SHERE THURSDAY, ALSO MAUNDAY THURSDAY. SHERE THURSDAY is the Thursday before Easter, and is so called, says an old homily, "for that in old Fathers' days the people would that day shere theyr hedes and clypp theyr berdes, and pool theyr heedes, and so make them honest ayenst Easter day." It was also called Maunday Thursday, and is thus described by the translator of Naogeorgus in the Popish Kingdome, f. 51: "And here the monkes their Maundie make, with sundrie solemne rights, And signes of great humilitie, and wondrous pleasant sights: lye: As if that Christ, with his examples, did these things require, Then strait the loaves doe walke, and pottes in every place they Wherewith the holy fathers oft to pleasaunt damsels drinke.' In Fosbrooke's British Monachism, ii. 127, mention occurs at Barking Nunnery, of "russeaulx (a kind of allowance of corn) in Lent, and to bake with eels on Sheer Thursday :" also p. 128, "stubbe eels and shafte eels baked for Sheer Thursday." A writer in the Gentleman's Magazine for July 1779, p. 349, says: "Maunday Thursday, called by Collier Shier Thursday, Cotgrave calls by a word of the same sound and import, Sheere 2 "On Maunday Thursday hath bene the maner from the beginnyng of the Church to have a general drinkyng, as appeareth by S. Paule's writyng to the Corinthians, and Tertulliane to his wyfe."-Langley's Polidore Vergill, f. 101. Thursday. Perhaps, for I can only go upon conjecture, as sheer means purus, mundus, it may allude to the washing of the disciples' feet (John xiii. 5, et seq.), and be tantamount to clean. If this does not please, the Saxon sciran signifies dividere, and the name may come from the distribution of alms upon that day; for which see Archæol. Soc. Antiq., i. 7, seq. Spelman, Gloss. v. Mandatum; and Du Fresne, iv. 400. Please to observe too, that on that day they also washed the altars, so that the term in question may allude to that business. See Collier's Eccles. Hist. ii. 197." Cowell describes Maunday Thursday as the day preceding Good Friday, when they commemorate and practise the commands of our Saviour, in washing the feet of the poor, &c., as our kings of England have long practised the good old custom of washing the feet of poor men in number equal to the years of their reign, and giving them shoes, stockings, and money. Some derive the word from mandatum, command; but others, and I think much more probably, from maund, a kind of great basket or hamper, containing eight bales or two fats. [Dr. Bright has given us the following very singular account of a ceremony he witnessed on this day at Vienna: "On the Thursday of this week, which was the 24th of March, a singular religious ceremony was celebrated by the Court. It is known in German Catholic countries by the name of the Fusswaschung, or the "washing of the feet." The large saloon in which public court entertainments are given, was fitted up for the purpose; elevated benches and galleries were constructed round the room, for the reception of the court and strangers; and in the area, upon two platforms, tables were spread, at one of which sat twelve men, and at the other ' In Moore's Answer to Tyndal, on the Souper of our Lord (pref.) is the following passage: "He treateth in his secunde parte the Maundye of Chryste wyth hys Apostles upon Shere Thursday." Among the receipts and disbursements of the Canons of the Priory of St. Mary in Huntingdon, in Nichols's Illustrations of the Manners and Expences of Ancient Times in England, 1797, p. 294, we have: "Item, gyven to 12 pore men upon Shere Thursday, 2s." In an account of Barking Abbey, in Select Views of London and its Environs, 1804, we read in transcripts from the Cottonian Manuscripts and the Monasticon, " Deliveryd to the Convent coke, for rushefals for Palme Sundaye, xxj. pounder fygges. Item, delyveryd to the seyd coke on Sher Thursday viij pounde ryse. Item, delyveryd to the said coke for Shere Thursday xviij pounde almans." twelve women. They had been selected from the oldest and most deserving paupers, and were suitably clothed in black, with handkerchiefs and square collars of white muslin, and girdles round their waists. The emperor and empress, with the archdukes and archduchesses, Leopoldine and Clementine, and their suites, having all previously attended mass in the royal chapel, entered and approached the table to the sound of solemn music. The Hungarian guard followed in their most splendid uniform, with their leopard-skin jackets falling from their shoulders, and bearing trays of different meats, which the emperor, empress, archdukes, and attendants placed on the table, in three successive courses, before the poor men and women, who tasted a little, drank each a glass of wine, and answered a few questions put to them by their sovereigns. The tables were then removed, and the empress and her daughters, dressed in black, with pages bearing their trains, approached. Silver bowls were placed beneath the bare feet of the aged women. The grand chamberlain, in a humble posture, poured water upon the feet of each in succession from a golden urn, and the empress wiped them with a fine napkin she held in her hand. The emperor performed the same ceremony on the feet of the men, and the rite concluded amidst the sounds of sacred music."] The British Apollo, 1709, ii. 7, says: "Maunday is a corruption of the Latin word mandatum, a command. The day is therefore so called, because as on that day our Saviour washed his disciples' feet, to