib. 3.

B

where

where our Countryman mentions the Word Campana, or Bell, there it also is, that we find a Bell made use of for the Dead: * For at the Death of the Abbess St. Hilda, he tells us that one of the Sisters of a distant Monastery, as she was sleeping, thought she heard the well-known Sound of that Bell, which called them to Prayers, when any of them had departed this Life. But be that as it will, it is evident that the Bell was tolled upon this occasion about Bede's Time, and consequently that the Ceremony is as ancient as his Days.

The Reason why this custom was instituted, was not, as some seem to imagine, for no other End than to acquaint the Neighbourhood, that such a Person was dead; but chiefly, that whoever heard the Noise of the Bell, should put up their Prayers for the Soul: Thus the Father above mentioned tells us again, + That she who presided in this Monastery, had no sooner heard this, than she raised all the Sis

* Hæc, tune in dormitorio sororum pausans, exaudivit subito in aere notum campana sonum, quo ad orationes excitari vel convocari solebant, cum quis eorum de seculo fuisset evocatus. Bed. Eccl. Hist. Lib. 4. Cap. 23.

+ Quod cum illa audisset, suscitavit cunctas sorores & in ecclesiam convocatas, orationibus & psalmis pro anima matris operam dare monuit. Ibid.

ters,