House of Commons to preach in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, before "the House,” which was usually represented on this occasion by the Speaker, the Sergeant-at-Arms, the clerks, and other officers, together with some halfdozen members, a practice which was abandoned in the year 1858. It was, further, the custom to decorate the tomb of Richard Penderell-the preserver of the king after his escape from Worcester in 1651-who lies buried in the churchyard of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, on which occasion thousands from all parts flocked together to do honour to his memory. This loyal observance, says Mr. Timbs, was for many years discontinued, but the tomb was again decorated in the year 1855. Penderell lived in Turnstilelane, Holborn, in the year 1668, and it is generally supposed that at the Restoration he followed the king to London, and settled in St. Giles's parish, in order that he might be near the Court. He died in 1674.

Among the numerous provincial customs associated with this anniversary may be mentioned those celebrated at Northampton. Thus, formerly, all the principal inhabitants in the town placed a large branch of oak over the door of their houses, or in their balconies. The corporate bodies, also, went in procession to All Saints' Church, accompanied by the boys and girls of the different charity schools, each wearing a sprig of oak with a gilt oak apple. Whenever the season proved unpropitious, and oak apples were scarce, it was customary to substitute small gilded potatoes. Miss Baker, in her "Northamptonshire Glossary," informs us that this anniversary has, probably, been more generally and loyally observed in the town of Northampton than in many other places, from a feeling of gratitude to that monarch, who munificently contributed one thousand tons of timber out of Whittlewood Forest, and remitted the duty of chimneymoney in Northampton for seven years,

towards the rebuilding of the town, after the destructive fire in the year 1675 At Upton-upon-Severn, in Worcestershire, Oak Apple Day was, until within a few years ago, eagerly looked forward to by both old and young, being observed as a strict holiday. Early in the morning ropes were stretched across the street, upon which were hung garlands, tastefully composed of all such flowers as happened to be in bloom. garlands were, also, decorated with coloured ribbons, rosettes, and handkerchiefs; and as many teaspoons as could be collected were arranged in the centre of this floral device. of this floral device. May-poles and large boughs of oak were much in request, dancing being one of the features of the day's proceedings. Similar observances were kept up in other villages, the Maypole around which the young people had danced on their May-day festivities being redecorated, and the occasion regarded as a second May-day festival.

In Nottinghamshire this day was formerly nicknamed "Oak and Nettle Day," when branches of oak were generally carried by the young people in procession, with which they decorated many of the signs attached to publichouses. So enthusiastically, also, was this anniversary kept up, that the Notts juveniles were not simply content with wearing the honoured piece of oak-twig, but were provided with a piece of nettle, with which instrument of torture they unsparingly chastised any unfortunate person they happened to meet without the necessary badge of "Royal oak." In Hampshire the peasantry early on Oak Apple Day gathered slips of oak with the galls on, which they placed in the knockers, latches, or other parts of the house doors of the wealthy inhabitants, who took them in to place in their halls. After breakfast they went round to such houses for beer or money, and should they not receive anything, the following doggerel was sung :

"Shig-shag's gone past,

You're the biggest fool at last;
When shig-shag comes again,

You'll be the biggest fool then." In many parts of Cornwall the usage of wearing an oaken leaf was enforced by spitting at, or "cobbing" the offender. Again, in Devonshire, the children have been in the habit of celebrating this anniversary by carrying about what are locally known as "May babies," i.e., little dolls prettily dressed, decked with flowers, and laid in boxes somewhat resembling coffins. Hone, in his "Every-day Book," describes a curious custom once observed at Tiverton. He says that it was customary for a number of young men, dressed in the style of the seventeenth century, to parade the streets and gather contributions from the inhabitants. At the head of the procession walked a man named "Oliver," dressed in black, with his face and hands smeared over with soot and grease, and his body bound by a cord, the end of which was

held by one of the men to prevent his running too far. Then came another troop dressed in the same style, while some others carried a kind of throne, on which a child was seated. A good deal of the merriment was caused by Master

Oliver," who performed all kinds of antics, and should he catch any of his companions, he begrimed his face with soot, much to the general amusement.

Again, a curious custom existed at Durham, known as "push-penny," which consisted in a large bag of pennies, the gift of the Dean and Chapter, being scrambled for in the college-yard. For many years, also, it was the practice for the children of the Blue Coat schools to attend Divine service in the cathedral, being drawn up in rank and file in the nave, for the inspection of the prebends, who minutely examined the new scholastic garments of the Blue Coat scholars. At the conclusion of this ceremony they were ushered into the choir, and as soon as the service was over, a regular rush was made for the cloister doors in order to be present at "pushpenny." At Newcastle the day is popularly known as "Barge Day," it having been customary in years past to have on the Tyne a corporation procession similar to that which was formerly held on Lord Mayor's Day on the Thames.

NE of the most extraordinary periods of excitement, and to some extent of delusion, in the history of England, is that period in the reign of Charles II. when the nation was convulsed with the fear of an imaginary Popish plot. The nation had welcomed back Charles II. in an ecstasy of loyalty. But not very many years had elapsed before they found that their king was a very worthless man. His life had, indeed, been a strange one. He knew all the ups and downs of human fortune, for "though born in the purple, he was better acquainted with the vicissitudes of life and the diversities of character than most of his subjects. He had known restraint, danger, penury, and dependence. He had often suffered from ingratitude, insolence, and treachery. He had received many signal proofs of faithful and heroic attachment. He had seen, if ever man saw, both sides of human nature. But only one side remained in his memory. He had learned only to despise and to distrust his species, to consider integrity in men, and modesty in women, as mere acting; nor did he think it worth while to keep his opinion to himself. He was incapable of friendship; yet he was perpetually led by favourites without being in the smallest degree duped by them. He knew that their regard to his interests was all simulated; but, from a certain easiness which had no connection with humanity, he submitted, half-laughing at himself, to be made the tool of any woman whose person attracted him, or of any man whose tattle

diverted him. He thought little and cared less about religion. He seems to have passed his life in dawdling suspense between Hobbism and Popery. He was crowned in his youth with the Covenant in his hand; he died at last with the Host sticking in his throat; and, during most of the intermediate years, was occupied in persecuting both Covenanters and Catholics. He was not a tyrant from the ordinary motives. He valued power for its own sake little, and fame still less. He does not appear to have been vindictive, or to have found any pleasing excitement in cruelty. What he wanted was to be amused, to get through the twenty-four hours pleasantly.

The nation ruled by such a man soon awakened from its dream of passionate loyalty. It found itself betrayed to France, defeated on its own seas and rivers by the Dutch, a people of far inferior resources, and placed under the rule of pandars and buffoons. Our ancestors saw the best and ablest divines of the age turned out of their benefices by hundreds. They saw the prisons filled with men guilty of no other crime than that of worshipping God according to the fashion generally prevailing throughout Protestant Europe. They saw a popish queen on the throne, and a popish heir on the steps of the throne. They saw unjust aggression followed by feeble war, and feeble war ending in disgraceful peace. They saw a Dutch fleet riding triumphant in the Thames. They saw the Triple Alliance broken, the Exchequer shut up, the public credit shaken, the arms of England employed, in shameful subordination to France, against a country which seemed to be the last asylum of civil and religious