to the end, and, after the Gospel is read, every one of the said laics shall offer at the great altar in the said church one [silver] penny: of which oblation forty pence shall presently after be distributed to forty poor scholars of the University, by the hands of the proctors, and the residue of the oblation shall be given to the curate of St. Mary's Church.' At the reformation of religion in Queen Elizabeth's reign, a sermon or communion was substituted for the mass, which was at length changed into the common service, and, with the annual offering of sixty-two silver pennies, continued till the year 1824. As for the constant tradition (says Ant. à Wood) that the mayor was wont to come to St. Mary's on the said day, with a halter about his neck (as Dr. Jo. Cay reporteth), which after, for worship or modesty sake, was changed into a silken string, I find no such mention on record.' The origin of this tradition may be traced to the circumstance related of John de Bereford, and the other delinquents, who, after their lives had been forgiven, were led to St. Mary's and through most parts of the town, with halters about their necks, to the terror of all.'-See Wood's History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford, by Gutch, 4to, vol. i, pp. 456-473. 2.-PURIFICATION OF THE VIRGIN MARY, Or, Candlemas Day. This is the day set apart to commemorate the Purification of the Virgin Mary. In the church, after the time of Constantine, it was celebrated with great splendour, and with many lights: on this day, also, they consecrated the candles for sacred use throughout the year. The Benediction of the Candles at Rome, on this day, is described in T. T. for 1822, p. 34. In Scotland, the Candlemas Crown is a badge of distinction, for it can scarcely be called an honour, conferred at some grammar schools, on him who gives the highest gratuity to the Rector at the term of Candlemas. The scholars pay a Candlemas gratuity, according to their rank and fortune,-from 5 shillings even as far as 5 guineas,-when there is a keen competition for the Candlemas Crown. The king, i.e. he who pays most, reigns for six weeks, during which period, he is not only entitled to demand an afternoon's play for the scholars once a week, but he has also the royal privilege of remitting punishments.'-(Statist. Acc. vol. xiii, p. 211.) 3. SAINT BLASE. Blase was bishop of Sebasta, in Cappadocia, and suffered martyrdom by decapitation, in the year 289. Saint Blase is the Patron Saint of the Woolcombers, and some account of the processions made on this day may be seen in our previous volumes. Of the ecclesiastical as well as military Order of St. Blase and the Virgin Mary, see T. T. for 1825, p. 41. *4. 1555.-JOHN ROGERS BURNT. He was the protomartyr of the English protestants, and suffered in Smithfield in Queen Mary's time. His saying was, I am in prison, till I am in prison.' Rogers was a clergyman who had shone among the most distinguished of the protestants. He was prebendary of St. Paul's; and refused all submission to the church of Rome. When he was brought to the stake, he had it in his power to save himself, by recanting his opinions: but neither hopes nor fears could prevail upon him to desert his religion. When the faggots were placed around him, he seemed no way daunted at the preparation, but cried out, I resign my life with joy, in testimony of the doctrine of Jesus. 5.-QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. SIMA, p. 12. A PRAYER. See SEPTUAGE Like the low murmur of the secret stream, In the recesses of the forest vale, On the wild mountain, on the verdant sod, When the faint sickness of a wounded heart Creeps in cold shudderings through my sinking frame, I turn to THEE, that holy peace impart, Which soothes th' invokers of thy awful name. Oh, all-pervading SPIRIT! sacred beam! Grant me through obvious clouds one transient gleam 5.-SAINT AGATHA. W. B. Agatha was born in Sicily. She was laid naked upon live coals by order of Quintianus, governor of Sicily, because she refused to yield to his brutal desires, and thus died, Feb. 5th, 251.-See T. T. for 1823, p. 37, for an account of the fête of this saint. 