THE NATIVES OF WILTSHIRE. WHETHER the dull cold climate of the Wiltshire downs is reflected on the intellect of the inhabitants, on the analogy of that of the Boeotians of old, or whether the tending of sheep has by minute examination of that animal's qualities produced a desire of imitation, it would be hard to determine; but certain it is that an assumption of the former hypothesis is warranted by facts; while if the latter be true the natives can assuredly be awarded the palm of success. It is not fair, however, to be so hard on our primitive neighbours, for they ought to be extremely interesting to us as examples of rural society two centuries ago. Of all things, perhaps, their ideas of religion, or rather their superstitions, are most worthy of notice,and that to any beings existing in enlightened England in the nineteenth century, ghosts, "bully-beggars (the Western equivalent for Banshees) and witchcraft should be potent terrors. First, with regard to their religious observances. Their appearance at church seems for the most part to depend on the state of their hats, probably because in church this is the least conspicuous part of their attire; for should an energetic curate upbraid a delinquent, he always PRICE 3d. meets with the same answer, that there was not time before Sunday to invest in a new article of headgear. It was a long time before Dissent made its way into these remote regions; when it did come, it was an unfortunate circumstance that Wesleyans arrived simultaneously with the previously unknown art of whistling, and Baptists with rheumatism. The rustic intellect, incapable of two ideas at once, has indissolubly connected them. The heedless traveller who, in addition to being afflicted with rheumatism, has acquired the habit of whistling, is set down as a dangerous and supernatural trimmer, and all that meet him scratch their astonished heads as only Wiltshiremen can do. The belief in bully-beggars is yet more striking: that strange beings should unite to terrify lone shepherds by unearthly sounds, or should be bold enough to carry them off bodily, is an inexplicable mystery. Of course some unimaginative rationalistic scoffers will assert that the effect is produced by sheep with bad coughs, and somnambulism; but are their ideas at all worthy of credence P Witchcraft and the power of the evil eye are articles of faith on the Downs. If the churn refuses to produce butter in time, if cattle die, if the rustic gallant does not succeed in his courtship, it is often set down as the effect of evil arts. A single story will illus. The trate this belief. Five years ago a simple country matron bought from a pedlar a "warranted eight-day timepiece," all for the immense sum of eighteen pence; but, strange to say, the clock refused to go. cause was easily explained; her next door neighbour, probably because she lived alone and kept a cat, had long been suspected of witchcraft. It was so circumstantial; the said witch, just as she shut her garden gate on her way out, could catch a glimpse of the left hand corner of the clock, and had evidently practised her sorceries upon it. It was in vain that the owner appealed to the curate to drive away the spell; he was just fresh from College, and had not yet learnt the exorcistic powers of "bell, book, and candle." Determined to avert the evil influence, she affixed pieces of red flannel to every corner of the house!-but the clock would not go. With stern resolution she shut all the shutters, and lived for a week without a ray of light;-the clock would not go. Her last resource was to take it to the nearest town, where a watchmaker informed her that it lacked the necessary item of works, but made a very effective and aesthetic ornament. The existence and the power of ghosts is again thoroughly impressed on their minds. A man who married again one month after his late consort's decease could not be found at the time of the ceremony; at last he arrived, and it was found that he had spent the time in stopping the chinks of her grave with clay, that her ghost might not return to trouble him. The ghost, in spite of this precaution, escaped and incessantly troubled his slumbers. To explain this mystery rationalists quote from Kingsley and say "that ghost was rats." The Wiltshire clodhopper, however, shines also in an eminently practical light. Moralists talk about the noble sentiments of patriotism that thrill through those simple hearts; of which the following is a specimen. A Wiltshire mother whom they would extol as a western Cornelia, on hearing that her son had enlisted, was loud in her lamentations because he had "put on a red jacket to be shot at." brother, however, who was a decided optimist, expressed a hope that he would return "with stripes on his arm and not on his back." Fired by such patriotic sentiments the tender mother, who had. heard the parson talk in his sermons about a rain of bullets, after much misgiving sacrificed her only His heirloom, a fine old green umbrella, to protect her firstborn. In spite of his plaintive entreaties the stern recruiting sergeant rejected it as useless. Great travellers they cannot be called, and in every village there are men to be found who have never been farther than the neighbouring town. To them a railway causes great astonishment; but still greater is the awe and reverence with which they approach a telegraph-post. One fond father affixed a pair of boots to the wires, which he intended as a present to his son in Australia; an hour afterwards he came back and found his son had returned him the old ones, for there were some tattered boots found hanging in the very same place. Some sceptics of course threw out dark insinuations to the effect that a passing tramp might have been