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In the old editions the article stolen by Bardolph was a Par. Ill-informed editors improperly changed this to a pir, which, being the shrine, or tabernacle of the host upon the altar, and of large size, could not have been easily carried away; whereas, it could not be difficult to secrete the Pax. In a catholic work, explanatory of the rites and ceremonies of the mass, it is described as "a little table, or model, with a crucifix graven therein (which from the Kiss of Peace is commonly called the Par), given first to the priest to kiss, and after, in like manner, to all present.'

99

The salutation of the Pax followed the Agnus Dei, in the mass, preparatory to the communion. As one of the reasons assigned for its disuse, it is said, in the last mentioned work on the mass, 66 some have added, that there is so little peace in the world, that it was not proper to use this symbol of peace to so little profit." Dr. Milner, a catholic prelate of the present day, presumes that the Pax was withdrawn on account of disputes among the people for precedency, on its being presented. That the point of precedency was contended for so early as Chaucer, appears in his "Parson's Tale," from this passage:" He waiteth to sit, or to go above him in the way, or kisse the Pax, or be encensed, or gon to offring, before his neighbour."

In 1821 Dr. Milner sent to the society of Antiquaries an ancient Pax; it was a silver plate with embossed figures on the surface, representing the crucifixion, and the Virgin and others standing at the cross. This Pax was of silver, about two inches and a half in height, by two in breadth; and about an eighth in thickness; square at bottom, and bluntly pointed, or rounded, at the top; with a projecting bracket behind, against which it rested, nearly upright, when put out of the hand. Its general form may be com

pared to that of a flat iron for smoothing linen, except its being much smaller.*

But Dr. Milner's Pax, at the society of Antiquaries, of which there is a representation, was far exceeded in size, decoration, and style of workmanship, by two beautiful Paxes, impressions from the history of chaleography, and are the which, upon paper, connect them with subject of erudite inquiry and remark, in the introduction to "A Collection of One hundred and twenty-nine Fac-Similes of scarce and curious Prints, by the Early Masters of the Italian, German, and Flemish Schools, &c., by William Young Ottley, esq., F. A. S." The execution of both these Paxes is ascribed by that gentleman to the inventor of chalcography, Maso, or Tommaso Finiguerra, an emi nent Florentine goldsmith, who was born about the year 1400 and did not long su vive 1460.

or

"

Mr. Ottley observes upon a print of a celebrated Pax, called the "Assumption," "Coronation of the Madonna, which he mentions as "a work of exquisite beauty," finished by Finiguerra in 1452, for the church of S. Giovanni at Florence, where there exists another Pax of very fine workmanship, "the Crucifixion," by Matteo Dei, another Florentine goldsmith.

An "impression from another Pax, by the same artist," occasions comparative remark from Mr. Ottley, with a fac-simile engraving, and the following description:

"A Pax, on which are represented the Madonna seated upon a throne, with the infant Saviour in her lap; on each side of her an angel holding a lily; and below, St. Catherine, St. Lucia, and other female saints. It may be proper to observe that, in the original, the diadems, or glories, round the heads of the figures, the borders of their garments, and the wings of the two angels, are enriched by gilding. This piece, which is believed to be a genuine performance of Maso Finiguerra, is enclosed in a frame of massy silver, richly and tastefully decorated with

Staveley's Hist. of Churches, 191. Fosbroke's Ency. of Antiquities. Archæologia, xx. 534. Nares' Glossary, art. Pax. Holinshed, ii. an. 1170. Littleton's Henry II., 4to. ii. 526. Liturgical Disc. of the Mass, 1669, Pt

ii. 262.

† A volume in Imperial Quarto, published by Longman and Co., Molteno, and Colnaghi

and Co.

chiselled work and enamel. The two letters G. R., at the bottom of the frame, are probably the initials of the person by whose order the work was executed. This nighly interesting specimen was purchased

by Mr. Woodburn, at the sale of the late sir M. M. Sykes, Bart., for £315.”

The attempt, on the page before last, to picture this splendid Pax, from the facsimile in Mr. Ottley's volume, will afford

a correct idea of
its size and form,
but the margins of
the preceding page
are not wide enough
to contain the
entire ornamental
frame, which so pro-
jects on each side, at
the bottom, in the
shape of an inverted
bracket, or "block-
ing," that,taking the
entire frame-work
from top to bottom,
ts outline may
be conceived to re-
present the outline
of an inverted cup
or chalice. Each
of these side pro-
jections is drawn
upon the margin of
the present page;
and if each be trans-
ferred, by the eye, to
each corresponding
outer side of the
frame-work of the
large engraving, the
imagination will be
enabled to complete
the view of Fini-
guerra's Pax.

