stity in
that vague way of rumour which is always more damaging and devilish than
open accusation, she might of her own free choice, or by compulsion of
the Bishop, put to silence her false accusers by appearing in church,
with witnesses ready to take oath that they believed her, and there
swearing at the altar that common fame and suspicion had wronged her. If
a man doubted her word he had to challenge it, or keep silence for ever
after. The severest censures of the Church were passed upon those who
dared to repeat an unproved accusation after the oaths of Purgation and
Compurgation had been taken unchallenged. It is a fine, honest ordeal,
very old, good for the right, only bad for the wrong, giving strength to
the weak and humbling the mighty. But it would be folly and mummery in
our day. The Church has lost its powers over life and limb, and no one
capable of defaming a pure woman would care a brass penny about the
Church's excommunication. Yet a woman's good name is the silver thread
that runs through the pearl chain of her virtues. Pity that nowadays it
can be so easily snapped. Conversation at five o'clock tea is enough to
do that. The ordeal of compulsory Purgation was abolished in Man as late
as 1737.

THE HERRING FISHERY

Bishop Wilson began, or revived, a form of service which was so
beautiful, so picturesque, and withal so Manx that I regret the loss of
scarce any custom so much as the discontinuance of this one. It was the
fishermen's service on the shore at the beginning of the herring-season.
But in order to appreciate it you must first know something of the
herring fishing itself. It is the chief industry of the island. Half the
population is connected with it in some way. A great proportion of the
men of the humbler classes are half seamen, half landsmen, tilling their
little crofts in the spring and autumn, and going out with the herring
boats in summer. The herring is the national fish. The Manxman swears
by its flavour. The deemsters, as we have seen, literally swear by its
backbone. Potatoes and herrings constitute a common dish of the country
people. They are ready for it at any hour of the day or night. I have
had it for dinner, I have taken it for supper, I have seen it for tea,
and even known it for breakfast. It is served without ceremony. In the
middle of the table two great crocks, one of potatoes boiled in their
jackets, the other of herrings fresh or salted; a plate and a bowl
of new mil