FOOTNOTES:

“Of your white bread I would desire a shiver,And of your hen, the liver.”’

“Of your white bread I would desire a shiver,

And of your hen, the liver.”’

And Aubrey’s friend, Dr. White Kennet, says in the same book: ‘In Kent and many other parts the women when they have kneaded their dough into a loaf cut ye form of a cross on the top of it.’

I have been favoured by the Rev. T. F. Thiselton-Dyer, whose works on folk-lore are so deservedly well known, with the following notes on superstitions about bread:

‘Throughout the world a special respect has always been paid to bread as the “staff of life.” Hence, according to a trite and common saying: “The man who wastes bread will live to want.” It is not surprising, indeed, that this food of man, which in some form or other is indispensable, should have from time immemorial been invested with an almost sacred character, anyone who is recklessly careless of the household loaf incurring risk of poverty one day himself.

‘At the outset, it may be noticed that, as a precautionary measure against mishaps of any kind, many housewives were formerly in the habit of making the sign of the cross on their loaves of bread before placing them in the ovens, a practice which is still kept up in some parts of the country. Various explanations have been assigned for this custom, the common one being “that it prevents the bread turning out heavy.” In Shropshire one day remarked an elderly maidservant: “We always make a cross on the flour before baking, and on the malt before mashing up for brewing. It’s to keep it from being bewitched.” Some, again, maintain that the sign of the cross “keeps the bread from getting mouldy,” but whatever the true reason, it is persistently adhered to in the West of England. As, however, evil spirits and malicious fairies were generally supposed to be powerless when confronted with the sign of the cross,there is every reason to suppose that this is the origin of this superstition.

‘In days gone by, too, bread was used as a charm against witches, no doubt from its being stamped with the sign of the holy cross. Herrick, for instance, in hisHesperides, alludes to this usage in the following rhyme:

“Bring the holy crust of bread,Lay it underneath the head;’Tis a certain charm to keepHags away while children sleep.”Hags away while children sleep.”

“Bring the holy crust of bread,

Lay it underneath the head;

’Tis a certain charm to keep

Hags away while children sleep.”

‘Bread, too, has long been employed as a physical charm for the cure of various complaints. Thus, an old book, entitledA Work for Householders, written in the early part of the 16th century, gives this charm as in use for the toothache. “The Charmer taketh a piece of white bread, and saith over that bread the Pater Noster, and maketh a cross upon the bread; then doth he lay that piece of bread upon the tooth that acheth or unto any sore, turning the cross unto the sore or disease, and so is the person healed.” Then there was the famous Good Friday bread, which was in request for its medicinal virtues, being considered a sovereign remedy for diarrhœa when grated in a small quantity of water. An anecdote is told of a cottager who lamented that her poor neighbour must certainly die, because she had already given her two doses of this bread, but, unfortunately, without any success. Indeed, in days gone by, so much importance was attached to bread thus baked, that there were in most parts few country houses in which itwas not to be found. At the present day also one may occasionally find the custom kept up, especially in the Northern counties, where so many of the old beliefs survive.

‘But these are not the only ways in which bread has been the source of superstition, it having held a prominent place in numerous curious ceremonies. Thus sailors used it as offerings to propitiate the elements; and we are told how the seafaring community of Greece, in the 17th century, were accustomed to take to sea 30 loaves of bread, consecrated and named St. Nicholas’ loaves. In case of a storm these were thrown into the sea one by one, until they had succeeded in calming the waves.

‘Oblations of this kind were of frequent occurrence in past years. The Russian sailor, in order to appease the angry spirit that troubled the waters of the White Sea, would cast into the water a small cake or loaf made of flour and butter. Again, a Norwegian story states that a sailor wished, according to custom, to give on Christmas Day a cake to the spirit that presided over the waters; but, when he came to the shore, lo! the waters were frozen over. Unwilling to leave his little offering on the ice, the sailor tried to make a hole; but in spite of all his efforts it was not large enough for him to put his cake through. Suddenly, to his surprise, a tiny hand, as white as snow, was stretched through the hole, and seizing the offering withdrew with it.

