[168] For the words of these songs, see Harland's _Ballads and Songs of Lancashire_, p. 116; and for words and music, Chambers's _Book of Days_, i. 546. [169] A. B., Liverpool, in _Notes and Queries_, v. 581. [170] Baines's _History of Lancashire_. [171] These boughs, says Mr. Thornber, in his _History of Blackpool_, were emblematical of the character of the maiden thus conspicuously distinguished; an elder-bough for a scold, one of ash for a swearer, &c. [172] _Pictorial History of Lancashire._ [173] Dugdale's _Monast. Anglic._, vol. vi. p. 906. [174] _Farington Papers_, p. 128. [175] _Gent. Mag._, vol. liii., for July, 1783, p. 578. [176] M. F., in _Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, ii. 397. [177] Aquinas, in _Notes and Queries_, 3rd series, v., April 2., 1864. [178] Ed. _Notes and Queries_. [179] Wellbank, in _Notes and Queries_, 2nd series, viii. 242. [180] See _History of Blackpool_. [181] Here is the specimen of one sung from house to house during Christmas:-- We're nather cum to yare hase to beg nor to borrow, But we're cum to yare hase to drive away o sorrow; A suop o' drink, as yau may think, for we're varra droy, We'll tell yau what we're cum for--a piece o' Christmas poye. [182] The mince-pie, made of a compound of Eastern productions, represented the offerings of the wise men who came from far to worship the Saviour, bringing spices. Its old English coffin-shape was in imitation of the manger in which the infant Jesus was laid. [183] We have not been able to find any account of this mode of catching larks, at least, under the name here given. [184] The baker formerly gave his customers a baby of paste; and in my own recollection a cake, decorated with the head of a lamb, named "the Ewe loaf," was the Christmas present of bakers at Poulton. On Christmas Eve the houses were illuminated with candles of an enormous size.--W. T. [185] From a family MS. of the Cunliffes, quoted in Baines's _Lancashire_, iii. 244. EATING AND DRINKING CUSTOMS. In many instances of particular Church Festivals, and of popular celebrations, we have already enumerated various viands appropriated to special occasions, as the turkey to New Year's Day; the pancake to Shrove-Tuesday; the simnel, carlins, bragot, and fig-pie to Mid-Lent Sunday; the goose to Michaelmas; frumenty, mince-pies, &c., to Christmas. A few remain, however, for notice here:--Eccles cakes, Ormskirk gingerbread, Everton toffy, and other sweet cakes have "all seasons for their own." The two rival shops in Eccles, on opposite sides of Church-street, the one called "The genuine Eccles cake shop, from over the way," and the other "The real Eccles cake shop, never removed," so much puzzle the stranger and visitor, that purchases are often made at both in order to secure the real, genuine, original article. THE HAVERCAKE LADS.