slender poles supporting a transverse piece, from which swung this mighty achievement of the art of Scarsdale. In the centre were the Scarsdale arms, which had never been so fiercely emblazoned before; on the top was a view of Scarsdale Hall, painted on paper mounted on cloth. There were masonic devices, emblematic monsters, wonderfully shaped spangles, roses, wreaths, and other caprices of the imagination of the Scarsdale artists. The result was one of barbaric splendour of colour and tinsel. This marvellous pomp was heralded by a deafening clamour of the band, which did its worst against rival sounds, even almost drowning the frantic shouts with which the phenomenon of the banner was greeted. Seth Diggle had been promoted to the post of honour on the top of the cart, where he held a banner on which the Scarsdale arms were emblazoned on the Union Jack. Before the cart started for Rochdale, however, a countrydance was formed on each side of the road, it being the privilege of the young men yoked in the cart to choose their partners from the prettiest country girls-nothing loath for such a distinction. The band struck up loudly, the banners stood grandly at one end of the two sets of thirty couples, and at the other the cart, with Seth in the bower at its crown. Half-an-hour was devoted to this dance, when the bugle again sounded, the dance at once ceased, the young men kissed their partners and took their places, and, amidst the shouts of the crowd, and the wildest efforts of the band, the Scarsdale rush-cart started for Rochdale. About the same time a similar fête was in progress at Hurstwood, at Martinmere, at Eastleton, at Milnrow, at Smallbridge, at Whitworth, at Spotland, and other villages; for it was the glory of Rochdale to assemble at its rush-bearing, forty years ago, at least eight, and sometimes a dozen, rush-carts from the neigh

bouring villages. Meanwhile, the gala of the rush-bearing was in the delirium of its frenzy, the rush-carts having assembled in the street opposite the Butts, each with its band in front, the order of procession extending over the bridge across the Roche, and a considerable distance up Yorkshire Street. Every band played with stentorian energy, "Rule Britannia;" the young men drawing every cart vied with each other in the vigour and picturesque character of their dances; the flags in every bower on the top of the rush-carts were waved triumphantly; the spangled and decorated banners carried before each band glittered in the bright noon; from every window hung flags or coloured draperies, handkerchiefs were waved, and loud huzzas broke to swell the exulting torrent of acclamation. The main thoroughfares were crowded by a multitude of folk in their gayest dresses; in side-streets were stalls with Eccles cakes, Everton toffy, and Ormskirk gingerbread; and booths with shows of every kind frequenting a country fair. Conjurors stood on their stages, watching for the passage of the procession to attract a crowd of gazers by their wonderful tricks. Mountebanks and clowns were ready to perform, when the streets were clear from the grand pageant of the day. There was a bear on the Butts, growling defiance at the dogs by which it was to be baited, and climbing at intervals to the top of the high stake to which he was chained. Then a pilot balloon of gay colours floated gracefully from a garden of the "Orchard," near the river, and the roar of guns boomed on the ear at short intervals as the pretty phantom rose in the still air to a great height, and then floated away in the tide of an upper current. When the twenty-first gun had been fired, the procession commenced its progress through the town, amidst the wildest shouts

and gestures from the crowd. Yorkshire Street, especially at its steepest and most tortuous part, in the heart of the town, consisted five-and-thirty years ago either of quaint stone houses with mullioned windows, gothic doors, and peaked gables, or of white-and-black timber-houses projecting over first a low-browed shop, then with an overhanging story, containing often a wooden oriel, and higher a gabled story, whose bolder projection invaded the upper area of the street. Smithy Door, and Old Millgate, and other streets in the neighbourhood of the Collegiate Church of Manchester, half a century ago, consisted mainly of such structures, which have now to a great extent disappeared. Chester still abounds. with them in a picturesque form. In this narrow and tortuous lane of ancient houses, the procession of rush-carts almost brushed the projecting gables. The men on the crown of each cart were covered with flowers flung by fair hands from the highest windows, just too far off to be reached by a friendly grasp. Overhead, webs of coloured flannel and calico stretched across from the peaks of opposite roofs, but little above the flagstaff of each crown. There was barely room for the great banners to pass. Every window was decorated and crowded. The bray of the bands resounded in the narrow steep street. There was a confusion of gay colours, an agitation of bright forms, a tumult of rude joy, the transient frenzy of a carnival, as each long train of white-shirted ribboncovered men dragged its cart up the hill, pausing and dancing at intervals amidst the exultation of the crowd.

WARTON RUSH-BEARING.

THE inhabitants of the village of Warton, by Morecambe Bay, and their visitors, repair, on the Sunday nearest the 5th of August (St Oswald's Day), to the services. of the church, and make good cheer within the rules of sobriety in their houses. The next day is spent in several kinds of diversions, the chief of which is usually a rush-bearing, in this manner :-They cut hard rushes from the marsh, and having made them up in bundles, they dress them in fine linen, silk, ribbons, flowers, &c. The young women then take these gay effigies in their arms and walk in procession, with music, drums, ringing of bells, and other demonstrations of joy, to the church, where they deposit the rushes over the cancelli. This ceremony performed, they return to the village, where scenes of festivity ensue, and the remainder of the day, and sometimes part of the night, is spent in dancing in the open air round the May-pole (adorned with evergreens and flowers), if the weather be fine; if not, in the houses. This is mentioned in Lucas's "History;" but the custom has fallen into disuse, as being no longer necessary.

WHALLEY RUSH-BEARING.

DR WHITAKER, in his history of the parish, says this was a high festival at Whalley. In the old churchwardens' accounts there are annual charges for dressing and cleaning the church, churchyard, &c., for this occasion. It is curious, however, to observe that even in 1617 the old festivals were beginning to decline. The

"Journal" says "much less solemnity than formerly." Canon Raines adds:-It was specially provided in the "Book of Sports" that women should have leave to carry rushes to the church for the decoration of the same according to their ancient custom. The old churchwardens' accounts have entirely perished from carelessness; but in those after 1700 laudable attention appears to have been paid to the cleansing of the church, and there are regular entries every year as follows:-"Paid for dressing the church against St James's Day, five shillings." The rushes were brought on the rush-cart by the north gate into the church free of expense. Garlands were suspended in the church and on the top of the steeple. It is about seventy years since the floor of Whalley Church was strewed with rushes; and after the occasion for its use ceased, the rush-cart door disappeared, though the festival itself was kept up, and the morris-dancers played their parts in it for more than seventy years afterwards. For fifty years, on the 5th August, the village was crowded like a fair, booths were erected, and horse-races and other rustic sports attracted numbers of people from the surrounding country. But the festival gradually declined, and within the last two years [before 1848] St James's Day, the rush-cart, and the festival, have altogether ceased in Whalley. St James's Day, old style, would be on the 6th August, and the rush-bearing day, the 5th August, would therefore be the Eve of St James'.