‘To give a further illustration, we are told by a correspondent ofMélusine(Jan., 1885) that in the Isle de Sein “a little ship made of bread crusts issuspended over the table, and on Holy Thursday it is lowered down and burnt, while all uncover and theVeni Creatoris sung. Another bread ship is then suspended over the table. This ceremony is known as the Ship Feast, and is designed to insure the safety of the family fishing boat.” Among further beliefs current among sailors in our own country is the notion that it is unlucky to turn a loaf upside down after helping oneself from it, the idea being that for every loaf so turned a ship will be wrecked. It is also said that if a loaf parts in the hand while being cut it bodes dissensions in the family—the separation of husband and wife.

‘Once more, bread is not without its many traditions and legendary lore. According to a popular tale told of the City of Stavoreen, Holland, there resided in it a certain rich virgin, who owned many ships. One day she entertained a wizard, but gave him no bread. In consequence of this serious omission he predicted her downfall, remarking that bread was the most useful and necessary thing. Soon after a shipmaster was bidden to procure the most valuable cargo in the world. He chose a load of wheat; but on arriving with his cargo, he was ordered to throw it overboard. It was in vain that he begged to be allowed to give it to the poor. Accordingly it was thrown into the sea; but the wheat sprouted, and a bank grew up, the harbour being ruined for ever. A Welsh legend tells how, many years ago, a man who dwelt in the parish of Myddvai saw three beautiful nymphs in the water, and courted them. They, however, called him “Eaterof Hard-baked Bread,” and refused to have anything to do with him. One day, however, he saw floating on the lake a substance resembling unbaked bread, which he fished up and ate, and was thereby possessed of one of the lovely water-nymphs.

‘Thus, in one form or another, bread can boast of an extensive and widespread folk-lore, besides having in our own and other countries been made the subject of numerous proverbs, many of which are well-known from daily use as incorporating familiar truths. The common saying, for instance, which says:

‘Never turn a loaf in the presence of a Menteith,’ originated with Sir Walter Scott, in hisTales by a Grandfather, thus: Sir John Stewart de Menteith was the person who betrayed Sir William Wallace to King Edward. His signal was, when he turned a loaf set upon the table, the guests were to rush on the patriot and seize him. Then there is the phrase, “to cut large slices out of another man’s loaf,” referring to those who look after themselves at their neighbour’s expense. A popular Scotch proverb tells us that ‘Bread’s house skailed never”; in other words, a full or hospitable house never wants visitors; and, according to another old proverb, “Bread and milk is bairns’ meat, I wish them sorry that lo’e it.”’

1Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi and its Tributaries, by David Livingstone. Lond. 1865, p. 543.

2Mulcture—fine.

3Lose.

4A measure containing 10 homers, or about 60 pints.

5Vol. II., 89.

6Vol. IV., 167, 168.

7Ilios.By Dr. H. Schliemann. London, 1880, pp. 32, 33.

8Prize.

9Knot.

10Hinges.

11Nostrils.

12Jongleur and joker.

13Took toll thrice.

14Some careful investigations have been made by M. Balland on the temperature which is reached in the interior of a loaf of bread during baking, and the results are published in theComptes Rendus, Paris. Delicate thermometers were inserted in the dough before placing it in the oven, and on the removal of the loaf the temperature recorded was carefully noted. It seems that, contrary to the opinions expressed by some investigators—that the heat generated in the crumb of the bread never exceeds 212° Fahr.—that is to say, the temperature of boiling water—M. Balland finds that it invariably attains from 212° to 216° Fahr., while that of the outer crust, which cannot form at this temperature, is very much higher.

15The English Bread Book for Domestic Use, &c., by Eliza Acton, London, 1857. 8vo.

16A Glossary of Liturgical and Ecclesiastical Terms.By the Rev. F. G. Lee. London: 1877; p. 17.

17He was a constant attendant in the crowds at Lord Mayor’s Day.

18Tenures of Land and Customs of Manors, originally collected by Thomas Blount. London, 1874, 8vo.

19A Collection of Old English Customs, etc.By H. Edwards. London, 1842.

THE END.

LONDON:PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,DUKE STREET, STAMFORD STREET, S.E., AND GREAT WINDMILL STREET, W.

Popular Natural History of the Lower Animals.Invertebrates.

By HENRY SCHERREN, F.Z.S.,Author of ‘Through a Pocket Lens,’ etc.With 169 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. Cloth. 3s. 6d.

