may be regarded as the precursor of a series of glossarial elucidations of the various dialects now existing in England; but which, however useful in enabling us to trace the derivation of our language, are rapidly progressing into obscurity and disuse.] rises to a considerable height even at the entrance: | servations" on the local phraseology of that county, at other times, the access is not very difficult. A it has been wholly derived. Its introduction here singular effect is produced by a blast, or the explosion of a small quantity of gunpowder, when wedged into the rock in the inner part of the cavern; the sound appearing to roll along the roof and sides like à heavy and continued peal of overwhelming thunder. The effect of the light, when returning from the deep recesses of this cavern, is particularly impressive; and the eye, unaccustomed to the contrast, never beholds it without lively emotions of admiration and pleasure. The gradual illumination of the rocks, which become brighter, and assume more decided forms, as they approach the entrance, and the chastened blaze of day, which" shorn of its beams" by the vast concavity of the roof, arrays the distance in morning serenity, is probably one of the most beautiful scenes that the pencil could be employed to exhibit. The accompanying Ground-plan has been engraven from an Indian-ink drawing that was given to the Editor by the late Hayman Rooke, Esq. F. S. A. The subjoined views of the interior are reduced copies of drawings made by Mr. Edmund Dayes, which were engraved about thirty years ago for the "Beauties of England and Wales." References to the Vignettes and Ground-plan, : 1. Entrance or Vestibule to the Cavern looking outwards. 2. Roger Rain's House. 3. Great Tom of Lincoln. 4. General Entrance under the great arch. 5. Huts or Cottages of the twine-spinners. 6. Broken rocks, fallen from the roof and sides. 7. The Doorway or entrance leading to the interior of the Cavern. 8. The First Water. 9. Entrance to the passage leading to the Chancel. 10. The great interior Caverns. 11. Steps cut in the sand, and descending to the Second Water. 12. The Second Water. 13. Roger Rain's House. 14. The Chancel. 15. The Bell House. SOLILOQUY OF BEN BOND, THE IDLETON. [FOR the following pleasant illustration of the dialect of Somersetshire, we are indebted to Mr. JAMES JENNINGS, from whose valuable Manuscript "Ob Whatever may be said in commendation of rural life and rural occupation, and much can be said, it is nevertheless, and I believe indisputably, true, that to enjoy the country, to relish its scenes, its seasons, its inhabitants and its labours, a certain degree of cultivated knowledge and, it may be added, of refinement, is absolutely necessary. He, who has never had his mind excited and impelled by extensive admixture with mankind and the world, will rarely be capable of making many excursions into the upper regions of thought. He, who has always been confined within the narrow boundaries of his own locomotive powers and observation, will generally make a very false, or at least incomplete estimate of himself and of all by which he is surrounded: more especially will this be the case if he be restricted to some remote, secluded spot in the country,-for what can he, or indeed any one else, reason but from what he knows? The writer of this can testify that till he had resided for some time in a populous city, till he had been deprived of rural sights, sounds, and associations, he never knew sufficiently how to appreciate the country, either as a place of residence or for occasional retirement: that which is readily obtained and always at hand is rarely if ever estimated at its real value. Beauty itself and even sublimity, when always present with us, lose much of their power of excitement and attraction. Yet in justice to the author's taste, he must add, that so well pleased was he with his rural, his native home, that had he been permitted to consult, when verging into manhood, his own inclinations, he never would have permanently left it; the day of quitting it was to him a day of considerable anguish. MY NATIVE COT! God knows how most unwillingly of heart I left thy quiet when amid the world I first began to wander. I had thought Of nought but happiness, and cared for nought; I left you for the world.