and touches, or "rise" and "touch," as a Norfolk man would say, the dragon's mouth, the neighbouring Heigham becomes flooded. An older example still is seen on an inscription at Kimberley, to John Jenkin, in the words:-- "Under this stone rare Jenkin lie," while a comparatively modern one may be found in Stratford St Mary church, in the concluding lines of an epitaph dated 1739:-- 'The Night is gone, ye Stars Remain, So man that die shall Live again." Dickens has caught the East Anglian dialect readily enough in _David Copperfield_, where he makes Mr Peggotty say, "Cheer up, old mawther" to Mrs Grummidge, and speak of "a couple of mavishes," while Ham talks to David as "Mas'r Davy, bor." The willing Barkis, too, who asks "do she now?" and speaks of the "stage-cutch," is a true product of the soil. For the benefit of those not to the manner born, let it be repeated that a "mawther" is not necessarily a parent. It is the generic name for a female. A "mawther" may therefore be a girl infant or a grown woman. "Bor" is, of course, a corruption of "neighbour," but need not, in fact, specifically mean a neighbour, and is practically the masculine of "mawther," and applicable to any man; friend close at hand or stranger from distant parts. The Norfolk dialect has attained the distinction of being made the subject of study, and glossaries and collections of local words have long been made by enthusiasts in these matters. Perhaps the most interesting and amusing of the examples of Norfolk talk is found in the East Anglian version of the _Song of Solomon_, published many years ago by Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte. It was taken down from a reading by a Norfolk peasant. A few verses will be instructive:-- * * * * * 1. The song o' songs, as is Sorlomun's. 2. Lerr 'im kiss me wi' the kisses of his mouth; for yar love is better 'an wine. 3. Becaze o' the smell o' yar intements, yar name is as intements pored out, therefoor du the mawthers love yĕ. 4. Dror mĕ, we'll run arter yĕ: the king he ha' browt me into his charmbers; we'll be glad and reījce in yĕ; we'll remahmber yar love more 'an wine: the right-up love yĕ. 5. I em black, but tidy, O ye darters o' J'rusal'm, as the taents o' Kedar, as the cattins o' Sorlomun. 6. Don't sin starrin' at me, cos I em black, 'ecos the sun t'have barnt mĕ; my mother's children wor snāsty wi' me; they made me keeper o' the winyerds, but m'own winyerd I han't kept. 7. Tell onto me, yow hu my soul du love, where ye fade, where ye make yar flock to rest at nune: fur why shud I be as one tarn aside by yar cumrades' flock? 8. If so bein' as yĕ don't know, O yow bootifullest o' women, go yer ways furth by the futtin' o' the flock, and feed yer kids 'eside the shepherds' taents. 9. I ha' likened yow, O my love, to a taamer o' hosses in Pharer's charrits. 10. Yar cheeks are right fine wi' ringes of jewiltry, yer neck wi' chanes o' gold. * * * * *