vance, may be mentioned St. Valentine's Day, shamrock, a plant with which he is said to have the usages of which are too well known to re-illustrated the doctrine of the Trinity, when he quire particular detail. The chief amusement converted their countrymen to Christianity. As upon that occasion was the lottery of love, in great numbers of the Irish had emigrated to which prizes or blanks were drawn amidst much England, and settled in Pembrokeshire, during repartee and laughter, and the pairing of true the reign of Henry VIII., they introduced, not love-mates effected that was to hold for the rest only their wonted riotous observance of this day, of the season-other circumstances permitting. but the national beverage with which it was New Year's Day was also a joyous occasion, commemorated, by the distillation of whiskey, and deemed of such importance, that it was then first known in England, but which soon always ushered in with the ringing of bells from had a considerable sale over the whole kingdom. an early hour in the morning. During the day, The day of St. George, or the 23d of April, was, presents were interchanged between persons as might be expected, a season of solemn obserof all ranks; and when evening arrived, the vance among the English, and especially during mighty wassail bowl was prepared, and carried that period when chivalry had obtained full from door to door with shouting, singing, and ascendency. St. Andrew's Day (the 30th of merriment, generally by the young women of the November) was the great period of religious fesvillage; and at each halt, the inmate of the tival among the Scots, whether in their own coundwelling came out, drank a wass hael to the try and England, or among those nations into fair visitors, and bestowed on them a small which their early love of wandering had carried present in return. This was but a prelude to them. the replenishing of the bowl in the evening, to But besides these days that were devoted to be emptied round the household hearth; and on the celestial guardians of England, Scotland, this happy occasion, it was expected that all un- Wales, and Ireland, the English had other saints' kind feelings should be buried, and new friend-days, which they signalized with peculiar obserships cemented. Besides the day of St. Valen-vances. Thus, there was St. Michael's Day, or tine, there were other saints' days observed by Michaelmas, held, as is well known, on the 29th of our British ancestors, either throughout the September. Why this day of all others was conisland at large, or by separate portions of its secrated to the prince of the archangels, and why population. Thus, there was St. David's Day, its chief observance was the eating of a goose, which was held on the 1st of March, and by the are questions that cannot be answered. Some Welsh, who claimed David as the tutelary saint think, that when tidings arrived of the destrucof their principality. On this day they were tion of the Spanish Armada, Queen Elizabeth, wont to wear a leek in their hats or caps, and on this 29th of September, was casually dining for this, various reasons have been assigned by upon a goose, and that the practice from that the old chroniclers, none of which, however, is period became a national and patriotic custom. satisfactory. Every reader of Shakspeare can Others allege, that the practice was observed recollect, as if he had seen with his own eyes, at a much earlier period, and originated in an Fluellin, with his leek, at the battle of Agin- old Lancashire usage of the farmers eating a court, and how he made Ancient Pistol swallow roasted goose on that day, probably because the it some days after, when it had become old and animal, at such a season, was in its best condistale. The leek still continues to be worn on tion. On the 26th of December occurred the St. David's Day by every Welshman, generally, festival of St. Stephen, on which day, farmers however, made of tinfoil or silver, and sometimes were wont to have their horses examined and ornamented with jewellery. Another national bled by the horse- doctors. Another practice saint, whose day was commemorated on the 17th on this occasion was, to have a procession in of March, was St. Patrick of Ireland, and his honour of the wren, which has been kept up in badge, worn on this occasion by the Irish, was a many parts of England to the present day. It is perhaps unnecessary to add, that whatever a riot occurred in Edinburgh in 1561. Four years before that might be the change of ceremonies on these ocdate, an act had been issued by the reforming Scottish parlia-casions, they were all connected with the invariment against the holding of "Robert Hood nor Little John, Abbot of Unreason, Queens of May, nor otherwise, neither in able accompaniments of eating, drinking, and burgh nor to landwart, in any time to come;" but the act had merry-making. been trespassed during the above-mentioned year, and a riot ensued for the rescue of the trespassers, during which the gallows itself was broken down, and the offenders set free Notwithstanding these edicts of the Scottish parliament, the prescribed festival was in such high