Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 15, 1904.djvu/226

 202 Collectanea.

ford bull was a prominent figure are extant But

the mode of expressing the local sentiment was not confined to canvas. AVe have seen how members of Parliament hit upon the fictile art in the shape of ' bull-pitchers.' Mr. Snarth, chemist,

Red Lion Square, Stamford, has a drinking-vessel

made of part of a horn of the bull that was run in 1799." Among other ornamentation this vessel shows the initials of Anne Blades, the famous bull-woman, and the lady herself wearing an elaborate crown. Another memento .... is a pair of beautifully polished sharp-pointed horns .... in the possession of Mr. H. Johnson, of Rutland Terrace, Stamford." These horns " were presented to Mr. Haycock, an enthusiastic bullard, who was indicted at Lincoln assizes for ' riot ' — a term which the law applied to bull- running."

I have not succeeded in discovering whether bull-baiting and bull-running, as distinguished from bull-fighting of the Spanish type, was ever a favourite amusement in continental Europe. Could foreign instances be studied some light might be gained as to the origin of the sport.

The Lay of Havelok the Dane, a poem of great local interest to Lincolnshire people, contains references to bull-baiting. When Havelok was knighted by Earl Ubbe great rejoicings were made. Harping, piping, romance-reading, wrestling, butting with spears, and other pastimes were indulged in. Moreover —

"per mouhte men se J>e boles beyte,

And t>e bores, with hundes teyte." — 11. 2330, 2331.

And again, a little later we read of Godard —

" JJat he rorede as a bole, JJat wore paired in an hole With dogges forto bite and beite." — 11. 2438, 2439, 2440.

No doubt many other allusions to this diversion might be found in the literature of the Middle Ages.

Perhaps I should add that Stamford had two bull-rings. Speak- ing of these, Mr. Burton says that bull-baiting fell off in the town ^' pari passu with bull-running."

Mabel Pe.'Vcock.