THE COMMON PEOPLE.

193

“ in the Year 1444, by Tempest of Thunder and

Lightning; toward the Morning of Candlemas “ Day, at the Leaden Hall, in Corn-hill, a Stan“ dard of Tree, being set up in the Midst of the “ Pavement, fast in the Ground, nailed full of “ Holme and Ivie, for disport of Christmass to the “ People; was torne up and cast downe by the

malignant* Spirit, (as was thought) and the " Stones of the Pavement all about, were cast in the

Streets, and into divers Houses, so that the People were sore aghast at the great Tempests.”

In the North there is another Custom used at or about this Time, which if I mistake not, was antiently observed in the Beginning of Lent: The Fool Plough goes about, a Pageant that consists of a Number of Sword Dancerst, dragging a Plough,

with

was the first Christian Church erected in Britain: Before we can admit either of these Hypotheses, the Question must be determined whether or no this Custom was not prior to the Introduction of the Christian Faith amongst us.

The learned Dr. Chandler tells us, “It is related where Druidism

prevailed, the Houses were decked with Evergreens in Decem“ ber, that the Sylvan Spirits might repair to them, and remain “ unnipped with Frost and cold Winds, until a milder Season had “ renewed the foliage of their darling Abodes.".

Travels in Greece. * This illustrates the Spectator's Observation, where he tells us, that our Forefathers looked into Nature with other eyes than we do now, and always ascribed common natural Effects to supernatural Causes : This Joy of the People at Christmass was, it should seem, Death to their Infernal Enemy-envying their festal Pleasures, and owing them a Grudge, he took this opportunity of spoiling their Sport !

† Aliter, the White Flough, so called because the gallant, young Men that compose it, appear to be dressed in their Shirts, (without

Coat

with Music, and one, sometimes two, in a very antic Dress; the Bessy, in the grotesque Habit of an old Woman, and the Fool, almost covered with Skins, a hairy Cap on, and the Tail of some Animal hanging from his Back: The Office of one of these Characters is, to go about rattling a Box amongst the Spectators of the Dance, in which he collects their little Donations.

This Pageant or Dance as used at present, seems a Composition made up of the Gleanings of several obsolete Customs followed antiently, here and elsewhere, on this and the like festive Occasions.

I find a very curious and minute Description of the Sword Dance in Olaus Magnus'* History

of

Coat or Waistcoat) upon which great Numbers of Ribbands folded into Roses, are loosely stitched on. It appears to be a very airy Habit at this cold Season, but they have warm Waistcoats under it.

Mr. Wallis, in his History of Northumberland, tells us, that the Saltatio armata of the Roman Militia on their Festival Armilustrium, celebrated 19th of October, is still practised by the Country People in this Neighbourhood, on the annual Festivity of Christmass, the Yule Tide of the Druids.-Young Men march from Village to Village, and from House to House, with Music before them, dressed in an antic Attire, and before the Vestibulum, or Entrance of every House entertain the Family with the motus incompositus, the Antic Dance, or Chorus Armatus, with Swords or Spears in their Hands, erect and shining: this they call the Sword Dance. For their Pains they are presented with a small Gratuity in Money, more or less, according to every Householder's Ability; their Gratitude is expressed by firing a Gun. One of the Company is distinguished from the Rest by a more antic Dress; a For's Skin generally serving him for a Covering and Ornament to his Head, the Tail hanging down his Back.-This droll Figure is their Chief or Leader. He does not mingle in the Dance. Vol. 2. p. 29.

* De Chorea gladiatoria, vel

Armifera Saltatione.

Habent præterea septentrionales Gothi et Sueci

pro

exercenda juventute

of the northern Nations.-He tells us, that the northern Goths and Swedes, have a Sport wherein they exercise their Youth, consisting of a Dance with Swords in the following Manner: First with their Swords sheathed and erect in their Hands, they dance in a triple Round. Then with their drawn Swords held erect as before: Afterwards extending them from Hand to Hand, they lay hold of each other's Hilt and Point, while they are wheeling more moderately round, and changing their Order, throw themselves into the Figure of a Hexagon, which they call a Rose.-But presently raising and drawing back their Swords, they undo that Figure, to form (with them) a four-square Rose, that may rebound over the Head of each. At last they dance rapidly backwards, and vehemently rattling the Sides of their Swords together, conclude the Sport. Pipes, or Songs (sometimes both) direct

