The Every-day Book and Table Book, v. 1 (of 3): or Everlasting Calendar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the AlmanacHone, William
History
The Every-day Book and Table Book, v. 1 (of 3): or Everlasting Calendar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the Almanac
Hone, William
Days; Great Britain -- Social life and customs
Here Thomas Tusser, clad in earth, doth lie,
That sometime made the pointes of Husbandrie:
By him then learne thou maist: here learne we must,
When all is done, we sleepe, and turne to dust:
And yet, through Christ, to Heaven we hope to goe;
Who reades his bookes, shall find his faith was so.[6]
_St. Ulrick._
Of this saint, who died the 28th of February, 1154, Butler says little.
“THE FLOWERS of the LIVES of the most renowned SAINCTS of the three
kingdoms, England, Scotland, and Ireland, written and collected out of
the best authours and manuscripts of our nation, and distributed
according to their feasts in the calendar, By THE R. FATHER, HIEROME
PORTER, _Priest and Monke of the holy order of Sainct Benedict, of the
Congregation of England_, Printed at DOWAY with licence, and
approbation of the Ordinary, M.DC.XXXII,” relates of this saint, that he
was born in a village called Lenton, or Litton, near Bristol, with many
marvels concerning him, and among them this:--He became a priest, but
kept hawks and dogs for sport, till he met a beggar who asked alms.
Ulrick said, he did not know whether he had aught to bestow: “Look in
thy purse,” quoth the beggar, “and there thou shalt find twopence
halfpenny.” Ulrick finding as he was told, received thanks, and a
prophecy that he should become a saint, whereupon he starved and
hermitized at Hessleborough, in Dorsetshire, about thirty miles from
Exeter. “The skin only sticking to his bones,” his daintiest food was
oaten-bread and water-gruel. He passed many nights without sleep, never
slept but when he could not keep awake, and never went to bed, “but,
leaning his head to a wall, he tooke a short allowance;” and when he
awoke, “he would much blame and chastise his body, as yielding vnto
ouermuch nicenesse.” His pillow was ropes of hay, his clothing poor, and
lined next the skin with a rough shirt of hair-cloth, till his flesh
having overcome its uneasiness, he wore next his skin an iron coat of
mail. In the sharpest cold of winter, having first put off his iron
shirt, he was wont to get into a vessel of cold water and recite psalms.
His coat of mail hanging below his knees, he went to the knight who gave
it to him, to take counsel therein. His military adviser persuaded him
to send it to London to be cut; but he gave the knight “a payre of
sheares.” The knight hesitated, the other entreated. “The one falls to
his prayers, the other endeavours with iron and steale to cut iron and
steale, when both their labours tooke prosperous effect; for the knight,
in his cutting worke, seemed rather to divide a piece of cloath than a
peece of iron.” Then the saint, “without any sheeres, pulled asunder the
little rings of that part of his coate cutt off, and distributed them
charitably to all that desired, by virtue whereof manie diseases were
cured.” Envying such rare goodness, an infernal spirit, in most horrible
shape, dragged him into the church, and ran him round the pavement, till
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account