and spent 2d. apiece. Fitness the miller was there, from whom I learnt that twenty drops of the spirits of hartshorn in half a quartern of gin, will drive an ague: be affirmed that it had driven his many a time.
"Dec. 1st.—Gathered some prime roses which for beauty and fragrancy came but little short of those gathered in April; it appeared that they might have been gathered a week sooner.
"Master Kent came to Coggin's Mill, and in computing the charitable contributions given to make an establishment for the school, we made out £371, besides many that are not applied for.
"19th.—I called at Mr. Goodman's to know how long he would have the boys be from school at Christmas. He considered that it was a bad time for business, and ordered them a fortnight now and three weeks at Bartholomew Tide.
"20th.—I went to Mr. Sawyer's with the key of the school, and stopt and smoaked a pipe of tobacco. One of his daughters said that she expected a change in the weather, as she had last night dreamt of a deceased person."[1]—This superstition still lingers in the Weald of Sussex.
"21st, St. Thomas Day.—I began to paint Turner's sign; went to church and attended prayers, which being finished, I went to the school where we were followed by Mr. R. Baker and his lady and Master Kent, who ordered Stephen Parker the sexton, who kept the doors, to let some of the dollers in, which being done, he distributed the cash, I taking the account of the receivers; we found the number to be 1O8."
This old custom of going a gooding on St. Thomas's Day is wearing out. It was very common in the south-eastern counties of England, and still prevails in the town of Lewes and some of the neighbouring parishes. It is confined to women, who formerly, in return for the alms which they received, used to present their benefactors with sprigs of evergreens, probably to deck their houses with at the ensuing festival.—(Brand's Popular Antiquities.)
"Returning, to Coggin's Mill, I found old Fitness there, who
- ↑ Among the rules of the school at Chigwell, in Essex, which was founded in 1629, it was declared that "the master must be a man of sound religion, neither Papist nor Puritan, of a grave behaviour and sober and honest conversation, no tippler or haunter of alehouses, and no puffer of tobacco.
