the former heir or his children, as the very inspection of a table of three successions shews. (See Mr. Squire's Diss. on the English Saxon Government, anno 1753.) Cerdic, founder of the kingdom of the West Saxons, in 495, from whom the Confessor descended, was the tenth from Woden, according to the Saxon Chronicle, published by Bishop Gibson, from an original copy, which formerly belonged to the Abbey of Peterborough, was given by Archbishop Laud to the Bodleian Library, at Oxford, and is more correct than the copies in the Cotton Library, and at Cambridge, made use of by Wheloc. This most valuable Chronicle derives also the pedigrees of Hengist and his successors in Kent; and of the kings of Mercia and Northumberland, from Woden, whom Beda calls the father of the Royal Saxon lineage in England, or of the chief kings in the Heptarchy: he must have preceded the reign of Dioclesian. Some take him to have been the great god of this name, honoured by the Saxons; others, a mighty king, who bore the name of that false god. That the regular succession in the heptarchy was hereditary, and when, interrupted, again restored, is manifest from the above Chronicle. The Norman carried so high his claim of Conquest, as to set himself above all established laws and rights, and to exclude his son Robert from the crown; but the succession was deemed hereditary after Stephen, at least. The unanimous sense and approbation of the whole nation, and of all foreign states, in the succession of St. Edward, demonstrates the legality of the proceedings by which he was called to the crown ; which no one, either at home or abroad, ever thought of calling in question; so clear was the law or custom in that case. The posture of affairs then required, that the throne should be immedi ately filled, before a Dane stept into it. Edward Atheling was absent at a great distance, and unequal to the difficulties of the state; nor could matters be brought to bear that his arrival could be waited for. St. Edward afterwards sent for him and his whole family, in 1054, and treated him as his heir; and, after that prince's death, behaved towards his son Edgar in the same manner, who was also styled by him Atheling, or Adeling. The Greek title Clyto, or Illustrious, given to the Prince Royal by our ancestors, was by them changed into the Saxon word Atheling, from Adil, noble; the termination, ing, signifies a person's descent, as Malmesbury takes notice.-(1. i. de Reg. c. 3.)→ Thus Edgaring was the son of Edgar; and in France, Meroving, and Carloving, sons of Meroveons and Charles. The spelling of Edward's name was altered upon his accession to the throne. Till that time it is constantly spelled, in the Saxon Chronicle, Eadward, even two years before; but, in 1042, Edward, which is observable also in his coins; though Edmund and Edward are found in later MSS. This is one of the arguments by which Bishop Gibson, (Pref.) shews this Chronicle to have been one of the public registers, which were written by persons deputed to record all transactions of the times, and preserved in the Royal monasteries, as the Scote Chronicon informs us. (See Nicolson's English Historical Library, p. 114.) EXTRACTS FROM THE NORTHUMBERLAND HOUSE HOLD-BOOK: P. 243, Alb.] The alb was an ancient linen gar ment worn at the administration of the communion, but differed from the surplice in being made to fit the body close, like a cassock, with close sleeves, and tied round the middle with a girdle or sash. It was sometimes embroidered with various colours, and adorned with fringes.-See Wheatley on Common Prayer, p. 107. P. 254, Haunsmen.] Haunsmen, or Hanshmen, (more frequently written Henchmen, or Henxmen,) was the old English name for the pages, so called from their standing at their lord's haunch or side. The Earl of Northumberland had three young gentlemen who attended him in this capacity, and are classed along with his wards, &c. next to his own sons. This P. 254, Aumer.] Aumer, i. e. almoner. sort of contraction is familiar in our language; so the Ambry in Westminster is corrupted from almonary, eleemosanary. It is not easy to account why the name of Under Almoner should be given to the servant who supplied the grooms of the chamber with wood, as at pp. 45, 255. P. 254, Pistoller.] The Pistoller was the clerk who read the epistle; the Gospeller, or priest who read the gospel, is also mentioned. P. 292, Dormount - Book.] The DormountBook' and 'Wering-Book' were books wherein the accounts of the linen, and perhaps all other sorts of cloth, stuffs, &c. and wardrobe accounts, were entered. The Wering-Book probably contained entries of all such linen as was actually in wear; the Dormount-Book, of such as was laid up, and not in present use. The year, as to household affairs, ended at Michaelmas. Of this mode of computation a relique is still preserved, in the custom of hiring servants at Michaelmas; as also the closing of most college accounts in our universities at that time. P. 302. The Clark Avenar] was the clerk who kept accounts of the oats and corn used in the stables. One of the towers in the outer court at Alnwick Castle, is called the Avenar's Tower. P. 302. Broaches] are spits: a childe for the broches' was a boy to turn spits. To broche is to spit, to run through; hence the same verb is applied to a hogshead, or vessel of wine, as in p. 58, where it is ordered that vinegar be made of broken wines; and that when they are past drawing, and to can be set no more of broche,' [i. e. a-broach,] that then the 'lags' (or lees) be put into a vessel to make vinegar. In a secondary sense, a broach came to signify a lady's bodkin, and is so used by Shakspeare and other English writers of that day. goes P. 310, To ten of the clock that my Lord dinner.] Ten o'clock continued to be the dining hour in the university of Cambridge in the reign of Edward VI. as appears from a very remarkable passage in a Sermon of Thomas Lever, (who was afterwards appointed first master of Emanuel college,) preached at Paul's Cross, 14th Dec. 1550, (small 8vo. bl. 1. sign. E 11.) Speaking of the university of Cambridge, he says, 'There be dyners ther whych ryse dayly betwixt four and fyve, untyll syxe of the clocke in the mornynge, and from fyve untyll syxe of the clocke use common prayer wyth exhortacion of Gods worde in a common chappell, and from syxe untyll ten of the clocke use ever eyther pryuate studye or commune lectures. At ten of the clocke they goe to Dynner, whereas (whereat) they be content wyth a penye-pyece of byefe amongest iiii, havynge a few potage made of the brothe of the same byefe, with salte and otemele and nothynge els. After thys slender dynner they be eyther teachyng or learnynge untyll v of the clocke in the evenynge, when they haue a supper not muche better than theyr dynner. ImmeThe frequent use of this word in the Household-Book shews, that clocks were then common. |