ventute-ludum, quod inter nudos enses, et infestos Gladios seu frameas, sese exerceant saltu: idque quodam gymnastico ritu et disciplina, ætate successiva, à peritis et præsultore, sub cantu addiscunt: et ostendunt hunc ludum præcipue tempore Carnisprivii Maschararum Italico verbo dicto. Ante etenim tempus ejusdem Carnisprivii, octo diebus continua saltatione sese adolescentes numerose exercent, elevatis scilicet Gladiis, sed vagina reclusis, ad triplicem gyrum. Deinde evaginatis, itidemque elevatis Ensibus, postmodum manuatim extensis, modestiùs gyrando alterius Cuspidem Capulumque receptantes, sese mutato ordine in modum figuræ hexagoni subjiciunt: quam Rosam dicunt. Et ilico eam gladios retrahendo, elevandoque resolvunt, et super uniuscujusque Caput quadrata rosa resultet; et tandem vehementissima gladiorum laterali collisione, celerrime retrograda saltatione determinant ludum: quem tibiis, vel cantilenis, aut utriusque simul, primum per graviorem, demum vehementiorem saltum, et ultimó impetuosissimum, moderantur. Olai Magni. Gent. Septent. Hist. Breviar, p. 341.

the Measure, which at first is slow, but increasing afterwards, becomes a very quick one, towards the Conclusion.

He calls this a Kind of Gymnastic Rite*, in which the Ignorant were successively instructed by those who were skilled in it: And thus it must have been preserved and handed down to us. I have been a frequent Spectator of this Dance, which is now performed with few or no Alterations: only they lay their Swords, when formed into a Figure, upon the Ground and dance round them.

With regard to the Plough drawn about on this Occasion; I find the Monday after Twelfth Day, called antiently (as Coles tells us) Plough Monday,

when our northern Plough Men, beg Plough "Money to drink" (it is very probable they would draw about a Plough on the occasion; so in hard Frosts our Watermen drag a Boat about the Streets, begging Money): And he adds, "In some Places "if the Ploughman (after that Day's Work) come "with his Whip to the Kitchen Hatch and cry, "Cock in Pot," before the Maid says, "Cock on "the Dunghill," he gains a Cock for Shrove Tuesdayt." Vide Cock fighting in the Appendix.

* Dr. Moresin alludes to a Dance at this Season, without Swords, in these Words.- "6 Sicinnium, Genus Saltationis, seu Choreæ ubi "Saltitantes cantabant, ac Papistæ facere sunt soliti in Scotia ad "Natalitia Domini, et alibi adhuc servant. p. 160.

† Coles tells us also of an old Custom in some Places, of Farmers giving Sharping Corn to their Smith at Christmass, for sharping Plough-irons, &c.

Joannes

Joannes Boëmus Aubanus*, in his Description of some remarkable Customs used in his Time in Franconia, a Part of Germany, tells us of the following on Ash-Wednesday. Such young Women as have frequented the Dances throughout the Year, are gathered together by young Men, and instead of Horses, are yoked to a Plough, upon which a Piper sits and plays: In this Manner they are dragged into a Water-He suspects this to have been a Kind of self-enjoined or voluntary Penance, for not having abstained from their favourite Sport on Holidays, contrary to the Injunctions of the Church.

I can find nothing more relative to the Plough, though in Du Cange's Glossary, there is a Reference to some old Laws†, which mention the "drawing a Plough about," which I guess would have afforded something to our Purpose, could I have found them.

As to the Fool and Bessy, they are plainly Fragments of the antient Festival of Fools, held on New Year's Day. See Trusler's Chronology.

There

* In die Cinerum mirum est, quod in plerisque locis agitur. Virgines quotquot per annum choream frequentaverunt, à juvenibus congregantur, et Aratro, pro equis, advectæ, cum tibicine, qui super illud modulans sedet, in fluvium aut lacum trahuntur. Id quare fiat non planè video, nisi cogitem eas per hoc expiare velle, quòd festis diebus contra ecclesiæ præceptum, à levitate sua non abstinuerint. P. 267.

† Aratrum circumducere, in Lege Bajuvar. tit. 17. § 2.

Faustinus Episcopus in Serm. in Kalend. Jan. has these Words, "Quis enim Sapiens credere poterit inveniri aliquos sanæ mentis, " qui

03