-Retrospective Wanderings. Agricultural and other labourers, whose exertions are usually great, and sometimes from long conti nuance extremely grievous, are apt to suppose that the chief happiness of life consists in having nothing to do; in a word, in being idle. Alas! how mistakingly ignorant are such persons of their own nature. BEN BOND was one of those sons of Idleness whom ignorance and want of occupation in a secluded country village too often produce. He was a comely lad, on the confines of sixteen, employed by Farmer Tidball, a querulous and suspicious old man, to look after a large flock of sheep.-The scene of his Soliloquy may be thus described. A green sunny bank, on which the body may agreeably repose, called the Sea Wall; on the sea side was an extensive common called the Wath, and adjoining to it was another called the Island, both were occasionally overflowed by the tide. On the other side of the bank were rich enclosed pastures, suitable for fattening the finest cattle. Into these enclosures many of Ben Bond's charge were frequently disposed to stray. The season was June, the time mid-day, and there will be no anachronism in stating that the western breezes came over the sea, a short distance from which our scene lay, at once cool, grateful, refreshing, and playful. The rushing Parret, with its ever shifting sands, was also heard in the distance. It should be stated, too, that Larence is the name usually given in Somersetshire to that imaginary being which presides over the IDLE. Perhaps it may also be useful to state here that the word Idleton, which does not occur in our dictionaries, is assuredly more than a provincialism, and should be in those definitive assistants. During the latter part of the Soliloquy Farmer Tidball arrives behind the bank, and hearing poor Ben's discourse with himself, interrupts his musings in the manner described hereafter. Whether it be any recommendation to this Soliloquy or not, the reader is assured that it is the history of an occurrence in real life, and at the place mentioned. The writer knew Farmer Tidball personally, and has often heard the story from his wife. SOLILOQUY. "LARENCE! why doos'n let I up? Oot let I up?" Naw, I be a slëapid, I can't let thee up eet.— "Now, Larence! do let I up. There bimeby maester'll come, an a'll beät I athin a ninch* o' me life; do let I up!"-Naw, I wunt. Ninch, inch. It frequently happens that when the substantive begins with a vowel, the a in the article an is separated from the n, as in this word; the n being carried over to the inch-ninch. "Larence! I bag o'ee, do ee let I up! D'ye zee! tha sheep be âll a breakin droo tha hadge inta tha vive-an-twenty yacres; an Former Haggit'll goo ta Lâ wi'n, an I sholl be a kill'd!"—Naw, I wunt—'tis zaw whit: bezides, I hant a had my nap out. "Larence! I da za, thee bist a bad un! Oot thee hire what I da zâ? Come now an let I scoose wi'.* Lord a massy upon me! Larence, whys'n thee let I up?" Cáz I wunt. What! muss'n I há an hour like uither vawk ta ate my bird an cheese? I do zá I wunt; and zaw 'tis niver-tha-near↑ to keep on. "Maester tawl'd I, nif I war a good bway, a'd gee I iz awld wâsket; an I'm shower, nif a da come an vine I here, an tha sheep a brawk inta tha vivean-twenty yacres, a'll vleng't awâ vust! Larence, do ee, do ee let me up! Ool ee, do ee!"—Naw, I tell ee I wunt. "There's one o' tha sheep 'pon iz back in tha gripe,‡ an a can't turn auver! I mis g'in ta tha groun an g'out to'n, an git'n out. There's another in tha ditch! a'll be a buddled! § There's a gird’l|| o' trouble wi' sheep! Larence; cass'n thee let I goo.' I'll gee thee a há peny nif oot let me."-Naw, I can't let thee goo eet. "Maester'll be shower to come an catch me! Larence! doose thee hire?' I da za, oot let me up I zeed Farmer Haggit zoon âter I upt, an a zed, nif a voun one o' my sheep in tha vive-an-twenty yacres, a'd drash I za long as a cood ston auver me, an wi' a groun ash' too! There! Zum o'm be a gwon droo tha vive-an-twenty yacres inta tha drauve: thâ'll zoon hirn** vur anow. Thâ'll be poun'd.