scaffolding along the sides of the streets are filled to crushing, with maskers, and country folk in their gala dresses (by far the most grotesque that the carnival produces). The centre of the Corso is occupied by the carriages of princes, potentates, the ambassadors of all nations, and the municipality of Rome; and the two lines of carriages, moving in opposite directions on each side, are filled by English peers, Irish commoners, Polish counts, Spanish Grandees, German ba rons, Scotch lairds, and French marquises; but, above all, by the hired jobs of the badauds and pizzicaroli of Rome. These form not the least curious and interesting part of the procession, and best represent the carnival, as it existed a century back. In an open carriage sits, bolt upright, la signora padrona, or mistress of the family, her neck covered with rows of coral, pearl, or false gems; her white satin robe, and gaudy head-dress, left to "the pitiless pelting of the storm," showered indiscriminately from all the houses, and by the pedestrians, on the occupants of carriages, in the form of sugar-plums, but in substance of plaster of Paris, or lime. Opposite to her sits her caro sposo, ог husband, dressed as a grand sultan, or Muscovite czar: while all the little signorini of the family, male and female, habited as harlequins, columbines, and kings and queens, are crammed into the carriage even the coachman is supplied with a dress, and appears in the character of an elderly lady, or an Arcadian shepherdess; and the footman takes the guise of an English miss, or a French court lady, and figures in a spencer and short petticoat, or, accoutred with a hoop and a fan, salutes the passers-by with “buon giour, messieurs."" At the ave maria, or fall of day, the cannon again fire, as a signal to clear the street for the horse course. All noise then ceases; the carriages file off by the nearest avenue; their owners scramble to their windows, balconies, chairs, or scaffolds; while the pedestrians that have no such resources, driven by the soldiery from the open street, are crowded on the footways, to suffocation. But no terror, no discipline, can restrain their ardor to see the first starting of the horses. A temporary barrier, erected near the Porta del Popolo, is the point from which the race commences; another, on the Piazza di Venezia, is the termination of the course. The horses are small and of little value. They have no rider, but are placed each in a stall behind a rope, which is dropped as soon as the moment for starting arrives, when the animals seldom require to be put in motion by force. A number of tinfoil and paper flags are stuck over their haunches; smalt pointed bodies are placed to operate as a spur; and the noise and the pain of these decorations serve to put the horse on its full speed, to which it is further urged by the shouting of the populace. At the sound of the trumpet (the signal for starting), even at the approach of the officer who gives the order, the animals exhibit their impatience to be off, and they continue their race, or rather their flight, amidst the screams, plaudits, and vivats of the people of all ranks. This scene forms the last act of each day's spectacle, when every one is obliged to quit his carnival habit; for it is only on one or two particular evenings that there is a masked carnival at the aliberte. Twelfth Day Table Diversion. John Nott, editor of the Cook and Confectioners' Dictionary, 1726, describing himself as late cook to the dukes of Somerset, Ormond, and Batton, and the lords Lansdown and Ashburnham, preserves in that work, some divertisements" which were used in old times, on twelfth day and other festivals. His account is to this effect: Ancient artists in cookery inform us that, in former days, when good housekeeping was in fashion amongst the English nobility, they used either to begin or conclude their entertainments, and divert their guests, with such pretty devices as these following, viz.: A castle made of paste-board, with gates, draw-bridges, battlements, and portcullises, all done over with paste, was set upon the table in a large charger, with salt laid round about it, as if it were the ground, in which were stuck egg-shells full of rose, or other sweet waters, the meat of the egg having been taken out by a great pin. Upon the battlements of the castle were planted kexes, covered over with paste, in the form of cannons, and made to look like brass, by covering them with dutch leaf-gold. These cannons being charged with gunpowder, and trains laid, so that you might fire as many of them as you pleased, at one touch; this castle was set at