Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 7.djvu/514

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vn. NOV. 27, 1920.

whittle (knife) to her drout. It do put I in such twinny (fright) to hear 'un.

Lawk ! What cold brizes (shiverings) do come over I, and then sich bloomy heats, I do scarld and burn like the very vire, and 'tween whiles, I'm zo fainty and sicky fashions. Our 'ouse is such an old dadecay (decayed) place. I've a taken a chill some how or nother. I'm quite at an nonplush for our Ann's gone a nursying, and she's quarters out (lodges out) at Iky's down by the gug (sloping railway). She goes to leasing (gleaning) in Farmer Sime's ground, I don't mind (recollect) but I've a-heard that Farmer was the richest man in Radstock, but now he's zo drinky, ur's never fresh, and Missis has sich a twyle wi' the labourers. Urs vather made sich a vuddles on un (spoiled child), I count that's the sense on it, ur was zo masterful when ur went to school, in place of laming, ur did but dudder totherum (to confuse or puzzle) and drive a spluth (a riot) among um all. Oh, how my poor dear head and my bones do zake, do zeem to go beyond me, I do want to zee the doctor, Mr Flower, I do love the very appearance of un, ur do I a number o' good, make I quite trigg(well), an' if he do but joke I, an zay, "Rachel, thee bee'snt goin' to die this turn," it do put I up in heart.

Lawk! my gown's a brauck (torn or broken), I must doff it, I did but don ur the marning when I upp'd.

Nurse. Rachel, I can't stay any longer; good day to you.

Rachel. Haw ! 'taint leat, 'taint a hut vive yet (struck five o'clock), it be quite rere (early.) 'Tis a cross to take up not to bring you on your way whoam ; but there, I must bide whiles I be yable to wag. Have a care of thic kickling (shaking) plank, ladies ; good day.

Enter William.

Rachel. Well, William, beesn't a hungerd ? I'm zo glad as a bird to zee thee.

William. An' what dost thou want wi' I? I was out in the leasing ground over anerit (right through) Lijah Bourne's, whe^n our Harry came athar the tramway and fowt I (fetched me). I've a been shooting the Red hoops (bullfinches), and the twinks, they be zo mischievous.

Rachel. And the pegs have been a scrat up our nunculusses, an' wind-flowers, and the love-in-idles (love in idleness, pansies) in full blowth. The gearn (garden) was like a tuttie (nosegay), an' now they've a been confounded it all. 1 heard the bells strike out but now, and one of urn's a-slatt. There, volk do zay that's unlucky, but I think there's no Tightness in that. It has been like that iver since George Benet verst laid the hands on urn. C'assn't mind it? Bond's wife ha' lost her zecond boy ; he was a-hurted under-ground, now she has all little maids, inst to one (except one). An' if ur works till ur's a-most dead, his pay can never keep she and the children, zo it's no good to tell on it. They had the white maidens to carry thic' poor boy to be buried, he was the leastest bit of a hetchly thing I ever zeed ; it's a happy turn for the boy, but ur's mother do take on about it zo, it's no good to frown, nor to look at it like that, she's in sich an entertaining (wasting away) way, her cough do entertain her zo, she haint no rest nattier night nor day. Poor body, she wor a great piece of a ooman, and now she's great boned, but she's quite

a fream-like, arid she do zit and stud so upon times she's zo romancing (delirious) like as thor she wor in a dreame. Here be a nice suent (steady) rain, to plen' up the paes.

William. And how did ze like being at Compton Dando, or what's the place's name?

Rachel. Law ! if I hadden-a-had my mind fixed on whoam, if I could have made my mind easy, 'bout thee, I should ha' been as contented as a dove, it be sich a nice peaceful habitation, and Mr. Pope un be zo suent (steady), an' zo zatisfied- like, but ur beant over strong, an' .1 begged 'un not to play thic' flute thing o' marnings, an' when he- had been at church, an tired wi' preaching, I did persuade un to resty a bit, and did take up to- un some roasted y apples, an' some milk, and baiked un a bit of bread. There ! 'twere but children'* junks (feasts), but ur did zeem zo a-plaised and zo zivil-spoken, 'twer a plaisure to tendy on un ; and ur do painty zo nice, there be a grand leady he ha* drawed out so foin, she ha' sich a reverend look.

There, twer a-zommat to make the time pass pleasant, it be sich an unked, lonesome pleace for sich a young gentleman, just a corned from Lunnun, where volk do tell there's zo much haunt, an' sich foin people in their lace an' f urbels to be zeen for iver. I do hope as ur'll call, when ur do come to- Radstock.

William. I should be desperate glad to zee un, if ur would look in upon us, ur's a nice-looking gentleman, if ur would but comb ur's hair tidy- like, but there, I suppose it be the Lunnon faishon, to have un like that.

Rachel. Haint ze heard o' late from young Measter Gsorge an' tha young gentleman, Mr Frederick Boyes, as com'd down wi' un ? Ur be zo genteel-like and solid in ur's way, an' do look zo humble and zo heavenly minded, an' ur've a got sich a sweet smile, 'tis a plaisure to hear un spake, an' sure enow you must miss un, I wonder when our'ii country will be peacable again as it was in the days of good old George the 3rd. I fear not till next never come time, when they shear the dumbledores to make great coats for the emmetts. We used to live under very civil government, but, my child, I can't make you sensible, tis thic' Reform Bill which do confound everything, it do- make un like to vlee up tun (fly up the chimney).

C. J. HAMILTON.

THOMAS WATSON, AUTHOR OF ' HECATOMPATHIA.'

SIB SIDNEY LEE in writing Watson's Life in 'The Dictionary of National Biography ' seems to have overlooked what Watson tells of himself in his Latin verses to Philip, Earl of Arundel, prefixed to his first work, his translation of Sophocles' 'Antigone r (1581). He had spent a "lustre" and a half, i.e., if taken literally, seven and a half years, in studying foreign languages abroad. He mentions particularly Italian and French. In addition he had made a special study or Law. His studies had often been inter- rupted by war, though he had himself sought: