akespeare," 1864, vol. i. p. 61.

WAR-CRY. "_God and Saint George!_"--the common cry of the English soldier
when he charged the enemy. "Richard III." (v. 3). The author of the "Old
Arte of Warre," printed in the latter end of Queen Elizabeth's reign,
formally enjoins the use of this cry among his military laws (p. 84):
"Item. That all souldiers entring into battaile, assaulte, skirmishe, or
other faction of armes, shall have for their common cry-word, 'Saint
George, forward, or upon them, Saint George!' whereby the souldier is
much comforted to minde the ancient valour of England, which with that
name has been so often victorious; and therefore he who upon any
sinister zeale shall maliciously omit so fortunate a name, shall be
severely punished for his obstinate, erroneous heart and perverse mind."

"_Havoc!_" To cry "havoc" appears to have been a signal for
indiscriminate slaughter. The expression occurs in "King John" (ii. 1):
"Cry havoc, kings!" In "Coriolanus" Menenius says (iii. 1):

"Do not cry havoc, where you should but hunt
With modest warrant."

And in "Julius Caesar" (iii. 1):

"Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war."

"_Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him!_" This was the ancient cry of the
English troops when they charged the enemy. It occurs where the
conspirators kill Coriolanus (v. 6).

_Leet-Ale._ This was the dinner provided for the jury and customary
tenants at the court-leet of a manor, or "view of frank-pledge,"
formerly held once or twice a year, before the steward of the leet.[991]
To this court Shakespeare alludes in the "Taming of the Shrew" (i. 2),
where the servant tells Sly that in his dream he would "rail upon the
hostess of the house," and threaten to "present her at the leet."

[991] See page 312.

Aubrey, in his MS. History of Wiltshire, 1678, tells us, too, how "in
the Easter holidays was the Clerk's ale for his private benefit, and the
solace of the neighbourhood."

INDEX.

Aconite, its deadly poison, 201.

_Adonis horti_, 469.

Agate, applied to a diminutive person, 12, 390.

Ague, spider a cure for, 258.

Air, drizzling dew, 90.

All hid, all hid, children's game, 395.

All-Saints' Day, 326.

All-Souls' Day, 327.

Almanacs, 505.

Alms-drink, 527.

Alphabet, called Christ-cross-row, 508.

Amaimon, name of evil spirit, 60.

Amulets, 505.

Anemone, legend relating to, 203.

Ant, 250.

Antic, a dance, 424.

Ape, term of contem