one end of the table. Then, in the middle of the table, they would set a stag, made of paste, but hollow, and filled with claret wine, and a broad farrow stuck in his side; this was also set in a large charger, with a ground made of salt, having egg-shells of perfumed waters stuck in it, as before. Then, at the other end of the table, they would have a ship made of pasteboard, and covered all over with paste, with masts, sails, flags, and streamers; and guns made of kexes, covered with paste and charged with gunpowder, with a train, as in the castle. This, being placed in a large charger, was set upright in, as it were, a sea of salt, in which were also stuck egg-shells full of perfumed waters. Then, betwixt the stag and castle, and the stag and ship, were placed two pies made of coarse paste, filled with bran, and washed over with saffron and the yolks of eggs: when these were baked, the bran was taken out, a hole was cut in the bottom of each, and live birds put into one and frogs into the other; then the holes were closed up with paste, and the lids neatly cut up, so that they might be easily taken off by the funnels, and adorned with gilded laurels. These being thus prepared, and placed in order on the table, one of the ladies was persuaded to draw the arrow out of the body of the stag, which being done, the claret wine issued forth like blood from a wound, and caused admiration in the spectators; which being over, after a little pause, all the guns on one side of the castle were, by a train, discharged against the ship; and afterwards, the guns of one side of the ship were discharged against the castle; then, having turned the chargers, the other sides were fired off, as in a battle: this causing a great smell of powder, the ladies or gentlemen took up the egg-shells of perfumed water and threw them at one another. This pleasant disorder being pretty well laughed over, and the two great pies still remaining untouched, some one or other would have the curiosity to see what was in them, and, on lifting up the lid of one pie, out would jump the frogs, which would make the ladies skip and scamper; and, on lifting up the lid of the other, out would fly the birds, which would naturally fly at the light, and so put out the candles. And so, with the leaping of the frogs below, and the flying of the birds above, would cause a surprising and diverting hurlyburly amongst the guests, in the dark. After which, the candles being lighted, the banquet would be brought in, the music sound, and the particulars of each person's surprise and adventures furnish matter for diverting discourse. Subtilties. The art of confectionery was anciently employed in all solemn feasts, with the most profuse delicacy. After each course was a "subtilty." Subtilties were representations of castles, giants, saints, knights, ladies and beasts, all raised in pastry; upon which legends and coat armor were painted in their proper colors. At the festival, on the coronation of Henry VI., in 1429, there was "a subtilty of St. Edward, aud St. Louis, armed, and upon either, his coat armor; holding between them a figure of king Henry, standing also in his coat armor; and an incription passing from both, saying, 'Beholde twoe perfecte kynges vnder one coate armoure. WALSALL DOLE. [Communicated by S. D.] The following account of a penny dole, given formerly on twelfth day, at Walsall, in Staffordshire, is derived from "An abstract of the title of the town of Walsall, in Stafford, to valuable estates at Bascott, &c., in the county of Warwick, with remarks by James Cottrell, 1818." In 1453 Thomas Moseley made a feoffment of certain estates, to William Lyle and William Maggot, and their heirs, in trust, for the use of the town of Walsall; but John Lyle, son of William Lyle, to whom these estates would have descended, instead of applying the pro duce of the estates for the use of the town, kept them, and denied that the property was in trust, pretending it to be his own inheritance; but the inhabitants of Walsall not choosing to be so cheated, some of them went to Moxhal, and drove away Lyle's cattle, which unjustifiable act he did not resent, because he was liable to be brought to account for the trust estate in his hands. At length a suit was commenced by the town against Lyle, and the estates in question were adjudged for the use of the town of Walsall. Accordingly, in 1515, John Lyle of Moxhal, near Coleshill, Warwickshire, suffered a recovery, whereby these estates passed to Richard Hunt, and John Ford, and they, in 1516, made a feoffment of the land, to Fabyan-Dallaway's Heraldic Inq. 182. divers inhabitants of the