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 Fool-Plough.-XII. Easter Games.-XIII. Shrove-Tuesday.-XIV. Hock-Tuesday.-XV. MayGames.-XVI. The Lord and Lady of the May.-XVII. Grand MayGame at Greenwich.-XVIII. Royal May-Game at Shooter's-hill.— XIX. May Milk-Maids.-XX. May Festival of the Chimney Sweepers. -XXI. Whitsun-Games.-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.

I. 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

1 See Introduction.

2 Polydore Vergil de Rerum Invent., lib. v. cap. 2.

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 the Abbot of Misrule. Leland 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.'2 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 noblemen's 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

1 An. 4 Hen. VII. A.D. 1489.

2 Collect., vol. iii. Append., p. 256.

3 See Warton's Hist. Eng. Poetry, vol. i. p. 381. 4 Chron. of Brit., vol. iii. fol. 1317.

Survey of London, p. 79.

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 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.1 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

1 Anatomie of Abuses, printed A. D. 1595.

Then

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 with their baudie pipers, and thundring drummers, to strike up the devil's daunce with all. march this heathen company towards the church, their pypers pyping, their drummers thundring, their stumpes. dauncing, their belles jyngling, their handkerchiefes fluttering aboute their heades like madde men, their hobbie horses and other monsters skirmishing amongst the throng: and in this sorte they go to the church, though the minister be at prayer or preaching, dauncing and singing like devils incarnate, with such a confused noise that no man can heare his owne voyce. Then the foolish people they looke, they stare, they laugh, they fleere, and mount upon the formes and pewes to see these goodly pageants solemnized. Then after this, aboute the church they go againe and againe, and so fourthe into the churche yard, where they have commonly their sommer-halls, their bowers, arbours, and banquettinghouses set up, wherein they feast, banquet, and daunce all that day, and paradventure all that night too; and thus these terrestrial furies spend the sabbath day. Then, for the further innobling of this honourable lardane, lord I should say, they have certaine papers wherein is painted some babelerie' or other of imagerie worke, and these they call my Lord of Misrule's badges or cognizances. These they give to every one that will give them money to maintain them in this

1 Childish, trifling.

their heathenish devilrie; and who will not show himse'f buxome to them and give them money, they shall be mocked and flouted shamefully; yea, and many times carried upon a cowlstaffe, and dived over heade and eares in water, or otherwise most horribly abused. And so besotted are some, that they not only give them money, but weare their badges or cognizances in their hates or cappes openly. Another sorte of fantasticall fooles bring to these helhounds, the Lord of Misrule and his complices, some bread, some good ale, some new cheese, some old cheese, some custardes, some cracknels, some cakes, some flauns, some tartes, some creame, some meat, some one thing, and some another.' Hence it should seem the Lord of Misrule was sometimes president over the summer sports. The author has distinguished this pageantry from the May-games, the wakes, and the church-ales, of which, I should otherwise have thought, it might have been a component part.

V. THE KING OF CHRISTMAS.

The society belonging to Lincoln's-inn had anciently an officer chosen at this season, who was honoured with the title of king of Christmas-day, because he presided in the hall upon that day. This temporary potentate had a marshal and a steward to attend upon him. The marshal, in the absence of the monarch, was permitted to assume his state, and upon New-Year's-day he sat as king in the hall when the master of the revels, during the time of dining, supplied the marshal's place. Upon Childermas-day they had another officer, denominated the King of the Cockneys, who also presided on the day of his appointment, and had his inferior officers to wait upon him.1

VI. A KING OF CHRISTMAS AT NORWICH.

In the history of Norfolk2 mention is made of a pageant exhibited at Norwich upon a Shrove Tuesday, which happened in the month of March, when one rode through the 1 Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales, fol. 247. 2 By Blomfield, vol. ii. p. 3.