jig, then come back and buy a pig."

"Go to Farcet." This is a village near Peterborough and the expression is used instead of advising people to go to Jericho or any other place.

"As fat as moles."

"You've gotten hold of the wrong end of the stick," was a common expression when I was a school boy, when anyone was relating something which was incorrect.

Come day, Go day, God sends Sunday.
Sunday moon, flood before it is out.
Singing before breakfast on Monday, cry before the week is out.
As Friday so Sunday.
Friday is either the fairest or foulest day of the week.
Sun always shines on Saturday little or much.

Saturday new moon and Sunday full,
Never good and never wull.

January.

On corner walls,
A glittering row,
Hang pit irons less for use than show,
With horse-shoe brightened as a spell,
Witchcraft's evil powers to quell.
John Clare.

The first thing on New Year's morning, open your Bible and the first verse your finger or thumb touches that verse, will betoken what will occur during the year.

On New Year's morning if a sprig of green is placed in the Bible, the verse on which it lies fortells the events of the year.

It is lucky for a dark man to enter the house first on New Year's morning, and I know a man who used to see the Old Year out and the New Year in with a friend who always arranged for a very dark man to wait for him outside his own house until he returned. The man then entered the house first, and after a glass of something warm and good wishes, he left.

It is also a custom on New Year's Eve for some people to hide a sovereign or half-sovereign outside the house and when leaving the house on New Year's morning to pick up the piece of gold which is said to ensure their having gold in their pockets all that year.

Whatever is done on New Year's day, you will do throughout the year.

As the weather is the first twelve days of January so it will be for the twelve months. Each day's weather is taken for the corresponding month.

Plough Monday, First Monday after Epiphany. This custom has almost passed away. Only two lots of men were seen in Peterborough this year, the Stores no doubt not encouraging them as the tradesmen did in the old times. In Northampton, in 1910, I saw numerous groups of children with blackened faces and grotesque dresses going about the streets on this day as Plough witches.

When the day lengthens,
Then the cold strengthens,

On Old Christmas day (7th January new style) the day has lengthened a cock's skip.

January White.

If the grass grows in January it grows the worse for it all the year.

St. Paul's Day, 25th January.

In some verses dedicated To all my worthy Masters and Mistresses, by John Small, Bell-man, Stamford, 1850, is the following:—

If Saint Paul's day be fair and clear,
It doth betide a happy year;
If blustering winds do blow aloft,
Then wars will trouble our realm full oft,
And if by chance to snow or rain,
Then will be dear all sorts of grain.

February.

February fill dyke.

St. Valentine's Day.

Children used to go round the villages and city on this day and sing:

Good Morrow, Valentine;
Please to give me a valentine;
I'll be yourn, if you'll be mine;
Good Morrow, Valentine.

Good Morrow, Valentine
First its yourn and then tis mine
So please give me a valentine.
Holly and ivy tickle my toe
Give me red apple and let me go.

Good Morrow, Valentine,
Parsley grows by savoury
Savoury grows by thyme
A new pair of gloves on Easter Day
Good Morrow, Valentine.

This was called going Valentining and some money or apples were given to the children.

In Peterborough and district sweet plum buns used to be made and were called Valentine Buns. They were given by Godparents to their Godchildren the Sunday before and the next Sunday after Valentine's Day.

March.

March, many weathers.

John Clare says:

March month of "many weathers" wildly comes,
In hail and snow and rain, and threatening hums and floods.

March wind.

A wet March makes a sad harvest.

A March without water dowers the hind's daughter.

If March comes in smiling and gay

Saddle your horses and go and buy hay.

March, Hic, Hac, Ham'
Comes in like a lion
And goes out like a lamb.

If March comes in stormy and black, she carries the winter away on her back.

Mothering Sunday.

This is Midlent Sunday when it was the regular custom, and even now very general, for the children, especially those in service, to visit their parents on that day.

Children away from home write to their parents on Mothering Sunday if unable to get home.

A special kind of cake was made for this day.

Palm Sunday.

It is known as Fig Sunday as figs are eaten and a fig pudding is a regular dish on this day. There used to be a great display of figs in the Grocers' windows the week preceding Palm Sunday, but there is not such a show now.

Good Friday.

On Good Friday, in 1904, I was reminded of an old custom by an old friend who was staying with me. When some hot cross buns were offered, he took one and told me to hold it with him and, whilst we were holding it together to repeat with him this couplet:—

Half for you half for me
Between us two good luck shall be.

When this was being said we broke the bun in two. This is said to cement friendship between the two who break the bun.

April.

St. Mark's Eve.

Take three tufts of grass plucked from a Churchyard, place them under your pillow and repeat aloud:—

Let me know my fate, whether weal or woe
Whether my rank's to be high or low,
Whether to live single or be a bride,
And the destiny my star doth provide.

If this is done one dreams of the future.

When April blows his horn
'Tis good for hay and corn.

April showers make May flowers.

26th