Williams, gilliflowers, and carnations, mignonette, thyme, hyssop, camomile, and rosemary, make up the pious decora tion of this consecrated garden. Turnsoles, pionies, the African marigold, the anemone, and many others I could mention, though beautiful, are never planted on graves, because they are not sweetscented. It is to be observed, however, that this tender custom is sometimes con that where persons have been distinguished for their pride, vanity, or any other unpopular quality, the neighbours whom they may have offended plant these also by stealth upon their graves. In the Easter week most generally the graves are newly dressed, and manured with fresh earth, when such flowers or ever-greens as may be wanted or wished for are planted. In the Whitsuntide holidays, or rather the preceding week, the graves are again looked after, weeded, and otherwise dressed, or if necessary, planted again. It is a very common saying of such persons as employ themselves in thus planting and dressing the graves of their friends, that they are cultivating their own freeholds. This work the nearest relations of the deceased always do with their own hands, and never by servants or hired persons. Should a neighbour assist, he or she never takes, never expects, and indeed is never insulted by the offer of any reward, by those who are acquainted with the ancient customs. Flowers, &c., on Graves in South Wales. Mr. Brand borrowed some notes from Malkin's South Wales, which, though perhaps of no great authority, I scarcely like to disturb: "The bed on which the corpse lies is always strewed with flowers, and the same custom is observed after it is laid in the coffin. They bury much earlier than we do in England; seldom later than the third day, and very frequently on the second. The habit of fill-verted into an instrument of satire; so ing the bed, the coffin, and the room, with sweet-scented flowers, though originating probably in delicacy as well as affection, must of course have a strong tendency to expedite the progress of decay. It is an invariable practice, both by day and night, to watch a corpse and so firm a hold has this supposed duty gained on their imaginations, that probably there is no instance upon record of a family so unfeeling and abandoned as to leave a dead body in the room by itself, for a single minute, in the interval between the death and burial. Such a violation of decency would be remembered for generations. The hospitality of the country is not less remarkable on melancholy than on joyful occasions. The invitations to a funeral are very general and extensive, and the refreshments are not light and taken standing, but substantial and prolonged. Any deficiency in the supply of ale would be as severely censured on this occasion as at a festival. The grave of the deceased is constantly overspread with plucked flowers for a week or two after the funeral. The planting of graves with flowers is confined to the villages and the poorer people. It is perhaps a prettier custom. It is very common to dress the graves on Whitsunday and other festivals, when flowers are to be procured and the frequency of this observance is a good deal affected by the respect in which the deceased was held. My father-in-law's grave in Cowbridge Church has been strewed by his surviving servants every Sunday morning for these twenty years. It is usual for a family not to appear at church till what is called the month's end, when they go in a body, and then are considered as having returned to the common offices of life. It is a very antient and general practice in Glamorgan to plant flowers on the grave; so that many church yards have something like the splendour of a rich and various parterre. Besides this, it is usual to strew the graves with flowers and evergreens, within the church as well as out of it, thrice at least every year, on the same principle of delicate respect as the stones are whitened. No flowers or evergreens are permitted to be planted on graves but such as are sweetscented: the pink and polyanthus, sweet The vulgar practice and illiberal prejudice against old maids and old bachelors subsists among the Welsh in a very disgraceful degree, so that their graves have not unfrequently been planted by some satirical neighbours, not only with rue, but with thistles, nettles, henbane, and other noxious weeds. When a young unmarried person dies, his or her ways to the grave are also strewed with sweet flowers and ever-greens; and on such occasions it is the usual phrase, that those persons are going to their nuptial beds, not to their graves. There seems to be a remarkable coincidence between these people and the ancient Greeks, with respect to the avoiding of ill-omened words. None