favour in Scotland, that even to the end of the century, the general assembly complained of the excesses that were occasioned by "the making of Robin Hude." After this transient mention of the set times for honouring St. Stephen and Michael the Archangel, we must not forget Midsummer Eve, or the "Eve of Good St. John," as it was affectionately termed in England, and sometimes the "Feast of John the Baptist." The rites with which it was celebrated remind us of the advice given by Pope Gregory to St. Augustine, which was in full accordance with the spirit and policy of Popery at large. This was, not to abrogate the heathen festivals of the people, but rather to turn them from a profane to a sacred use, by consecrating them to the honour of the Christian saints. In this way, a day devoted to the Phoenician or Druidical worship of fire, and Baal its lord, in all probability was transferred, with its rites and ceremonies untouched, to the guardianship of the blessed precursor of Christianity. Upon the arrival of this vigil of St. John, the inhabitants of the towns and villages of Eugland, men, women, and children, used to repair to make merry round a huge bonfire kindled in some convenient spot; and the chief sport of the young men on this occasion was, to leap rapidly over or through the flame, and with such dexterity as to escape a scorching. Was this a lingering memorial of that "passing through the fire" so connected with the idolatry of the Canaanitish nations? The other sports of the young and active on these occasions were dancing, wrestling, and running races. It was in London, however, that the full blaze of a "Midsummer Eve" was the most resplendent. Not only were large bonfires kindled in the open places of the city, but the streets were further illuminated with glass lamps, while the doors of the houses were shaded with branches of green birch and orpin, long fennel, and St. John's rush, called at that period "Midsummer men.” But the chief ceremonial in the metropolis was "setting the watch," by which the city was to be protected by night during the whole year; and an affair of such importance was conducted not only with solemn religious ceremonial, but also with all the splendour of a great national festival. On this occasion, the lord-mayor and the civic officers, the city minstrels and waits, the morris-dancers and henchmen, formed the head of the procession; while 940 blazing cressets, each cresset having a man to carry and another to trim it, composed a flaming river of light, under which the bonfires themselves, as the procession passed them, must have turned pale. The watch itself, to which the guardianship of each part of the city was to be consigned, was not the least brilliant part of this gorgeous array; for it consisted of 2000 men, part of them "demilances" mounted on powerful war-horses, part of them footmen equipped with the weapons of this transition period, and forming a connecting link between the ancient and modern warfare. Thus, there were troops of musketeers armed with arquebuse and wheel-lock; archers in white coats with their bows bent, and a sheaf of arrows at their sides; billmen with their long heavy brown weapons, and their bodies protected by loose frocks of chain armour; and pikemen wearing smartly-polished corslets. Then, too, there were the constables of the night watch clothed in harness of shining steel, and each wearing a gold chain over his scarf of bright scarlet. Still, this march, however warlike and important, would have been insufficient as a London procession, without the Dagons of civic idolatry; and therefore, high over not only every honoured head, but every banner and cresset, towered the gigantic images of Gog and Magog, that were brought out from their shrines for the occasion, and borne gallantly along by their staggering but zealous supporters. Such was the mode of setting the watch in London during the present period of our history. The practice had been instituted by Henry III. in consequence of the prevalence of street conflicts and robberies, and it had been appointed not only for London, but all the cities and borough towns throughout the realm. But in 1539, Henry VIII. put down the watch, upon the plea of its costliness; and to make amends for the suppression, he exercised such a vigorous guardianship over the public safety, that, according to Harrison, 72,000 great thieves, petty thieves, and rogues, were hanged during his reign. Many attempts were made to revive the practice, but unsuccessfully, except in 1548, when the watch was set on St. John's Eve, during the mayoralty of Sir John Gresham. But this was the last gleam in the socket, after which the streets of London were doomed to perennial darkness, and a "substantial standing watch for the safety and preservation of the city," was appointed in 1569. London was indeed a city of midnight darkness, not only up to the close of this period, but long afterwards; and although lights and lanterns were ordered to be hung out at house-windows or doors, betwixt All-Hallows and Candlemas, while the watchman bawled himself hoarse with the regular cry of his round, "Hang out your