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CHAP. XXI.

Of Shrove-tide; what it signifies; the Custom of the Papists at this Season; that our present Customs are very unbecoming.

SHROVE-TIDE signifieth the Time of confessing Sins, as the Word Tide, which signifies Time; and the Saxon Word Shrive or Shrift, which signifies Confession, plainly shew. The Reason why this Time is so denominated is, because it was set apart by the Church of Rome for a Time of Shriving or confessing Sins. For then People were wont to confess their Sins, and receive the Sacrament, that they might be better prepar❜d for the Religious Observation of the following Season of Lent. Thus in the Constitutions of* Simon Sudbury, it is ordered, "That Lay

* Simon of Sudbury Archbishop of Canterbur, was made at Lambeth, A. D. 1373, in the second Year of Richard the Second, in the first Year of Urban the fifth Pope, and Clement the seventh Anti-Pope. This most eloquent Man, who was wise incomparably beyond the rest of the Kingdom; sat about six Years, and at last was beheaded at London by Command of the Rebels, Tyler and Stravo, A. D. 1381. Johnson Const. 1378. I have seen in a Church at Sudbury in Suffolk, a Skull, which is shewn to Strangers for the Skull of this Bishop, and probably it is

the true one.

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very Beginning of Lent." And in Theodolphus's Capitula, it is ordered, "That on the Week next before Lent, every Man should go to his Shrift, and his Shrift should shrive him in such a Manner, as his Deeds which "he had done requir'd: and that he should charge all that belong to his District, that

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if any of them have Discord with any, he "make Peace with him; if any one will not "be brought to this, then he shall not shrive

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him; but then he shall inform the Bishop, "that he may convert him to what is right, "if he be willing to belong to GOD: Then "all Contentions and Disputes shall cease; " and if there be any one of them, that hath "taken Offence at another, then shall they be

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reconcil'd, that they may more freely say "in the LORD's Prayer, LORD forgive us “our Trespasses, &c. And having thus purified their Minds, let them enter upon the

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Holy Fast Tide, and cleanse themselves by Satisfaction against Holy Easter, &c. John"son 994. 36. Constitut.”

This Custom of confessing to the Priest at this Time, was laid aside by our Church at the Reformation: For Sins are to be confess'd

to

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to GOD alone, and not to the Priest, except when the Conscience cannot otherwise be quieted: Then indeed the Grief is to be opened to the Spiritual Guide in private, * That by the Ministry of GOD's Word, he may give the Benefit of Absolution, together with ghostly Council and Advice, to the quieting of the Conscience, and the avoiding of all Scruple and Doubtfulness. But how this other worse Custom came to be retain'd, of indulging all Manner of Luxury and Intemperance, I know nothing but that the Flesh was too powerful for the Spirit: The Duties of Religion, how justly soever enjoyn'd us, are tamely dispensed with, but what won't we rather do, than give up the Pleasures of Life? Surely the Church never design'd, when she so justly took away the public. Confessions of this Season, that Rioting and Gaming, and Drunkenness, should continue amongst us. Are these a fit Preparation for so solemn a Season? Will they qualifie us for the Hearing of the History of our LORD'S Passion? Will they prepare us for the Reception of his Body and Blood? And fit us to meet him in the Morning of the Resurrection? Will they not rather

* Exhort. to the Com.

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speak us Heathens than Christians? And lead us to Hell, than on the Way to Heaven?. Such Customs as these may, in some Measure, be excusable among them whose *Church has too much led them into those Things; but it is scandalous and sinful and abominable in those, who pretend to be the Enemies of Error and Superstition, to continue the Observation of such sinful Customs.

* Vid. Seldon. Table Talk. C. of Christmas.

OBSERVATIONS ON CHAP. XXI.

MR. BOURNE seems to wonder at the Luxury and Intemperance that usually prevailed at this Season: Was he ignorant that this was no more than a Vestige of the Romish Carnival. See Pancake-Tuesday in the Appendix.

*

The learned Moresin derives the Carnival from the Times of Gentilism; he introduces Johannes Boëmus Aubanus describing it thus: "Men eat "and drink, and abandon themselves to every Kind "of sportive Foolery, as if resolved to have their "Fill of Pleasure before they were to die, and as "it were forego every Sort of Delight." Thus also

* Comedit enim et bibit, seque loco jocoque omnimodo adeo dedit quasi usui nunquam veniant, quasi cras moritura, hodie prius omnium rerum capere velit Satietatem, &c. Deprav. Rel. 142.

"Selden:

Selden: "What the Church debars us one Day, "she gives us Leave to take out in another: First "we fast, and then we feast: First there is a Car"nival, and then a Lent."

*

Fitzstephen informs us, that antiently on ShroveTuesday the School-Boys used to bring Cocks of the Game to their Master, and to delight themselves in Cock-fighting all the Forenoon, Vide Stow. Hence so many Welch Mains, &c. about this Season.

Since that Time a barbarous Custom hath been instituted on this Day of throwing at Cockst, which

* The learned Moresin informs us, that the Papists derived this Custom of exhibiting Cock-Fights on one Day every Year from the Athenians, and from an Institution of Themistocles.“ Galli gal"linacei, says he, producuntur per diem singulis annis in pugnam " à Pupisequis, ex veteri Atheniensium forma ducto more, et "Themistoclis Instituto." Cæl. Rhod. Lib. 9. variar. lect. Cap. 46. Idem Pergami fiebat. Alex. ab Alex. Lib. 5. Cap. 8.

Deprav. Rel. Orig. &c. p. 66. This Custom was retained in many Schools in Scotland within this Century; perhaps it is still in Use.-The Schoolmasters were said to preside at the Battle, and claimed the run-a-way Cocks as their Perquisites. These were called "Fugees;" corrupt I suppose of Refugees.-I forbear to describe the Mode of throwing at Cocks, for as Boerhaave observes on another Occasion, "To teach the Arts "of Cruelty is equivalent to committing them."

†The ingenious Artist, Hogarth, has satirized this Barbarity in the first of the Prints called the Four Stages of Cruelty. Trusler (who by no Means handles his Pen as the Master did his Pencil) tell us, in his Description of this Plate, "We have several Groups "of Boys at their different barbarous Diversions. One is throwing "at a Cock, the universal Shrove-tide Amusement, beating the " harmless feathered Animal to Jelly."" It has been judiciously "observed, he farther remarks, speaking of Cats, that the Conceit "of a Cat's having nine Lives, hath cost at least nine Lives in ten "of the whole Race of them; scarce a Boy in the Streets, but has "in this Point outdone even Hercules himself, who was renowned "for killing a Monster that had but three Lives." Vide Hogarth Moralized, p. 134.

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