Six north country diaries - The MAN & Other Families

98
1717. Dec. 21st. Writt to brother for stock-shirt, Ijut hear he
is gone into Cumberland—Mr. Wood sent me guinea and conserve
must tell brother of it, to return him it, etc. Uncle reckons Mr.
Nicholson's parishi^" ill-serv^ed, Alnwick well, etc.
1717. Dec. 22nd.i^s The Romans once going to war at some
distance from home, where they staid long—so that their wives
married their slaves, Avho would not resign when they returned, they
proceeded to open battle, and the slaves gott the better,—the next
time, going with rods instead of arms, they all fled and were
affrighted—the rods their masters used to beat them with, etc.
1717. Dec. 23rd. The Stuarts came out of Scotland—King
James I., the first in England.—They came into the Royal family by
marrying David Bruce's
sister—King David having no children.
1717. Dec. 21:th. Some men give no other proof of their living
than by eating and drinking—^the same argument that Cyrus used
to prove the divinity of his god Beh^^^
1717. Dec. 25th. This festival was ordered to be laid aside in
'44^140 j^ji(j a severe inquisition was sett out against the usual fare
of this festival, minced pies and plumb-porridge. ^^i
1717. Dec. 26th. The Jews out of reverence to the word, or
name, of God, so long disused themselves from it, that they at last
forgott how to pronounce it. Mr. Fletcher had a dinner this day,
did not invite us, because uncle did not them when we had bridgroom,
etc. Mr. Park nor Mr. Colingwood does not, no body cares for his
company, on these occasions.
1717. Dec. 27th. Observe that if I had not luckily mett with
that book of physick, which prescribed conserve, etc.—it might have
killed me this sharp frost.
1717. Dec. 28th. Mr. Farington has a chappel of ease^^- in his
parish, for which is allowed 11:/. per annum, if not lost ;—he promised
my uncle he would rebuild it, have prayers and sermon, etc.
1717. Dec. 29th. W. Wood writes. That Shippen was putt in
Tower for saying the second iiaragrapli in the king's sjDeech was caldispute,
he took no notice of the pretended sentence and continued to perform
his duties as usual. He died at Penrith, 6 October, 1728. Gf. Dictionary of
National Biography.
'" Mr. Nicolson's parish was that of Whittingham.
"' A line and a half are carefully crossed through here.
'^' '
Then said the king unto him, Thinkest thou not that Bel is a living
god ? Seest thou not bow much he eateth and drinketh every day ? ' Apocrypha,
'
Bel and the Dragon,' verse 6.
"" 1644, in the time of the Long Parliament.
'^'
Three lines are very carefully crossed out here.
'"- If this be a reference to the chapel of Birness in the parish of Elsdon, it
would seem that Mr. Farrington, who was rector of Elsdon from 1715 to 17*59,.
was vinable to carry out his intention ; for tliat structure—which stands in an
ancient burial ground— was not built until 1793. Cf. Rev. John Hodgson's
History of Northumberland, part il., vol. i., p. 153.