Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 7, 1896.djvu/376

 346 compelling traders and others to shut up their shops, block up their windows, and otherwise causing a suspension of business, broken shins, broken windows, &c. The spirited overseers of the highways, at the request of the principal persons of the town, have issued printed notices that 'every person offending against the provisions of the 5th and 6th William IV. shall be proceeded against as the law directs.' This intended interference of the officers has given general satisfaction."

A description of Shrove-Tide football, as played at Sedgefield on February 18th, between the tradesmen and countrymen of the district, is quoted in the Antiquary, vol. xxxii., p. 100, from the Yorkshire Post, February 19th, 1896. "Spectators and players assembled on the village green, and at one o'clock the parish clerk made his appearance, and amidst loud cheering proceeded to the bull-ring. Passing the ball three times through the ring, it was thrown high in the air, and on it descent it became public property." When the game was over the ball was again passed through the ring, and then handed back to the man who had secured it. "A similar game was played at Chester-le-Street."

The connection of the game with the ring to which bulls were formerly attached for baiting is very curious. Although, so far as I am aware, the fact has never been pointed out by anyone discussing the origin of the sport, bull-baiting seems to have sprung from a form of nature-worship. That is to say, indications which suggest its association with the cult of water are still to be found. In the Stamford bull-running, for instance, the great object was to "bridge the bull," which meant to tumble him by main force over the bridge which spans the Welland into the river beneath. At Tutbury, if the minstrels could succeed in cutting off a piece of the bull's skin before he crossed the river Dove into Derbyshire, he became the property of the King of Music; but if not, he was returned to the prior of Tutbury, who had provided him for