ance with the ancient custom the supper consists of Welsh rarebits, macaroni and water-cress, followed by copious drafts of hot punch. On the Tuesday at sunrise, the public bellman steps out on the balcony of the Town Hall, and blows a blast from the very horn given to the town by John of Gaunt. This blast is to call together the Hocktide jury. Punctually at nine o'clock the officer selected reads the charter and ancient rules, and then calls the names of all free-suitors and those having the right of common, or fishing. Those who do not answer are con demned to pay the fine of one penny, or to lose their rights of common for one year. The High Constable is then called on to read his statement of the municipal receipts and expenditure and to place on the table his badge of office, the corporate seal and all public documents which he may have. When this part of the program has been gone through and the officers elected for the coming year, the tuttimen are instructed to do their duty. These men, reduced in num ber to two at the present day, leave the Town Hall carrying a staff, six feet long, bedecked with choice flowers and streamers of blue rib bon, the whole surmounted with a cup and spike bearing an orange. They have to call at every house in the borough and receive tribute from each in habitant, if he be a male a penny, if a lady, a kiss, " given under the shadow of the tuttipole." With each salute an orange is given and the attendant replaces the orange by another in the cup on the staff. If any female tries to evade being kissed she can be pursued and imprisoned until she kisses the tuttimen. After the perambulation by the tuttimen a banquet is held, and a right good time those invited have. On the Friday the newly elected officers are sworn in and the High Constable is ex pected to give a banquet to every townsman who likes to attend, and hot punch is sup plied ad libitum to everyone all day.
These customs are still observed in Hungerford, and each year the tuttimen exer cise the right of kissing the ladies of the borough. Another curious custom kept alive in many parishes and being revived in many more, is that of "Beating the Bounds" or as it is variously called " Perambulation of Parishes," " rogationing " or "ganging the boundaries." The custom goes back to the time of the ancient Britons, and the Druids made it an occasion for supplicating the Divine blessing on the fruits of the earth, and for impressing on the faithful a due re spect for the bounds of individual property. Before maps and surveys came into use the practice was necessary to keep in mem ory the limits and boundaries of parishes, and the legal maps relied on to-day are based on these perambulations. A procession, headed by the rector of the parish, was formed and all who wished to join were welcome. After liberal potations were indulged in, the procession marched completely around the parish. A number of boys were compelled, much against their desire, to join in the procession and at cer tain points a halt was called and one of the boys whipped thoroughly, it being thought that the impression made on the memory of the whipped boy would remain through life so that he would always be able to keep in mind the exact boundaries. Each boy after being whipped was given a small sum of money, called "bounding money." The necessity of perambulating along the old track often occasioned curious experi ences. If a canal had been cut through the boundary it was held that merely crossing the water in a boat, or over a bridge, was not sufficient, some of. the parishioners must actually walk through the water, no matter how deep, so that it could be said that the bounds were perambulated. In one case a dispute arose in an action concerning the boundary of a parish, because instead of the boMnds having been perambulated, the pro
