The Countryman's Log-book |
Common terms and phrases
agricultural alluded Alnwick amongst amusing ancient Anglo-Saxon animals apples Ascension Day bells birds boys cakes called candle Candlemas Day carried cattle ceremony cheese Cheshire Christmas church cock comes connected corn custom dancing decorated doth Easter eggs fair farm farmer feast festival field fire first-footing flowers Furry Dance garland give goose Hallowtide harvest held Herefordshire honour horse husbandman interest Itchingfield King labour Lady Lancashire land Leicestershire Lincolnshire Lord maids Manor March Maypole meadows means merry month morris-dance neighbouring night old days oxen parish perhaps pigs play plough Plough Monday ploughman pole proverbs Queen rain regard reminds rhyme round saint Saxon says seems sheep Shrove Shrove Tuesday singing smock-frocks sometimes song Strutt's Sunday supposed Sussex tells tenants thou told took trees Tusser verse village villein wassail weather whilst Whit Sunday Whitsun Ales winter wool word young
Popular passages
Page 94 - WHEN the wind is in the east, "Tis neither good for man nor beast; When the wind is in the north, The skilful fisher goes not forth; When the wind is in the south, It blows the bait in the fishes' mouth; When the wind is in the west, Then 'tis at the very best.
Page 71 - Paul's Day be fair and clear, It does betide a happy year; But if it chance to snow or rain, Then will be dear all kinds of grain: If clouds, or mists, do dark the...
Page 142 - Bowers, and Arbours hard by it. And then fall they to banquet and feast, to leape and daunce aboute it, as the Heathen people did at the dedication of their Idolles, whereof this is a perfect patterne, or rather the thyng itself.
Page 76 - If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, Winter will have another flight ; But if Candlemas Day be clouds and rain, Winter is gone, and will not come again.
Page 202 - ST. Swithin's day if thou dost rain, For forty days it will remain : St. Swithin's day if thou be fair, For forty days 'twill rain na mair.
Page 222 - Oats and beans and barley O! Do you or I or any one know How oats and beans and barley grow? "First the farmer sows his seed, Then he stands and takes his ease, Stamps his foot and claps his hands, And turns him round to view the land. "Oats and beans and barley O! Waiting for a partner, waiting for a partner.
Page 254 - GOD bless the master of this house, The mistress also ; And all the little children That round the table go ; And all your kin and kinsmen, That dwell both far and near, I wish you a merry Christmas, And a happy new year.
Page 17 - s near ; Fops may use the same allusion; But the shepherd is sincere. " Hark to yonder milk-maid singing Cheerly o'er the brimming pail ; Cowslips all around her springing Sweetly paint the golden vale. •' Never yet did courtly maiden Move so sprightly, look so fair ; Never breast with jewels laden Pour a song so void of care.
Page 121 - Down in a vale on a summer's day, All the lads and lasses met to be merry ; A match for kisses at stool-ball to play, And for cakes, and ale, and sider, and perry. Chorus. Come all, great small, short tall, away to stool-ball.
Page 94 - He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.