lights!" the duty was easily evaded, and therefore generally neglected. In the reign of Queen Mary, a sagacious mayor endeavoured to enforce the regular call of the watchman by furnishing him with a bell, which continued to be rung till the time of the Commonwealth; and thus, the night patrol of Shakspeare's days could admonish the sleeping citizens about their darkened premises, both by shout and knell. Besides these sounds of city guardianship, none other was to be heard, for by the "Statutes of the Streets," enacted in the time of Elizabeth, no man was to blow any horn during the night, or to whistle after nine o'clock, on pain of imprisonment; nor to make any sudden outcry in the still of the night, like one making any affray-nor even "to occasion any noise by beating his wife!" How these rules | Dogberry's advice about shunning a knave andwere observed, and how order was kept under comforting themselves with a nap, can best insuch a regimen, the houses of the rich burghers form us. that were untiled, the purses that disappeared, The heathenism, both of Phoenician and Teuand the "peaceable watchmen" who followed tonic origin, which adhered to the observance of GOG AND MAGOG.'-Drawn by T. S. Boys from the originals at Guildhall. saints' days in England, was still more conspicuous in those important seasons which were set apart for the commemoration of man's redemption. And, first of all, was the celebration of Easter. Even the name has anything but a Christian aspect, and was probably derived from the goddess Eastor, whom the Saxons worshipped, and who is supposed to have been the same with the ancient Eastern goddess Astarte. A week before the arrival of Easter, a common custom in England was to bring a twisted tree, or withe, into the king's palace, and the mansions 1 In a rare old book, entitled, the Gigantic History of the two famous Giants in Guildhall, it is affirmed that Gog and Magog are corrupted names, and that their original titles were Corinæus and Gogmagog. The first of these names figures in the traditionary history of Britain, as one of the Trojan followers of Brutus in his conquest of Albion. The second is said to have been the leader in an earlier raid of the giants of the race of Cham, who overthrew the kingdom of Samothes, son of Meshec. (The reader will find another version of the tradition in vol. i. p. 3.) Perhaps, for brevity's sake, the more classic name was dropped, and that of Gogmagog divided between the two gigantic warders of Guildhall. There appear to have been several reproductions of these figures, and those of an earlier period are said to have been framed of wickerwork. Hatfield, in his New View of London (1708), speaking of the restoration of Guildhall in 1669, after the great fire of 1666, says that it was adorned with two new images as before. They next appear in history on the 24th day of the nobility and gentry, with noisy congratulations and rejoicings. Then came Palm Sunday, in which the people commemorated Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem by walking with palm branches in their hands, or, at least, with such substitutes as the foliage of England afforded. Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, followed, in which Christ's humility in washing the feet of his disciples was commemorated. It had long been the practice of the proudest sovereigns and princes of Christendom to imitate, or at least to ape, this Divine of April, 1685, as taking part in "an high entertainment of wonderful and stupendous fireworks, in honour of the coronation of James II. and his queen, being placed on a raft on the river opposite Whitehall, in front of a huge pyramid of fireworks, the display of which lasted an hour." The present images are the work of a certain Captain Richard Saunders, who dwelt in King Street, Cheapside, and was an eminent carver. They were set up in Guildhall about 1708. They stood originally on a balcony on the north side of the hall. The figure on the right leans on a shield, on which is emblazoned a black eagle, on a field or, and bears a long weapon, the langbard of the Germans, used in guarding the halls of the great in ancient times. These particulars would denote that it is intended to represent the Saxon dominion in England. The other has a sword by his side and a bow and quiver at his back, in his right hand he holds a long pole, with a spiked ball suspended from the top, and is conceived to represent an ancient Briton. the clergy found these church-ales so profitable, and this mode of opening the hearts and purses of men so easy, they had also their Whitsun-ales, which were of the same description as those of Easter. But of all the holidays and saints' days with which the calendar was crowded, none were to be compared to the festival of Christmas, which the English celebrated in a manner different, in many respects, from every other Christian people, combining in it all the freedom of the Roman Saturnalia, and the wild festivals of Thor and Odin, with the sanctions and religious observances of the Christian church. What, indeed, could be expected, from the following note of example; and this they did