ever molest the flowers that grow on graves; for it is deemed a kind of sacrilege to do so. A relation or friend will occasionally take a pink, if it can be spared, or a sprig of thyme, from the grave of a beloved or respected person, to wear it in remembrance; but they never take much, lest they should deface the growth on the grave. This custom prevails principally in the most retired villages; and I have been assured, that in such villages where the right of grazing the church yard has been enforced, the practice has alienated the affections of, very great numbers from the clergymen and their churches; so that many have become Dissenters for the singularly uncommon reason that they may bury their friends in Dissenting burying-grounds, plant their graves with flowers, and keep them clean and neat, without any danger of their being cropt. The white rose is always planted on a virgin's tomb. The red rose is appropriated to the grave of any person distinguished for goodness, and especially benevolence of character. The natives of the principality pride themselves much on these antient ornaments (the yews) of their church yards; and it is nearly as general a custom in Brecknockshire to decorate the graves of the deceased with slips either of bay or yew, stuck in the green turf, for an emblem of pious remembrance, as it is in Glamorganshire to pay a tribute of similar import, in the cultivation of sweet-scented flowers on the same spot. The graves of Glamorganshire, decorated with flowers and herbs, at once gratify the relations of the departed and please the observer." Flying Coaches.-The older name of the merry-go-round at fairs. They are mentioned in Poor Robin for 1733. See the passage quoted in Nares, Gloss., in v. Flying Machine. The name bestowed on the mail-coaches, which left London to convey passengers along all the great roads in the eighteenth century. It is found described in Coaching Days and Coaching Ways, 1903. Font. The font was usually covered, and the cover was made fast with a lock, in order to guard against malignant influences. There was more reason in the practice which formerly prevailed of securing the poor-boxes in the churches with locks and keys, and even iron plates, not propter sortilegia, but to guard the donations of the charitable against common-place depredators. Archæologia,' vol. x. p. 207-8, where "Gent. Mag." vol. xliv. p. 500 and vol. xlv. p. 13 are cited. The passage requiring this protection to fonts is curious:" Fontes baptismales sub sera clausi teneantur propter sortilegia." 66 Fool (Christmas).—In representations of the Fool, who took part in dramatic performances and in sports at festivals, he appears with all the badges of his office; the bauble in his hand, and a coxcomb hood, with asses' ears, on his head. The top of the hood rises into the form of a cock's neck and head, with a bell at the latter: and "Minshew's Dictionary," 1617, under the word Coxcomb, observes, that "natural idiots and fools have accustomed and still do accustóme themselves to weare in their capes cockes feathers, or a hat with the necke and head of a cock on the top, and a bell thereon." His hood is blue, guarded or edged with yellow at its scalloped bottom, his doublet is red, striped across, or rayed with a deeper red, and edged with yellow, his girdle yellow, his left-side hose yellow, with a red shoe, and his right-side hose blue, soled with red leather. In Gibson's "Memoranda," 1510-11, a charge of a halfpenny is made for "a turnyd ladyll spent for the foole," in connection with the Court Revel of the 15th November in that year. It seems from the prologue to "Henry the Eighth," that Shakespear's Fools should be dressed "in a long motley coat, guarded with yellow," which is illustrated by a passage in Rowlands: "My sleeves are like some Morris-dauncing fellow, My stockings, ideot-like, red, greene, and yeallow:-" Comp. Nares, Glossary, 1859, in v., for an excellent note on this subject. Fool (Court). In the "Privy Purse Expenses of Henry VII." numerous entries occur of money given to fools "in reward." Under date of Jan. 12, 1492-3, there is, "To Peche the fole in reward, 6s. 8d." Two other fools present themselves in this record: the Duke of Lancas limits, and they were therefore corrected, or discharged. The latter misfortune happened to Archibald Armstrong, jester to King Charles the First." Rushworth says: "It so happened that, on the 11th of the said March (1637-8), that Archibald, the King's Fool, said to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, as he was going to the Council-table, Whea's feule now? doth not your Grace hear the news from Striveling about the Liturgy?' with other words of reflection: this was presently