Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Notes

Text printed in italics, bold, small capitals and blackletter in the
original work have been transcibed as _text_, =text=, TEXT and ~text~
respectively. ^{text} represents superscript text.

More Transcriber’s Notes may be found at the end of this text.

See Page 1655.]

THE
EVERY-DAY BOOK,
AND
TABLE BOOK;

OR,

EVERLASTING CALENDAR OF POPULAR AMUSEMENTS,
SPORTS, PASTIMES, CEREMONIES, MANNERS,
CUSTOMS, AND EVENTS,

INCIDENT TO
~Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days,~
IN PAST AND PRESENT TIMES;

FORMING A
COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE YEAR, MONTHS, AND SEASONS,

AND A

PERPETUAL KEY TO THE ALMANAC;

INCLUDING

ACCOUNTS OF THE WEATHER, RULES FOR HEALTH AND CONDUCT, REMARKABLE AND
IMPORTANT ANECDOTES, FACTS, AND NOTICES, IN CHRONOLOGY, ANTIQUITIES,
TOPOGRAPHY, BIOGRAPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, ART, SCIENCE, AND GENERAL
LITERATURE, DERIVED FROM THE MOST AUTHENTIC SOURCES, AND VALUABLE
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS, WITH POETICAL ELUCIDATIONS, FOR DAILY USE AND
DIVERSION.

BY WILLIAM HONE.

I tell of festivals, and fairs, and plays,
Of merriment, and mirth, and bonfire blaze;
I tell of Christmas-mummings, new year’s day,
Of twelfth-night king and queen, and children’s play;
I tell of valentines, and true-love’s-knots,
Of omens, cunning men, and drawing lots:

I tell of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers,
Of April, May, of June, and July flowers.
I tell of May-poles, hock-carts, wassails, wakes,
Of bridegrooms, brides, and of their bridal cakes;
I tell of groves, of twilights, and I sing
The court of Mab, and of the fairy king.

HERRICK.

WITH FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX ENGRAVINGS.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR WILLIAM TEGG AND Co., 73, CHEAPSIDE;
R. GRIFFIN AND CO., GLASGOW; CUMMING AND FERGUSON, DUBLIN.

J. HADDON, PRINTER, CASTLE STREET, FINSBURY.

TO
CHARLES LAMB, ESQ.

DEAR L----,

Your letter to me, within the first two months from the commencement
of the present work, approving my notice of St. Chad’s Well, and your
afterwards daring to publish me your “friend,” with your “proper name”
annexed, I shall never forget. Nor can I forget your and Miss Lamb’s
sympathy and kindness when glooms outmastered me; and that your pen
spontaneously sparkled in the book, when my mind was in clouds and
darkness. These “trifles,” as each of you would call them, are
benefits scored upon my heart; and

I DEDICATE THIS VOLUME,

TO YOU AND MISS LAMB,

WITH AFFECTIONATE RESPECT,

W. HONE

_May 5, 1826._