FIRESIDE STORIES. 539

 

DDCCCI.
TOM HICKATHRIFT.

[Tom Hickathrift belongs to the same series as Jack the Giant Killer, one of the
popular corruptions of old Northern romances. It seems to allude to some of the in-
surrections in the Isle of Ely, such as that of Hereward, described in Wright’s Essays,
ii. 91. Spelman, however, describes a tradition, which he says was credited by the
inhabitants of Tylney, in which Hickifric appears as the asserter of the rights of their
ancestors, and the means he employed on the occasion correspond with incidents in the
following tale. The entire passage is worth transcription. ‘‘In Marslandia site sunt
Walsoka, Waltona, et Walpola. In viciniis jacent Terrington et St. Maries—adjacet
Tylney veteris utique Tylneiorum familiz radix. Hic se expandit insignis area que a
planicie nuncupatur Zy/ney Smeeth, pinguis adeo et luxurians ut Paduana pascua vide-
atur superasse. Tuentur eam indigenze velut aras et focos, fabellamque recitant longa
petitam vetustate de Hickifrico (nescio quo) Haii illius instar in Scotorum Chronicis
qui civium suorum dedignatus fuga, aratrum quod agebat solvit ; arreptoque temone
furibundus insiliit in hostes victoriamque ademit exultantibus. Sic cum de agri istius
possessione acriter olim dimicatum esset, inter fundi dominum et villarum incolas, nec
valerent hi adversus eum consistere, reduntibus occurrit Hickifrickus, axemyue execu-
tiens a curru quem agebat, eo vice gladii usus ; rota, clypet ; invasores repulit ad ipsos
quibus nunc funguntur terminos. Ostendunt in ccemeterio Tilniensi sepulchrum sui
pugilis, axem cum rota insculptum exhibens.”—Icenia, Descriptio Norfolciz, p. 138.
Hearne mentions this gravestone, and perhaps some Norfolk topographer will tell us if
it now exists.

The author of the renowned History of Tom Hickathrift prefaces his narrative with
the following consolatory exordium :

And if thou dost buy this book,

Be sure that you do on it look,

And read it o’er; then thou wilt say
Thy money is not thrown away.]

IN the reign before William the Conqueror, I have read in
ancient history that there dwelt a man in the parish of the Isle
of Ely, in the county of Cambridge, named Thomas Hickathrift,
a poor labouring man, but so strong that he was able to do in
one day the ordinary work of two. He had an only son, whom
he christened Thomas, after his own name. The old man put
his son “to good learning,” but he would take none, for he was,
as we call them in this age, none of the wisest, but something
soft, and had no docility at all in him. God calling this good