body, and hath been prescribed for a recreation to great persons by the learned Physitians in which is a great deale of art and judgment to be seen especially in the expert bowler in choosing out his ground, whether it be in open wide places, or in Allies, and in this sport the choosing of the Bowles is not the least of the cunning belongs to it; your flat bowles being well for close Allies, your round byassed bowles for open ground of advantage, and your round bowles like a ball for green swarths that are plaine and levell." Braithwaite, in his Rules for the Government of the house of an Earle," (circâ 1640) describes it as one of the duties of the gardener, "to make faire bowling alleys, well banked, and soaled; which being well kepte in many howses are very profit-wise game of bowling," says he, “doth able to the gardiners."

XS."

It appears also from passages in "Wit at Several Weapons," and other dramas, that the small ball, which is now called the Jack, was sometimes known as the mistress."

It may be recollected that, in the feuds of the great families of Scotland in the sixteenth century, the murderer of George Drummond came upon him while he and his friends were playing at the game. See a letter in the Antiquary for January, 1886. While Charles I. was at Holmby in 1647, he frequented the bowling green at Althorp. One of the pleasanter traits in the personal history of Charles is the recourse of the King to the country seat of Mr. Richard Shute, a Turkey merchant, at Barking in Essex, for the purpose of playing with him at this game. Shute used to be called by his majesty Satin Shute, from the material of which his doublet was made. Sometimes one won, sometimes the other; but on one occasion Charles lost so frequently, that he gave up. His entertainer begged him to try another turn another £1,000; but the King, laying his hand on his shoulder, said: "I must remember I have a wife and children to keep." In the story of The King and a Poor Northern Man, 1640, the latter, coming up to London to seek redress, does not believe that it is the King, whom they point out to him at the Court, playing at bowls in his shirt-sleeves. We have all heard how the poet Suckling, living at the same time:

"Prized black eyes and a lucky hit At bowls above all the trophies of wit." Charles's successor in the Stuart line, the merry monarch, is reported to have played at the same diversion with his select set for an East a watch made by the early master of the craft so-named. A game at bowls or ninepins was formerly at least a favourite diversion for the rowing parties up the Thames between Putney and Teddington, and the riverside places of entertainment were usually provided with accommodation for this purpose.

Boxing.- Misson, in his Travels in England, toward the close of the 17th century, speaking of sports and diversions, says: Anything that looks like fighting is delicious to an Englishman. If two little boys quarrel in the street, the passengers stop, make a ring round them in a moment and set them against one another, that they may come to fisticuffs. When 'tis come to a fight, each pulls off his neckcloth and his waistcoat, and gives them to hold to the standers-by; (some will strip themselves quite naked to their wastes ;) then they begin to brandish their fists in the air; the blows are aim'd all at the face, they kick one another's shins, they tug one another by the hair, &c. He

that has got the other down, may give him one blow or two before he rises, but no more; and let the boy get up ever so often, the other is obliged to box him again as often as he requires it. During the fight the ring of by-standers encourage the combatants with great delight of heart, and never part them while they fight according to the rules and these by-standers are not only other boys, porters, and rabble, but all sorts of men of fashion; some thrusting by the mob, that they may see plain, others getting upon stalls; and all would hire places if scaffolds could be built in a moment. The father and mother of the boys let them fight on as well as the rest, and hearten him that gives ground or has the worst. These combats are less frequent among grown men than children; but they are not rare. If a coachman has a dispute about his fare with a gentleman that has hired him, and the gentleman offers to fight him to decide the quarrel, the coachman consents with all his heart: the gentleman pulls off his sword, lays it in some shop, with his cane, gloves, and cravat, and boxes in the same manner as I have described above. If the coachman is soundly drubb'd, which happens almost always, (a gentleman seldom exposes himself to such a battle without he is sure he's strongest) that goes for payment; but if he is the beater, the beatée must pay the money about which they quarrell'd." Brand once saw the Duke of Grafton at fisticuffs, in the open street, with such a fellow, whom he lamb'd most horribly. It was in the very widest part of the Strand. The Duke was big and extremely robust. He had hid his Blue Ribband, before he took the coach, so that the coachman did not know him. Compare Bartholomew Fair for a curious anecdote of Dr. Johnson's uncle. "In France," adds Misson, " with our cane, we punish such rascals and sometimes with the flat of our sword: but in England this is never practis'd; they use neither sword nor stick against a man that is unarm'd and if an unfortunate stranger (for an Englishman would never take it into his head) should draw his sword upon one that had none, he'd have a hundred people upon him in a moment, that would, perhaps, lay him so flat that he would hardly ever get up again till the Resurrection."