tempted to change his boots; but that could not alter the convictions of the father. The appearance of a foreigner in the remote parts of Wiltshire is indeed rare; it happens on an average once a century. Once an adventurous Frenchman expressed a desire to see Stonehenge, and accordingly ensconced himself in a "trap," for the true son of Wilts recognizes no other vehicle; after proceeding at the customary snail's pace for some hours the excitable Gaul ventured to ask several times how far the journey was. To this he got the unvarying response "A main step yet." At last in desperation he exclaimed "Allez vite, Allez vite!" to which the sturdy Briton, whose thoughts usually ran on agriculture, replied with contempt "Noa 'taint, 'tis oats." Again, their dress is certainly a notable feature: to see the robust women labouring in the fields, clad in simple corduroy trowsers, which their scanty petticoats ill conceal; to behold their husbands clad in their market-day and Sunday suits of clean smockfrocks and of top hats, whose shape is peculiar to this part of the country, (alas! that some radicals should substitute the unpoetic garb of a short coat and a billy-cock); to view them toiling in the fields with their limbs girt about with all manner of straps, which, by-the-by, are also for outward application on any youths of hybristic tendencies that may offer them insult-all this insensibly carries our thoughts back centuries. Another salient point is their language. Now there are three degrees of the Wiltshire dialect; the first is unintelligible even to themselves; the second they alone can just manage to understand; the third others also can dimly comprehend. It is a strange but well attested fact that Germans can understand very broad Wiltshire much better than average Englishmen to meet young rustic and ask him the way is a great waste of breath to the Englishman of ordinary attainments, for no one can make head or tail out of the stream of inarticulate gutturals. Finally there is one libel on Wiltshiremen which ought in justice to be refuted. The fable is that a traveller observed a rustic raking a pond on which the moon was shining. On being asked what he was doing, the rustic pointed to the reflection of the moon, and observed that he was trying to rake out that green cheese. The traveller went on his way, pondering over the deplorable ignorance of the natives of these parts; and this circumstance accordingly gained them the soubriquet of moonrakers. But the true solution of the story is this:As the traveller walked away, the rustic raked out a cask of smuggled spirits, and laughed in his sleeve at the credulousness of some people. WHAT MR. EDITOR THINKS. Ex-Editor C. waz a sensible wight, Corrected his proof-sheets an' looked arter folks, He made his paper ez good ez he might, An' didn't let people on others make jokes. Editor he Sez he want go follerin Editor C. My aint it terrible, wut shall we du ? We can't never praise him, o'course, that's flat; Guess we shall hev to come round, don't you? An' go in fer 'rubbish,' nicknames an' all that; For now the Editor he Sez he want go follerin Editor C. Mister L. B. is a dreffle smart man, He jests upon everythin', form, gait and health; Personality's ollers a part of his plan, He's true to his theory-he drags in himself. Editor he Sez he shall go follerin Mister L. B. Mister L. B. he ollers makes game He don't vally feelins no more 'n old shoe, Can't think why on earth to school fellers came : So now the Editor he Sez he's fer follerin Mr. L. B. The paper wuz gettin on nicely we thought, With good old idees of wat's right and wut aint, Kind o' thought that this essay worn't just what it ought, Personality worn't the best mark of a gent; But now the Editor he Sez this kind o' thing's un exploded idee. Sez there nothin' on airth, but just fee, faw, fum, Editor he Sez it aint no such thing, an' o' course, so must we. To make some people merry and some on 'em sore; Editor he Sez they didn't know everything then at M.C. Wal, its a marcy we've gut folks to tell us The rights an' the wrongs o' these matters I vow; We've got Editors an' other wise fellers To drive our team right wen it gits in a slough. Fer now the Editor he Sez he's settled the matter with "Fiddledidee!" HOSEA BIGLOW, JUNR. PUBLIC SCHOOL NOTES. The Rossallian begins with an interesting, though somewhat lengthy, article on Keats. A letter complains of geese and sheep intruding upon the school premises, of "melancholy-looking cows ruminating on the architecture of the head master's house," and of "night being made dreadful by the peculiar noises of cats." Another letter complains that compulsory football is not enforced as it should be. The Eton College Chronicle is chiefly occupied with football matches, in which occur those mysterious terms, strange to Marlborough ears, "calx," "treeThe calx," "furk back," and "flying men." E.C.R.V. returns for the year show 301 Efficients, 34 Proficients, and 25 Non-efficients. An Association football match between the School and Sandhurst ended in a draw. The Felstedian has a somewhat confused article on "Schoolboy Criticism," in which the writer argues that the ordinary schoolboy's actions must be harshly criticised occasionally, he being "a strange compound of conceit and deceit, tempered by a few good qualities." A letter begins, "To the infinite chagrin of the whole school it has been finally decided that there be a concert at Christmas ;" and contains doleful complaints about the music of the school. The Malvernian has a short jerky account of Duckshooting: e.g., "I aim as they go: shall I? ᎬᏂ ? No good. Might as well. Bang! No effect. Duffer!!" The paper is well supported by Old Malvernians, but complains of the lack of contributors