Pliny is exceedingly minute upon this subject, and though what he has said in regard to it must of course be familiar to many, it is yet interesting enough to be repeated in the old translation by Philemon Holland"Moreover by ancient rites and religious ceremonies at the solemn sacrifice, called Fabaria, the manner was to offer unto certaine Gods and Goddesses beane cakes. This was taken for a strong food, being eaten with a thicke grewell or pottage; howbeit, men thought that it dulled a man's senses and understanding, yea, and caused troublesome dreams in the night; in regard of which inconveniences, Pythagoras expressly forbade to eat beans; but, as some have thought and taught, it was because folks imagined that the soules of such as were departed, had residence therein; which is the reason also that they be ordinarily used and eaten at the funerals and obsequies of the dead. Varro also affirmeth that the great priest, or sacrificer, called the flamine, abstaineth from beanes both in those respects aforesaid, as also for that there are to be seene in the flower thereof certain letters or characters that shewe heavinesse and signes of deathe. Furthermore there was observed in old time a religious ceremonie in beanes; for when they had sowed their grounds, their manner was, of all other corne, to bring backe with them out of the fielde some beanes for good lucke sake, presaging thereby that their corne would returne home againe unto them; and these beanes were thereupon called in Latin, Refrivæ, or Referiva. Likewise, in all port-sales, it was thought that if beanes were intermingled with the goods offered to be sold they would be luckie and gainful to the seller. This is certain, that Nor in holy Lenton season Ye will neither beanes nor peason. To a pigge or to a goose." of all the fruits of the earth, this only will be full and sound when the moon is croisant, notwithstanding, it were growne and half eaten before.”—Plinie's Natural Historie, Book 18, c. 12.* At Newcastle-upon-Tyne, grey peas, steeped for a night in water and fried in butter, were substituted for beans, though for what cause does not appear, unless from being more palatable, or more suitable to the season. * In the Latin, however, it is cap. 30 and not 12. The real cause why the Pythagoreans. held beans in so much veneration was kept a profound secret both by the philosopher and his disciples, the pride of possessing an exclusive mystery being found sufficient to subdue the usual motives for talking. Jamblichus, in his life of Pythagoras, (cap. 31. p. 393, 8vo. Leipsic 1815,) relates a story of the Lacedemonian Timycha, the wife of Myllius the Crotonian, which equals the savage fortitude of Regulas.-Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse, having in vain tried to conciliate the friendship of the Pythagoreans, sent out his soldiers to hunt them down and destroy them, and his emissary succeeded in surprising a small party of them, who immediately took to flight. Being perfectly unincumbered they would have escaped their pursuers, but unluckily they came upon a field of beans at that time in full blossom, when, sooner than violate their creed by treading on the sacred legumes, they turned to bay, and fought to defend themselves with sticks and stones. In a short time they were all slaughtered. The soldiers, now returning, chanced to meet Myllius and his wife Timycha, who had been left behind by their friends because the advanced pregnancy of the latter prevented her keeping up with them in their flight. Satisfied with the previous bloodshed the soldiers forbore to harm them, but carried them to Dionysius, and he, having heard the tale and being urged by curiosity promised them not only their lives but all sorts of reward and honour if they would only explain why their companions had preferred dying to trampling upon the beans.-" And I," said Myllius, "would rather have trod down the beans than reveal the reason of such abstaining." Hereupon Dionysius ordered Myllius to be taken out of his sight, and the torture to be applied to Timycha, imagining that pain and terror would force her to confession. But the heroic woman bit her tongue in half that it might not betray her, and spate it in his face. The vestiges of this custom are frequent,* and it would seem that green peas too were often used, for Fosbrooke tells us in his British Monachism, "At Barking Nunnery, the annual store of provisions consisted of malt, wheat, russeaulx (a kind of allowance of corn) and to bake with eels on Sheer Thursday; green pease for Lent, green pease against Midsummer-"† and he adds in a note taken from the Order and Government of a Nobleman's House in the thirteenth volume of the Archæologia, p. 373, that "if one will have pease soone in the year following, such pease are to be sowenne in the waine of the moone at St. Andro's tide before Christmas." But these doles, at all events in later times, do not appear to have been confined to. either peas or beans. Furmety also was a standing -dish, a word derived by metathesis from the Latin, frumentum ; it was made of what in