Middlewych is a pretty toun Seated in a valley, With a Church and Market Cross And eke a bouling alley; All the men are loyal there, Pretty girls are plenty, Church and King, and doun with the Rump There’s not such a toun in twenty. --_Cavalier Ballad._ “Congleton rare, where they sold the Bible to buy a bear.” _The inhabitants once laid by money for a new Bible, but the town bear having died, they devoted their savings to buying a new bear for baiting._ When the Chester and Birkenhead railway was made, the name of Ledsham was given to a station which was nearest to Sutton, and this gave rise to the following:-- “I want to go to Sutton please.” “There aren’t no Sutton _now_.” “It’s taken t’name o’ Ledsham, sir.” “For an estate? or how?” SUNDRY SAWS Farm servants dissatisfied say:-- Maily bread an maily pies, Skim Dick full o’ eyes, Buttermilk astid o’ beer, I’m sartin I shanna stop here. (_South Cheshire._) Come aw ye buttermilk sellers that have buttermilk to sell, Ah’d have ye give good mizzer, and scrub yo’r vessels well; For there’s a day o’ reckoning, an hell will have its share, An’ the devil will have you nappers as Mossy ketched his mare. “Go fiddle for shives (slices of food) Amongst old wives.” _Said in contempt._ “Laus-a-dees What times be these.” “Stare-agog, stare agog Tumbled o’er the tatoe-hog.” Children irritate bulls by shouting:-- “Billy Billy Belder Sucked the cai’s elder” (udder). PHENOMENA Dee’s valley mild till close of year Means three months cold in store, I fear. THE MOON. When hoo fulls at ye midnight, or soone after that, In ye sommer, great heat, In ye winter, hard frost. When hoo fulls at ye midday, or soone after that, Winter cries, “O ye rain,” Summer says, “Cheshire’s lost.” --_Old Cheshire Household Book_, 1675-85. (_Hoo_ is the old English “she.”) A winde from Sandbach in the Easte Blows good to neither man nor beast. Malpas ales and Malpas gales Cheer the farmer, fill his pails. Whenever Chester chimes at Congleton do sound A flood, like Noah’s, will wash away ye ground. _The towns are thirty miles apart._ It rains, it pains, it patters i’ the docks, Mobberley wenches are weshin’ their smocks. As long as Helsby (hill) wears a hood, The weather’s never very good. If Wednesday, Thursday, or if Friday Happen this year to be May day, Then begin some harmless thing And it will thee much credit bring. --Randle Holme, _Harleian MSS._ LEGENDS