Observations on popular antiquities chiefly illustrating the origin of our vulgar customs, ceremonies, and superstitions / by John Brand.

  • John Brand
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Observations on popular antiquities chiefly illustrating the origin of our vulgar customs, ceremonies, and superstitions / by John Brand. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    60/858 (page 44)
    nery, the annual store of provision consisted of malt, wheat, russeaulx, herrings for Advent, red ones for Lent ; almonds, salt fish, salt salmones, figs, raisins, ryce, all for Lent ; mustard ; two-pence for cripsis (some crisp thing) and crum-cakes \cruman is friare. Skinn.] at Shrove-tide.^' Goldsmith, in his Vicar of Wakefield, describing the manners of some rustics, tells us that among other old customs which they re- tained, “they eat Pancakes on Shrove-tide.” Poor Robin, in his Almanack for 1677, in his Observation on February says there will be “a full sea of Pancakes and Fritters about the 26th and 27th days,” /.(?., Shrove Tuesday fell on the 27th—with these lines— “ Pancakes are eat by greedy gut. And Hob and Madge run for the slut.” A kind of Pancake Feast, preceding Lent, was used in the Greek Church, from which we may probably have borrowed it with Pasche Eggs and other such-like ceremonies. “ The Russes,” as Hakluyt tells us, “ begin their Lent always eight weeks before Easter ; the first week they eat eggs, milk, cheese, and butter, and make great cheer with Pancakes and such other things.” The custom of frying pancakes (in turning of which in the pan there is usually a good deal of pleasantry in the kitchen) is still retained in many families of the better sort throughout the kingdom, but seems, if the present fashionable contempt of old customs continues, not likely to last another century. The Apprentices, whose particular holiday this day is now esteemed, and who are on several accounts so much interested in the observa- tion thereof, ought, with the watchful jealousy of their ancient rights and liberties (typified so happily on this occasion by pudding and play) becoming young Englishmen, to guard against every infringement of its ceremonies, so as to transmit them entire and unadulterated to posterity.* Two or three customs of less general notoriety, on Shrove Tuesday, remain to be mentioned. It is remarked with much probability in a note upon Dekker’s Honest Whore that it was formerly a custom for the peace-officers to make search after women of ill-fame on Shrove Tuesday, and to confine them during the season of Lent. So, Sensuality says in Microcosmus, act v.— “ But now welcome a Cart or a Shrove Tuesday's tragedy. * In Dekker’s Seven Deadly Sinnes of London (1606) is this passage : “ They presently (like Prentises upon Shrove Tuesday) take the lawe into their owne handes and do what they list.” And it appears from contemporary writers that this day was a holiday, time immemorial, for apprentices and working people. See Dodsley’s Old Plays, vol. vi. p. 387, vii. p. 22, and xii. p. 403.