Boy-Bishop. - It is uncertain at what period the custom of electing boy bishops on St. Nicholas's Day commenced in England; but there is little doubt that after it had been established on the continent, it would soon be imported hither. The association of this saint with the rite was, of course, due to his patronage of children. Warton thought he found traces of the religious mockery of the boy bishop

was

go in solemn procession with his fellows, Gregory's Works, 1649, p. 114. The show to the altar of the Holy Trinity and All of the Boy Bishop, rather on account of its Saints, or (as the Pie directs) to the altar | levity and absurdity, than of its superstiof Holy Innocents or Holy Trinity in their tion, was formally abrogated by a Procopes, and burning tapers in their hands. clamation, July 22, 1542. But it The Bishop beginning, and the other boys had been interdicted abroad, a cenfollowing: "Centum quadraginta qua- tury before, by the Council of Basle, tuor,' &c. Then the verse, "Hi emti 1431, as appears from a citation in sunt ex omnibus,' &c. and this was sung Prynne's Histriomastix,' 1633, and by three of the boys. Then all the boys the later statutory prohibition sang the "Prosa sedentem in supernâ more or less disregarded in England. The majestatis arce,' &c. The Chorister conclusion of Henry VIII.'s Proclamation Bishop, in the mean time, fumed the altar is: "And whereas heretofore dyvers and first, and then the image of the Holy many superstitious and chyldysh observTrinity. Then the Bishop said modesta auncies have be used, and yet to this day voce the verse "Lætamini," and the re- are observed and kept, in many and sundry sponse was, "Et gloriamini," &c. Then partes of this Realm, as upon Saint Nichothe prayer which we yet retain: "Deus las, the Holie Innocents, and such like, cujus hodierna die," &c. In their return children be strangelie decked and appafrom the altar Præcentor puerorum in- rayled to counterfeit Priests, Bishops, and cipiat, &c., the chanter-chorister began Women, and to be ledde with songes and "De Sancta Maria," &c. The response dances from house to house, blessing the was "Felix namque," &c., et "sic pro- people, and gathering of money and boyes cessio," &c. The procession was made into do singe masse and preache in the pulpitt, the quire, by the west door, in such order with such other unfittinge and inconvenithat the dean and canons went foremost : ent usages, rather to the derysyon than the chaplains next: the Bishop, with his anie true glorie of God, or honour of his little Prebendaries, in the last and high-sayntes. The Kynges Majestie wylleth est place. The Bishop took his seat, and and commaundeth that henceforth all such the rest of the children disposed themselves superstitious observations be left and upon each side of the quire, upon the up-clerely extinguished throwout all this permost ascent, the canons resident bearing the incense and the book: and the petit canons the tapers, according to the Rubrick. And from this hour to the full end of the next day's procession no clerk is accustomed (whatever his condition may be) to take place above his superiors. Then the Bishop on his seat said the verse: "Speciosus forma, &c. diffusa est gratia in labiis tuis," &c. Then the prayer, "Deus qui salutis æternæ," &c., "Pax vobis," &c. Then after the "Benedicamus Domino," the Bishop, sitting in his seat, gave the Benediction to the people in this manner: 'Princeps Ecclesia Pastor ovilis cunctam plebam tuam benedicere digneris," &c. Then, turning towards the people, he sang or said: "Cum mansuetudine & charitate humiliate vos ad benedictionem" the chorus answering, "Deo gratias.' Then the cross-bearer delivered up the crozier to the Bishop again, et tunc Episcopus puerorum primo signando se in fronte sic dicat, “ Adjutorium nostrum," &c. The chorus answering "Qui fecit Coelum & Terram." Then, after some other like ceremonies performed, the Bishop began the Completorium or Complyn; and that done, he turned towards the quire, and said, "Adjutorium," &c., and then, last of all, he said, "Benedicat Vos omnipotens Deus, Pater, and Filius, & Spiritus Sanctus." All this was done with solemnity of celebration, and under pain of anathema to any that should interrupt or press upon these children. See

Realme and Dominions." Bishop Tanner, in a letter to Hearne, says in allusion to the abuse of the ancient custom, that the choristers chose a bishop and waited on him in procession to several houses in the city, where the little rogues took great liberties. And Tanner traces to this circumstance the bye-name of St. Nicholas's Clerks conferred on them.

In Hall's "Triumphs of Rome" (Triumphs of Pleasure) he equally animadverts on the licence, which had crept into this Romish Observance, when he says, "What merry work it was here in the days of our holy fathers (and I know not whether, in some places, it may not be so still), that upon St. Nicholas, St. Katherine, St. Clement, and Holy Innocents' Day, children were wont to be arrayed in chimers, rochets, surplices, to counterfeit bishops and priests, and to be led, with songs and dances, from house to house, blessing the people, who stood girning in the way to expect that ridiculous benediction. Yea, that boys in that holy sport were wont to sing masses and to climb into the pulpit to preach (no doubt learnedly and edifyingly) to the simple auditory. And this was so really done, that in the cathedral church of Salisbury (unless it be lately defaced) there is a perfect monument of one of these Boy Bishops (who died in the time of his young pontificality) accoutred in his episcopal robes, still to be seen. Strype, however, in his "Memorials," speaking of the Boy

Bishop, among scholars, says: "I shall only remark that there might be this at least be said in favour of this old custom, that it gave a spirit to the children, and the hopes that they might at one time or other attain to the real mitre, and so made them mind their books."

restored

num, psalmo centesimo xii et pro buius colacionis fundamento."

