England in the Days of Old Part 12

Egerton Leigh, in his "Ches.h.i.+re Ballads," has an amusing poem bearing on this subject, and he concludes it as follows:--

"The townsmen, 'tis true, would explain it away, In those days when Bibles were so dear they say, That they th' old Bible swopped at the wakes for a bear, Having first bought a new book.

Thus shrink they the sneer, And taunts 'gainst their town thus endeavour to clear."

The town accounts show how popular must have been the sport at Congleton.

The following are a few items:--

1589. Imprimis to Mr. Trafforde, his man, the bearewarde 0 4 4

That was given Sir John Hollecrofts bearewarde 0 2 0

1591. Payd yt was given Shelmerdyne ye bearewarde at wakes 0 2 0

1597. Payd that was given to Mr. Haughton, of Haughton, towards his man that had beares here 0 5 0

1610. Kelsall bearward 0 5 0

To the players and bearewarde at the wakes 0 15 0

1611. Bullward and bearward at wakes 0 15 0

1612. William Hardern to fetch Shelmadene again with his bears at Whitsuntide 0 1 3

He refused to come, and Bramt, the bearward, came and was paid 0 6 8

Fetching the bears at the wakes 0 3 6

Fetching two more bears 1s., bearward 15s. 0 16 0

1613. Item payd to Willm. Statborne for fetching the bearewarde (from Knutsford) at the wakes 0 1 0

1621. Given Raufe Shelmerdyne for sport made by him with his beares at Congleton Wakes 0 10 0

Item paide to Brocke, the bearewarde, at Whitsuntide 0 5 8

Such are a few examples of the many entries which appear in the Congleton town accounts relating to bear-baiting.

Congleton is not the only place reproached for selling the church Bible for enabling the inhabitants to enjoy the pastime of bear-baiting. Two miles distant from Rugby is the village of Clifton, and, says a couplet,

"Clifton-upon-Dunsmore, in Warwicks.h.i.+re, Sold the church Bible to buy a bear."

Another version of the old rhyme is as follows:--

"The People of Clifton-super-Dunsmore Sold ye Church Byble to buy a bayre."

There is a tradition that in the days of old the Bible was removed from the Parish Church of Ecclesfield and p.a.w.ned by the churchwardens to provide the means of a bear-baiting. Some accounts state this occurred at Bradfield, and not at Ecclesfield. The "bull-and-bear stake" at the latter Yorks.h.i.+re village was near the churchyard.

Under the Commonwealth this pastime was not permitted, but when the Stuarts were once more on the throne bear-baiting and other sports became popular.

Hockley-in-the-Hole, near Clerkenwell, in the days of Addison, was a favourite place for the amus.e.m.e.nt. There is a reference to the subject in the _Spectator_ of August 11th, 1731, wherein it is suggested that those who go to the theatres for a laugh should "seek their diversion at the bear garden, where reason and good manners have no right to disturb them."

Gay, in his "Trivia," devotes some lines to this subject. He says:--

"Experienced men inured to city ways Need not the calendar to count their days, When through the town, with slow and solemn air, Led by the nostril walks the muzzled bear; Behind him moves, majestically dull, The pride of Hockley Hole, the surly bull, Learn hence the periods of the week to name-- Mondays and Thursdays are the days of game."

Towards the close of the last century the pastime, once the pleasure of king's and queens and the highest n.o.bles in the land, was mainly upheld by the working cla.s.ses. A bill, in 1802, was introduced into the House of Commons to abolish baiting animals. The measure received the support of Courtenay, Sheridan, and Wilberforce, men of power in Parliament, but Mr.

Windham, who led the opposition, won the day. He p.r.o.nounced it "as the first result of a conspiracy of the Jacobins and Methodists to render the people grave and serious, preparatory to obtaining their a.s.sistance in the furtherance of other anti-national schemes." The bill was lost by thirteen votes. In 1835, baiting animals was finally stopped by Act of Parliament.

Morris-Dancers.

Says Dr. Johnson: "the Morris-Dance, in which bells are jingled, or staves or swords clashed, was learned by the Moors, and was probably a kind of Pyrrhic, or military dance. "Morisco," says Blount (Span.), a Moor; also a dance, so called, wherein there were usually five men, and a boy dressed in a girl's habit, whom they called the Maid Marrion, or perhaps Morian, from the Italian Morione, a head-piece, because her head was wont to be gaily trimmed up. Common people called it a Morris-Dance." Such are the statements made at the commencement of a chapter on this subject in "Brand's Popular Antiquities."

It is generally agreed that the Morris-Dance was introduced into this country in the sixteenth century. In the earlier English allusions it is called _Morisco_, a Moor, and this indicates its origin from Spain. It was popular in France before it was appreciated amongst our countrymen; some antiquaries a.s.sert that it came to England from our Gallic neighbours, or even from the Flemings, while others state that when John of Gaunt returned from Spain he was the means of making it known here, but we think there is little truth in the statement.

Our countrymen soon united the Morris-Dance with the favourite pageant dance of Robin-hood. We discover many traces of the two dances in sacred as well as profane places. In old churchwarden's accounts we sometimes find items bearing on this theme. The following entries are drawn from the "Churchwardens' and Chamberlains' Books of Kingston-upon-Thames:"--

"1508. For paynting of the _Mores_ garments for sarten gret leveres 0 2 4

" For plyts and 1/4 of laun for the _Mores_ garments 0 2 11

" For Orseden for the same 0 0 10

" For bellys for the daunsars 0 0 12

1509-10. For silver paper for the _Mores_-dawnsars 0 0 7

1519-20. Shoes for the _Mores_-daunsars, the frere, and Mayde Maryan, at 7d. a peyre 0 5 4

1521-22. Eight yerds of fustyan for the _Mores_-daunsars' coats 0 16 0

" A dosyn of gold skynnes for the Morres 0 0 10

1536-37. Five hats and 4 porses for the daunsars 0 0 4-1/2."

It is stated that in 1536-37, amongst other clothes belonging to the play of Robin Hood, left in the keeping of the churchwardens, were "a fryer's coat of russet, with a kyrtle of worsted welted with red cloth, a mowren's cote of buckram, and 4 Morres daunsars cote of white fustain spangelyed, and two gryne saten cotes, and a dysardd's cote of cotton, and 6 payre of garters with bells."

Some curious payments appear in the churchwardens' accounts of St. Mary's parish, Reading, and are quoted by Coates, the historian of the town.

Under the year 1557, items as follow appear:--

"Item, payed to the Morrys-Daunsars and the Mynstrelles, mete and drink at Whitsontide 0 3 4

Payed to them the Sonday after May Day 0 0 20

Pd. to the Painter for painting of their cotes 0 2 8