this Fear; that there is nothing in them now, more

than in other Places to be afraid of.

CHA P. VIII.

76

Of vifiting Wells and Fountains: The Original of this

Cuftom: The naming of them of great Antiquity:

The Worship paid them by the Papifts, was grofs

Idolatry.

CHA P. IX.

82

Of Omens: Their Original: The Obfervation of them

finful.

CHA P. X.

87

Of the Country Converfation in a Winter's Evening:

Their Opinions of Spirits and Apparitions: Of the

Devil's appearing with a Cloven Foot Of Fairies

and Hobgoblins: Of the walking Places of Spirits;

And of haunted Houfes.

CHA P. XI.

The Form of Exorcifing an haunted Houfe.

CHAP. XII.

102

123

Of Saturday Afternoon; how obferved of old, by the

Ancient Chriftians, the Church of Scotland, and

the old Church of England: What End we should

obferve it for: An Exhortation to the Obfervation

of it.

CHA P.

XIII.

145

Of the Yule-Clog and Christmass-Candle; what they

may fignifie; their Antiquity; the like Customs in

other Places.

CHA P. XIV.

155

Of adorning the Windows at Chriftmafs with Laurel :

What the Laurel is an Emblem of: An Objection

against this Custom taken of.

b

172

CHAP.

CHA P. XV.

181

Of the Christmas-Carol, an antient Cuftom: The common Obfervation of it, very unbecoming. CHAP XVI.

Of New-Year's Days Ceremonies: The New-Year's Gift an harmless Custom: Wishing a good New-Year, no way finful: Mumming a Cuftom, which ought to be laid afide.

187

CHAP. XVII. Of the Twelfth-Day; how obferved: The Wickedness of obferving the Twelve Days after the common Man

ner.

CHA P. XVIII.

199

Of St. Paul's-Day: The Obfervation of the Weather, a Cuftom of the Heathens, and handed down by the Monks: The Apostle St. Paul, himself is against fuch Obfervations: The Opinion of St. Auftin upon them..

CHA P. ΧΙΧ.

208

Of Candlemafs-Day; why it is fo called: The Blafphemy of the Church of Rome in confecrating WaxCandles.

CHAP. XX.

220

Of Valentine-Day; its Ceremonies: What the Council of Trullus thought of fuch Customs; that they had better be omitted.

CHA P. XXI.

225

Of Shrove-tide; what it fignifies: The Custom of the Papifts at this Season: That our prefent Customs are very unbecoming.

CHA P. XXII.

230

Of Palm-Sunday; why fo called: How obferved in the Popish Times: What it is truly to carry Palms in our Hands on that Day.

236

CHAP

CHA P. XXIII.

Of rifing early on Eafter-Day: What is meant by the Sun-dancing that Morn: The Antiquity of rifing early on this Day: The End and Defign of it: The great Advantage of it.

CHAP. XXIV.

241

Of Eafter Holy-days; a Time of Relaxation from Labour: How obferved in the dark Ages of Popery: That our Cuftoms at this Time, are fprung from theirs. 249 CHA P. XXV.

Of May-Day; the Custom of going to the Woods the Night before: This the Practice of other Nations: The Original of it: The Unlawfulness.

CHAP. XXVI.

255

Of Parochial Perambulations; their Antiquity; the Benefit and Advantage of them.

CHAP. XXVII.

263

Of Midfummer-Eve: Of kindling Fires, their Original: That this Custom formerly was Superftitious; but now may be used with Innocence.

CHA P. XXVIII.

271

Of the Feast of Sheep-fhearing, an ancient Custom. 282 CHA P. XXIX.

Of Michaelmafs: Guardian Angels the Difcourfe of the Country People at this Time: That it feems rather true, that we are protected by a Number of Angels, than by one particular Genius.

CHAP. XXX.

288

Of the Country Wake: How obferved formerly: A Cuf tom of the Heathens, and regulated by Gregory the Great.

CHA P. XXXI.

296

Of the Harvest-Supper: A Custom of the Heathens, taken from the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.

3°3

THE

Radition has in no Inftance fo clearly evinced her Faith.

pular Opinions.

in the tranfmitting of vulgar Rites and po

Of these, when we are defirous of tracing them backwards to their Origin, many lofe themselves in Antiquity.

They have indeed travelled down to us through a long Succeffion of Years, and the greatest Part of them, it is not improbable, will be of perpetual Obfervation: for the generality of Men look back with fuperftitious Veneration on the Ages of their Forefathers: and Authorities, that are grey with Time, feldom fail of commanding those filial Honours, claimed even by the Appearance of hoary old Age.

Many of these it must be confeffed are mutilated, and, as in the Remains of antient Statuary, the Parts of not a few of them have been awkwardly tranfpofed: they preferve, however, the principal Traits, that diftinguished them in their Origin.

Things, compofed of fuch flimfy Materials as the Fancies. of a Multitude, do not feem calculated for a long Duration; yet have these furvived Shocks, by which even Empires have been overthrown, and preferved at least fome Form and Colour of Identity, during a Repetition of Changes, both in religious Opinions, and in the Polity of States.

But the strongest Proof of their remote Antiquity, is, that they have outlived the general Knowledge of the very Causes that gave rise to them.

The Reader will find in the subsequent Pages an Union of Endeavours to rescue many of these Caufes from Oblivion. If, on the Investigation, they appear to any fo frivolous as not to have deferved the Pains of the Search, the humble Labourers will avoid Cenfure, by incurring Contempt.

How trivial foever such an Enquiry may feem to fome, yet all must be informed that it is attended with no small share of Difficulty and Toil.

A Paffage is to be forced through a Wilderness intricate and entangled: few Veftiges of former Labours can be found

to