other small mark which he can distinguish from the marks of his antagonists, and according to the amount of the two numbers thrown upon the dice he places his mark; that is to say, if he throws a four and a five, which amount to nine, he places his mark at nine upon the table, moving it the next throw as many numbers forward as the dice permit him, and so on until the game be completed, namely, when the number sixty-three is made exactly; all above it the player reckons back, and then throws again in his turn. If the second thrower at the beginning of the game casts the same number as the first, he takes up his piece, and the first player is obliged to begin the game again. If the same thing happens in the middle of the game, the first player goes back to the place the last came from. It is called the game of the goose, because at every fourth and fifth compartment in succession a goose is depicted, and if the cast thrown by the player falls upon a goose, he moves forward double the number of his throw. We have also the Game of Snake, and the more modern Game of Matrimony, with others of the like kind; formed upon the same plan as that of the goose, but none of them, according to my opinion, are in the least improved by the variations. XXVI-CROSS AND PILE. Cross and pile, or with us head or tail, is a silly pastime well enough known among the lowest and most vulgar classes of the community, and to whom it is at present very properly confined; formerly, however, i beld a higher rank, and was introduced at the court. Edward II. was partial to this and such like frivolous diversions, and spent much of his time in the pursuit of them. In one of his wardrobe rolls we meet with the following entries: "Item, paid to Henry, the king's barber, for money which he lent to the king to play at cross and pile, five shillings. Item, paid to Pires Barnard, usher of the king's chamber, money which he lent the king, and which he lost at cross and pile; to Monsieur Robert Wattewille eightpence." 1 A halfpenny is generally now used in playing this game; but any other coin with a head impressed on one side will answer the purpose: the reverse of the head being called the tail without respect to the figure upon it, and the same if it was blank. Anciently the English coins were stamped on one side Antiq. Repert. vol. ii. p. 58. Z with a cross. One person tosses the halfpenny up and the other calls at pleasure head or tail; if his call lies uppermost when the halfpenny descends and rests upon the ground, he wins; and if on the contrary, of course he loses. Cross and pile is evidently derived from a pastime called Ostrachinda, O☛rpakivềa, known in ancient times to the Grecian boys, and practised by them upon various occasions; having procured a shell, it was seared over with pitch on one side for distinction sake, and the other side was left white; a boy tossed up this shell and his antagonist called white or black, Nvž ėt nμɛoa, (literally night and day), as he thought proper, and his success was determined by the white or black part of the shell being uppermost, CHAPTER III. I. The Lord of Misrule said to be peculiar to the English.-II. A Court Officer.III. The Master of the King's Revels.-IV. The Lord of Misrule and his Conduct reprobated.-V. The King of Christmas-of the Cockneys—VI. A King of Christmas at Norwich.-VII. The King of the Bean.-VIII. Whence originated. IX. The Festival of Fools.-X. The Boy Bishop.-XI. The FoolPlough.-XII. Easter Games.-XIII. Shrove-Tuesday.-XIV. Hock-Tuesday. -XV. May-Games.-XVI. The Lord and Lady of the May.-XVII. Grand May-Game at Greenwich.-XVIII. Royal May-Game at Shooter's-hill.-XIX. May Milk-Maids.-XX. May Festival of the Chimney Sweepers.-XXI. WhitsunGames.-XXII. The Vigil of Saint John the Baptist, how kept.-XXIII. Its supposed origin.-XXIV. Setting of the Midsummer Watch.-XXV. Processions on Saint Clement's and Saint Catherine's day.-XXVI. Wassails.-XXVII. Sheep-shearing and Harvest-home.-XXVIII. Wakes.-XXIX. Sunday Festivals. -XXX. Church Ales.-XXXI. Fairs, and their diversions and abuses.-XXXII. Bonfires. XXXIII. Illuminations.- XXXIV. Fireworks.-XXXV. London Fireworks.-XXXVI. Fireworks on Tower-hill, at Public Gardens, and in Pageants. 1.-THE LORD OF MISRULE PECULIAR TO ENGLAND. It is said of the English, that formerly they were remarkable for the manner in which they celebrated the festival of Christmas; at which season they admitted variety of sports and pastimes not known, or little practised in other countries. The mock prince, or lord of misrule, whose reign extended through the greater part of the holidays, is particularly remarked by foreign writers, who consider him as a personage rarely to be met with out of England; and, two or three centuries back, perhaps this observation might be consistent with the truth; but I trust we shall upon due examination be ready to conclude, that anciently this frolicksome monarch was well known upon the continent, where he probably received his first honours. In this