yen! If Let these notes be played on a flute with perfect crescendos and diminuendoes, and perhaps some notion of this wild sounding cry may be formed. Well, after having thus repeated "the neck" three times, and "wee yen" or way yen" as often, they all burst out into a kind of loud and joyous laugh, flinging up their hats and caps into the air, capering about and perhaps kissing the girls. One of them then gets "the neck," and runs as hard as he can down to the farmhouse, where the dairy-maid, or one of the young female domestics, stands at the door prepared with a pail of water. he who holds "the neck" cau manage to get into the house, in any way unseen, or openly, by any other way than the door at which the girl stands with the pail of water, then he may lawfully kiss her; but, if otherwise, he is regularly soused with the contents of the bucket. On a fine still autumn evening, the "crying of the neck" has a wonderful effect at a distance, far finer than that of the Turkish muezzin, which lord Byron eulogizes so much, and which he says is preferable to all the bells in Christendom. I have once or twice heard upwards of twenty men cry it, and sometimes joined by an equal number of female voices. About three years back, on some high grounds, where our people were harvesting, I heard six or seven "necks" cried in one night, although I know that some of them were four miles off. They are heard through the quiet evening air, at a considerable distance sometimes. But I think that the practice is beginning to decline of late, and many farmers and their men do not care about Keeping up this old custom I shall always patronise it myself, because I take it in the light of a thanksgiving. By the by, I was about to conclude, without endeavouring to explain the meaning of the words, we yen!" I had long taken them for Saxon, as the people of Devon are the true Saxon breed. But I think that I am wrong. I asked an old fellow about it the other day, and he is the only man who ever gave me a satisfactory explanation. He says, that the object of crying" the neck" is to give the surrounding country notice of the end of harvest, and We yen! that they mean by "we yen!" we have ended. It may more probably mean "we end," which the uncouth and provincial pronunciation has corrupted into " yen!" I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, R. A. R. we July, 1826. P. S. In the above hastily written account, I should have mentioned that "the neck" is generally hung up in the farmhouse, where it remains sometimes three or four years. I have written "we yen," because I have always heard it so pronounced; they may articulate it differently in other parts of the country. Here's a health to our master, And send him increase; That we may reap another year, For she is a good woman, she provides us Here's your mistress's good health, boys, The night is generally spent with great mirth, and the merry-makers seldom disperse till "Bright Phoebus has mounted his chariot of day." I am, &c. AN ESSEX MAN AND SUBSCRIBER It is the advice of the most popular good cheere in the hall: of the labouring man. Tusser. "Tusser Redivivus" says, "This, the poor labourer thinks, crowns all; a good supper must be provided, and every one that did any thing towards the Inning must now have some reward, as ribbons, laces, rows of pins to boys and girls, if never so small, for their encouragement, and, to be sure, plumb-pudding. The men must now have some better than best drink, which, with a little tobacco and their screaming for their largesses, their business will soon be done." Whereon "Tusser Redivivus" notes, that "the goose is forfeited, if they overthrow during harvest." A MS. note on a copy of Brand's "Antiquities," lent to the editor, cites from Boys's "Sandwich," an item "35 Hen. VIII. Spent when we ete our harvyst goose iijs. vid. and the goose xd.” In France under Henry IV. it is cited by Mr. Brand from Seward, that "after the harvest, the peasants fixed upon some regale, (by them called the harvest gosholiday to meet together and have a little ling,) to which they invited not only each other, but even their masters, who pleased them very much when they condescended to partake of it." According to information derived by Mr. Brand, it was formerly the custom at Hitchin, in Hertfordshire, for eack farmer to drive furiously home with the last load of his corn, while the people ran after him with bowls full of water in order to throw on it; and this usage was accompanied with great shouting. HARVEST-HOME. Who has not seen the cheerful harvest-home, Waves on hedge-rows shady. From the hill Which moan the death of Summer. Glowing scene! Unfolds its sunny lustre, and the dew Silvers the out-stretch'd landscape, labour's sons From sweet and soothing rest; for fev'rish dreams They toil in the fierce beams of fervid noon--- To the brook Is rich in fragrance! fragrance exquisite! Of wintry desolation; and how fair Hail! harvest-home! To thee, the muse of nature pours the song, Where the rich earth presents her golden treasures; It was formerly the custom in the parish of Longforgan, in the county of Perth North Britain, to give what was called a maiden feast. "Upon the finishing of the harvest the last handful of corn reaped in the field was called the maiden. This was generally contrived to fall into the hands of one of the finest girls in the field, and was dressed up with ribands, and brought home in triumph with the music of fiddles or bagpipes. A good dinner was given to the Mrs. Robinson. whole band, and the evening spent in joviality and dancing, while the fortunate lass who took the maiden was the queen of the feast; after which this handful of corn was dressed out generally in the form of a cross, and hung up with the date of the year, in some conspicuous part of the house. This custom is now entirely done away, and in its room each shearer is given sixpence and a loaf of bread. However, some farmers, when all their corns are brought in, give their servants a dinner and a jovial evening, by way of harvesthome." * Statistical Account of Scotland. The festival of the in-gathering in Scotland, is poetically described by the elegant author of the "British Georgics." THE KIRN. Harvest Home. The fields are swept, a tranquil silence reigns, Deep is the morning's hush; from grange to grange Sends faintly through the air its deafened sound. Bright now the shortening day, and blythe its close, When ended the repast, and board and bench With timid steps, till, by the music cheered, Meanwhile the frothing bickers,* soon as filled, In the island of Minorca, "Their harvests are generally gathered by the middie of June; and, as the corn ripens, a number of boys and girls station themselves at the edges of the fields, and on the tops of the fence-walls, to fright away the small birds with their shouts and cries. This puts one in mind of Virgil's precept in the first book of his 'Georgics,' Et sonitu terrebis aves,'- and was a custom, I doubt not, among the Roman farmers, from whom the ancient Minorquins learned it. They also use for the same purpose, a split reed, which makes a horrid rattling, as they Ishake it with their hands." In Northamptonshire, "within the liberty of Warkworth is Ashe Meadow, divided amongst the neighbouring parishes, and famed for the following customs observed in the mowing of it. The meadow is divided into fifteen portions, answering to fifteen lots, which are pieces of wood cut off from an arrow, and marked according to the landmarks in the field. To each lot are allowed eight mowers, amounting to one hundred and twenty in the whole. On the Saturday sevennight after midsummer-day, these portions are laid out by six persons, of whom two are chosen from Warkworth, two from Over • Beakers. Grahame. thorp, one from Grimsbury, and one from Nethercote. These are called field-men, and have an entertainment provided for them upon the day of laying out the meadow, at the appointment of the lord of the manor. As soon as the meadow is measured, the man who provides the feast, attended by the hay-ward of Warkworth, brings into the field three gallons of ale. After this the meadow is run, as they term it, or trod, to distinguish the lots and, when this is over, the hay-ward brings into the field a rump of beef, six penny loaves, and three gallons of ale, and is allowed a certain portion of hay in return, though not of equal value with his provision. This hay-ward and the master of the feast have the name of crocus-men. In running the field each man hath a boy allowed to assist him. On Monday morning lots are drawn, consisting some of eight swaths and others of four. Of these the first and last carry the garlands. The two first lots are of four swaths, and whilst these are mowing, the mowers go double; and, as soon as these are finished, the following orders are read aloud :- Öyez, Oyez, Oyez, I charge you, under God, and in his majesty's name, that you keep the king's peace in the lord of the manor's behalf, according to the orders and cus. toms of this meadow. No man or men shall go before the two garlands; if you + Wooden frames on which beer casks are set.-Johnson. |