predominance over bowl and bottle in the village of Cumnor.

Note 2. Ch. XIII.--LEGEND OF WAYLAND SMITH.

The great defeat given by Alfred to the Danish invaders is said by Mr.
Gough to have taken place near Ashdown, in Berkshire. "The burial
place of Baereg, the Danish chief, who was slain in this fight, is
distinguished by a parcel of stones, less than a mile from the hill, set
on edge, enclosing a piece of ground somewhat raised. On the east side
of the southern extremity stand three squarish flat stones, of about
four or five feet over either way, supporting a fourth, and now called
by the vulgar WAYLAND SMITH, from an idle tradition about an invisible
smith replacing lost horse-shoes there."--GOUGH'S edition of CAMDEN'S
BRITANNIA, vol.i., p. 221.

The popular belief still retains memory of this wild legend, which,
connected as it is with the site of a Danish sepulchre, may have arisen
from some legend concerning the northern Duergar, who resided in the
rocks, and were cunning workers in steel and iron. It was believed that
Wayland Smith's fee was sixpence, and that, unlike other workmen, he was
offended if more was offered. Of late his offices have been again called
to memory; but fiction has in this, as in other cases, taken the liberty
to pillage the stores of oral tradition. This monument must be very
ancient, for it has been kindly pointed out to me that it is referred to
in an ancient Saxon charter as a landmark. The monument has been of late
cleared out, and made considerably more conspicuous.

Note 3. Ch. XIV.--LEICESTER AND SUSSEX.

Naunton gives us numerous and curious particulars of the jealous
struggle which took place between Ratcliffe, Earl of Sussex, and the
rising favourite Leicester. The former, when on his deathbed, predicted
to his followers that after his death the gipsy (so he called Leicester,
from his dark complexion) would prove too many for them.

Note 4. Ch. XIV.--SIR WALTER RALEIGH.

Among the attendants and adherents of Sussex, we have ventured to
introduce the celebrated Raleigh, in the dawn of his court favour.

In Aubrey's Correspondence there are some curious particulars of Sir
Walter Raleigh. "He was a tall, handsome, bold man; but his naeve was
that he was damnably proud. Old Sir Robert Harley of Brampton Brian
Castle, who knew him, would say it was a great question who was the
proudest, Sir Walter or Sir Thomas Overbury; but the difference that
was, was judged in Sir Thoma