†† Larence! I'll gee thee a penny nif oot let me up.” Naw I wunt. "Thic not-sheep ‡‡ ha got tha shab! Dame tawl'd I whun I upt ta-da ta mine tha shab-wâter; §§ I sholl pick it in whun I da goo whim. I vorgot it! Maester war desperd cross, an I war glad ta git out o' tha langth o' iz tongue. I da hate zitch cross vawk! Larence! what, oot niver let I up? There! | squailin';* nor menny wither mâ-games that Will zum o' tha sheep be agwon down ta Ready Ham; withers be gwon into Leek-beds; an zum o'm be in Hounlake; dree or vour o'm be gwon za vur as Slow-wa: the ditches be, menny o'm za* dry 'tis all now rangel common! There! I'll gee thee dree há pence ta let I goo." Why, thee hass'n bin here an hour, an vor what shood I let thee goo? I da zá, lie still! "Larence! why doos'n let I up? There! zim ta I, I da hire thic pirty maid, Fanny o' Primmer Hill, a chidin bin I be a lyin here while tha sheep be gwain droo thic shord an tuther shord;† zum o'm, a-mâ-be, be a drown'd! Larence; doose thee thenk I can bear tha betwitten o' thic pirty maid? She, tha Primrawse o' Primmer-hill; tha Lily o' tha level; tha gawl-cup; o' tha mead; tha zweetist honeyzuckle in tha garden; tha yarly vilet; tha rawse o' rawses; tha pirty pollyantice !§ Whun I zeed er last, she zed, 66 Ben, do ee mine tha sheep, an tha yeos an lams, an than zumbody ool mine you." Wi' that she gid me a beautiful spreg o' jessamy, jist a pickt vrom tha poorch,-tha smill war za zweet. "Larence! I mus|| goo! I ool goo. You mus let I up. I ont stâ here na longer! Maester'll be shower ta come an drash me. Thic awld cross fella wi' iz awld wâskit! There, Larence! I'll gee tuther penny, an that's ivry vard'n I a got. Oot let I goo?" Nav, I mis ha a penny moor. Popham da volly. I'd rather zit in tha poorch, wi' tha jessamy ranglin roun it, and hire Fanny zeng. Oot let me up, Larence?"-Naw, I tell thee I ont athout a penny moor. "Rawzy Pink, too, an Nanny Dubby axed I about Fanny. What bisniss ad thâ ta up wi't? I dwont like norn 'om ! Girnin Jan too shawed iz teeth an put in his verdi.-I wish theeäze vawk ood mine ther awn consarns an let I an Fanny alooäne. "Larence! doose thee mean to let I goo? ?" Eese, nif thee't gee me tuther penny.—“ Why I hant a got a vard'n moor; oot let me up!"-Not athout tha penny.-"Now Larence! do ee, bin I hant naw moor money. I a bin here moor than an hoür: whaur tha yeos an lams an âll tha tuthermy sheep be now I dwon't know.-Creeplin Philip tool gee me a lirropin shower anow! There!-I da thenk I hired zummet or zumbody auver tha wäll.”— "Here, d-n thee! I'll gee tha tuther penny, an zummet besides !" exclaimed Farmer Tidball, leaping down the bank, with a stout sliver of a crab-tree in his hand. The sequel may be easily imagined. HOSTELRY OF THE PRIOR OF LEWIS, SOUTHWARK. STOWE, when speaking of St. Olave's, Southwark, says, "Over against the parish church, on the south side of the streete, was sometime one great house, builded of stone, with arched gates, which pertained to the Prior of Lewis, in Sussex, and was his lodging "Larence! do let I up! Creeplin Philip'll be shower ta catch me! Thic Cockygee ! I dwont like en at all; a's za rough an za zoür. An Will Popham too, ta betwite me about tha maid: a câll'd er a rathe-ripe Lady-buddick.** I dwont mislike tha name at âll, thawf I dwont care vor'n a stra, nor a read mooäte; nor tha tite o' a pin! What da thâ câll he? Why, tha upright man, câs a da ston upright; let'n; an let'n wrassly++ too: I dwont like * Cock-squailin', s. A barbarous sport, consisting in tying a zitch hoss-plás,‡‡ nor singel-stick nuther; nor cock-cock to a stake, and throwing a stick at him from a given distance, until the bird is killed. * Zá, say. + Here, instead of don't, or dwont, for do not, we have dwon + Shord, s. A sherd; a gap in a hedge: stop-shord, a stop- only, which, in colloquial language, is very common in the west. gap. Gawl-cup, s. Gold-cup. Pollyantice, s. Polyanthus. || Mus' goo,—must go. This dropping of the final t is by no means uncommon. Cockygee, s. Cockagee, a rough sour apple. ** Lady Buddick, a rich and early ripe apple. Rathe-ripe, adj. Ripening early "The rathe-ripe wits prevent their own perfection." Bishop Hall. tt Wrassly, wrestle. # Hoss-plás, s. p. Horse-plays; rough sports. Even remote districts in the country have their satirists, and wits and would-be wits; and Huntspill, the place alluded to in the Soliloquy, was, about half a century ago, much pestered with them. Scarcely a person of any note escaped a parish libel, and even servants were not excepted. For instance:Nanny Dubby, Sally Clink, Long Josias an Rawsy Pink, Girnin Jan, Creeplin Philip and the upright man. Creeplin Philip, (that is “creeplin,” because he walked lamely) was Farmer Tidball himself; and his servant, William Popham, was the upright man. Girnin Jan is Grinning John. when he came to London: it is now a common hostelry | the 16th of February following, these possessions for travellers, and hath to sign the Walnut Tree."