In the Posthumous Works of John

Gregory, 1650, there is a monograph on this subject with three engravings; it is called: Episcopus Puerorum, In die Innocentium; or a Discoverie With the Catholic Liturgy, all the of an Antient Custom in the Church of pageantries of popery were Sarum, making an Anniversarie Bishop to their ancient splendour by Queen III., while the King was at Antwerp, the among the Choristers." In 12 Edward Mary. Among these, the procession of the Boy Bishop was too popular a mumBoy-Bishop there received 13s. 6d. for singmery to be overlooked. In Strype we reading before his majesty in his chamber. that, Nov. 13, 1554, an edict was issued Hazlitt's Warton, 1871, ii., 229. by the Bishop of London to all the Clergy Aubanus tells us, that scholars on of his Diocese, to have a Boy Bishop in St. Nicholas's Day used to elect thres procession. In the same volume, however, out of their numbers, one of whom we read, 'The which was St. Nicholas was to play the bishop, the other Eve, at even-song time came a command- two the parts of Deacons. The Bishop ment that St. Nicholas should not go was escorted by the rest of the boys, abroad nor about. But, notwithstanding, in solemn procession, to church, where it seems, so much were the citizens taken with his mitre on, he presided durwith the mock of St. Nicholas, that is, a ing the time of divine worship: this ended, Boy Bishop, that there went about these he and his deacons went about singing St. Nicholases in divers parishes, as in St. from door to door, and collected money, Andrew's, Holborn, and St. Nicolas Olaves not begging it as alms, but demanding it in Bread-street. The reason the procesas the Bishop's subsidy. On the eve of sion of St. Nicolas was forbid, was, be- this day the boys were prevailed upon to cause the Cardinal had this St. Nicolas fast, in order to persuade themselves that Day sent for all the Convocation, Bishops, the little presents which were put that and inferior Clergy, to come to him to night for them into shoes (placed under Lambeth, there to be absolved from all the table for that purpose), were made their perjuries, schisms and heresies." them by St. Nicholas: and many of them In the accounts of St. Mary-at-kept the fast so rigorously on this account, Hill, London, 1554, is the following that their friends, in order to prevent entry: "Paid for makyng the Bishops them from injuring their healths, were myter, with staff and lace that went to it, under the necessity of forcing them to take iiis. Paid for a boke for St. Nicholas, some sustenance. Bowle says, that in viijd." Strype says, that in 1556, on Spain formerly, on this commemorationSt. Nicholas' Even, St. Nicholas, that is day, a chorister being placed with solema boy habited like a bishop in pontificali- nity in the midst of the choir, upon a scafbus, went abroad in most parts of London, fold, there descended from the vaulting of singing after the old fashion, and was rethe ceiling a cloud, which stopping, midceived with many ignorant but well-dis- way, opened. Two angels within it carried posed people into their houses, and had as the mitre, and descended just so low as to much good cheer as ever was wont to be place it on his head, ascending immedihad before, at least in many places." The ately in the same order in which they came Boy Bishop would naturally be put down. This came to be an occasion of down again when Queen Elizabeth some irregularities; for till the day of the came to the crown: and yet, by Put- Innocents, he had a certain jurisdiction, tenham's account, it was exhibited in the and his prebendaries took secular offices, country villages after her accession. Put- such as alguasils, catchpoles, dog-whippers tenham wrote his "Art of English Poesy " and sweepers. From a paper in the St. many years before it was published in James's Chronicle," for Nov. 16-18, 1797, 1589. He says: "Methinks this fellow it appears that at Zug, in Switzerland, the speaks like Bishop Nicholas: for on St. ceremonies of this day were suppressed in Nicholas's night, commonly, the scholars addressed to the authorities against the that year in consequence of the complaint of the country make them a bishop, who, exactions of the Boy Bishop and his atlike a foolish boy, goeth about blessing and tendants, who visited all the booths, &c., preaching with such childish terms as make and demanded money. the people laugh at his foolish counterfeit speeches." The special service for Innocents' Day, in an early printed copy of it, is described as "In die innocentium sermo pro episcopo puerorum." It commences with the words: " Laudate, pueri, domi

Bragot Sunday. In Lancashire, or some parts of it, a spiced ale, called Braget or Bragot, used to be drunk very largely on Palm Sunday, which was thenco called Bragot Sunday.