Yorkshire was called, kneed wheat, that is, whole grains first boiled plump and soft, and then put into milk, when the mess was a second time boiled, and afterwards spiced and sweetened. It is also mentioned by a correspondent in the Gentleman's Magazine, who says, some things customarily probably refer simply to the idea of feasting or mortification according to the season and occasion. Of these perhaps are Lamb's Wool with * In the Glossary to The Lancashire Dialect, 1775, carlings are thus explained: "peas, boiled on Care Sunday are so called." But the following account from a correspondent of the bland Sylvanus Urban, when speaking of the Northumberland custom, is yet more complete : “The yeomanry in general steep peas, and afterwards parch them, and eat them in the afternoon, and call them Carlings. This is said by an old author to have taken its rise from the disciples plucking the ears of corn and rubbing them in their hands.” Gentleman's Magazine, vol. Ivi. A.D. 1786. p. 1. 410. Whoever was the old author alluded to, he must have known very little of Pagan ceremonies. + Vol. ii. p. 127. For 1783, p. 578. Christmas Eve; Furmety, on Mothering Sunday; Braggot, which is a mixture of ale, sugar, and spices, at the Festival of Easter; and Cross Buns, Saffron-cakes, or Symnels in Passion Week; though these being, formerly at least, unleavened, may have a retrospect to the unleavened bread of the Jews, in the same manner as Lamb at Easter to the Paschal Lamb." The last remark seems very superfluous; but it is curious to see how soon our ancestors got rid of their mess of peas and beans, and how constantly they celebrated their fasts by eating something nicer than usual. There was yet another custom peculiar to this day, which seems worthy of notice, although it was confined, as far as I know to Franconia. It has been thus described: "In the middle of Lent, the youth make an image of straw in the form of Death as he is usually depicted, and this they carry about upon a pole to the neighbouring villages, with much shouting. By some it is received kindly; they refresh the bearers with milk, peas, and dried pears, the common food of the season, and then send it home again; but others, deeming it a presage of evil-of death perhaps repel it from their boundaries with abuse and violence."* The most important saint of this month is St. Cuthbert, whose whole life from infancy was emblazoned in a window of Durham Cathedral, hence called St. Cuthbert's Window. By the nine altars is his tomb, "with most * In medio quadragesimæ, quo quidem tempore ad lætitiam nos ecclesia adhortatur, juventus in patria meâ ex stramine imaginem contexit, quæ mortem ipsam (quemadmodum depingitur) imitetur ; inde hastâ suspensā in vicinos pagos vociferans portat. Ab aliquibus perhumanè suscipitur, et lacte, pisis, siccatisque pyris (quibus tum vulgo vesci solemus) refecta, domu remittitur; à cæteris, quia malæ rei (ut puta mortis) prænuncia sit, humanitatis nihil præcipit, sed armis et ignominiâ etiam adfectâ à finibus repellitur."-Orbis Terrarum Epitome, per Johannem Boemum Aubanum, p. 237, 12mo. Papiæ, curious workmanship of fine and costly green marble, all lined and gilt with gold,"* which was so much frequented and enriched by pilgrims and others, " that it was esteemed one of the most sumptuous monuments in all England.”† The top of the shrine was made to move up and down by means of lines to which silver bells were attached, and on St. Cuthbert's Day in Lent, the cover being lifted, the bells "made such a goodly sound that it stir'd all the people's hearts within the church to repair to it. Also within the said feretory ‡ on both north and south side there were ambries § of fine wainscot, varnished and finely painted, and gilt over with fine little images very beautiful to behold for the reliques belonging to St. Cuthbert to lie in; and when his shrine was drawn the said ambries were opened, that every man that came thither at that time might see the holy reliques therein."|| St. But this splendid shrine was forbidden to women. Cuthbert it seems was a mysogunist, and would allow no women to come near his tomb, having been sorely scandalized during his lifetime by a fair piece of frailty, who finding herself likely to disgrace the king, her father, laid the blame of her seduction to St. Cuthbert-"that solitary young man who dwelleth hereby is he who hath overcome me," said the lady, whereupon the saint in great alarm uttered a fervent prayer, and the earth opened and swallowed her up. The king at this convinced of Cuthbert's innocence now in turn begged forgiveness, which * Ancient Rites, &c., p. 6. + Idem, p. 8. A feretory is the sarcophagus in which the body lies, from the Latin feretrum. Vide Ducange, sub voce. § Ambrey is derived by Minshew from the Latin, armorium, "forte quòd esset olim præcipuè pro armorù conservatione—perhaps because it was formerly used chiefly to keep arms in.”—He explains it, however, to mean a cupboard, and it is likely enough that he may be more correct than Barrett, who derives it from the French, aumoniere. Ancient Rites, p. 9. |