town of Walsall, in trust, and so it continues in the hand of trustees to this day. In 1539 the first mention appears to have been made of the penny dole. On the twelfth eve, being the anniversary for the souls of Thomas Moseley, and Margaret his wife, the bellman went about with his bell, exciting all to kneel down and pray for the souls of Thomas Moseley, and Margaret, his wife; Thomas Moseley never gave this dole, either by feoffment or will; but, because he had been so good a benefactor, in giving his lands, &c., in Warwickshire, the town, by way of gratitude, yearly distributed a general dole of one penny each, to young and old, rich and poor; strangers, as well as townspeople; and this was the origin of the dole. England a power of gathering from every fyer householder,' in every parish, one penny, which were called Peter pence; therefore I am inclined to think this religious fraternity were the beginners of this penny dole, which would enable them immediately to pay their Peter Pence or, perhaps they might stop it in the same manner as the bellman does the lord of the manor's penny." The dole is now discontinued; and twelve alms-houses, were built with the money in the hands of the corporation. The current tradition is, that Thomas Moseley, passing through Walsall, on twelfth eve, saw a child crying for bread, where others were feasting, and, struck by the circumstance, made over the estates at Barcott, &c., to the town of Walsall, on condition that every year one penny should be given each person on that day, so that no one might witness a like sadness. "It would be a good thing," says Mr. Cottrell, the author of the Abstract, "if this dole was given up, and the rents of these valuable estates, which are now considerable, were all applied to charitable purposes. The masters of the guild of St. John the Baptist, in Walsall, a religious fraternity, with laws and orders January 6.-Day breaks. made among themselves, by royal licence, appear at this time to have been the trustees; for they received the rents of these estates, and kept court at Barcott. King John granted to every arch-deacon in Sun rises. sets Twilight ends h. m. 5257 8 1 3.59 6 3 . The weather either very cold or very wet. CHRISTMAS OUT OF TOWN. For many a winter in Billiter Lane My wife, Mrs. Brown, was ne'er heard to complain : On beef and plum-pudding, and turkey, and chine; My wife has found out that the sea is genteel; To Brighton we duly go scampering down- In Billiter Lane, at this mirth-moving time, We carved a twelfth-cake, and we drew king and queen : The Sun hides his head, and the elements frown- At Brighton I'm stuck up in Lucombe's Loo-shop, Yet, still, I am suffering with folks of renown- The wind gallops in at the full of the moon, But would not express what I think for a crown- Next winter I'll prove to my dear Mrs. Brown January 7. ST. DISTAFF'S DAY. The day after Epiphany or Twelfth day was called St. Distaff's day by country people, because, the Christmas holidays having ended, good housewives resumed the distaff and their other industrious employments. PLOUGH MONDAY Is the first Monday after Twelfth Day, when agricultural laborers were accustomed to draw about a plough and solicit money with guisings, and dancing with swords, preparatory to beginning to plough after the Christmas holidays. In a very places they still drag the plough, but without the sword dance, or any mumming. few From "A Briefe Relation of the Gleanings of the Idiotismes and Absurdities of Miles Corbet esquire, Councellor at Law, Recorder and Burgess for Great Yarmouth," it appears, that the Monday after Twelfth Day is called "Plowlick Monday by the Husbandmen in Norfolk, because on that day they doe first begin to plough." Among the Ancients the "Compitalia were Feasts instituted, some say, by Tarquinius Priscus, in the month of January, and celebrated by servants alone, when their ploughing was over." + Sword Dance. There is a curious account of the Sword Dance in Olaus Magnus's History of the Northern Nations. He says that the Northern Goths and Swedes have a sport By Anth. Roiley 1646. 