kingdom his power and his dignities suffered no diminution, but on the contrary were established by royal authority, and continued after they had ceased to exist elsewhere. But even with us his government has been extinct for many years, and his name and his offices are nearly forgotten. In some great families, and also sometimes at court, this officer was called 1 See Introduction. Polydore Vergil de Rerum Invent. lib. v. cap 2. the Abbot of Misrule. Le and says, "This Christmas1 I saw no disguiseings at court, and right few playes; but there was an abbot of misrule that made much sport, and did right well his office." In Scotland he was called the Abbot of Unreason, and prohibited there in 1555 by the parliament.3 No doubt in many instances the privileges allowed to this merry despot were abused, and not unfrequently productive of immorality; the institution itself, even if we view it in its most favourable light, is puerile and ridiculous, adapted to the ages of ignorance, when more rational amusements were not known, or at least not fashionable. II. THE LORD OF MISRULE A COURT OFFICER. Holingshed, speaking of Christmas, calls it, "What time there is alwayes one appointed to make sporte at courte called commonly lorde of misrule, whose office is not unknowne to such as have bene brought up in noblemens' houses and among great housekeepers, which use liberal feasting in the season." 4 Again: "At the feast of Christmas," says Stow," in the king's court wherever he chanced to reside, there was appointed a lord of misrule, or master of merry disports; the same merry fellow made his appearance at the house of every nobleman and person of distinction, and among the rest the lord mayor of London and the sheriffs had severally of them their lord of misrule, ever contending, without quarrel or offence, who should make the rarest pastimes to delight the beholders; this pageant potentate began his rule at All-hallow eve, and continued the same till the morrow after the Feast of the Purification; in which space there were fine and subtle disguisings, masks, and mummeries."5 III. THE MASTER OF THE KING'S REVELS. In the fifth year of Edward VI., at Christmas time, a gentleman named George Ferrers, who was a lawyer, a poet, and an historian, was appointed by the council to bear this office; " and he," says Holingshed, " being of better calling than commonly his predecessors had been before, received all his commissions and warrauntes by the name of master of the kinge's pastimes; which gentleman so well supplied his office, both of shew 1 An. 4 Hen. VII. A. D. 1489. a See Warton's Hist. Eng. Poetry, vol. i. Chron. of Brit. vol. iii, fol 1317. 2 Collect. vol. iii. Append. p. 256. Survey of London, p. 79. of sundry sights, and devises of rare invention, and in act of divers interludes, and matters of pastime, played by persons, as not only satisfied the common sorte, but also were verie well liked and allowed by the council, and others of skill in lyke pastimes; but best by the young king himselfe, as appeared by his princely liberalitie in rewarding that service." It was certainly an act of much policy in the council to appoint so judicious and respectable an officer for the department at this time, and was done in order to counteract by shows and pastimes the discontent that prevailed, and divert the mind of the king from reflecting too deeply upon the condemnation of his uncle the duke of Somerset. IV. THE LORD OF MISRULE-AND HIS CONDUCT REPROBATED. This master of merry disports was not confined to the court, nor to the houses of the opulent, he was also elected in various parishes, where, indeed, his reign seems to have been of shorter date. Philip Stubbs, who lived at the close of the sixteenth century, places this whimsical personage, with his followers, in a very degrading point of view. I shall give the passage in the author's own words, and leave the reader to comment upon them. "First of all, the wilde heades of the parish flocking togither, chuse them a graund captaine of mischiefe, whom they innoble with the title of Lord of Misrule; and him they crowne with great solemnity, and adopt for their king. This king annoynted chooseth forth twentie, fourty, threescore, or an hundred lustie guttes, like to himself, to waite upon his lordly majesty, and to guarde his noble person. Then every one of these men he investeth with his liveries of greene, yellow, or some other light wanton colour, and as though they were not gawdy ynough, they bedecke themselves with scarffes, ribbons, and laces, hanged all over with gold ringes, pretious stones, and other jewels. This done, they tie aboute either legge twentie or fourtie belles, with riche handkerchiefes in their handes, and sometimes laide acrosse over their shoulders and neckes, borrowed, for the most part, of their pretie mopsies and loving Bessies. Thus all thinges set in order, then have they their hobby horses, their dragons, and other antiques, together Anatomie of Abuses, priated A. D. 1595. |