Page:Highways and Byways in Lincolnshire.djvu/191

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The pins have shoulders an inch from the sharp points to prevent their shaking loose. This for a time was in a museum at Lincoln, and on the dispersal of the collection was bought and presented to the British Museum, and is in the Anglo-Saxon room. In the same room are kept the very interesting finds from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Sleaford, consisting mainly of bronze ornaments and coloured beads. The cloak-chain was found in the Witham at Fiskerton, four miles from Lincoln, when the river was deepened in 1826.

Sir Charles Anderson, in his excellent Lincoln pocket guide, gives some notion of the gaiety which distinguished Nocton in the eighteenth century by quoting an account of a masquerade held there on December 29, 1767, which begins:—

"Met at the door by a Turk, in a white Bearskin, who took our tickets."

It is curious to note the use of the word Turk for any dark-skinned person in a turban, for later in the list of dresses we have: "Mr. Amcotts, a Turk, his turban ornamented with diamonds. Mr. Cust, a Turk; scarlet and ermine; turban and collar very rich with diamonds. He represented the Great Mogul," who would have been little pleased to be called a Turk, I imagine. Amongst more than seventy other dresses which are described we find: "Lady Betty Chaplin: a Chinese Lady, in a long robe of yellow taffety; the petticoat painted taffety. Her neck and hair richly ornamented with diamonds."

But rich jewellery was the order of the night whether it was proper to the costume or not, so we find "Lady Buck: a Grecian Lady, scarlet satin and silver gauze; her neck and head adorned with diamonds and pearls."

The host and hostess are thus described:—

"Mr. Hobart: 'Pan.' His dress dark brown satin, made quite close to his shape, shag breeches, cloven feet, a round shock wig, and a mask that beggars all description, a leopard skin over his back fastened to his shoulder by a leopard's claw. In his hand a shepherd's pipe."

"Mrs. Hobart; First "Imoinda," a muslin petticoat, puffed very small, spotted with spangles. The arms muslin puffed like a dancer. Her second dress "Nysa" or "Daphne." She came in footing it, and singing a song in "Midas." Muslin and blue ornaments; a white chip hat and blue ribbons."

Several dancers had two costumes. Thus "Lord George