passage on p. 263., that Heda is speaking of the founder of the sect of the Lollards. In this note he refers to Prateolus and Walsingham, to which I turned in order to ascertain where he got his information; but, alas, in vain! They only give a very meagre account of the origin of the Lollards. Heda must therefore have had some independent source from which he wrote, as he could hardly have invented the story. The form of name, Lollaert, would make it more than probable that Lollard was a Dutchman, which agrees very well with the account that he preached in Germany.

How much is it to be wished that some member of the many learned Dutch Antiquarian Societies now in existence, would endeavour at last to clear up the history of Lollard by reference to the records of the city of Utrecht, if they are still in being, and extend so far back as the fourteenth century.

Florentius became Bishop of Utrecht in 1379, and died 1394.

J. B. MCC.

British Museum.

DEAN SWIFT'S LIBRARY.

The letters and other MSS. of Dr. John Lyon, who was prebendary at Rathmichael, in the archdiocese of Dublin, between the years 1755 and 1764, by some chance or another recently got into the possession of a shopkeeper in this city, by whom they have been, for the most part, used as waste paper. The originals from which the following transcripts have been made, are now in my possession.

"The Booksellers' Certificate.

"We the undernamed have examined and considered ye Catalogue of ye late Dr. Swift's Books, to which we find were added Dr. Wilson's Books. The whole is done with great exactness, and correctly printed. And in consideration that ye Gentleman who made and corrected ye said Catalogues not only pieced and numbered all ye said Books, but examined them also leaf by leaf, in order to distinguish those with a Star in ye Printed Catalogues that were noted and observed upon by Dr. Swift; which added very much to rise ye value of ye said Books at ye time of Sale, as may be seen by ye Prices paid for many of them. We are of opinion that ye Gentleman who took all ye trouble above mentioned did deserve to be paid one shilling per Pound upon ye sale of ye said Books. Given under our hands this 26 day of January 1749.

"George Faulkner.
John Torbuek.

"Rockfield, Fryday Evg.

"Lord Shelburne's compliments to Doctr Lyons, and has many thanks to return to him for his Incomparable Present of Dr. Burnet's History, the property of Dean Swift. It has been his daily Intention to wait upon Doctr Lyons, but has been prevented by the attention which his private affairs have required. He is just return'd from the Co. Meath. Lady Arabella Denny joins Lord Shelburne in requesting the favour of Dr Lyons' company to-morrow to Dinner, at Peafield, near the Black Rock. Ld S. embarks on Sunday. [Septr 1770.]"

J. F. F.

Dublin.

FOLK LORE.

Churching of Women.

—In Herefordshire it is considered contra bonos mores for the husband to appear in church on the day of his wife's churching, or, at all events, in the same pew with her. An antiquary of that county considers this a relic of Roman paganism, connected with the worship of Bona Dea. Query, is this so elsewhere?

C. S. P.

Wassailing Orchards in Sussex.

—I am happy to be able to send you the following particulars respecting the apple-tree superstitions, as they prevail in this county; and it is as well to preserve the recollection of them, for I suspect they are wearing away. In this neighbourhood (Chailey) the custom of wassailing the orchards still remains. It is called apple-howling. A troop of boys visit the different orchards, and encircling the apple-trees they repeat the following words:

They then shout in chorus, one of the boys accompanying them on the cow's horn; during this ceremony they rap the trees with their sticks. This custom is alluded to in Herrick's Hesperides, p. 311.

R. W. B.

Lucky Omens.

—"The schoolmaster with his primer in his hand," to quote Lord Brougham, is unquestionably abroad, and dispelling, with surprising rapidity, the prejudices of the people; in some cases, perhaps, to make way for prejudices yet stronger and more tenacious than those they displace. You are doing good service by collecting and recording some of those that are fast disappearing. In this neighbourhood I know ladies who consider it "lucky" to find old iron; a horse shoe or a rusty nail is carefully conveyed home and hoarded up. It is also considered lucky if you see the head of the first lamb in spring; to present his tail is the certain harbinger of misfortune. It is also said that if you have money in your pocket the first time you hear the cuckoo, you will never be without all the year. The magpie is a well-known bird of omen. The following lines were familiar