complained of to the Council, which produced the order for his expulsion from Court." There is in Olaus Magnus a delineation of a fool, or jester, with several bells upon his habit, with a bauble in his hand, and he has on his head a hood with asses' ears, a feather, and the resemblance of the comb of a cock. The Lord Mayor of London had his fool. Fool (Domestic). The following passage occurs in Lodge's "Wit's Miserie," 1596, p. 73: "He is like Captain Cloux, Foole of Lyons, that would needs die of the sullens, because his master would entertaine a new foole besides himself." Comp. Newcastle. A character of this kind was the unfortunate person, who might in the good old days be "begged " for a fool, if he was heir to an estate, and had no friends. These abuses were once frequent. See Thoms' Anecdotes and Traditions, 1839, p. 7, and Lyly's Midas (Works, 1858, ii., 74). but if not requited at any house for their 29 Fools (Feast of).—See Du Cange, v. Kalendæ, and Du Tilliott, "Memoires pour servir à l'Histoire de la Fête des Foux," 1751 (as well as the present work under April Fools' Day). Du Cange, V. Cervula, Carpentier Supplem. ad Du Cange, ibid. and under Abbas Lætitiæ, and Delrio "Disquisit. Magis.", L. iii. P. ii. Quæst. 4. Sect. 5, p. 477. See also Hospinian "de Orig. Fest. Christ." fol. 32 b. where the practice is mentioned nearly in the same words. Foot-Ale.-Grose says, "There is a kind of beverage called Foot-Ale' required from one entering on a new occupation." A person in this position is even now, in many businesses, expected to pay his footing, as it is called, in kind. Auctioneers, when they hold their first sale, are sometimes expected to treat the company all round. Fool Plough. In the North of England there is a custom used at or about Shrovetide which, as will be seen, was anciently observed also in the beginning of Football or Camp. The sport Lent. The Fool Plough goes about, a named by Fitzstephen was almost cerpageant that consists of a number of tainly hand-ball. But football was one sword dancers dragging a plough, with of the most popular games in the city in music, and one, sometimes two, in very the middle ages, and regulations relating strange attire; the Bessy, in the grotesque to it are found at intervals in the Corpohabit of an old woman, and the fool, al- ration archives. It was prohibited in the most covered with skins, a hairy cap on, fields near the City as early as 1314. But and the tail of some animal hanging from in 1409 a proclamation of Henry IV. forhis back. The office of one of these charac- bad anyone to levy money on pretence of ters, in which he is very assiduous, is to it being for the games of football or cockgo about rattling a box amongst the spec- fighting. Riley's Memorials, 1868, p. 571. tators of the dance, in which he receives In the early part of the fifteenth century their little donations. It is also called there was a gild of the Football Players, the fond plough, aliter the white plough, and they held their meetings at Brewers so denominated because the gallant young Hall. Mr. Stahlschmidt found it recorded men that compose it appear to be dressed in an old MS. book belonging to the in their shirts (without coat or waistcoat) Brewers' Company. It is alluded to in a upon which great numbers of ribbands deed of 30 Henry VI. The ballad of Sir folded into roses are loosely stitched on. Hugh, or, The Jew's Daughter, opens It appears to be a very airy habit at this with a scene in which Sir Hugh is playcold season, but they have on warm waist-ing at the game on Hallowday, when coats under it. Hutchinson, speaking of the dress of the sword-dancers at Christmas, adds: "Others, in the same kind of gay attire, draw about a plough, called the Stot Plough, and, when they receive the gift, make the exclamation Largess! school boys are let out to engage in their amusements: "Yesterday was brave Hallowday, "He kicked the ball with his foot, And kepped it with his knee, And even in at the Jew's window He gart the bonnie ba' flee-" As to its antiquity two passages in the Sussex Archæological Collections, cited in Notes and Queries, may be acceptable here: In the proof of age of William Selwyne (baptized in 1403), a witness, John Hendyman, aged fifty-four, deposed that he knew the date, because after the baptism, he played football and broke his leg (Inq. post mort., 3 Henry VI., No. 51, cit. xv. S.A.C., 213). Again, as to the age of Robert Tank (baptized 1404), John Coumbes remembers it because he was playing football afterwards and broke his leg (Inq. p. m., 4 Hen. VI., No. 42, cit. xii. S.A.C., 43). Hence it is inferable that the game was not unusually played after christenings. Sir T. Elyot, in his Governor, 1531, decries the