Christmas-Eve in Devonshire.—In Devonshire is still observed on Christmas-Eve an ancient custom, which is supposed to ensure a good crop of apples. The farm-servants procure an ash-fagot, round which they carefully put as many binds as possible, because they are rewarded with cups of cider equivalent in number to the binds which encircle the fagot. The fagot is then placed on the fire, and as each bind bursts they claim a cup of cider; they have also a bowl of toast and cider which they take into the orchard, and, putting a piece of toast on the king or principal apple-tree, repeat the following lines:—

It appears that exactly the same words are not always used on this occasion, a different version being given in the Gentleman’s Magazine for 1791.

Tantivy.—According to Harrod’s History of Stamford, the origin of this sporting cry is to be sought in the name of St. Tibba, who lived as an anchoritess at Ryhall, near Stamford, and died and was buried there. According to Camden, she was the patroness of hawking, fowling, and other sports, like the Roman Diana. She was a relative of Penda, King of Mercia, and lived a holy life at Godmanchester, in Hunts, before she went to Ryhall. Stukely says that her cell was at the north-west corner of the outside of Ryhall Church. She is thus commemorated by Drayton in his Polyolbion:—

Curious Inventory.—The following, from the original in my hands, may interest some of your City readers: “An inventary of the goodes creditte and debtes of Thomas Potter, late of the parishe of St. Nicholas Acon, of the Citie of London, salter, deceased. Made and praysed the one and twentith daie of Aprill, by Richard Smithe, grocer, Thomas Withers, habberdasher, and William Casson, grocer, in the year of Our Lord one thowsand six hundred and nyne, as followeth: Imprimis, one fether bed and a boulster, iii^li; item, two cloakes, xxviii^s; item, one gowne, xv^s; item, two paire of breeches, xiii iii^d; item, two ould dubletts, v^s; item, one suite of black rathe, xx^s; item, two jerkins, viii^s; item, two paire of stockinges and a paire of mittens, viii^d; item, two wasecotes and a hatt, iii x^d; item, eleven fallinge bandes and a paire of cuffes, ii^s iiii; item, five shirtes and fower handkerchers, vii^s ii^d; item, two handtowells and a cloth (?) capp, x^s; item, a bible and a prayer-booke, iii^s ii^d; item, a brasse candlesticke and one seale, xviii^d; item, one chamberpott, xii^d; item, a brushe, ii^d; item, a leatherne trunke, vi^s; item, a cashe chest, viii^s; item, one half of two cannas amornifi (?), xiiii^li iii^d.” The last two words are very illegibly written. The document is imperfect.

E.