7. SHROVE TUESDAY. The term shrove, which applies equally to this day and the preceding Sunday, is the preter tense of the Saxon verb to shrive, i. e, to confess. Shrovetide was a solemn season of confession preparatory to Lent. Among the British Protestants, especially in villages, Shrove Tuesday is better known as Pancake Day. The making of pancakes and fritters used to furnish as much amusement in the kitchen, as their mastication did in the parlour, the operators piquing themselves on tossing them skilfully in the pan. But the custom is now on the wane. In the year 1684, it existed in all its glory, as appears from Poor Robin's Almanack for that year. But bark, I hear the pancake bell, Hacking, cracking, breaking, brewing. This is for Lent the preparation, And fasting now used in our nation, Whilst calves and lambs and bullocks dye, D It was the custom at Harding, in Flintshire, on this day, for the lord of the manor by his bailiff to provide a foot-ball, and throw it down in a field near the church (called thence Foot-ball field), in which field, though sown with any sort of grain, the young and old met, all to play at foot-ball.-Kennett MS., Brit. Mus. At Eaton, on Shrove Tuesday, as soon as ever the clock strikes nine, all the boys in the schoole cry ΤΩ ΒΑΚΧΩ, ΤΩ ΒΑΚΧΩ, ΤΩ ΒΑΚΧΩ, as loud as they can yell, and stamp and knock with their sticks: and then they doe all runne out of the schoole.-Aubrey MS., A.D. 1686, Brit. Mus. 8.-ASH WEDNESDAY. This is the first day of Lent. Pope Gregory introduced the sprinkling of ashes on this day; hence its name of Dies Cinerum, or Ash Wednesday. In the church of England, the service of Commination is appropriated to this day in particular. The Lent fast was called by the Latins Quadragesima; but whether on account of its being originally a fast of forty days, or only forty hours, has been much disputed among learned men. Bingham inclines to the opinion, that, at first, it was only forty hours. *9. 1555.-DR. ROWLAND TAYLOR BURNT AT HADLEIGH, IN SUFFOLK. Dr. Taylor was put into a pitch barrel, and before the fire was kindled, a faggot from an unknown hand was thrown at his head, which made it stream with blood: still, however, he continued undaunted, singing the 31st Psalm in English, which one of the spectators observing, gave him a blow on the side of the head, and commanded him to pray in Latin: he then continued a few minutes silent, only with his eyes stedfastly fixed upon heaven, when one of the guards, either through impatience or compassion, struck him down with his halbert, and thus delivered him from a life of pain to a world of immortal happiness. *9. 1555.-BISHOP HOOPER CRUELLY BURNT AT GLOUCESTER, Being three quarters of an hour in torment: the fire, either from malice or neglect, had not been sufficiently kindled, so that his legs and thighs were first burnt, and one of his hands dropped off, before he expired. *12. 1825.-J. H. PARRÝ Died, Author of several poems inserted in the Welch Melodies,' and projector of the Cambro-Briton.' About six months before his death he published the first volume of a biographical work, entitled the "Cambrian Plutarch.' He had been lately appointed to superintend the Welch portion of the Materials for the History of England,' about to be published by Government. 14.-SAINT VALENTINE. Valentine was an ancient presbyter of the church: after a year's imprisonment at Rome, he was beaten with clubs, and then beheaded, in the Via Flaminia, about the year 270, under Claudius II. The modern celebration of this day is well known: see our former volumes, particularly T. T. for 1823, pp. 41-43, where some elegant Valentines' are given. John Gee, in his Hold Fast Sermon (A.D. 1624), says, 'The Jesuites upon St. Valentine's day do chuse some female saint for their Valentine: one takes St. Agatha, another St. Clare, another St. Lucie, another St. Catherine, another St. Cicely, &c. I ask❜t them what they meant to chuse such Valentines. They answered me, that in respect of their vow, they could have no Valentine that lived here upon earth, and, in regard of their evangelical life, they were to chuse Valentines in heaven. I asked them, whether they thought those saints knew that they had chosen them for their Valentines. Oh, yes, say they, we shall be honoured all this year by that Valentine we make choice of, and she will intercede for us, and to some of us our Valentine doth appear in visible bodily shape, telling us what to do all ye year after.' According to Mr. Aubrey, a curious method of |