Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/388

 244 THE GAD-WHIP MANORIAL SERVICE, reading of that chapter ; but in that case it has clearly undergone some change, because, until the last revision of the Book of Common Prayer, there was no proper second lesson for the morning of Palm Sunday ; but the 26th chapter of St. Matthew was part of the Gospel for that day, and had been so from Anglo-Saxon times. Perhaps the better opinion is, that the custom, recently discontinued, had been so varied from time to time as to have borne at last little resemblance to what originally took place. I do not suppose that in its commencement it was regarded as at all irreverent, or was intended to be otherwise than most decorous, according to the ideas of a semi- barbarous age. What it really w^as at first I fear it may now be impossible to discover or conjecture. The explanation suggested in the particulars of sale appears to me too much in accordance with modern notions, to be altogether correct. Some allege a tradition, that it was a self-inflicted penance by a former owner of the Broughton estate, for killing a boy with such a whip. I see nothing in the ceremony to coun- tenance that view of it ; nor does it seem in itself probable. May not this notion of penance have been suggested by the account given of the supposed origin of a curious custom, which exists at Whitby, of making, Avhat is fami- liarly called, " the Penny Hedge," on Ascension-day, and consists now of constructing a slight fence on the shore, below high water mark, wdth a few stakes, strutts, and wattles (locally termed yadders or yethers). The particulars of this singular service, rendered by a tenant to his lord, will be found in Charlton's History of Whitby. From the Whip, which had so prominent a part in this matter, some have been disposed to derive the distinctive name of Thong, formerly affixed to Caistor, when it was called Thong Caistor, or Thong Castle. This is at least as probable as the tradition which would account for that name, I)}' alleging that Caistor, like Carthage, was built on as much ground as an ox-hide cut into thongs would encompass. Whatever may have led to this strange reservation, or whatever may have l)cen the origin of the old name of Caistor, I cannot but think that the custom in question, at its com- mencement, had reference to some of the various ceremonies which took place on Palm Sunday, difficult as it is to recon- cile the I'ocent usage with them entirely. The probability