Old English Customs Extant at the Present Time

Many customs have vanished quietly dying out without giving a sign. The present generation has witnessed the extinction of many observances which our fathers practised and revered and doubtless the progress of decay will continue. We have entered upon a diminished inheritance. Still it is surprising to find how much has been left; how tenaciously the English race clings to that which habit and usage have established; how ancient customs hold sway in the palace the parliament the army the law courts amongst educated people as well as unlearned rustics; how they cluster around our social institutions are enshrined in religious ceremonial and are preserved by law; how carefully they have been guarded through the many ages of their existence and how deeply rooted they are in the affections of the English people.