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attachment. After a sorrowful search, the body was
discovered, conveyed to the neighbouring village, Hoxne,
and there interred; but the head could not be found.
These zealous and dutiful subjects, therefore, divided
themselves into small parties, and searched every part
of the wood. Terrified by its thickness and obscurity,
some of them cried out to their companions, "where are
you?"
A voice answered, "here, here, here!"
They hastened to the place whence the sound proceeded,
and found the long-sought head in a thicket of thorns,
guarded by a wolf, "an unkouth thyng and strange
"ageyn nature." The people almost overpowered with
joy, with all possible veneration, took the holy head,
which its guardian quietly surrendered to them, and
carried it to the body. The friendly wolf joined in the
procession; and after seeing "the precious treasure,"
that he had with so much care protected, deposited with
the body, returned into the woods with doleful mourn-
ing. The head was some time after observed to have
united with the body; and the mark of separation
appeared round the neck like a "purpil thread." His
martyrdom is thus described by Langtoft :

Elfride had a kosyn, that kyng was of scheld,
Northfolk and Southfolk of Elfride he held.

That was Saynt Edmunde the croune that tyme bare,
A duke of Danmark, his name was Inguare.
Ubbe, an erle of Huneis, with that Inguar kam,
Uppon Saynt Edmunde Northfolk he nam
Edmunde sent his messengers of pes tham besouht,
Inguar sent bode ageyn that pes will be nouht.
Bot if he gald him the lond than he suld haf pes,
That wild not Saynt Edmunde, the bataile he ches.
He attired him to bataile with folk that he had,
But this cursed Danes so grete oste ay lad,
That Edmunde was taken and slayn at the last,
Full far fro the body lay was the hede kast.
The body son they fonde, the hede was in doute,
Up and downe in the felde thei souht it aboute.
To haf knowing thereof, alle thei were in were,
Till the hede himself said, Here, here, here!
Ther thei fonde the hede is now a faire chapelle,
Oxen hate the toun ther the body felle.
Ther where he was schotte another chapelle standes,
And somwhat of that tree thei bond untille his hands,

The tone is fro the tother moten a grete myle,
So far bare a woulfe the hede and kept it a grete while,
Unto the hede said " Here," als I befor said,

Fro the woulfe thei it toke, unto the body it laid,
Men sais ther he ligges the flesch samen gede,
But the token of the woude als a rede threde,
Now lies he in schryne in gold that is rede,

Seven yere was he kyng that tyme that he was dede.

The obsequies of the martyred King were dignified by no august solemnities; and his body, "buried in the earth," lay neglected" in the obscure chapel" at Hoxne for 33 years, when the sacred remains were removed to Bedericksworth, since called St. Edmund's Bury, where a church of timber was erected over the place of his interment, which remained till King Canutus, in 1020, built a most magnificent church and abbey in honour of the holy martyr.

St. Edmund was considered by succeeding Kings as their special patron, and as an accomplished model of all royal virtues. The feast of St. Edmund, November the 20th, was ranked amongst the holydays of precept in this kingdom by the national council of Oxford, in 1222, and was observed at Bury with the most splendid and joyous solemnities. We find that, upon this festival, 150 tapers of 1lb weight or more illuminated the abbey church, its altars, and its windows. The "revel on "St. Edmund's night" was of a character somewhat more noisy, turbulent, and unhallowed; a loose being then given to every species of jollity and amusement.

The following curious Relique is given from a small 4to. MS. in the Sloane Library in the British Museum (No. 2593) consisting of a considerable number of poetical pieces, some pious, some the contrary," in a hand which appears to be nearly, if not quite, as old as the reign of Henry the Vth.

A new song I wil begyn,

Of King Edmund that was so fre,
How he deyed withoute syne,

And bowndyn his Body was to a tre.

With arwys scharpe they gunne hym prykke,
For no rewthe* wold they lete,†
As dropys of reyn comyn thikke,
And evry arwe with others gan

And his Hed also thei of smette,
Among the breres thei it kest,
A Wolf it kept without in lette,
A blynd man fond it at the last.

Prey we to that worthy Kyng
That sufferid ded this same day,
He saf us bothe eld and ying,

mete.

And scheld us from the fends fray.

A DESCRIPTION OF

CHRISTMAS HUSBANDLY FARE:

BY THOMAS TUSSER.

Tusser, if we may use the expression, gives us line upon line, and precept upon precept, in order to enforce the practice of hospitality. Mirth and good cheer seems to have been his motto.

The "Christmas Husbandly Fare" is interesting as a genuine picture of the mode of living in this county, in the 16th century. The different viands enumerated are still known by the names which they bear in the text, if we except "shred pies," which appear to be Mince Pies, as they are now called.

*Pity, compassion.

+ Forbear, cease.

Ar Christmas, good husbands,* have corn on the ground,

In barn and in soller, worth many a pound:

With plenty of other things, cattle and sheep,
All sent them (no doubt on) good houses to keep.
At Christmas, the hardness of winter doth rage,
A griper of all things, and specially age:
Then lightly+ poor people, the young with the old,
Be sorest oppressed with hunger and cold.
At Christmas, by labour is little to get,

That wanting,the poorest in danger are set ;
What season then better, of all the whole year,
Thy needy, poor neighbour to comfort and cheer.
At this time and that time, some make a great matter;
Some help not, but hinder the poor with their clatter,
Take custom from feasting, what cometh then last?
Where one hath a dinner, a hundred shall fast.
To dog in the manger, some liken I could,
That hay will eat none, for let other that would.
Some scarce, in a year, give a dinner or two,
Nor well can abide any other to do.

Play thou the good fellow! seek none to misdeem;
Disdain not the honest, though merry they seem;
For oftentimes seen, no more very a knave,
Than he that doth counterfeit most to be grave.
Good husband and huswife, now chiefly be glad,
Things handsome to have, as they ought to be had.
They both do provide, against Christmas do come,
To welcome good neighbour, good cheer to have

some.

A contraction for good husbandmen.

+ An old form of expression. The author means, that poor people of course are sorely oppressed:

"Short summer lightly has a forward spring." Shakespeare,

Good bread and good drink, a good fire in the hall, Brawn, pudding, and souse, and good mustard withall.

Beef, mutton, and pork, shred pies of the best,

Pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkey well drest,
Cheese, apples, and nuts, joly carols to hear,
As then in the country, is counted good cheer.
What cost to good husband is any of this?
Good houshold provision only it is:

Of other the like, I do leave out a many,
That costeth the husbandman never a penny.
At Christmas be merry, and thankful withall,
And feast thy poor neighbours, the great with the
small;

Yea all the year long, to the poor let us give,

God's blessing to follow us, whiles we do live.

THE SPELL OF ST. EDMUND'S BURY.

"O gloryous Martir which of devout humblenesse
"For Chrystis sake was bounden to a tre.”

Wynkyn de Worde put forth the first Edition of the HORE, in this country, relating to the Cathedral Service at Salisbury, under the following title: "Hore "beate Marie Virginis ad vsvm insignis ecclesie Sarum. "Londinii per Winandum de Worde. 1502." 4to. membran. A copy of this impression, now in the Gough Library at Oxford, and described in Vol. 2.