‘It gives in simple language many details concerning the structure and habits of “backboneless animals.” The text is profusely illustrated, and altogether the publication is a practical elementary treatise on the invertebrates.’—The Morning Post.‘It is carefully written, and quite intelligible to the ignorant. An excellent handbook.’—The British Weekly.‘Interspersed with a large number of scientific facts will be found a quantity of amusing reading.’—The Field.

Creatures of the Sea.Being the Life Stories of Some Sea Birds,Beasts, and Fishes.

By FRANK T. BULLEN, F.R.G.S.,Author of ‘The Cruise of the “Cachalot,”’ etc.With Forty Illustrations byTheo. Carreras.Demy 8vo. Cloth gilt, gilt top, 7s. 6d.

Mr. Bullen takes his readers long and pleasant voyages over the vast expanse of the Ocean, and enables them to see with something of his own keenness of observation and sympathetic interest the wonderful varieties of animate life that are found upon and beneath its mighty waters.Those familiar with Mr. Bullen’s style hardly need to be told that there is nothing of the dry scientific character about these studies. His vivid and glowing pictures of the wonderful and varied life of the Deep Sea possess a human and lifelike quality often absent from the elaborate descriptions of severer scientific and technical treatises.

The Trees and Plants of the Bible.

By W. H. GROSER, B.Sc.Illustrated. Cloth. 2s.

‘Apart from its religious value, this little volume must approve itself to all lovers of botany.’—The Times.

The Animals of the Bible.

By H. CHICHESTER HART,Naturalist to Sir G. Nares’ Arctic Expedition and Professor Hull’sPalestine Expedition.Illustrated. Cloth. 2s.

‘One feels in reading the book that much of the information has been obtained at first hand.’—The Schoolmaster.‘A capital handbook for teachers.’—The Saturday Review.

Plants of the Bible.

By Rev. GEORGE HENSLOW, M.A., F.L.S., etc.Illustrated from Photographs of the Plants themselves.Foolscap 8vo. Cloth, 1s.

‘A brief but reasonable introduction to Scriptural botany.’—The Manchester Guardian.

SOME STANDARD WORKS.

The Bible Handbook.

An Introduction to the Study of Holy Scripture.By the late JOSEPH ANGUS, D.D.New Edition thoroughly Revised, and in part Re-written by SAMUEL G. GREEN, D.D.

Author of ‘A Handbook of Church History,’ etc.Large crown 8vo. Cloth gilt. 6s. net.

The Tabernacle.

Its History and Structure.By the Rev. W. SHAW CALDECOTT.With a preface by ProfessorSayce, LL.D.With a Map and Eighteen Illustrations and Diagrams.Large crown 8vo. Cloth gilt. 5s.

In regard to the precise form of the Tabernacle, so much necessarily depended upon a true understanding of the various linear measures of the Old Testament, that reconstruction was always attended with some doubt. Mr. Caldecott believes, however, that he has solved the last difficulty. The Bible reader will find the volume of absorbing interest. Its text is finely illustrated by maps and plans specially prepared for the work. Professor Sayce contributes a commendatory Preface.

A Handbook of Church History.

From the Apostolic Era to the Dawn of the Reformation.By SAMUEL G. GREEN, D.D.Author of ‘A Handbook of Old Testament Hebrew,’ etc.With Full Dates, Chronological Tables, and Index.640 pages. 6s. net.

For the purposes of the student it will be found simple in arrangement, lucid in style, and entirely without bias; while careful chronological and other tables will facilitate its use as a text-book. At the same time the history is eminently adapted for the general reader, who will find a subject, which is often rendered for him unapproachable by the dry and technical method of its treatment, dealt with in a style at once popular and exact.

‘It is a capable and lucid narrative, which seems to succeed in treating a history which covers 14-1/2 centuries in not too sketchy a manner, and which is not intent in establishing any partizan doctrine.’—The Times.

‘It is an interesting synoptic view of the history of the Western Church.’—The Daily News.

‘It gives an able and interesting presentation of a subject which has often been made repellant by the manner in which it was treated.’—The Scotsman.

The Slave In History.

His Sorrows and his Emancipation.By WILLIAM STEVENS,Some time Editor ofThe Leisure Hour.With Portraits and with Six Illustrations byJ. Finnemore, R.A.Large Crown 8vo. Cloth gilt. 6s.

