Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/202

 HISTOBT OF BISHOP AUCKLAND. 175 4 Bat it is for t' Peg Doctor for banging Ina deaxj, li yon'U stay a few minntes, FU tell you all clearly. One night he came home with a veiy red face — I suppose he was drunk, as is often the case, Be that as it may ; but — ^when he got in, He knocked down his wife with a new rolling pin. She jump'd up again, and knocked off his hat, And he up with the pestle, and felled her quite flat. She ran out to the yard and shouted for life. And he swore he would kill her with a great gully knife. So all you good people that lives in this raw [row], rd have you take warning, for this is our law; And if any of your husbands you wives do bang. Come to me and my congregation, and we'll Eide the Stang I The most popular and wide-spread pastimes of our forefathers, however, were the May-day games, — the bringing in and raising the May-pole on the village green on the First of May ; the Morris-dancing ; Maid Marian ; Friar Tuck ; and many more beautiful customs of the olden times, about which our poets have written so much. These customs, no doubt, had their origin in a welcome to the delightful season of Spring, and were a kind of votive oflfering to Flora, the Goddess of Flowera Milton ^ays : — Hail, bounteous May ! that dost inspire Mirth and youth, and fond desire ; Woods and groves are of thy dressing, Hill and dale both boast thy blessing. Bourne tells us, " that in his time, in the villages in the North of England, the juvenile part of both sexes were wont to rise a little after midnight on the morning of the First of May, and walk to some neighbouring wood, accompanied with music and the blowing of horns, where they broke down branches from the trees and adorned them with nosegays and crowns of flowers. This done, they returned homewards with their booty about the time of sunrise, and made their doors and windows triumph in the flowery spoil" Shakespeare, in his " Midsummer Night's Dream," puts the folldwing words into the mouth of Lysander, when addressing Hermia : — If thou loVst me then. Steal forth thy father^s house to-morrow night ; And in the wood, a league without the town. Where I did meet thee once with Helena, To do observance for a mom of Map ^ There will I stay for thee. These May-day customs were observed by noble and royal personages as well as the general public. Stow, in his " Survey of London," gives an account of Henry VIII's. riding a Maying from Greenwich to the high grounds of Shooter s-hill, with Queen Katherine, his wife, accompanied with many lords and ladies. By a warrant, dated October 18th, 1633, and issued by Charles I, it was enacted that, '* for his good people's lawful recreation after the end of Divine Service, his good people be not disturbed, letted, or discouraged from any lawful recreation ; such as dancing, either men or women ; archery for men, leaping, vaulting, or any other such harmless recreations : nor from having of May Games, Whitson Ales, and Morris Dances, and the setting up of May-poles, and other sports therewith used ; so as the same be had in due and convenient time, without impedi- ment or neglect of Divine Service. And that women shall have leave to carry rushes to the church for the decorating of it, according to their old custom. But withall, his Majesty doth hereby account still as prohibited, all urJawf ul games to be used on Sundays only, as bear and Digitized by Google