Now! Then! At death’s door, Brian Bentley, the Halifax Poet, refuses a cap unless it be a barley-cap

8 June 1679: At death’s door, Brian Bentley, the Halifax Poet, refuses a cap unless it be a barley-cap

Oliver Heywood. 1881. The Rev. Oliver Heywood, B.A., 1630-1702, Vol. 2/4. Ed. J. Horsfall Turner. Brighouse: A.B. Bayes. Get it:

Excerpt

Brian Bentley of Halifax (whom they called the Halifax Poet because he was a great versifier) taught school in his latter days in the Back-lane, was well descended, had a great estate but had spent it, being very fat fell suddenly ill on Lord’s day morning June 8 1679, and they asked him if he would have a cap; he swore he never wore a cap unless it was a barley cap, but he without any sense and remorse presently after breathed his last, and was buried the day after being June 9 1679, oh dreadful, God is righteous, he had given himself to jests and vanity.

Order the book

Subscribe to the free daily email

To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.
Abbreviations:

ER: East Riding
GM: Greater Manchester
NR: North Riding
NY: North Yorkshire
SY: South Yorkshire
WR: West Riding
WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

OED: “to have on or wear a barley-cap: to be tipsy; hence barley-cap = tippler.” Heywood says he was 64, so he didn’t do badly. None of his verses survive, but see his relative, Joseph Bentley.

Something to say? Get in touch

Original

Brian Bentley of Halifax (whom they called the Halifax Poet because he was a great versifier) taught school in his latter days in the Back-lane, was well descended, had a great estate but had spent it, being very fat fell suddenly ill on Lord’s Day morning June 8 1679, and they asked him if he would have a cap; he swore he never wore a cap unless it was a barley cap, but he without any sense and remorse presently after breathed his last, and was buried the day after being June 9 1679, oh dreadful, God is righteous, he had given himself to jests and vanity.

106 words.