in the school. Our School Times (Foyle College) also complains of a lack of supporters. It is well filled, but the articles are mostly on rather deep subjects, such as 66 Geography as a Science." There is a Chess and a Mathematical column, and it intends issuing Chemical problems. The Columban is a new paper, from an Irish school near Dublin. It has been existing for some time previously under the auspices of a "prestograph." The sub-warden is a member of the school football XV. Their debating society flourishes. A motion that "protection is necessary to revive trade" was carried; another, that "the conversation of the present day ought to changed," lost. From The Newtonian we learn that "the Common Room is still swelling." They have already had three concerts this term. The Reptonian has not much of external interest. The school were beaten at football by the Nottingham Lambs. There is a discussion going on about changing the eleven colour, magenta, which one correspondent calls "sickly and washy," another "deep and rich." O. M.'s. DEATHS. November 10th, Rev. Gilbert C. F. Harries, Rector of Galligaer, and Prebendary of Fairwater, in Llandaff; aged 51. Occasional Notes. THE Concert is fixed for Monday, December 22nd. ON Saturday, Nov. 29th, a performance was given by Aptommas, the eminent harpist, assisted by the Choir, a full account of which appears elsewhere in our columns. During the past week there have been many skaters on the forest and Rockley ponds. Should the present bright frosty weather continue, we may hope for the Canal and Bathing-place to freeze. WE are glad to see that the Casts for the formation of Mr. Upcott's proposed Art Museum have arrived, and are ranged round the walls of the Bradleian. We hope to see all the brackets eventually filled, and the series completed, and wish every success to an attempt to educate the taste of the School in a subject hitherto far too much neglected. CANON FARRAR'S portrait has at length arrived from the walls of the Academy, and is hung in Hall to match that of Dr. Bradley on the opposite side. IN Cock House match, Upcott's (Maltese Cross) v. Horner's (Cross Arrows), Upcott's have at present gained one goal and two tries to Horner's two tries; Upcott's are therefore one goal ahead. There is one more day. WE beg to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of the following:-Wykehamist, Eton College Chronicle, Reptonian, Felstedian, Our School Times, Cinque Port, Newtonian, Malvernian, Rossallian, Reading School Magazine, Columban, Salopian, King Edward's School Chronicle, Goj and Magog, or the Civic Charivari, Oxford and Cambridge Undergraduates' Journal. Correspondence. To the Editor of the Marlburian. DEAR SIR,-I wish to make a complaint through the medium of your columns, in the hopes that it may reach the eyes or ears of the authorities. It is about the small accom. modation provided for the school at the Concert. I take it for granted that the Concert is an entertainment for the School, and therefore their comfort and convenience ought to be taken into consideration as much as that of others. Our visitors, (whom however we should not like to see slighted at all,) are treated to chairs and plenty of elbow-room. But the school, some 500 in number, are huddled together, like so many sheep, on to forms that were never intended to seat more than 300. What is the result? About 300 fellows, including the Lower School and the top forms of the Upper and Modern School, are able to get decent seats. What becomes of the rest? They have to choose between four evils: (1) to crouch down on the footboards between the forms, where they have to act as foot-stools to their more fortunate brethren, (2) to stand throughout the whole performance-a penance that would rival that of Simon Stylites, (3) to mount up to the top rail behind the rows of forms, and there balance themselves in an agonizing attitude, for 4 hours, by hanging on by their eyelids to any support they can find, in the way of, beam, ledge, rope, flag, nail, cobweb etc., or (4) to take refuge in the sanctuary of the platform, on the back of which they are allowed to sprawl at fall length, reminding us of that hideous spectacle of a battle field, strewn with corpses-highly edifying to our visitors! How can we expect this large proportion of our community to look forward with anything else but horror to this, the most delightful reunion of our Marlborough year? What pleasure can "The Welcome," or "Auld Lang Syne, with variations," impart to a boy who is suspended in mid air by a window-cord, all the time? I think this evil should be remedied. Either the rapidly increasing number of visitors should be curtailed-a rather invidious proposal—or, if it can be done without diminishing their number, a considerable addition ought somehow to be made to the space allotted to the school I may have painted these evils in rather glaring colours, and accordingly make my humble apologies for any exaggera. tions I may have given vent to, but at the same time hope they will help to arrest the attention of the authorities. I remain, &c. "A MEMBER OF THE CHOIR." DEAR SIR,-I should like again to recur to the question of Caps on foreign match days keeping the line. It may be too late for this year to offer suggestions on the subject, but I ke most good things they will keep. A new rule is that only the VIth may go up at the top line, and that XL Caps can keep the bottom. There are very few fellows in the VIth compared with the rest of the school, and consequently much room is wasted up at the top. And XL caps, by way of keeping the line, come crowding along between the game and the main body of the school, and for the benefit of, say, thirty caps, about seventy fellows get a vile |