In this work Mr. Stevens presents a vivid picture of the life and circumstances of the slave in all ages and lands.The influence of Christianity on the slave life, and the steps by which Christian nations successfully shook themselves free from complicity in slave-holding are carefully detailed; whilst the chief workers in the great emancipation movements of modern times are in turn brought before the reader’s attention.The volume furnishes at once the most comprehensive and the most up-to-date survey of the slavery question.The illustrations include some vivid pictures of slave-life, and incidents in the emancipation movement.

The China Martyrs of 1900.

A Complete Roll of the Christian Heroes Martyred in China in 1900, with Narratives of Survivors.Compiled and Edited by ROBERT COVENTRY FORSYTH,For 18 years a Missionary in China of the Baptist Missionary Society.With 144 Portraits and other Illustrations.Demy 8vo. Cloth gilt 7s. 6d.

This volume seeks to place on record in a permanent form a complete account of the terrible convulsion in China in the year 1900, known as the Boxer Movement. It contains the thrilling story of how death, for Christ’s sake, was bravely met in many of its most hideous forms by missionaries and native Christians alike.It also describes some of the most miraculous escapes from death on the part of missionaries and native Christians.The story of the siege of Peking is described from a Christian point of view, and the author sums up his study of the great episode in the conviction that in China of to-day, as in other parts of the world in all ages, the blood of the martyrs will prove to be the seed of the Church.

Thirty Years In Madagascar.

By the Rev. T. T. MATTHEWS,Of the London Missionary Society.With Sixty-Two Portraits and other Illustrations from Photographs and Sketches. Demy 8vo. Cloth gilt. 6s.

‘Mr. Matthews’ story forms a splendid record of good work accomplished, and the volume is by far the most interesting and entertaining of all the books which have been published lately concerning missionary life in the great African island.’The Athenæum.

‘It is a remarkable record of Christian activity.’—The Pall Mall Gazette.

‘The intrinsic worth of the book ought to ensure its success, for it takes a place of its own among Missionary volumes.’—The Examiner.

BIOGRAPHICAL WORKS.

Champions of the Truth.

Short Lives of Christian Leaders in Thoughtand Action. By various Writers.Edited by A. R. BUCKLAND, M.A.With Portraits. Crown 8vo. Cloth gilt. 3s. 6d.

‘Here are pen portraits of eighteen Evangelical teachers, beginning with Wyclif and ending with Spurgeon. It need hardly be said, perhaps, that their eighteen biographers treat them from about the same point of view. The admirable thing is that, though that point of view is one with which a given reader may not be so fortunate as to find himself in sympathy, it is one which has the advantage of showing the subject of the biography at his best. A very pleasant volume, and the more to be valued for the sake of its fifteen portraits.’—The Academy.

Hugh Latimer.

By ROBERT DEMAUS, M.A.Author of ‘William Tindale,’ etc.New Edition, Revised. With a Portrait. Large crown 8vo.Cloth gilt. 3s. 6d.

The First Edition of this work was published by the Society in 1869, but so careful was the Author in his method and research that it still ranks as thestandard life of the Great Reformer.

The Homes and Haunts of Luther.

By JOHN STOUGHTON, D.D.Third Edition. Thoroughly Revised byC. H. Irwin, M.A.With Eleven Illustrations. Crown 8vo. Cloth gilt. 2s. 6d.

Several new Illustrations appear in this Third Edition, including a fine reproduction of a very rare portrait of Luther by Cranach. The reviser’s notes contain a considerable amount of new material, especially in regard to Wittenberg and the restoration of its historic Castle Church.

‘The teaching of this sturdy Protestant Reformer re-shaped the Religious history of the world; and the story of his life as told in these fascinating pages cannot be too often enforced.’—The Record.

A SELECTION FROM THE

LIST OF WORKS OF TRAVEL

An Artist’s Walks in Bible Lands.

By HENRY A. HARPER, Author of “Walks in Palestine,” etc.With a Photogravure Frontispiece, and 55 other fine Illustrations from Drawings by the Author. Super royal 8vo. Cloth gilt, 6s. net.

“Mr. Harper could give a capital pen-picture of what he saw, and by the aid of his pencil was enabled to represent still more vividly the aspects of Eastern travel which most strikingly impressed him.”—The Scotsman.

