Trumpery

"Old St. Pauls was one of the largest churches in Europe... The church in the fourteenth century was not regarded only as a place for public worship. Masses and services of all kinds were going on all day long: the place was bright, not only with the sunlight streaming through the painted glass, but with wax tapers burning before many a shrine—at some, all day and all night. People came to the church to walk about, for rest, for conversation, for the transaction of business—to make or receive payments: to hire servants. The middle aisle of the church where all this was done was called Pauls Walk or Duke Humphreys Walk. Here were tables where twelve licensed scribes sat writing letters for those who wanted their services. They would also prepare a lease, a deed, a conveyance—any legal document. The church was filled with tombs and monuments, some of these very ancient, some of the greatest interest. Here was one called the tomb of Duke Humphrey—, who was really buried at St. Albans. On May Day the watermen used to come to St. Pauls in order to sprinkle water and strew herbs upon this tomb—I know not why. Those who were out of work and went dinnerless were said to dine with Duke Humphrey: and there was a proverb—Trash and trumpery is the way to Duke Humphrey. Trumpery being used in its original meaning—tromperie—deceit."

"—an a dogs skin over be the table, an the floor was painted brown about three fut all round the walls. There was pieces o windy curtain over the backs o the chairs; there was a big fern growin in an ould drainpipe in the corner; there was an ould straw hat o Johns stuffed full o flowers an it hangin on the wall, an here an there, all round it an beside it were picters cut from the papers an then tacked on the plaster. Ye could hardly see the mantelshelf, Jane allowed, for all the trumpery was piled on it, dinglum-danglums of glass an chaney, an shells from the say, an a sampler stuck in a frame, an in the middle of all a picter of Hannah herself got up in all her finery."

"TRUMPERY, adv. ...A corruption of temporary. He was only took on trumpery."

"Bring out a chair," he shouted, "bring out a basin. Tell them to come to me. Its bleedin she wants." He took from his carpet-bag a brass handled fleam, opened a blade and tried its edge with his thumb. "Hurry, hurry," he shouted, dancing towards the Master. "Man alive, stir yourself... Is it have me lose the baste ye would? Bring a basin quick, I tell ye... Look at her. Dont let her down—for Gods sake, dont let her down," shouted the man and, even as Spotty doubled her knees and sank moaning in the straw, rushed over and began pulling at her tail. "She mustnt lie," he shouted; "she mustnt lie. Gar up." He kicked brutally at her buttocks. "Gar up—gar up, ye divil!" Then the Master crossed, took him by the shoulders and sent him spinning against the wall. "Get back, you brute!" The Master was hoarse with anger, his eyes flashed red murder. "Get out o my sight," he shouted, "you ignorant brute! You a cattle doctor—you a Christian! Get out, I say; get out o my sight. Here, take your trumpery." Out went the carpet-bag, the coat, the fleam, into the yard; out came the Master raging and flaring. "Youd murder my beast—youd kick her to death—youd torture the life out of her! Im sick of the sight of you. Get out; get out!"

"A concise sketch of the history of Perkinism, since its first introduction into this island, will render evident what has been the nature of the opposition to the Metallic Practice, inasmuch as it will show that it resolves itself into two heads, viz. Ridicule and Malicious Falsehood."