* The Priory of Lewis, in Sussex, which was dedicated to St. Pancras, was founded by William, first Earl Warren and Surrey, and his son William, the second Earl, who died in 1138, confirmed the grant of the church of St. Olave, in Southwark, to that foundation. There are sufficient grounds for believing that the Prior of Lewis had no lodgings in St. Olave's at that period; for in the time of the Countess Isabel, daughter and heir of the third Earl Warren and Surrey, Osbert, Prior of Lewis, "gave to John, son of Edmund, and his heirs, a tenement in London, belonging to the convent, viz. the dwelling and houses of Wibert de Araz, and lands holden of the monks of Westminster, and Robert the Chamberlain; to hold at a rent of fourteen shillings, and by this service, that as often as the Prior of Lewis, or his monks, or the monks of the cells belonging to St. Pancras, came to London, that John and his successors should give them fit lodging, 'suscipiat hospicio congruo et delib'ato,' and find them fire and water, and salt, and sufficient vessels for their use." That the Priors of Lewis, however, had a lodging here at a remote period is certain, " for in a release from William de Wyntringham, carpenter to the Prior of Lewis, in the 44th of Edw. III. anno 1370, it is specially set forth that the Prior and his predecessors, in right of their church of St. Pancras, were seized, from time immemorial, of a piece of ground nigh the gate of their hostelry, in Southwark,-and a building agreement between the same parties in the 47th Edward III. speaks of the ancient northeast gate of their hostelry, (which was standing in the time of the historian Stowe), ' Le dit William ad grauntee et se oblige de fayre en l'est partie deinz launciene porte norest de l'ostel de ditz Priour et Covent en Suthwark cynk schoppes."-It appears from Godwin, ("De Præsulibus,") that Peter, Bishop of Winchester, who governed that see in 1205, appropriated St. Olave's Church to the Prior and Convent of Lewis, for the purposes of hospitality, in usus et refectionem hospitum.' In the 29th year of Henry the Eighth, anno 1531, in Michaelmas Term, Robert, late Prior of Lewis, "levied a fine to the King of all the possessions of the Priory, in which fine the Church of St. Olave, and messuages, gardens, lands, and rents in Southwark, Kater Lane (Carter Lane), comprehending the site of the Hostelry, are particularly specified." On Survey of London," 4to. 1598, pp. 340, 341. were granted by the King to Thomas, Lord Cromwell, afterwards Earl of Essex, in fee; the Hostelry, (which is there described as in Gutter Lane) being valued at eight pounds yearly. After the attainder of Cromwell, the Hostelry appears to have been divided, for in the 24th of Queen Elizabeth, Cuthbert Beeston, citizen and girdler of London, died seized of the Walnut Tree Inn, (which occupied the east side of the Hostelry), together with its garden and fifteen messuages in the adjoining lane, held of the Queen in chief, and worth yearly £5. 6s. 8d.; but the west wing had been purchased by the parish for the use of the grammar school of St. Olave, which Elizabeth had founded in the thirteenth year of her reign. Nearly the whole of the superstructure of this Hostelry was destroyed long ago; and the remaining parts of the sub-structure were demolished (about two years since) in forming the present approach from Tooley Street (St. Olave Street) to New London Bridge. In the direction of Carter Lane, where the site of the Walnut Tree Inn had been built on, in modern times, no vestige of the original building was discovered, but some ancient foundations were visible in the direction of Carter Lane. Of the Old Hall, which had been converted into the School Room, portions of the walls, to the height of ten or twelve feet, remained, and beneath it was a vaulted chamber or Crypt, as represented in the annexed wood-cut. This Caen stone had been used in the entrance door-way | begun at the City of Norwich and from thence into from the porch, which was crowned by an elliptical the North,-on Monday, August 11th, 1634, and arch, and had been approached by a flight of steps. ending at the same Place. By a Captaine, a LieuThe vaultings were entirely chalk, nine inches thick; tenant, and an Ancient [Ensign]; all three of the the lower walls, which were three feet three inches in Military Company in Norwich."