“Mr. Harper had a ready and powerful pen, and to this gift he added that of artistic drawing. We are in the hands of a guide who knows his way, and tells what to see and how best to see it.”—The Spectator.

In Scripture Lands.

New Views of Sacred Places.By EDWARD L. WILSON.With 150 Original Illustrations engraved from Photographs taken by the Author. Crown 4to. Cloth elegant, gilt top, 15s.

Mr. Wilson’s journey in Scripture Lands was the first instance in which a fully equipped artist photographer has visited the scenes made memorable by the Bible narratives, and has reproduced both by camera and by word-painting the people, the ruins, and the famous spots which have become household words throughout Christendom.

A Visit to Bashan and Argob.

By Major ALGERNON HEBER-PERCY.

With an Introduction by the Rev. CanonTristram. With many Illustrations from hitherto unpublished Photographs, taken by the Author. Small 4to. Cloth, 6s. Cloth, extra gilt, gilt edges, 7s. 6d.

“It furnishes in a pleasing style many very interesting particulars of the people, their habits, customs, laws, and religious faith, with many photographs of architecture and other relics of the past grandeur of the land of King Og and the ‘Cities of the Giants.’”—Daily News.

Ten Years’ Digging In Egypt, 1881-1891.

By W. M. FLINDERS PETRIE,Author of “Pyramids of Gizeh,” “Hawara,” “Medum,” etc.Illustrated. Crown 8vo. Cloth, 6s.

“A popular summary of the results attained by one of the most capable and successful explorers of Egypt. He tells his story so well and so instructively, and it is so well worth telling, that his little book will doubtless command the wide popularity it certainly deserves.”—The Times.

Rambles In Japan: The Land of the Rising Sun.

By the Rev. Canon TRISTRAM, D.D., LL.D., Author of “The Land of Moab,” “The Natural History of the Bible,” etc.With many Illustrations byEdward Whymper, from Photographs and Sketches. Demy 8vo. Cloth, gilt top, 10s. 6d.

“Dr. Tristram is an experienced traveller, keen in observation and kindly in appreciation, an accomplished field-naturalist, and an enthusiastic collector of things rare or beautiful both in nature and art. These qualities have stood him in good stead during his visit to Japan.”—The Times.

Thirty Years in Madagascar.

By the Rev. T. T. MATTHEWS, of the London Missionary Society.With 60 portraits and other Illustrations. Demy 8vo, 6s.

“The great merit of the work lies in the many pleasing descriptions of the country and of the people—their customs, religion, language, and social life. The illustrations are in all respects admirable.”—The Scotsman.

The Chronicles of the Sid;

Or, The Life and Travels of Adelia Gates.By ADELA E. ORPEN,Author of “Stories of Precious Stones,” “Margareta Colberg,” etc.With many Illustrations. Crown 8vo. Cloth boards, 7s. 6d.

This book is a record of a very remarkable series of travels undertaken by a lady named Adelia Gates. Alone and unaided she has trodden, not only the beaten tracks, but has also traversed the Desert of Sahara, the Nile as far as Wady Halfa, Palestine, and all parts of Iceland—these later trips beginning at an age when most ladies consider their life-work done.

Our Journey to Sinai.

A Visit to the Convent of St. Catarina.By Mrs. R. L. BENSLY.

With a Chapter on some Readings of the Sinai Palimpsest, byF. C. Burkitt, M.A. Illustrated from Photographs taken by the Author. Crown 8vo. Cloth, 3s. 6d.

“The scholarly enthusiasm which attracted Professor Bensly to Mount Sinai, and the perennial fascinations of oriental travel are well reflected in Mrs. Bensly’s pages, and a concluding chapter by Mr. Burkitt, containing a part of the account of the Sinai Palimpsest which he gave at the Church Congress, adds not a little to the value and interest of the volume.”—The Times.

Among the Tibetans.

By ISABELLA BIRD BISHOP, F.R.G.S.With Illustrations byEdward Whymper. Crown 8vo.Cloth, 1s.6d.; paper cover, 1s.

With her power of vivid description Mrs. Bishop enables the reader to realise much of the daily life and many of the strange scenes to be witnessed in that far-off land.

LONDON: THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

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