teach them the great duty of being humble; and therefore he gives them in command to do as he had done, to imitate their Master in all proper instances of condescension and humility." Maunday Thursday, says a writer in the Gentleman's Magazine for July, 1779, p. 354, "is the poor people's Thursday, from the Fr. maundier, to beg. The King's liberality to the poor on that Thursday in Lent [is at] a season when they are supposed to have lived very low. Maundiant is, at this day, in French, a beggar." In Copley's Wits, Fits, and Fancies, 1614, p. 82, is the following: "A scrivener was writing a marchant's last will and testament; in which the marchant expressed many debts that were owing him, which he will'd his executors to take up, and dispose to such and such uses. A kinsman of this marchant's then standing by, and hoping for some good thing to be bequeathed him, long'd to heare some good newes to that effect, and said unto the scrivener, Hagh, hagh, what saith my uncle now? doth he now make his Maundies? No (answered the scrivener), he is yet in his demaunds." Perhaps in this passage maundies is merely an error for maundes, commands. In Quarles' Shepheard's Oracles, 1646, p. 66, is the following passage: 66 Nay, oftentimes their flocks doe fare No better than chamelions in the ayre; Not having substance, but with forc'd content [The order of the Maundy, as practised by Queen Elizabeth in 1572, is here given from a MS. collection, as quoted by Hone:-"First, the hall was prepared with a long table on each side, and formes set by them; on the edges of which tables, and under those formes, were lay'd carpets and cushions, for her majestie to kneel when she should wash them. There was also another table set across the upper end of the hall, somewhat above the footpace, for the chappelan to stand at. A little beneath the midst whereof, and beneath the said footpace, a stoole and cushion of estate was pitched for her majestie to kneel at during the service-time. This done, the holy water, basons, alms, and other things being brought into the hall, and the chappelan and poore folkes having taken the said places, the laundresse, armed with a faire towell, and taking a silver bason filled with warm water and sweet flowers, washed their feet all after one another and wiped the same with his towell, and soe making a crosse a little above the toes kissed them. After hym, within a little while, followed the subalmoner, doing likewise, and after him the almoner hymself also. Then, lastly, her majestie came into the hall, and after some singing and prayers made, and the gospel of Christ's washing of his disciples feet read, 39 ladyes and gentlewomen (for soe many were the poore folkes, according to the number of the yeares complete of her majesties age,) addressed themselves with aprons and towels to waite upon her majestie; and she, kneeling down upon the cushions and carpets under the feete of the poore women, first washed one foote of every one of them in soe many several basons of warm water and swete flowers, brought to her severally by the said ladies and gentlewomen; then wiped, crossed, and kissed them, as the almoner and others had done before. When her majestie had thus gone through the whole number of 39, (of which 20 sat on the one side of the hall, and 19 on the other,) she resorted to the first again, and gave to each one certain yardes of broad clothe to make a gowne, so passing to them all. Thirdly; she began at the first, and gave to each of them a pair of sleves. Fourthly; to each of them a wooden platter, wherein was half a side of salmon, as much ling, six red herrings and lofes of cheat bread. Fifthly; she began with the first again, and gave to each of them a white wooden dish with claret wine. Sixthly; she received of each waiting-lady and gentlewoman their towel and apron, and gave to each poore woman one of the same, and after this the ladies and gentlewomen waited noe longer, nor served as they had done throweout the courses before." The Queen then gave them money, and departed "by that time the sun was setting."] Each The following is from the Gentleman's Magazine, April, 1731, p. 172: "Thursday, April 15, being Maunday Thursday, there was distributed at the Banquetting House, Whitehall, to forty-eight poor men and forty-eight poor women (the king's age forty-eight) boiled beef and shoulders of mutton, and small bowls of ale, which is called dinner; after that, large wooden platters of fish and loaves, viz. undressed, one large old ling, and one large dried cod; twelve red herrings, and twelve white herrings, and four half quarter loaves. person had one platter of this provision; after which were distributed to them shoes, stockings, linen and woollen cloth, and leathern bags, with one penny, two penny, three penny, and four penny pieces of silver, and shillings; to each about four pounds in value. His Grace the Lord Archbishop of York, Lord High Almoner, performed the annual ceremony of washing the feet of a certain number of poor in the Royal Chapel, Whitehall, which was formerly done by the kings themselves, in imitation of our Saviour's pattern of humility, &c. James the Second was the last king who performed this in person." In Langley's Polydore Vergil, f. 98, we read: 'Times, April 16th, 1838.-" The Queen's Royal alms were distributed on Saturday by Mr. Hanby, at the Almonry Office, to the Maunday men and women placed on the supernumerary lists, owing to the difference of |