regal splendor; in the next line his majesty's nether garment is exhibited in a ridiculous light, in the same manner that Hogarth's "Simon Gripe, pawnbroker," holds up that necessary article of dress, to satisfy himself that it is neither threadbare nor motheaten. And when at the conclusion we find his royal majesty haggling with his tailor about sixpence in a pair of crown breeches, we come to the conclusion that he was any thing but a liberal monarch. But to return: the next entry we have to notice is under the date of

Oct. 26, 1707. Paid Mr. Phillips for catching a fox, 58.

It is evident that Mr. Phillips was no fox-hunter, nor the parish officer who paid him this sum, and that, too, out of the poorrates. It appears as if the parishioners were resolved to protect the poultry from reynard's depredations, and therefore set a price upon his head. We may suppose, at the present day, that if any fox-hunter saw an item of this kind in the parish accounts, little hesitation would be felt in drawing a pen across it.

Nov. 19, 1710. Paid at Sidney's, for bear at Goodey Inman's berrill, 1s.— Paid for a wascote for Cramphorne's boy, and bleeding and a purg, 3s. The overseer who ordered this was probably a humane personage. It appears that after this poor lad Cramphorne had been well bled and physicked, it being in the dreary month of November, the parish officer generously gave him a waistcoat to keep out the cold. We may say of him, in the words of honest Tom Dibdin— Prized be such hearts; aloft they shall go,

Who always are ready compassion to show.

May 6, 1711. Paid for a cofen for Goodey Keebl, 68.-Paid to the minister and clerk for berren Goodey Keebl, 58.-April 4, 1743. It is agreed this day that any townsman that has a yearly servant that shall have any bone or bones broken, to be allowed by the parish the charge thereof. As witness our hands. . . If the person cannot pay it himself.

The concluding proviso shows that the parish officers wished to

guard against the imputation of being too liberal in expending their funds.

April 11, 1748. An agreement between the townsmen of the parish and Robert Freeman, to take the boy Isaac Hunt for nine years, and to release him double suited, and to give him five shillings in his pocket.

There are various entries in the book similar to the above. It appears to have been thought a great favor to possess two suits of clothes and five shillings in money after nine years' servitude. The probable inference is, that these were poor, friendless lads, whom the parishioners thus allotted out amongst themselves according to their own will and pleasure. There is nothing to show that the boys were consenting parties to these arrangements.

Memoranda. I promise, upon being released from the town rates, to bury all, gratis, that are concerned with the parish officer, and don't pay scot and lot.-Allington Harrison, vicar.

This clergyman was probably a quiet, easy, good-natured man, who did not wish to keep a debtor and creditor account with his parishioners, and so this plan was adopted to save trouble.

The following is extracted from Lord Braybrooke's History of Audley End, in which there are various interesting particulars relating to the town of Saffron Walden. Amongst the extracts which are given from the parish registers, we find the following:

1611, May 12. Martha Warde, a young mayd coming from Chelmesford on a carte, was overwhelmed and smothered with certayn clothes which were in the carte, and was buried here.-1623, Sept. 4. Buryed a poore man brought by the Little Chesterford constables, to be examined by the justice; the justice being a hunting, the poore man died before his coming home from hunting.

Perhaps the squire had a longer run than usual with the hounds on this occasion.

1716, Nov. 18. The oulde girle from the workhouse was buried.

The corporation accounts contain some singular items. We have entries of money paid for saffron given to the "queen's (Elizabeth) attorney," and of 2s. " to my Lord Staffourd's players; " a large honorarium of 10s. having been paid for the mediation of the Earl of Suffolk's secretary; and the sum of 17. 9s. 3d. for "setting uppe the cucking stole." Bailey designates this

A machine formerly used for the punishment of scolds and brawling women, in which they were placed and lowered into a river or pond, until they were almost choked with water.

Happily for scolds, this ancient method of "taming the shrew has long been abolished. Mrs. Caudle, so graphically described in Punch, would have been a good subject for this sort of discipline.

Paid 4d. for nailing up the Quakers' door twice; and received 10s. for rent of the mountebank.

