Page:Sussex archaeological collections, volume 9.djvu/225

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WALTER GALE, SCHOOLMASTER AT MAYFIELD.
193

heads might be seen and that the hair should not grow longer than above one inch below the tips of their ears.

"Monday, 5th.—Being very wet in going to town, I went into Peerlesses to dry up, and spent 2d. Here was Satan, who affirmed that his father voided a worm out of his month upwards of 5 ells long. He said he would produce a woman in the town who would vouch for the truth of the assertion.

"Sunday, 11th. Feb.—Gave attendance at divine service, 4th chap. of St. John, 24th verse. He gave an historical account of our Saviour's conversation with the Samaritan woman; he then made an explanation of Jacob's ladder, and he found great fault with some of his auditors that they did not attend prayers on holydays.

"15th.- Master Kent and Mr. M. Baker came to the school. They discoursed with me of the number of scholars I would teach for £I6 per ann. Master Kent proposed 24, but after much debate the number was fixed at 21, the third part of which are supposed to be writers.

"27th.- This being Shrove-Tuesday, I went to Halland to the Nursery. This being, the day for the rearing of the sign, I found several people there, and I took my dinner with them.

"Wednesday, 28th.- It being extremely cold, I went to Peerless and bought a quartern of anniseed and borrowed a prayerbook to go to church: at noon I returned the book, and spent 21/2d. Went to Mr. Baker's, and did the drawing for Miss Anne's handkerchief, and took for my reward a pint of strong.

"Sunday, 4th.- I took the conjurors dividers to Heathfield, and I left them, the conjuror not being at home. Returned to Mayfield, accompanied part of the way by my Cousin Vine: we came to the conclusion, if the weather remained fine, about a journey to Bourn, and we agreed both of us to put off our schools in that day."

A singular specimen of a schoolmaster was his Cousin Vine, and one strongly tinctured with the superstitions of the times. He is said to have made it part of his duty to instruct his scholars principally on the power and malevolence of Satan. One of his pupils, who survived till within the last twenty years, used to relate how that he thought Satan Had his dwelling among the tombs in Heathfield Churchyard, and that he

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