prayed that he might live three days longer in contemplation of the Passion, which was granted him; and on the third day an angel came to him, saying, “()! Rock, God sendeth me for tny soul; what thou now desirest thou shouldst ask." Then St. Rock implored that whoever prayed to him after death might be delivered from pestilence; and then he died. And anon an angel brought from heaven a table whereon was divinely written, in letters of gold, that it was granted—" That who that calleth to Saynte Rocke mekely, ne shall not be hurte with ony hurte of pestylence;" and the angel laid the table under Rock's head; and the people of the city buried St. Rock solemnly, and he was canonized by the pope gloriously. His life in the "Golden Legend" ends thus: "The feest of Saynte Rocke is alwaye holden on the morowe after the daye of the assumpcyon of our lady, whiche life is translated out of latyn into englysshe by me, Wyllyam Caxton."

There is an entry among the extracts from the churchwardens' accounts of St. Michael Spurrier-gate, York, printed by Mr. Nichols, thus: "1518. Paid for writing of Saint Royke Masse, Ol. Os. 9d.” * His festival on this day was kept like a wake, or general harvest-home, with dances in the churchyard in the evening.+ The phrase "sound as a roach" may have been derived from familiarity with the legend and attributes of this saint. He is esteemed the patron saint of all afflicted with the plague, a disease of Occurrence in England when streets were narrow, and without sewers, houses were without boarded floors, and our ancestors without linen. They be lieved that the miraculous intermission of St. Roche could make them as "sound" as himself.

common

St. Manus, A. D. 275. Sts. Liberatus Abbot, and six monks, a. D. 483.

WIFE OF TWO HUSBANDS.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Sir,

I know nothing more respecting the subjoined narrative than that I am almost certain I copied it some years ago from that mass of trifling, the papers of old Cole, in the British Museum. It purports to be an extract from the Cambridge journal, from whence he no doubt took it. I am, Sir, &c.

D.

Account of the Earl of Roseberry's Son, and a Clergyman's Wife, in Essex. In the Cambridge Journal of October, 1752, is the following Article. Extract of a Letter from Colchester, August 18.

"Perhaps you have heard that a chest was seized by the Custom-house officers, which was landed near this place about a fortnight ago: they took it for smuggled goods, though the person with it produced the king of France's signature to Mr. Williams, as a Hamburgh merchant: but people not satisfied with the account Mr. Williams gave, opened the chest, and one of them was going to run his hanger in, when the person to whom it belonged clapt his hand upon his sword, and desired him to desist (in French,) for it was the corpse of his dear wife. Not content with this, the officers plucked off the embalming, and found it as he had said. The man, who appeared to be a person of consequence, was in the utof the lady. They sat her in the high. most agonies, while they made a spectacle church, where any body might come and look on her, and would not suffer him to bury her, till he gave a further account of himself. There were other chests of fine clothes, jewels, &c. &c. belonging to the deceased. He acknowledged at last that he was a person of quality, that his name was not Williams, that he was born at Forence, and the lady was a native of England, whom he married, and she desired to be buried in Essex: that he had

VOL. I.

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brought her from Verona, in Italy, to France, by land, there hired a vessel for Dover, discharged the vessel there, and took another for Harwich, but was drove hither by contrary winds. This account was not enough to satisfy the people: he must tell her name and condition, in order to clear himself of a suspicion of murder. He was continually in tears, and had a key of the vestry, where he sat every day with the corpse: my brother went to see him there, and the scene so shocked him he could hardly bear it, he said it was so like Romeo and Juliet.

"He was much pleased with my brother, as he talked both Latin and French, and to his great surprise, told him who the lady was which proving to be a person he knew, he could not help uncovering the face. In short, the gentleman confessed he was the earl of Roseberry's son, (the name is Primrose,) and his title lord Delamere, [Dalmeny,] that he was born and educated in Italy, and never was in England till two or three years ago, when he came to London, and was in company with this lady, with whom he fell passionately in love, and prevailed on

the passion of this man. He had a very fine coffin made for her, with six large silver plates over it and at last, was very loth to part with her, to have her buried: he put himself in the most solemn mourning, and on Sunday last in a coach, attended the corpse to Th—, where Mr. G― met it in solemn mourning likewise.

"The Florentine is a genteel person of a man, seems about twenty-five years of age, and they say, a sensible man: but there was never any thing like his behaviour to his dear, dear wife, for so he would call her to the last. Mr. G-attended him to London yesterday, and they were very civil to each other; but my lord is inconsolable: he says he must fly England, which he can never see more. I have heard this account from many hands, and can assure you it is fact. Kitty Cannom is, I believe, the first woman in England that had two husbands attended her to the grave together. You may remember her to be sure: her life would appear more romantic than novel."