-No alteration has thickness, were of rubble. There were five semi- been made in the language, but the immaterial parts circular headed windows carried up close to the vault, have been omitted, and a few words of connexion within the Crypt, and there appeared to have been occasionally introduced. another door-way opposite to the entrance porch. The capitals were chiefly of the fluted character; but on one were three sculptured ornaments, resembling a reversed fleur-de-lis. Three strong semicircular arches, of squared stones, supported the roof of the porch, which was eleven feet nine inches in width, and nineteen feet in length, and had probably been longer. Some fragments of highly-finished sculpture, representing grotesque animals, with foliage, were found among the rubbish. "Three Southerne Commanders, in their Places, and of themselves and their purses, a Captaine, a Lieutennt., and an Ancient, all voluntary members of the noble Military Company in Norwich, agreed at an opportune and vacant leysure, to take a view of the Cities, Castles, and chiefe Scytuations in the Northerne and other Counties of England: To that end and purpose, all businesse and excuses set apart, they had a parley, and met on Monday, the 11th of August, 1634; and mustering up their triple force from Norwich, with souldiers' journeying ammunition they marcht that Night to the Maritime Towne of Lyn. "The next morning they consulted, and thought it not soe fit to passe the Washes, being neither firme, nor safe for Travellers, especially now of late, by reason of the new-made sluces and devises for turning of the naturall course of the waters neere adjoining, and therefore they rather chose to goe by Wisbich, where we spent the best part of an houre, in viewing a little army of artificers, venting, contriving, and acting There was a striking resemblance in the general features of this part of the Hostelry to those of the Manor-house at Boothby Pagnel, Moyses Hall at St. Edmundsbury, and Pythagoras' School at Cambridge; a building of two stories, the lower vaulted; no fire-place in the lower, a fire-place in the upper ; an external staircase to the upper, with the addition of a porch to the lower chamber. The plain unmixed character of the circular style in these remains would lead to the conclusion that this part of the Hostelry was built before the time of Prior Osbert, (who pre-outlandish devises about the same. Longer, (though sided at Lewis from 1170 to 1186,) were it not difficult to reconcile that date with his grant, as mentioned above; if, as we may presume, the building was erected by the monks of St. Pancras.* willingly wee would,) wee durst not stay, for that Sol's fleet Coursers would have out-run our jades, and loth we were to dishearten them, or puzzle ourselves at our first setting out: away therefore we posted over Tid-Sluce, the parting of the shires of Norfolke and Lincolneshire; and soe over a rich flat levell of ground for Spalding, and made it night before we A TOPOGRAPHICAL EXCURSION IN THE came there, where we were strongly lodg'd at the YEAR 1634. THE following extracts from a tour made through a great part of England, nearly two hundred years ago, are derived from a Manuscript in the Lansdowne collection, in the British Museum (viz. No. 213, pp. 317348+) intituled, "A Relation of a Short Survey of Twenty-six Counties, briefly describing the Cities and their Scytuations, and the Corporate Townes and Castles therein: observ'd in a Seven Weekes Journey Vide "Archæologia,” vol. xxiii, from a Communication by John Gage, Esq. F.R.S., in which the late remains of the Hostelry are delineated, in five engravings. From that paper the above account is derived, but the accompanying wood-cut is from an original drawing by Mr. Whittock. + Lansd. MSS. No. 213, pp. 319–348. Castle. Wee fear'd somewhat as wee entered the towne, seeing the bridge pull'd downe, that we could not have pass'd the river, but when wee came to it that feare was soon past, for the river had not soe much water in it as would drowne a mouse. "At this we perceiv'd that the towne and country thereabouts much murmur'd, but let them content themselves, since the ffen drayners have undertaken to make their River navigable 40 foot broad and 6 foot deepe, from firosdick slough to Deeping, wch they need not long be about, having 600 men dayly at worke in't: early the next mornin we heard the drum beat, wch caused us to inquire the reason thereof, and rous'd us from our Castle, and it was told us, that it was for a second army of Water-Ingineers." |