GRAND REVELS OF THE PRINCE OF MISRULE.

Queen Elizabeth, with many of her nobility and court, partook in the sports of "Prince of Misrule at Gray's Inn, who kept his state, and received ambassadors, and made progresses, with becoming dignity, from his creation before Christmas 1594, to the end of his reign on Shrove Tuesday." His history is in a quarto tract of rare occurrence, printed in 1688, with the following title:

"GESTA GRAYORUM,

"OR the History of the High and Mighty Prince, HENRY, PRINCE OF

PEERPOOLE, Arch-duke of Sapulia ana Bernardia, Duke of High and Nether Holborn, Marquis of St. Giles and Tottenham, Count Palatine of Bloomsbury and Clerkenwell, Great Lord of the Cantons of Islington, Kentish Town, Paddington and Knightsbridge, Knight of the most Heroical Order of the Helmet, and Sovereign of the same, who reigned and died, A. D. 1594. Together with a MASQUE, as it was presented (by His Highnesses command) for the Entertainment of QUEEN ELIZABETH who, with the Nobles of both Courts, was present thereat."

There not being extant any narrative so exact and interesting of a Christmas Revel, as this history of the Prince of Portpool, and it being a chief purpose of the Year Book to record certain sports and customs of our ancestors which have not before been made known in a popular manner, the adventures of this Prince and his merry court will be related, as nearly as may be, in the words of the original writer's document, yet with due care to conciseness.

The gallant gentlemen afforded by Gray's Inn at ordinary revels, and betwixt All-hallowtide and Christmas, exceeding in number those of the other inns of court, occasioned certain lovers of these sports, in the year 1594, to desire a head and leader to so gallant a company.

Such pastimes had been intermitted during three or four years, on account of sickness and discontinuances; but at length, after many consultations among the youths, and others that were most forward herein, about the 12th of December in the said year, it was determined, with the consent and assistance of the readers and ancients, that there should be elected a prince of Portpool, to govern the state through the ensuing Christmas, with witty inventions rather than chargeable expenses

Whereupon one Mr. Henry Helmes, an accomplished Norfolk gentleman, of good parts, was chosen for so great a dignity, as being a proper personage, and very active in dancing and revelling.

There was a privy council assigned him, to advise of state matters, and the government of his dominions. He was also provided with lodgings according to his state; as a presence-chamber and a council-chamber. Officers of state, of the law, and of the house-hold, were also appointed, together with gentlemen-pensioners to attend on his person; and a guard, with their captain, for his defence.

Order was next taken to provide treasure, for the support of his state and dignity. A benevolence was granted by those abiding in his court, and, to those not in the house, letters were directed, in nature of privy seals, enjoining them to to attend, and to contribute towards defraying so great a charge as was guessed to be requisite.

If the receivers of these letters answered that they would be present in person at the sports, as divers did, and yet did not take notice of the further meaning

therein expressed, they were served with an alias. By this means, as also by the great bounty of divers honorable favorers of the pastimes, the prince's treasure was well increased. Amongst the rest, the Right Honorable Sir William Cecill, Knt., Lord Treasurer of England, being of the Society of the Inn, sent, undesired, to the prince, as a token of his lordship's favor, £10 and a purse of fine rich needle

work.

When all these things sorted so wel! to the general desire, and there was good hope of effecting that which was taken in hand, the following dispatch was sent by a messenger :

"To the most Honourable and Prudent, the Governors, Assistants, and Society of the Inner Temple.

"Most Grave and Noble,

"We have, upon good consideration, made choice of a Prince, to be predominant in our State of Peerpoole, for some important causes that require an Head or Leader: and, as we have ever had great cause, by the warrant of experience, to assure ourselves of your unfeigned love and amity, so we are, upon this occasion, and in the name of our Prince Elect, to pray you that it may be continued; and, in demonstration thereof, that you will be pleased to assist us with your counsel, in the person of an Ambassador that may be resident here amongst us, and be a Minister of Correspondence between us; and to advise of such affairs as the effects whereof, we hope, shall sort to the benefit of both our Estates. And so, being ready to requite you with all good offices, we leave you to the protection of the Almighty.

