ions, I had determined to stand the Poll, but finding myself
yesterday less fortunate, I have resolved to decline," &c., &c.

One advantage about an old fourteen days' contest was therefore that if
a candidate found that he could not secure enough votes he could retire
from the contest and "needn't buy any."

Before the passing of the Reform Bill, Elections were not only
protracted and attended with open bribery, revelry, rowdyism, and
popular excitement, but the machinery for arriving at the wish of the
constituency was also of a very rough and ready kind. If, for
instance, a voter was objected to, the sheriff's assessor, a barrister,
was found sitting in a room adjoining the hustings for the pin-rose of
hearing and deciding the claim, the objecting and affirming party being
allowed to appear before such assessor by counsel. The following
incident is, I imagine, almost, if not quite, unique in electioneering
annals, and could only have been possible under the protracted
contests, and the system of revision of claims which has just been
mentioned. It occurred in {97} the Cambs. contested election for 1802,
and is thus recorded in the _Cambridge Chronicle_ for that year.

"At the late election for this county a very singular circumstance
happened. A voter died immediately after his return home, and his son
came the third day [of the Election] and voted for the same freehold,
which was allowed by both parties."

The condition of the rural peasantry a hundred years ago fell
immeasurably short of the opportunities for recreation afforded at the
present time, but there were not a few bright spots in the year, which,
whatever we may think of the manner of the enjoyment, did afford very
pleasant anticipations and memories to even the peasant folk in the
villages. By custom these periodical feasts, for they generally
resolved themselves into that, became associated with certain seasons,
and of these none held a more important place than the annual
Michaelmas "Statty," that is, the annual statute fair, of some central
village or town where, to quote an old Hertfordshire ballad,

There's dancing and singing
And fiddling and ringing,
With good beef and pudding,
And plenty of beer.

Hither came the lads and lasses just free from a year's hiring and--the
lads with whip-cord or horse-hair banding round their hats to indicate
their accomplishments with horses, &c.--ready to enter upon a fresh
engagement with the o