g beast as'll stand a-looking and a-staring at you all
day long." The vicar followed his advice, avoided the stony regard of
an unintelligent animal, and purchased a charming little tender-eyed
Brittany, which was quite an ornament to his meadow.

People were very shy of American beef when first imported but, being
lower in price than English it was bought by those who were willing to
sacrifice quality to cheapness. It was said that the most inferior
English was sold under the name of American, the best of the American
doing duty for medium quality English. I remember seeing a very
ancient and poverty-stricken cow knocked down to a Birmingham dealer,
who exclaimed exultingly as the hammer fell, "I'll make 'em some
'Merican biff in Brummagem this week."

The neglected and overgrown hedges, now so often seen on what was
formerly good wheat-growing land, have a useful side as shelter when
surrounding pasture. In the bitter winds which often occur in May,
when the cattle are first turned out after a winter in the yards well
littered with clean straw, they can be seen on the southern side
protected from the blast. Referring to the May blossom of the
white-thorn, an old proverb says, with a faulty rhyme:

"May come early or May come late
'Tis sure to make the old cow quake."

May Day has always been the customary date for turning out cattle to
grass, but people forget that old May Day was nearly a fortnight
later, which makes a great difference as to warmth and keep at that
time of year.

With changes of dates and times old customs and sayings lose their
force. Under the "daylight saving" arrangement we should alter, "Rain
before seven, fine before eleven," to "Rain before eight, fine before
twelve," which spoils the rhyme. And "Between one and two, you'll see
what the day means to do," into, "Between two and three, you'll see
what the day means to be."

A few years ago, when _Antony and Cleopatra_ was reproduced at a
London theatre by an eminent actor-manager, it was reported that his
mind was much exercised over the lines referring to the flight of
Pompey's galley:

"The breese upon her, like a cow in June,
Hoists sails and flies."

It was suggested that for "cow," the correct reading should be "crow,"
who might very well spread her wings to the breeze and fly. The
difficulty was caused by the word "breese" (the gad-fly)--no doubt
presumed to be an archaic spelling of "breeze." Shakespeare kne