Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 4.djvu/42

 30 NOTES AND QUERIES. no* s. iv. JCLY s. 1905. tion is made of a marble vase, with figures representing a sacrifice, found at Castighone ; and it is said, " The actual possessor of this vase is an Englishman, Mr. Styvens, who has for some years pleasantly sojourned in this city [probably meaning Naples], cultivating a love of antiquities and music." At p. 56 of the same book mention is made of an altar of Cibele, which Hadrava found in the pergola of a house, and of which he gives a picture. He sent it to Rome to be repaired. Romanelli, ' Isola di Capri, Manoscritti inedite' (Napoli, 1816), at p. 86, says that it came into the possession of Cav. Hamilton (meaning Sir William), who trans- ferred it to the British Museum. This state- ment is not correct; or at least the altar is not now in the Museum. I should be glad if any of your readers could inform me of the present site of these two antiquities. J. F. ROTTON. Godalming. ROYAL OAK DAY. (10th S. iii. 446.) ROYAL OAK DAY is observed at Durham in a manner peculiar to that city, and hitherto, I believe, not noted in any standard work of general interest. Hutchinson, in his 'History and Anti- quities of the County Palatine,1 Newcastle. 1787. writing on John Fossour, Prior of Durham, says (vol. ii. p. 90):— "In this prior's time was fought the great battle of the Red-Hills, in which David Bruce was taken prisoner. The victory was announced to the people of the city by the ecclesiastics singing a solemn hymn or Te Dtum on the top of the steeple of the cathedral church, in consequence of a signal from the monks at Maiden Bower. This custom wa< continued on the anniversary, till the times oi general confusion in the sixteenth century. The restoration of King Charles was a matter of such great joy to this church, that the ceremony was revived on the 29th of May, on which day it is stil annually performed." The recent observance of the custom this year, after the afternoon service, when the choir sang "Lord, for Thy tender mercy's sake," "Give peace in our time, O Lord," anc " Therefore with angels and archangels," lee to a search in the files of local newspapers from which the following notes are taken. In the first volume of the Durham County Advertiser, under date the 3rd of the raont and year of Waterloo, it is stated that th( "ancient custom is now quite laid aside. The revival of it is told in a very interesting note in the same newspaper for Saturday, 51 May, 1828, which is here given verbatim: " Yesterday being the anniversary of the resto- ration of King Charles II. the bells of the several ihurches in this city were rung frequently during he day, and the houses throughout the town were Lecprated in the usual manner with branches or iprigs of 'Royal Oak.' The children of the Blue 'o.-il. and Girls' Schools* walked in procession to attend morning service at the Cathedral, where an ixcellent and appropriate sermon was delivered by he Rev. W. S. Gilly, A.M., Prebendary of Durham. " After evening service, an ancient custom, which ias been in abeyance for the last seventeen years, was revived by the choristers singing anthems from /he summit of the principal tower of the Cathedral. Phis custom arose from the monks having sung ' Te Deum' from that elevated situation as soon as •ictory was declared at the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346. The anniversary of the victory was similarly celebrated for many years afterwards ; in ater times the custom was kept up, but it was to commemorate another event, namely, the restoration of Charles II. on the 29th of May, 1660. The anthems sung by the choir yesterday were ' Praise the Lord, 0 Jerusalem," Clarke; ' Praise the Lord, O my soul,'Child; 'O Lord, grant the king a long life," Ohild. The first was sung from the south side of •he tower, the second from the north, and the third
 * rom the east. A great number of persons assembled

on the Palace Green and in the Bailey to listen to ihe music, which, however, was not very distinctly heard from so great a height. The sounds which did reach the earth had a sweet and pleasing effect." H. R. LEIGHTON. East Boldon, R.8.O., co. Durham. Although I. cannot recollect quite so far back as ME. T. RATCLIFFE, my knowledge of this locality dates back something like half century. During that time I also have noted the change in the observance of Royal Oak Day—20 May. When I was a boy it was the invariable rule to place a huge branch of oak high up on the church steeple. The principal inns of the village also displayed similar branches over their doors, and early in the morning the ringers woke us with a merry peal. Every boy and girl wore a sprig of oak, and even some of the farmers and their men would don a sprig in their hats. Those children who had forgotten to provide themselves with oak leaves were set upon by their companions, and mercilessly pinched until they procured a supply from some friend. I do not remember that nettles were used to sting them with, but I have heard of the punishment before. I like these old customs, and I invariably states that the Blue Coat and Sunday-School chil- dren, about 300 in number, walked in procession to the Cathedral, attired in their best clothes, " and each decorated with a sprig of ' Royal Oak,' to attend divine service."
 * A notice in June, 1830, of the commemoration