Literary Byways Part 7

"When Leechfield was a market town, Chesterfield was gorse and broom; Now Chesterfield's a market town, Leechfield a marsh is grown."

Respecting Nertoun, a Somersetshire village, near Taunton, is this couplet:--

"Nertoun was a market-town When Taunton was a furzy down."

A Scottish rhyme says:--

"York was, London is, And Edinburgh will be The biggest of the three."

Says a popular English rhyme:--

"Lincoln was, London is, And York shall be The fairest city of the three."

In the days of old it was the practice to allow the wives of the Lord Mayors of York to retain by courtesy the t.i.tle Lady for life, and this custom gave rise to the following couplet:--

"The Lord Mayor's a lord but a year and a day; But his Lady's a lady for ever and aye."

Few English towns have made greater progress than the thriving port of Hull. Its prosperity was predicted long ago:--

"When Myton is pulled down, Hull shall become a great town."

As a matter of history, it may be stated that when the town was threatened by Charles I., a number of houses in Myton Lane, as well as the Charter-house, were laid in ruins by Sir John Hotham, governor of Hull, so that they might not give shelter to the Royalists. Ray refers to this couplet, and, in error, calls Myton, Dighton.

Selling church-bells has given rise to satirical rhymes. Here are three Lincolnshire rhymes on this topic:--

"The poor Hatton people Sold the bells to build up the steeple."

The next says:--

"Owersby's parish, Wicked people, Sold their bells to Kelsey To build a steeple."

It is stated in the third:--

"Poor Scartho people, Sold their bells to repair the steeple."

About 1710, the spire of Arlesey Church, Bedfordshire, fell down, and it is believed the bells were broken. The metal was sold to a distant parish to raise money to rebuild the spire, and until the year 1877 only one small bell was suspended in the steeple to call the inhabitants to the house of prayer. The transaction gave rise to the saying:--

"Arlesey, Arlesey, wicked people, Sold their bells to build their steeple."

About half a century later, a similar accident occurred at Welstead, and the bishop granted a license to sell three of the bells, to enable the parishioners with the proceeds to restore the tower. It gave rise to a taunting distich similar to the one at Arlesey.

On the walls of Newington Church, London, in 1793, was written a rhyme anent the rebuilding of the church without a steeple and selling the bells:--

"Pious parson, pious people Sold the bells to build the steeple; A very fine trick of the Newington people, To sell the bells to build a steeple."

Rhymes on steeples are very common; perhaps the best known is the one on Preston, Lancashire:--

"Proud Preston, poor people, High church and low steeple."

In a somewhat similar strain is the one on Bowness-on-Windermere:--

"New church and old steeple, Poor town and proud people."

Lincolnshire rhymes are very numerous, and a complete collection would almost fill a book. Here are three:--

"Gainsbro' proud people Built a new church to an old steeple."

According to the next:--

"Luddington poor people Built a brick church to a stone steeple."

A question is put and answered thus:--

"Boston! Boston!

What hast thou to boast on?

High steeple, proud people, And shoals that souls are lost on."

The village of Ugley, Ess.e.x, supplies a satirical couplet:--

"Ugley church, Ugley steeple, Ugley parson, Ugley people."

An old triplet describes the characteristics of three church spires thus:--

"Bloxham for length, Adderbury for strength, King-Sutton for beauty."

Almost every district furnishes examples of bell rhymes. We give one example, and it is from Derbyshire:--

"Crich two roller-boulders, Winfield ting-tangs, Alfreton kettles, And Pentrich pans, Kirk-Hallam candlesticks, Cossall cow-bells, Denby cracked puncheons, And Horsley merry bells."

It is very generally believed in Derbyshire that the town of Alfreton was once the stake at a game of cards--"put," and that the loser exclaimed on the cards being dealt out:--

"If I have not an ace, a deuce, and tray, Farewell, Alfreton, for ever and aye."

There is a similar couplet respecting Carnfield Hall, near to Alfreton. It is related by Mr. E. Kirk, a Lancashire folk-lorist, that the owner of a large farm in Goosnargh, called Landscales, staked his land at a game of "put." He received his three cards, which were a tray, a deuce, and an ace, and he put--that is, struck the table with his fist, in proof of his resolution to abide by the issue of his cards. His opponent had two trays and a deuce. The farm was consequently lost, and its owner exclaimed:--

"Ace, deuce, and tray, Landscales, go thy way."

A Derbyshire rhyme refers to the inhabitants of four places as follows:--

"Ripley ruffians, b.u.t.terly blocks, Swanwick bulldogs, Alfreton shacks."

Equally severe is the following on the people of the villages between Norwich and Yarmouth:--

"Halvergate hares, Reedham rats, Southwood swine, and Cantley cats, Acle a.s.ses, Moulton mules, Beighton bears, and Freethorpe fools."

Of Derbyshire folk it is said:--

"Derbyshire born and Derbyshire bred, Strong in the arm, but weak in the head."