ments. The steward and marshal followed, and after them the gentleman sewer; and then came the meat. These three officers were to make all together three "solempn curtesies," at three several times, between the screen and the upper table, the first at the end of the benchers' table; the second about the midst; and the third at the other end; and then withdrawing on one side, the sewer performed his office.

Dinner ended, the musicians prepared to sing a song at the highest table: which ceremony accomplished, the officers were to address themselves every one in his office, " to avoid the tables in fair and decent manner, beginning at the clerk's table;" and thence proceeding to the next, and thence to all the others," till the highest table be solempnly avoided.” All this time the musicians were to stand " right above the hearth side, with the noise of their music; their faces direct towards the highest table: and that done, to return into the buttery, with their music sounding." The second course was served like the first.

The meal concluded with revels; during which, and also at dinner, the porters were to view the comers in and out; and for this service they were allowed a cast of bread and a candle nightly after supper. The revels and dancings continued the twelve days of Christmas, and each day after dinner and supper the senior master of the revels sung a "caroll or song, and commanded other gentlemen then there present to sing with him and the company," which was "very decently performed."

On Christmas day, after hearing divine service at the Temple church, the gentlemen breakfasted at the hall with brawn, mustard, and malmsey. The first course at dinner on this day was "a fair and large boar's head upon a silver platter, with minstralsye." At supper two gentlemen in gowns attended, bearing two fair torches of wax next before the musicians and trumpeters, and stood above the fire with the music till the whole first course was served in ; which performed, they returned with the music into the buttery; and this same order was observed during the whole Christmas festival.

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The grandest ceremony, however, was on St. Stephen's day. This consisted of a sort of drama, in which the company personated various characters, accompanied by music, dancing, and pageantry. The chief personage on this occasion was termed the Lord of Misrule. He was attended by his courtiers, sir Francis Flatterer, sir Randle Rachabite, sir Morgan Mumchance, and sir Bartholomew Baldbreech. The ceremony after the first course commenced with the entry of the constable marshal, arrayed with "fair, rich, complete harneys, white and bright, and gilt, with a nest of feathers of all colours upon his crest or helm, and a gilt poleaxe in his hand." He was accompanied by another officer, called the Lieutenant of the Tower (from a large machine resembling a fortress, of which he was supposed the governor), and who was likewise armed in a similar manner. These two officers were preceded by sixteen trumpeters, four drums and fifes, and four men in white "harneys"

from the middle upwards, with halberts in their hands, bearing on their shoulders the tower.

After this procession had walked three times round the fire, the music playing, &c. the constable marshal and lieutenant knelt before the lord chancellor (always invited at this solemnity), and the former pronounced an oration of a quarter of an hour's length; the purport of which was, to request to be taken into his lordship's service; he then delivered his naked sword to the steward, who presented it to the lord chancellor, &c.; and during this ceremony the tower was placed near the fire.

Then came the master of the game and the ranger of the forest (two other characters so called), the former apparelled in green velvet, and the latter in a suit of green satin, having in his hand a green bow and several arrows, and each of them a hunting horn slung over the shoulder. Arriving at the fire they blew together "three blasts of venery," and paced round about it three times, and then making three curtesies, desired in the same manner to be admitted into the service of the lord chancellor. Other formalities, too long to detail, succeeded the above, and the ceremony concluded with the actual hunting of a fox and a cat, with nine or ten couple of hounds round the hall, whose deaths terminated this very extraordinary and singular species of amusement.

During these "revels," as they were very properly called, defaulters were to be committed to the custody of the lieutenant; but if they could make their escape to the buttery, and bring into the hall "a