by kneeling before twelve mendicants, whose feet they washed in open court, and whom they afterwards kissed with brotherly condescension, and dismissed with presents. Sometimes, however, to render this loathly office more tolerable, the feet of the paupers were previously purified, and the water with which they were laved by the dainty hands of royalty was sweetened with perfumes. The day itself was called Maundy in England, in consequence of the maund, or basket, in which the alms and gifts were carried for distribution, after the washing was finished. Sometimes, instead of being limited to twelve, the number of Christ's disciples, the paupers were as numerous as the years in which the master of the ceremony had lived. | preparation?The evening before Easter, called "Holy Saturday," was a night of vigil; and when twelve o'clock struck the triumphant cry was raised, which is still heard in the Greek church, “He is risen!" | and the sun, at rising, was anxiously watched, as it was supposed that on this occasion its rise was accompanied with a joyful dancing motion in honour of Christ's resurrection. Easter or pasche eggs were prepared for the festival, by being boiled hard and tinged into every colour, which the people presented to each other as congratulatory gifts of the season. On Easter Day, also, the courts of law were opened, probably for the purpose of imparting to their proceedings the sanctions of religious consecration. The Easter holidays were generally celebrated by games at hand-ball for tansy cakes, dancing, and other amusements. In London and at Greenwich, Easter Monday was a joyous day for the citizens, as it was then that the annual hunt in Epping Forest was held. Another amusement, practised during these holidays, called heaving, consisted in the female servants of a house placing the master, or gentleman present, in an arm-chair decorated with ribbons, then lifting and turning it round, after which process the sitter received a salute from each, and bestowed a trifling present in return. On the Tuesday that followed the second Sunday after Easter Day, was the fes-madmen, their hobby-horses and other monsters tival of Hock-Tuesday, also called Binding-day, because on this occasion people were wont to bind each other in sport, but chiefly the women the men, thus commemorating, it was said, the deliverance of England from the Danes at the death of Hardicanute. As such days could not pass without correspondent jollity, the Easterales were held in the church-yard, where opened casks were nearly as abundant as tombstones, and where the swilling villagers and townsfolks, who repaired to these strange revels, paid a large price for their good cheer, which was devoted "to pious uses." Such were the "fancy fairs" and "charity sales" of the sixteenth century. As "First, all the wild heads of the parish, conventing together, choose them a grand captain (of mischief), whom they ennoble with the title of my Lord of Misrule, and him they crown with great solemnity, and adopt for their king. This king anointed chooseth for him twenty, forty, threescore, or a hundred lusty-guts like to himself, to wait upon his lordly majesty, and to guard his noble person. Then, every one of these his men he investeth with his liveries of green, yellow, or some other wanton colour. And, as though that were not gaudy enough, they bedeck themselves with scarfs, ribbons, and laces, hanged all over with gold rings, precious stones, and other jewels; this done, they tie about either leg twenty or forty bells, with rich handkerchiefs in their hands, and sometimes laid across over their shoulders and necks, borrowed, for the most part, of their pretty Mopsies and loving Bessies, for kissing them in the dark. Thus, all things set in order, then have they their hobby-horses, dragons, and other antics, together with their bawdy pipers and thundering drummers, to strike up the devil's dance withal; then march these heathen company towards the church and church-yard, their pipers piping, their drummers thundering, their stumps dancing, their bells jingling, their handkerchiefs swinging about their heads like skirmishing amongst the throng; and in this sort they go to the church (though the minister be at prayer or preaching), dancing, and swinging their handkerchiefs over their heads in the church like devils incarnate, with such a confused noise that no man can hear his own voice. Then the foolish people, they look, they stare, they laugh, they fleer, and mount upon forms and pews to see these goodly pageants solemnized in this sort. Then, after this, about the church they go again and again, and so forth into the church-yard, where they have commonly their summer halls, their bowers, arbours, and banqueting-houses set up, wherein they feast, banquet, and dance all that day, and peradventure all that night too. | watched with much solicitude, as an omen of the And thus these terrestrial furies spend the Sab- future fortunes of the inmates. The largest log bath-day. Then, for the further ennobling of that could be found was usually selected for this this honourable lurdan (lord, I should say), they purpose, and