Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 1 1883.djvu/341

 Rh customs, divide into two sections and meet at the market cross to have a general game at football. All living above the cathedral play to get the ball to the country district, and those residing below the cathedral fighting to take it to the sea, the whole game being played through the principal streets of the town, and hundreds of players of all grades of society often take part in the game. On Monday the annual game took place as usual.—Yorkshire Gazette, Jan. 6, 1883.

The Old Year.—The custom of singing the old 100th Psalm on the tower of Basingstoke parish church, as the midnight hour announced the departure of the old year and the birth of the new, was again observed on Sunday last, and, notwithstanding a somewhat inclement night, a large number of persons assembled around the church to hear the psalm. It is said that a midnight service will in future supersede this custom, the origin of which is unknown.—Hampshire Advertiser, Jan. 6, 1883.

Bible Divination—An instance of the survival of an antiquated superstition came before the Ludlow magistrates last week. A woman was brought up on a charge of using abusive language towards another woman. It appeared that the defendant's daughter died, and that the complainant went to assist in laying out the body. A watch, which had been hanging at the head of the bed, disappeared, and the complainant was accused of stealing it by the defendant, who said that " she had turned the key on the bible ten times, and it turned to complainant's name." A key, according to the once popular superstition, was believed to turn at the mention of the guilty person's name, when placed inside the bible so as to be upon the 16th and 17th verses of the first chapter of Ruth.—Oswestry Advertiser, Feb. 21, 1883.

Superstition in Devonshire.—An Exeter correspondent writes:— "A remarkable instance of the hold which witchcraft retains upon a by no means small portion of the population has occurred this week in Devonshire. A smack owner of Brixham recently put to sea. Soon afterwards one of the crew, a young man, began to suffer so much with his eyes that his employer put back to Brixham. A medical man there advised the young man that he was not in a fit condition to go to sea, and that, further, unless great caution were exercised he would probably lose his sight. This was told the master, who recommended the youth to go to Plymouth and consult a 'white witch.' He went, but this personage, after some mysterious performIances, assured him that he could do nothing for him—'it was not he