Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 3.djvu/418

404 witchfinder, who, in the years 1645 and 1646, traversed the country, condemning and putting to death hundreds of them, till he himself was accused of being a wizard, and was subjected to the same fate. From 1640 to the restoration, four thousand persons are said to have perished under charge of witchcraft. In Scotland this terrible practice was carried on with even aggravated cruelties, in order to extort confession.

A Portrait of James I. dressed for Hawking. From an Engraving in " A Jewell for Gentrie," published 1614.

POPULAR SPORTS AND PASTIMES The sports of the aristocracy, gentry, and merchant citizens were much the same that they had been. Hunting was the favourite pastime of James, and therefore was not likely to be neglected by the country gentry. He was also fond of hawking, and kept alive that pastime, which was dying out, some time longer.

Female Costume of the Reign of Charles ICopied from Tombs of the Period

Ball games had much superseded the jousts and tournaments of past times. Tennis retained its high favour, and billiards and pall-mall, or striking a ball through a ring suspended to a pole, were becoming fashionable. Bowling, cards, dice, dancing, masques, balls, and musical entertainments varied town life

Female Costume at the close of the Reign of James I, Copied from one of the Figures at the side of the Tomb of John Harpurin, Swarkestone Church, Derbyshire.

The common people stuck to their foot-ball, quoits, pitching the bar, cricket, shovel-board, bull and bear-baiting, and cock-fighting. The puritans put down May-games, Whitsun-ales, morrice-dances, and all amusements that savoured of a catholic origin. They also humanely suppressed, as far as they could, the savage sports of bear and bull-baiting. Pride and Hewson killed all the bears at the bear-garden to put an end to that cruel pastime, and thence originated Butler's Hudibras. The bowling-greens of the English were famous, and horse-racing was much in vogue. In Scotland the reformation put to flight all sorts of games, dancing, and merrymakings, as sinful and unbecoming of Christians, and polemic discussions were the only excitements which varied the ascetic gloom.

Patches on a Lady's Face.From "The Artificial Changeling,'" date 1630).

FURNITURE AND DOMESTIC EMBELLISHMENT.

The interiors of houses were in this period greatly embellished, and the splendour of hangings of beds and windows had strikingly increased. Each velvets and silks, embroidered with cloth of gold and cloth of silver, and