4to. wherein they exercise their youth, consisting of a Dance with Swords in the following manner. First, with 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 hilts and points, and, 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 und that figure, in order to form with them a four-square rose, that they may rebound over the head of each other. Lastly, they dance rapidly backwards, and, vehemently rattling the sides of their swords together, conclude their sport. Pipes, or songs (sometimes both), direct the measure, which, at first, is slow, but, increasing afterwards, becomes a very quick one towards the conclusion. Olaus Magnus adds of this dance that "It is scarcely to be understood, but by those that look on, how gamely and decent it is, when at one word, or one commanding, the whole armed multitude is directed to fall to fight and clergymen may exercise themselves, and mingle themselves amongst others at this sport, because it is all guided by most wise reason." + Olaus Magnus 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 * Brand. + See also Strutt's Sports 8 vo. p. 214. been" says Mr. Brand "a frequent spectator of this dance, which is now, or was very lately, performed with few or no alterations in Northumberland and the ad joining counties: one difference however is observable in our Northern sword dancers, that, when the Swords are form ed into a figure, they lay them down upon the ground and dance round them." A YORKSHIRE PLOUGH-DAY. It is the custom in the North Riding of Yorkshire, when a new tenant enters on a farm, for his neighbours to give him what is called a plough-day; that is the use of all their ploughs, and the labor of all their ploughmen and plough horses, on a fixed day, to prepare the ground for sowing the grain. The following provision for a plough-day was actually made for such an occasion by a farmer's wife near Guesborough in 1808. Twelve bushels of wheat were ground, and made into seventeen white loaves and fifty-one dumplings. In the dumplings were forty-two pounds of currants, and fourteen pounds of raisins. Seven pounds of sugar, with a proportionate quantity of vinegar and melted butter, composed the sauce for the dumplings. One hundred and ninety-six pounds of beef, with a farther quantity which the farmer's wife had not received the account of when she related the circumstance, succeeded the dumplings, and to this was added two large hams, and fourteen pounds of peas, made into puddings. Three large Cheshire cheeses, and two home-made ones weighing twenty eight pounds each, concluded this mighty repast, which was washed down with ninety-nine gallons of ale, and two of rum. At this ploughing there were about eighty ploughs. January 7-Day breaks. Sun rises -sets. Twilight ends H. N. h. m. 5 57 8 0 4 0 January 8. On the 8th of January, 1668, Mr. Evelyn says, in his diary, "I saw deep and prodigious gaming at the groom porter's; vast heaps of gold squandered away in a vain and profuse manner. This I looked on as a horrid vice, and unsuitable in a Christian court." To what has been stated previously, concerning this play at the groom-porter's, may be added, that the groom-porter is still an officer of the court, and that lady Mary Wortley Montague, in one of her Town Eclogues (Thursday) thus mentions the practice :At the groom-porter's batter'd bullies play, Some dukes at Mary-bone bowl-time away. The Groom Porter. Chamberlayne says, "The office of groom-porter is to see the king's lodging furnished with tables, chairs, stools, firing; to provide cards, dice, &c.; to decide disputes arising at cards, dice, bowlings, &c. * Henry Fitzalan, earl of Arundel, lord chamberlain to Henry VIII. from 1526 to 1530, compiled a book of directions for the service of the king's chambers, and the duties of the officers, in which is set forth "the roome and service belonging to a groome-porter to do," to the following effect:- First, a groom-porter ought to bring ladders for the hanging of the king's chambers [with tapestry, &c.] To bring in tables, forms, tressels, and stools, strand for beds, rushes [for strewing the floors], and all other such necessaries belonging to the chambers, as the gentleman-usher shall command: he is also to bring to the chamber door, and have ready there, all manner of fuel, as wood and coals; and to have always ready, torches, sises, and other lights for the king's chambers; he is further to see that the keeper sweep and clean the floors, walls, windows, and roofs of all dirt and cobwebs, before any of the king's staff come within the said chambers: wherefore he hath his fee.t The groom-porter's is referred to as a place of excessive play, in the statutes of Eltham, for the government of the privy Groundsel in flower, and more or less, chamber of Henry VIII., in the seventeenth daily, throughout the year. This account, extracted from Miss Hutton's "Oakward Hall" is obligingly communicated by a known and 'greatly respected correspondent who authenticates the fact, year of his reign, 1525, or 6. One of these ordinances directs that the privychamber shall be "kept honestly" in the * Present state of G. Britain, 1735. Autiq. Rep. iii. 201. |