The next I give you is an extract from the Court Rolls of the Borough of
Hales Owen, of the


_Custom of Bride Ale._

"A payne ys made that no person or persons that shall brewe any weddyn
ale to sell, shall not brewe aboue twelve stryke of mault at the most,
and that the said persons so marryed shall not keep nor haue above eyght
messe of persons at hys dinner within the burrowe, and before hys brydall
daye he shall keep no unlawfull games in hys house nor out of hys house
on payne of 20_s_."

Besides "Bride Ale," there was the Church Ales, and Easter Ales,
Whitsuntide Ales, and a quantity of others which we have no accounts of.
I conclude this short notice with the hope of soon supplying you with a
fund of information against Christmas.

W.H.H.

* * * * *


BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OF HELEN.


Princess Helen was born of an egg,
And scarcely ten years had gone by,
When Theseus beginning to beg,
Decoyed the young chicken to fly.