The following are extracts from an old parish book belonging to St. Giles's, London:

1641. Received of the vintner, at "The Cat" in Queen Street, for permitting of tippling on the Lord's Day, 17. 10s.-Received of three poore men for drinking on the Sabbath daie at Tottenham Court, 48.-1645. Received of John Seagood, constable, which he had of a Frenchman for swearing three oaths, 38.-Received of Mrs. Sunder, by the hands of Francis Potter, for her being drunk and swearing seven oaths, 12s.-1646. Received of Mr. Hooker for brewing on a fast-day, 2s. 6d.-Payd and given to Lyn and two watchmen, in consideration of their pains, and the breaking of two halberts, in taking the two drunkards and swearers that paid, 17. 4s.—Received of fairmen travelling on the fast-day, 1s.-1648. Received of Isabella Johnson, at the Cole Yard, for drinking on the Sabbath day, 4s.

This was the year previous to that in which King Charles I. was beheaded. It appears that there were persons at that period who could "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel." These turbulent subjects could put their sovereign to death apparently without much remorse; but to brew on a fast-day, or to be found travel

ling on those days or on the Sabbath, were enormities that they would by no means tolerate. With respect to their zeal against tippling and swearing, in that they are to be commended.

1652. Received of Mr. Huxley and Mr. Morris, who were riding out of town during sermon time on a fast-day, 118.-1654. Received of William Glover in Queen Street, and of Isaac Thomas, a barber, for trimming of beards on the Lord's day [the sum not stated].-1655. Received of a mayd taken in Mr. Johnson's ale-house on the Sabbath day, 58.-Received of a Scotchman for drinking at Robert Owen's on the Sabbath, 28.-1658. Received of Joseph Piers for refusing to open his doores to have his house searched on the Lord's daie, 10s.

1659. There is an entry of "one Brookes's goods, sold for a breach of the Sabbath," but the produce is not set down.

The following memorandum is copied from an old register in the parish of Great Easton :

Matthew Tomlinson, curate of this parish, left Feb. 1, 1730,

To my Parishioners.

Farewell, dear flock, my last kind wish receive,

The only tribute that I now can give.

May my past labours claim a just regard,
Great is the prize, and glorious the reward;
Transcendent joys, surpassing human thought,
To meet in heaven whom I on earth had taught.

In concluding this account of parish registers, it may be mentioned that, many years since, there was a good old-fashioned farmer, James Biddell by name, who lived at Bradfield St. George, near Bury, who, when he served the office of overseer, used to close his account by putting down, "For bustling about, 10s." The parishioners used to smile at this item in the worthy old gentleman's account, but they all agreed in thinking that it was a very moderate charge for "bustling about" for so long a period on parish business.

CHINESE PROVERBS.

Chinese proverbs which were in the Great Exhibition of 1851:

Let every man sweep the snow from before his own door, and not busy himself about the frost on his neighbour's tiles.

Great wealth comes by destiny; moderate wealth by industry.

The ripest fruit will not fall into your mouth.

The pleasure of doing good is the only one which does not wear out.

Dig a well before you are thirsty.

Water does not remain on the mountain, nor vengeance in a great mind

GLASS IN WINDOWS.

It is impossible to determine at what period the use of glass utensils for domestic purposes was first introduced into this country; but being manufactured by the Egyptians and Phoenicians, we may very probably owe the introduction of it to them. Window glass appears to have been used in the churches of France as early as the sixth century; and, according to Bede, artificers skilled in the art of glass-making were invited into England by Abbot Benedict in the seventh century; and the churches or monasteries of Wearmouth and Garrow were glazed and adorned by his care. Wilfrid, Bishop of Worcester, about the same time took similar steps for substituting glass in lieu of the heavy shutters which were then in use; and great astonishment was excited, and supernatural agency suspected, when the moon and stars were seen through a material which excluded the inclemency of the weather. York Cathedral was glazed about the same time; and in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, when a great stimulus was given to the erection of religious edifices, glass was generally employed in the windows. It appears to have been used in domestic architecture but very sparingly, till a much later period, when it came to be gradually adopted in the residences of the wealthy.