if it continued to burn the whole have also certain papers, wherein is painted some night and ensuing day, this was hailed as a probabblery, or other of imagery work, and these mise of Divine favour and protection. It was no they call my Lord of Misrule's badges; these doubt a relic of the fire-worship of the Phoenicians. they give to every one that will give money for The last day of the year, and New Year's Day, them, to maintain them in this their heathenry, which followed in course, were held in the mandevilry, drunkenness, pride, and what not. And ner we have already described. On January 5, who will not show himself buxom to them, and the eve or vigil of Epiphany, the revelries regive them money for these the devil's cognizances, ceived a fresh impulse by a round of new obthey shall be mocked and flouted at shamefully; servances, the chief of which was the choosing of yea, many times carried upon a coulstaff, and the King or Queen of the Bean. This was done dived over head and ears in water, or otherwise by breaking a cake, and distributing the pieces most horribly abused. And so besotted are among the company, and whosoever was so lucky some, that they will not only give them money as to find in his portion the bean that had been to maintain their abomination withal, but also baked into the cake, was declared the sovereign wear their badges and cognizances in their hats of the season. On the day of Epiphany itself and caps openly. . . . Another sort of fantastical was elected a Bishop or Archbishop of Fools, and fools bring to these hell-hounds (the Lord of Mis- this act was performed with profane parodies of rule and his complices), some bread, some good the church service, and of the most solemn rites ale, some new cheese, some cakes, some flauns, of an episcopal installation. In a still more obsome tarts, some cream, some meat, some one jectionable fashion, however, this practice was thing, some another." observed in foreign countries, and especially in the Papal dominions themselves, where the people were wont to elect a Pope of Fools. As if this also had not been a sufficient profanation of things considered most sacred, a similar practice was observed on the fast of St. Nicholas, or Innocent's Day, in the election of the Boy Bishop. A stripling, generally a child of the church choir, was invested with mitre, crozier, and pontifical array, while his juvenile companions were dressed like priests; and, thus attired, they took possession of the church and performed mass, after which the boy-bishop preached a sermon with solemn grimace to the listening multitude, who, on this merry occasion, were sure to be punctual churchgoers. These rites being finished, the mock bishop and his assistants paraded the town, and collected money for their own behoof. The chief place of this exhibition in England, which was common also over the Continent, was the church of St. Paul's, in London. Henry VIII., considering that the play of the boy-bishop savoured too much of profanity, decreed its abolition; but it was such a popular amusement that it kept its ground for some time afterwards, in spite of his prohibition. Following Twelfth-day, or Epiphany, was Plough-Monday, which was held on the first Monday after. On this day ploughmen went from house to house requesting plough-money, to be spent in drinking. Another form of ceremony on the same occasion, was to parade the foolplough (supposed to be a corruption of Yuleplough), in procession, which was dragged along by a number of sword-dancers, attended by a band of music, and accompanied by several people Such a master of the Christmas revels sufficiently indicated how the season would be spent. His reign lasted from All-hallow Eve-that is, the last day of October-till the Purification, or 2d of February. The office, too, of such a mad Comus and his crew was not confined to country villages and jolly rustics; on the contrary, every noble mansion and even the royal palace, the grave civic corporations and learned inns of court, had their Lord of Misrule, whose authority in mischief and mirth-making was absolute and unlimited. Sometimes, also, the title was altered; thus, in Lincoln's Inn he was called the King of Christmas Day; and at court, where his office sometimes assumed a clerical character, his title was Abbot of Unreason. When the season had arrived in which the festival days were to be observed, all classes threw aside their wonted occupations; care was banished and industry suspended, while the whole island reeled with drunkenness and dancing, and rang with the echoes of bell-ringing, Christmas carols, and street merriment and shouting. Then came Christmas Day itself, in which, as might be expected, the worship was most fervent, as well as the revelry most abundant; and in the houses of the rich a boar's head formed the principal dish of the banquet, which was ushered into the hall with much state, and the singing of a Christmas carol composed in Latin. But the most important ceremony was that of the Yule-log, which, on Christmas Eve, was drawn into the house and lighted upon the hearth, where its burning was Stubbs' Anatomy of Abuses. |