But Nares shows that it has been more extensively applied.

A Squirrel's nest we call a bay. In other parts, it appears to be called dray. Thus Cowper, in one of his fables.

Climb'd, like a squirrel to his dray,
And bore the worthless prize away.

In some parts of Suffolk, bordering on Norfolk, the Shell-duck is called Bay-duck.

BEAKER. A-glass, or drinking vessel, derived possibly, from its beak-like spout, when domestic vessels were not so varied as now, and folks drank out of what they drew into. Bicker appears to be the same word in Scottish: I hope not from any obvious source, which is not, indeed, likely in so sober a country as Scotland. It occurs frequently in Tales of my Landlord. In Ivanhoe, I. 287. it is written Beaker as with us, but the scene of the dialogue in which it occurs, is, if I recollect right, English.

In Jameison we find "Bicker, a bowl or dish for containing liquor," and words of like sound and signification in many European languages. In Scottish also, as th English, the word denotes "contention, strife." It may be feared that the oup and the contention, have combined in the composition of the varied senses of this word.

BEANS. I introduce this word merely for the purpose of introducing the following quotation from Nares' Glossary.

Three blue beans in a blue bladder.

What is the origin of this whimsical combination

of words, it may not be easy to discover; but at least it is of long standing.

F. Hark! doest rattle?

S.--Yes, like three blue beans in a blue bladder, rattle bladder, rattle.

Old Fortunatus. Anc. Dr. III. p. 128.

Prior has it in his Alma:

They say

That putting all his words together,

'Tis three blue beans in one blue bladder.

Cant. I. v. 25:*

Thus far Nares. To this I have to add that "three blue beans in a blue bladder, rattle bladder, rattle”—thrice repeated, is as old a frolick some sort of Suffolk shibboleth as I can recollect; and is still frequently heard...

BEAST. A bullock of any description-not I think a bull. "A cow-beast"-a cow fattening for the butcher-not when in milk or breeding.

BEEIN. A home-a place to be in. "If I could but git a beein, I can fisherate for myself." I will here again note that where words occur, not readily understood by the Unsuffolked reader, he is to take them as Suffolcisms; and is referred to such words in this collection. See therefore FISH

ERATE.

BEESTINS. The milk of the first meal or milking after a cow have calved. It is then reckoned not fit for use. Dr. Mavor in a note on a passage in Tusser who however does not use the wordsays "Beastings, or milk immediately after calving.", In Scottish "Beist, Beistyn, the first milk of a ców after she has cálved. Ang. Sax. beost, byst;

Teut. biest, biest-melck, (colostrum.)" J. See BEEZLINS.

BEETLE. A large, heavy, wooden hammer, hooped with iron round its heads, and studded all over with nails, for the purpose chiefly of riving wood (See RIVE) with iron wedges. In Scotland an article of the same sort is called Bittle. See Pirate, I. 128. Tusser, in his catalogue of farming implements has a plough-beetle. See under

GOOF. verse 11. and note.

“Bittill—a beetle—a heavy mallet." Scottish J. Nares describes "a three man beetle," a figure of which is delineated in the Supplement to Shakespeare. Vol. I. p. 190.

If I do, fillip me with a three-man beetle.

Hen. 4. P. 2. I. 2.

BEEZLINS. The milk of the third or fourth meal, or milking, after calving. It is then particularly sweet and thick, and is deemed strengthening by rustics. It is also called Beezlin milk.

It is I suppose this description of milk that is alluded to in these lines of Ben Johnson in his Pan's Anniversary-as quoted by Nares

So may the first of all our fells be thine,
And both the beestning of our goats and kine.

But the learned Archdeacon, gives "Beestning or Beesting as the first milk given by a cow or other milch beast. A rustic word, sometimes made in biesting, and even bresting.". Gl. Such first meal or milking, we call Beestins, which see.

BEGONE. Worn, aged, decayed. "The thatch is lamentably begone."

BEHOLDEN. Obliged favored. "I ont be beholden to em."

BENT.

BENTS. BENTEN. BENTLES. Bent is a coarse unprofitable grass-the triticum juncium. Both word and weed, for it is little better, are well known beyond Suffolk, where it is indifferently called Bent and Bents. Bentles, is a name given to the low sandy flattish land on the sea shore, northward of Landguard-fort, and perhaps to other parts of the Suffolk coast, blown and forced up by winds and wayes, where nothing but this coarse, reedy Bent seems to thrive or, grow. Cattle, a hungry ass perhaps excepted, reject such pasturage. I suppose, the place is named after its only crop. This, saw is still heard

That is, until other food failing, she be forced to betake herself to the seeding -Bentles, where

she finds but scurvy fare.

-Bent is a Scottish word.

The breeze that trembles through the whistling bent.

Leyden's Scenes of Infancy. Bent or Starr, on the N. W. coast of England, and especially in Lancashire, is a coarse reedy shrub-like ours perhaps of some importance formerly, if not now, on the sandy blowing lands of those counties. Its fibrous roots give some cohesion to the silicious soil. By the 15 and 16 G. II. c., 33. plucking up and carrying away Starr

or Bent, or having it in possession, within five miles of the sand hills," was punishable by fine, imprisonment, and whipping.

Looking into Walker's Dictionary I find "Bent grass" and "Benting time "-the latter explained as "The time when pigeons feed on Bents, before pease are ripe."

And in Ray I find the saw above recorded (as I supposed for the first time) with a slight alterationThe pidgeon never knoweth wo,

But when she doth a benting go. p. 38.

It would appear from the same authority, that in the north, Bents are called Wringle-streas and Windle-straws. E. W. p. 67.

It may not be altogether unnecessary to remark that the pigeon we call Dow, for Dove: we make it rhyme to how, though we give it a lengthened drawling sound-deow, or deeyow, especially when it is a final word. See Dow.

BESTOW. To put away-to place-to dispose of to stow away. "Where did yow bestow that there hahm?"-Also putting a woman to bed, "She was bestowed last week." In the first sense we find the word in Macbeth

We hear our bloody cousins are bestowed
In England and in Ireland III. 1.

And in Hamlet, who having killed Polonious, says,
I will bestow him, and will answer well
The death I gave him. III. 4.

Again

Again

Where the body is bestowed,
my Lord,
We cannot get from him. 1b. IV. 3.

Come, my Lord, we will bestow you in some better place, Fitter for sickness, and for crazy age. K. Hen. 6. III, 2.