Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/509

 and Sentiments. 489 A chara£ler in another old play^ "The London Prodigal," feeking em- ployment of a rather equivocal charader, fays, "Now God thank you, fweet lady, if you have any friend, or garden-houfe, where you may employ a poor gentleman as your friend, I am yours to command in all fecret fervice." Amid the gaiety which was fo efpecially characteriftic of this age, a fpirit of vulgar barbarity had arifen and fpread itfelf very widely, and the popular games moll pradifed were in general coarfe and cruel. A foreign writer already quoted, but one who was evidently a very unprejudiced obierver, has left us fome rather amuling remarks on this fubjed which are worthy of being repeated. "The Englilh," he fays, "have games which are peculiar to them, or at leail which they atle6t and prac- tife more than people do elfewhere. To fee cocks fight is a royal pleafure in England. Their combats of bulls and dogs, of bears and dogs, and fometimes of bulls and bears, are not combats to the laft gafp, like thofe of cocks. Everything that is called fighting is a delicious thing to an Englilhman. If two little boys quarrel in a ftreet, the paffers flop, make in a moment a ring round them, and encourage them to fettle it by blows of the fitl. If it comes to fighting, each takes oil" his cravat and his jacket, and gives them in charge to one of the company j then begin the blows of the fift, in the face if poUible, the blows of the foot on their iliins, the pulling of one another by the hair, &c. The one who has knocked the other down, may give him one blow or .o when he is down, but no more, and every time the one o is down will rife, the other mull: return to the combat as long as he pleafes. During the combat, the circle of fpettators encourage the combatants to the great joy of their hearts, and never feparate them, fo long as things are done according to rule. And thefe fpedators are not only other children, and flreet porters, but all forts of refpe6table people, fome of whom make their way through the crowd to fee nearer, others mount upon the Ihops, and all would pay for places, if flages could be built up in a moment. The fathers and mothers of the little boys who are fighting look on like tlie others, and encourage the one who gives way, or is wanting in Ilrtngth. Thefe kind of combats are lets frecjuent among grown-up men 3 R than