sport: "Some men wolde say that in the mediocritie, which I have soo moche praysed in shootynge, why shuld not bouling, claishe pynnes, and koytynge, be as moche commended? Veryly as for the two laste, they be to be vtterly abiected of all noble men, in lyke wyse foote balle, wherein is nothynge but beastely fury, and extreme violence, whereof procedeth hurte, and consequently rancour and malice do remayn with them that be wounded, wherefore it is to be put in perpetual sylence." King Lear having chastised Goneril's steward, the latter replies, "I'll not be struck, my Lord,""Nor tripped neither, you base football player," replied the Earl of Kent, tripping up his heels. (I. iv.). Ray says that in his time it prevailed most in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. To Sir Thomas Browne, who came among us from another kingdom of the Octarchy, it was new; and he puts the word camp (or as he spells it, kamp) into his small collection of Norfolk words." The following description is from Forby's "Vocabulary," 1830. The writer says, that in his time two kinds of camp were recognised: rough-play and civil-play. "In the latter there is no boxing. But the following is a general description of it as it was of old, and in some places still continues. Two goals are pitched at the distance of 120 yards from each other. In a line with each are ranged the combatants: for such they truly are. The number on each side is equal; not always the same, but very commonly twelve. They ought to be uniformly dressed in light flannel jackets, distinguished by colours. The ball is deposited exactly in the mid-way. The sign or word is given by an umpire. The two sides, as they are called, rush forward. The sturdiest and most active of each encounter those of the other. The contest for the ball begins, and never ends without black eyes and bloody noses, broken heads or shins, and some serious mischiefs. If the ball can be carried, kicked, or thrown to one of the goals, in spite of all the resistfor one towards the game; which has someance of the other party, it is reckoned times been known to last two or three hours. But the exertion and fatigue of this is excessive. . . The prizes are commonly hats, gloves, shoes, or small sums of money.' I shall transcribe hither what I find in a quarter where it might scarcely be looked for: "This rough and, it must be confessed, somewhat dangerous sport, originally in all probability introduced into this country by the Romans, may still towns of South Wales. The balls consist on Shrove Tuesday be witnessed in certain covering of leather, and blown tight. Six of bulls' bladders protected by a thick or eight are made ready for the occasion. Every window in the town is shut by break of day, at which time all the youths of the neighbourhood assemble in the streets. The ball is then thrown up in front of the into two parts, strive with incredible town-hall; and the multitude, dividing eagerness and enthusiasm to kick the football to the other extremity of the town. In the struggle several kicks and wounds are given, and many fierce battles take place. The ball sometimes ascends thirty houses, and falls far beyond, or goes right or forty feet above the tops of the highest diately followed by a crowd of young men. over into the gardens, whither it is immeThe sport is kept up all day, the hungry combatants recruiting their strength from time to time by copious horns of ale and an abundant supply of the nice pancakes which the women sell in baskets at the thousand of persons assemble from all the corner of every street. To view this sport country, round, so that to the secluded population of those districts it is in some sort what the battle in the Platanistas was to the Spartans, or even what the Isthmian and Nemean games were to the whole of Greece." St. John's Manners and Customs of Ancient Greece, 1842, i., 157. The same thing is still kept up at Dorking, Epsom, and Kingston, in Surrey; but there has been a movement so discontinuance. "At the Surrey Quarter far unsuccessful (1903) at Dorking for its Sessions at Kingston yesterday the ancient custom of playing football in the principal streets of Dorking on Shrove Tuesday was referred to in the report of the Standing Joint Committee to the Justices. The committee stated that a petition signed by upwards of one hundred inhabitants of Dorking had been received, urging the committee to adopt necessary measures to put a stop to the practice. The reasons given were that it caused a complete cessation of business on the afternoon of that day; that it caused great danger to vehicular and pedestrian traffic; that the ancient custom has now entirely lost its significance in consequence of the totally different conditions now prevailing; and that it had become an intolerable nuisance. The petitioners stated that they had decided to discontinue closing their shops and barricading against an unlawful proceeding.