FLORAL DIRECTORY.

that having bad health, he had travelled with her all over Europe; and when she was dying, she asked for pen and paper, and wrote, I am the wife of the rev. Mr. G. rector of Th-, in Essex: ny maiden name was C. Cannom; and my last request is to be buried at Th-.'

"The poor gentleman, who last married her, protests he never knew, (till this confession on her death-bed,) that she was another's wife: but in compliance with her desire, he brought her over, and should have buried her at Th― (if the corpse had not been stopped) without making any stir about it. After the nobleman had made this confession, they sent to Mr. G-, who put himself in a passion, and threatened to run her last husband through the body; however, he was prevailed on to be calm: it was represented to him, that this gentleman had been at great expense and trouble to fulfil her desire; and Mr. G-consented to see him. They say the meeting was very moving, and that they addressed each other civilly. The stranger protested his affection to the lady was so strong, that it was his earnest wish, not only to attend her to the grave, but to be shut up for ever with her there.

aria.

"Rare doings at Camberwell.”—“All holiday at Peckham.”

I do not know Mr. Capper's authority for saying in his "Topographical Dictionary," that the fair, held at Camberwell from time immemorial, is suppressed.

Although much has been done towards accomplishing this end, it does not seem likely to prevail. It commenced formerly on the 9th of August, and continued three weeks, ending on St. Gilesday. Booths were erected in the churchyard, for the sale of “ good drinke, pies, and pedlerie trash :" but these doings were suppressed by a clause, in the statute of Winchester, passed in the 13th of Edward I., which enacts "que feire, ne marche desoremes ne soient tenuz en cimet pur honur de Seinte Eglise" In

the evidence adduced before a petty session at Union-hall, on the subject of putting down the fair on the 4th of July, 1823, it is said that "Domesday Book" speaks of the custom of holding it. I cannot find that this statement rests on good grounds, but something like it seems to have obtained as early as 1279, for in that year Gilbert de Clare was summoned before John of Ryegate and his fellow justices at Guildford, to show by what right he claimed the privilege of holding the assize of ale and bread in "his Vill. of Cam'well."* Mention is made in the following reign of "eme'das in Stoke et Pecham." Camberwell fair was held opposite the Cock public-house" till the Green was broken in upon.

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Peckham is said to be only a continuation of Camberwell, and not a district fair, though there is a tradition that king John hunting there killed a stag, and was so well pleased with his day's sport, that he granted the inhabitants a charter for it. It may be inferred from the "right merrie" humour of this monarch at the close of his sport, that it was somewhat in different style to that of Henry the Fifth for he," in his beginning thought it meere scofferie to pursue anie fallow deere with hounds or greihounds, but supposed himselfe always to have done a sufficient act when he had tired them by his own travell on foot."+

ton, near Bury, in Suffolk, where he received instruction in reading and writing at a common school, and became a "Farmer's boy;" which occupation he has related with simplicity and beauty in poem under that title. He wrote that production when a journeyman shoemaker under the auspices of the late Mr. Cape Llofft it was ushered into the world; and Bloomfield, unhappily for himself, subsequently experienced the insufficient and withering patronage of ostentatious great

ness.

His first poem was succeeded by "Rural Tales," "Good Tidings, or News from the Farm," "Wild Flowers," "Banks of the Wye," and "May-Day with the Muses." In his retirement at Shefford, he was afflicted with the melancholy consequent upon want of object, and died a victim to hypochondria, with his mind in ruins, leaving his widow and orphans destitute. His few books, poor fellow, instead of being sent to London, where they would have produced their full value, were dissipated by an auctioneer unacquainted with their worth, by order of his creditors, and the family must have perished if a good Samaritan had not interposed to their temporary relief. Joseph Weston published the "Remains of Robert Bloomfield," for their benefit, and set on foot a subscription, with the hope of securing something to Mrs Bloomfield for the exclusive and permanent advantage of herself and her fatherless children. It has been inadequately contributed to, and is not yet closed.

ON THE DEATH OF BLOOMFIELD.

Mr.

Thou shouldst not to the grave descend Unmourned, unhonoured, or unsung ;Could harp of mine record thy end,

For thee that rude harp should be strung; And plaintive sounds as ever rung

-Should all its simple notes employ, Lamenting unto old and young The Bard who sang THE FARMER'S BOY. Could Eastern Anglia boast a lyre

Like that which gave thee modest fame, How justly might its every wire

Thy minstrel honours loud proclaim. And many a stream of humble name,

And village-green, and common wild, Should witness tears that knew not shame By Nature won for Nature's child. It is not quaint and local terms

Besprinkled o'er thy rustic lay, Though well such dialect confirms

Its power unlettered minds to sway,