“I went to Lewis and bought 4 yards of broad black cloth at 16s. the yard, and two yards and 1/2 of scarlet serge for a waistcoat, 11s. 1d., and 1/4 of an ounce of scarlet silke, 1s.”

and this appears to have been his regular dress.  Will any of your correspondents inform me whether this scarlet serge waistcoat was commonly worn by the clergy in those times, namely, in 1671?

R.W.B.

Ergh, Er, or Argh.—­In Dr. Whitaker’s History of Whalley, p. 37., ed. 1818, are the following observations on the above word:—­

“This is a singular word, which occurs, however both to the north and south of the Ribble, though much more frequently to the north.  To the south, I know not that it occurs, but in Angles-ark and Brettargh.  To the north are Battarghes, Ergh-holme, Stras-ergh, Sir-ergh, Feiz-er, Goosen-ergh.  In all the Teutonic dialects I meet with nothing resembling this word, excepting the Swedish Arf, terra (vide Ihre in voce), which, if the last letter be pronounced gutturally, is precisely the same with argh.”

Can any of your readers give a more satisfactory explanation of this local term?

T.W.

Burnley, May 4. 1850.

Burial Service.—­During a conversation on the various sanitary measures now projecting in the metropolis, and particularly on the idea lately started of re-introducing the ancient practice of burning the bodies of the deceased, one of our company remarked that the words “ashes to ashes,” used in our present form of burial, would in such a case be literally applicable; and a question arose why the word “ashes” should have been introduced at all, and whether its introduction might not have been owing to the actual cremation of the funeral pyre at the burial of Gentile Christians?  We were none of us profound enough to quote or produce any facts from the monuments and records of the early converts to account for the expression; but I conceive it probable that a solution could be readily given by some of your learned correspondents.  The burning of the dead does not appear to be in itself an anti-christian ceremony, nor necessarily connected with Pagan idolatries, and therefore might have been tolerated in the case of Gentile believers like any other indifferent usage.

CINIS.

Gaol Chaplains.—­When were they first appointed?  Did the following advice of Latimer, in a sermon before King Edward, in 1549, take any effect?

“Oh, I would ye would resort to prisons!  A commendable thing in a Christian realm:  I would wish there were curates of prisons, that we might say, the ’curate of Newgate, the curate of the Fleet,’ and I would have them waged for their labour.  It is a holiday work to visit the prisoners, for they be kept from sermons.”—­Vol. i. p. 180.

THOS.  COX.

Hanging out the Broom (Vol. i., p. 385.).—­This custom exists in the West of England, but is oftener talked of than practised.  It is jocularly understood to indicate that the deserted inmate is in want of a companion, and is really to receive the visits of his friends.  Can it be in any way analogous to the custom of hoisting broom at the mast-head of a vessel which is to be disposed of?