Another (fol. 59) is for a sowing-machine:—'Let a ginne be invented to shatter out corne by jogging in stead of soweing or setting, the one being, too wastfull, the other taking up too much time; and that the soweing and harrowing may bee but one and the same labour.'>
Herifordshire. All the earth red, as also all Wales from Severn to the sea.—The twanging pronunciation more here then in South Wales; in North Wales, not much. So about Newcastle they speak more of the Scotch twang than they doe at Berwick or Scotland.—Get the song or speech of serjant Hoskyns of the earl of Northampton, the Lord President of Wales.—At Mordeford, the serpent with 6 or 8 wings, every ... a paire.—Vide the little bookes of the old earl of Worcester[1339] in 12mo, where, amongst other things, he mentions a profecie by a bard of Ragland, that it should be burnd or destroyed and afterwards be rebuilt out of Redwood; set forth (vide), I thinke, by Dr. <Thomas> Bayly his chaplain: where be many pretty romances of that earle, etc., his life and death, etc. The same Dr. also writt a booke in folio (thinne) called Parietaria: which see. He (or his father[1340]) would shoe his horse. Was a great patron to the musicians, e.g. Caporavio, etc. This duke's father[1341] had an excellent mechanicall head: quaere what he writt: Mr. Wyld, I thinke, hath the booke printed in red.—MS. Aubr. 31, p. 68.
Monmouthshire. About the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's time Welsh was spoken much in Hereford and I believe 100 years before that as far as the Severn. It weares out more and more in South Wales, especially since the Civill Warres (and so in Cornwall: Mr. Francis Potter did see one that spake of a woman towards the farther end of Cornwall that could speak no English)—but they still retaine their ancient way of pronunciation, which is with a twang worse than the Welsh.—MS. Aubr. 21, p. 68v.
<Dress.> Memorandum—anciently no bandes worne about their neckes, but furre: as in old glasse pictures.—Memorandum till queen Elizabeth's time, no hattes, but cappes, i.e. bonnetts.—Trunke hose in fashion till the later end of King James the first.—About 90 yeares ago[1342] (1670) noblemen and gentlemen's coates were of the fashion of the bedells and yeomen of the guard, i.e. gathered at the girdle place; and our benchers' gownes retayne yet that fashion of gathering.—MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95v.
By reason of fasting dayes all gentlemen's howses had anciently fishponds, and fish in the motes about the howse.—MS. Aubr. 31, fol. 95v.
Heretofore glasse windowes were very rare, only used in churches and the best roomes of gentlemen's howses. Yea, in my remembrance, before the civill warres, copyholders and ordinary poore people had none. Now the poorest people, that are upon almes, have it. In Herefordshire, Monmouth, Salop, etc., it is so still. But now this yeare (1671) are goeing up no lesse then 3 glasse-howses between Glocester and about Worcester, so that glasse will be common over all England.—MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95v.
Memorandum—without doubt, before the Reformation there was no county in England but had severall glasse-painters. I only remember one poore one, an old man (Harding) at Blandford, in that trade.—MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95v.
Riding at the quintin at weddings is now left in these partes[1343] but in the west of England is sometimes used yet. I remember when I learned to read English I saw one at Will Tanner's wedding sett up at the green by Bownet howse by the pounde. Vide the masque of Ben Johnson, wher is a perfect description of rideing at the quintin. Quaere the antiquity and rise of it.—Memorandum I sawe somewhere that rideing at the quintin is a remayn of the Roman exercise; vide Juvenal[1344], Satyr vi. 248—
Aut quis non vidit vulnera pali[1345]
Quem cavat assiduis sudibus, scutoque lacessit
Atque omnes implet numeros?
A quintin[1346] ('quintaine' in French).