"And if Cow and Swine-dung were thus incorporated together with Horse-dung, and kept under Cover, they would be Cent. per Cent. the better for it, in Comparison of their lying all abroad exposed to the Weather. But, in Case there are not Conveniencies for laying such Dung under Cover, then, as the Beast Dungs are made, they should be lain in one great Heap or Dunghill... and as the black Water drains from it, it ought to be carefully preserved, by causing it to run into such a Receptacle or Reservoir, as will give the Farmer an Opportunity to carry it out in a Tub or Barrel, for throwing it over the Dunghill, or to scatter it... For, if Stable or other Dungs were laid thinly over the Farm-yard, the Rains would easily wash through them, and the Sun dry them, and that much more than when such Dungs are laid in a thick Substance. But, before I quit this Subject, I must observe, that I have seen a great Farmer lay his Stable-dung under a Granary built high from the Ground on Purpose to be a Shelter or Cover for something: Here I should think it improper to lay Dung, because the Steam of Dung is most apt to breed a Mould, that is pernicious to every thing it settles, or gets to. When Fowls-dungs are kept by themselves, as often as we have Dust, offal Chaff, or other Trumpery, fanned out of the Corn, we mix them with such Fowls-dung which, in Time, will lie, heat, rot and become an excellent Manure, to be sown as I said, out of the Hand Seed-cott, and harrowed in with your Barley, or otherwise applied."

"Now Wheat, Barley, Oats, Beans, Pease, and other Grain, are neargot as dry, as they will be, in the Mow, in the Cock, and in the Barn; and, as the Field-work is by the Beginning of this Month for the most Part over, and the Weather commonly frosty and snowy, the Farmer in Course, for these, and other Reasons, is obliged to employ his Hands in trashing out and cleaning Corn for Market; a Work that requires a good Workman: For, though Corn is got in dry, yet, if theTasker cannot clean and free it of the Seeds of Weeds, and other Trumpery, the Master must consequently be a Loser."

"When it is thrashed out and the Ails are beat and sufficiently broke, they pass the Corn through a large-holed Caving-Sieve, for taking away the short Straws and offal Trumpery, in order to prepare it for cleaning, by throwing; and, where there is Room enough, two Men may throw it well to clear it of its Chaff, the Seeds of Weeds, and the lightest Corns."

"The Author of improving wet and barren Lands says, that, by burning the Ground two Inches thick, there will be two Hundred and sixty Loads of Ashes to an Acre; and, by burning it three Inches deep, there will be four Hundred Loads to an Acre. It is true such Burning will clear the Land of Weeds and all Manner of Trumpery; but Woe be to the Farmer after the Ashes have been spent, which will be, as he says, at three Years End; for then will come on as great a Barrenness as the Ashes caused Fertility; and this for I know not how long, because the richest Part of the Ground, which is the Turf or Surface, is gone."

"If dung lies near the corn-carting, and not carried out before harvest, so many sorts of corn be littered in it, which will not have time to rot, that you must expect a crop foul with trumpery."

"September 14th, 1699, I observed a close ploughing up in Leicestershire, and the corn sowing under furrow; the ground had been limed, and so strangely run to weeds, that I wondered at the boldness of the husbandman, and went up to him.—He was sowing his wheat steeped in lime; I observed the grain was plim and very large... (said he) here we choose a large seed, as supposing it has strength to shoot forth its stalks through the clots and earth it lies under; for it now lies deeper, and the earth closer and heavier upon it than if it were sowed after the plough, and harrowed-in; besides, if very wet weather should fall upon it, so as thoroughly to wet the trumpery of weeds we turn in, a small grain would be sooner chilled than this large sort."

"Wheat, Barley, and Oats may be very expeditiously cleaned in great Perfection. When all the Barley is... screened, it is ready to put into Sacks for Market; but, in case some Seeds of Darnel should be left among the Barley, as if often happens, because these Seeds are so near the Bigness of a Barley-Corn, that they cannot be easily separated, it is not of great Importance or Damage to the Barley; for that this Seed is of such a Nature, as to add a Strength to the Liquor, and make the Beer or Ale, brewed from such Malt, the more potent. But the main Matter is to free it off its Ails and Tails; for, if these are left, in any Quantity, among the Barley, there will a lower Price be bid for it, than others that are free from such Trumpery. It is this that makes the Cleaners of Barley oftentimes walk on the thrashed Barley, to tread on and break oft these Ails; and sometimes neither Thrashing nor Treading will thoroughly break off these Ails enough to make the Parcel intirely clear of them. One Man will sometimes thrash and clean six or eight Bushels of Barley in one Day..."