The drum-major, as well as every man in the regiment, wears a leek in his busby; the goat is dressed with rosettes and ribbons of red and blue. The officers have a party, and the drum-major, accompanied by the goat, marches round the table after dinner, carrying a plate of leeks, of which he offers one to each officer or guest who has never eaten one before, and who is bound to eat it up, standing on his chair, with one foot on the table, while a drummer beats a roll behind his chair. All the toasts given are coupled with the name of St. David, nor is the memory of Toby Purcell forgotten. This worthy was gazetted major of the regiment when it was first raised, and was killed in the Battle of the Boyne. MIDDLESEX. St. David’s Day is observed in London, says Hampson (_Med. Ævi Kalend._ vol. i. p. 168), by the Charitable Society of Ancient Britons, who were established in 1714, in behalf of the Welsh Charity School in Gray’s Inn Road. On this occasion each man wears an artificial leek in his hat. OXFORDSHIRE. On St. David’s Day at Jesus College, Oxford, an immense silver gilt bowl, containing ten gallons, which was presented to the College by Sir Watkin Williams Wynne in 1732, is filled with “swig,” and handed round to those who are invited to sit at the festive and hospitable board.--Hone’s _Year Book_, 1838, p. 265. WALES. At Tenby one of the benefit clubs marched through the town bearing the leek in their hats. In the evening a ball took place, at which artificial leeks were worn by both sexes.--Mason, _Tales and Traditions of Tenby_, 1858, p. 19. MARCH 1.] SIMNEL SUNDAY. Simnel Sunday is better known as Mid-Lent or Mothering Sunday, and was so called because large cakes called Simnels were made on this day. Bailey in his _Dictionary_ (fol. 1764, by Scott,) says, _Simnel_ is probably derived from the Latin _Simila_, fine flour, and means a sort of cake, or bun, made of fine flour, spice, &c. Frequent mention is made of the Simnel in the household allowances of Henry the First. “Cancellarius v solidos in die et i Siminellum dominicum, et ii salum, et i sextarium de vino claro, et i sext. de vino expensabili, et unum grossum cereum, et xl frusta Candell.”--_Libr. Nigr. Scaccarii_, p. 341. The “Siminellum Dominicum,” Hearne thinks, was a better kind of bread[20] and that “Siminellum Salum,” from ~sal~, cibus, victus, was the ordinary bread; if it be not the Latin _Salis_ (Siminellum Salinum), in which case it denotes that more salt is contained in it than in the other. If the derivation from Simnel be not satisfactory, perhaps the Anglo-Saxon ~symbel~, a feast or banquet, whence ~simbel~, ~dæg~, a festival day, may suffice.--_Med. Ævi Kalend._ vol. i. p. 177. [20] Alderman Wilkinson of Burnley, a well known able Lancashire antiquary, some time since stated that it “originally meant the _very finest_ bread. _Pain demain_ is another term for it, on account of its having been used as Sunday bread.”