"Your most Loving
Friend and Ally,
"GRAYS INN

"Dated at our Court of Graya,
the 14th of December, 1594."
This dispatch was becomingly received,
and answered by the following:-

"To the most Honorable State of the Grayans. "Right Honourable, and most firmly United,

"If our aeserts were any way answerable to the great expectation of your good proceedings, we might with more boldness accomplish the request

of your kind letters, whereby it pleaseth you to interest us in the honour of your actions, which we cannot but acknowedge for a great courtesie and kindness (a thing proper to you, in all your courses and endeavours), and repute it a great honour intended towards ourselves in respect whereof, we yield, with all good will, to that which your honourable letters import, as your kindness, and the bond of our ancient amity and league, requireth and deserveth. "Your assured Friend,

"The State of TEMPLARIA.

From Templaria, the 18th of

December, 1594."

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The Family, and Followers.

Upon the 20th day of December, being St. Thomas's F.ve, the Prince, with all his train in order, as above set down, marched from his lodging to the great hall, and there took his place on his throne, under a rich cloth of state: his counsellors and great lords were placed about him, and before him. Below the half-place, at a table, sat his learned council and lawyers; the rest of the officers and attendants took their proper places, as belonged to their

condition.

Then, the trumpets having upon command sounded thrice, the King at Arms, in his rich surcoat of arms, stood forth before the Prince, and proclaimed his style as followeth :

"By the sacred laws of arms, and authorized ceremonies of the same (maugre the conceit of any malcontent), I do pronounce my sovereign liege lord, SIR HENRY, rightfully to be the high and mighty Prince of Peerpoole, Arch-duke of Stapulia and Bernardia, Duke of the High and Nether Holborn, Marquis of St. Giles's and Tottenham, Count Palatine of Bloomsbury and Clerkenwell, Great Lord of the cantons of Islington, &c., Knight of the most honourable Order of the Helmet, and Sovereign of the same."

After this proclamation, the trumpet sounded again; and then entered the Prince's Champion, in complete armour, on horseback, and so came riding round about the fire, and in the midst of the Hall staid, and made his challenge in these words following:

"If there be any man of high degree, or low, that will say that my Sovereign is not rightly Prince of Peerpoole, as by his King at Aru.s right now hath been proclaimed. I am ready here to

maintain that he lieth as a false traitor, and I do challenge, in combat, to fight with him, either now, or at any time or place appointed. And, in token nereof,

gage my gauntlet, as the Prince's true Knight, and his Champion."

When the champion had thus made his challenge, he departed: the trumpets were commanded to sound, and the King at Arms blazoned his highness's arms, as followeth :

"The most mighty Prince of Peerpoole, &c., beareth the shield of the highest Jupiter. In point, a sacred Imperial Diadem, safely guarded by the helmet of the great Goddess Pallas, from the violence of the darts, bullets, and bolts of Saturn, Momus, and the Idiot: all environed with the ribands of loyalty, having a pendant of the most heroical Order of Knighthood of the Helmet; the word hereunto, Sic vertus honorem. For his Highness's crest, the glorious planet Sol, coursing through the twelve signs of the zodiac, on a celestial globe, moved upon the two poles, arctic and antarctic; with this motto, Dum totum peragraverit orbem. All set upon a chaphew: Mars turned up, Luna mantelled, Sapphire doubled, Pearl supported by two anciently renowned and glorious griffins, which have been always in league with the honourable Pegasus."

The conceit hereof was to show that the Prince, whose private arms were three helmets, should defend his honor by virtue, from reprehensions of mal-contents, carpers, and fools. The riband of blue, with a helmet pendant, in imitation of St. George. In his crest, his government for the twelve days of Christmas was resembled to the sun's passing the twelve signs, though the Prince's course had some odd degrees beyond that time: but he was wholly supported by the griffins; for Grays-Inn gentlemen, and not the treasure of the house, was charged.

After these things thus done, the attorney stood up and made a speech of gratulation to the Prince, and therein showed the singular perfections of his sovereign; whereby he took occasion also to move the subjects to be forward to perform all obedience and service to his excellency; as also to furnish his wants, if it were requisite; and, in a word, persuaded the people that they were happy in having such a prince to rule over them. He likewise assured the prince that he also

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