-The Committee reported that they were making exhaustive inquiries on the subject with a view to the suppression of the custom, and would shortly make some definite announcement."-Daily Graphic, 1897. A very curious practice prevails at Sedgwick in Durham, where a match is periodically played between the tradespeople and the country-folk at Chester-leStreet, and probably elsewhere, and the ball on each occasion becomes public property, and returns to its custodian, the town-clerk, by the latter putting it thrice through the bull-ring prior to proceedings and at the close. Antiquary for April, 1896. In the volume for 1898, there is a very animated description of the Shrovetide celebration there in that year. At Pocklington, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, there is a narrow strip of ground, where, after the races, they play at football, and it sometimes happens that one of the players throws the ball to a man attending on horseback, who rides off with it, and unless he is overtaken by one belonging to the opposite side, carries it into his own parish, where he is secure. This is also the case in Morbihan, Brittany, as described in Mr. Weld's interesting work, 1856, but the sport seems to have been there carried to almost brutal extremities. Mr. Brand was informed that, at Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland, the waits belonging to the town come playing to the castle every year on Shrove-Tuesday, at two o'clock p.m., when a football was thrown over the castle walls to the populace. He saw this done Feb. 5th, 1788. Football in Scotland.-In Sinclair's "Statistical Account of Scotland," the minister of Kirkmichael, in Perthshire, speaking of the manners and customs of the inhabitants, says, Foot-ball is a common amusement with the schoolboys, who also preserve the custom of cock-fighting on Shrove Tuesday." On Shrove-Tuesday at Inverness there is a standing match at football between married and unmarried women, in which the former are always victors. Every year on Shrove-Tuesday the bachelors and mar ried men drew themselves up at the Cross of Scone, on opposite sides. A ball was then thrown up, and they played from two o'clock till sun-set. The game was this. He who at any time got the ball into his hands, ran with it till overtaken by one of the opposite party, and then, if he could shake himself loose from those on the opposite side who seized him, he ran on if not, he threw the ball from him, unless it was wrested from him by the other party; but no person was allowed to kick it. The object of the married men was to hang it; i.e., to put it three times into a small hole in the moor. the dool or limit on the one hand: that of the bachelors was to drown it: i.e., to dip it three times into a deep place in the river, the limit on the other. The party who could effect either of these objects won the game. But, if neither party won, the ball was cut into equal parts at sunset. In the course of the play one might always see some scene of violence between the parties; but, as the proverb of this part of the country expresses, All was fair at the Ball of Scone.' Stat. Acc. of Scotland, xviii., 82. "This custom is supposed to have had its origin in the days of chivalry. An Italian (it is said) came into this part of the country, challenging all the parishes, under a certain penalty in case of declining his challenge. the parishes declined the challenge except Scone, which beat the foreigner, and in commemoration of this gallant action the game was instituted. Whilst the custom continued, every man in the parish, the gentry not excepted, was obliged to turn out and support the side to which he belonged; and the person who neglected to do his part on that occasion was fined: but the custom being attended with certain inconveniences, was abolished a few years ago." All The allusions to the game in early writings are very numerous. Tusser says: "In meadow or pasture (to grow the more fine) Let campers be camping in any of thine; Which if ye do suffer when low is the spring, You gain to yourself a commodious thing." Chamberlain, in a letter to Carleton, March 5, 1600-1, says: "You may do well, good fellow and come and see our matches if you have any idle time, to play the at football, for that and bowling wilbe our best entertainment." Henry Spelman, in his Relation of Virginia, 1609, says: "They vse beside football play, woh women and young boyes doe much play at, the men neuer. They make ther gooles as ours, only they neuer fight nor |