hildren go about
collecting pence, singing,

"Good morrow, Valentine,
First 'tis yours, then 'tis mine,
So please give me a Valentine."

In some other counties the poorer classes of children dress themselves
fantastically, and visit the houses of the great, singing,

"Good morning to you, Valentine,
Curl your locks as I do mine,
Two before and three behind--
Good morrow to you, Valentine."

In other parts the first member of the opposite sex that is seen by any
individual is said to be his or her "Valentine." This is the case in
Berkshire and some other of the neighbouring counties. Pepys, in his
"Diary," says, "St. Valentine's day, 1667. This morning came up to my
wife's bedside, I being up dressing myself, little Will Mercer, to be her
Valentine, and brought her name written upon blue paper in gold letters
done by himself very pretty; and we were both well pleased with it. But
I am also this year my wife's Valentine, which will cost me 5 pounds--but
that I must have laid out if we had not been Valentines." He afterwards
adds, "I find that Mrs. Pierce's little girl is my Valentine, she having
drawn me, which I was not sorry for, it easing me of something more I
must have given to others. But here I do first observe the fashion of
drawing of mottoes as well as names; so that Pierce who drew my wife, did
also draw a mottoe, and this girl drew another for me. What mine was I
forget; but my wife's was, 'Most courteous and most fair.' One wonder I
observed to-day, that there was no music in the morning to call up our
new-married people, which is very mean methinks." The custom of
presenting gifts seems then to have been practised.

In the "British Apollo," 1708, a sort of "Notes and Queries" of the day,
we read,

"Why Valentine's a day to choose
A mistress, and our freedom lose?
May I my reason interpose,
The question with an answer close;
To imitate we have a mind,
And couple like the winged kind."

In the same work, "1709, Query.--In choosing Valentines (according to
custom), is not the party choosing (be it man or woman) to make a present
to the party chosen? Answer.--We think it more proper to say drawing of
Valentines, since the most customary way is for each to take his or her
lot, and chance cannot be termed choice. According to this method the
obligations are equal, and, therefore, it was formerly the custom
mutually to present, but now it i