Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/225

 io" s. ii. SEPT. s, low.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

181

LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, IWk.

CONTENTS.-No. 36.

NOTES : Wrestling in London in 1222, 181 'English Dialect Dictionary': Nonsense Verses, 182 Uncle Remus in Tuscany, 183 Godfrey Higgins Jews and Printing " Rupee"" The Captain " in Fletcher and Jonson, 184 " Dolly Varden " up to Date Capt. Falconer's ' Voyages, ' 185 Penny a Year Rent Y " Fay ce que vouldras" ' ' Ympe " * Traces of History in the Names of Places,' 186.

QUERIES : Britain's Tithe of Fish in the North Sea- Marquis Scales, 187 De Keleseye Family Old Testament Commentary Willock of Bordley Humorous Stories John Pleydell, Spitalfields Silkweaver Pliny on Flint Chippings " Holus-bolus " Episcopal Ring Mummies for Colours Authors of Quotations Wanted American Yarn, 188 Sir T. W. Stubbs Joannes v. Johannes Cast- iron Chimney-backJohn (Caspar?) Rutland One-armed Crucifix " Ocular demonstration," 189.

REPLIES : I.H.S., 190 Thackeray's Pictures, 192 Longest Telegram "Saint" as a Prefix, 193 Harlsey Castle Bristol Slave Ships Rebecca of 'Ivanhoe' Browning's " Thunder-free," 193 Psalm-singing Weavers Bibliography of Epitaphs, 194 Shakespeare's Grave- Bacon and the Drama Martyrdom of St. Thomas, 195 Final "-ed " Anahuac Pamela Irresponsible Scribblers, 196 Phrases and Reference" Cuttwoorkes "France and Civilization Largest Private House in England, 197 Broom Squires Scotch Words and English Commen- tators, 198.

NOTES ON BOOKS : Ingrain's 'Marlowe and his Asso- ciates 'Moore's ' Studies in Dante ' Acts of the Privy Council' The Oxford ' Keats ' ' Edinburgh Review' English Historical Review.'

Notices to Correspondents.

WRESTLING MATCH IN LONDON IN 1222. IN view of the recent revival of the sport of wrestling in England, it may be of interest

Paris and to read there of certain encounters which took place in London in 1222 when Henry III. was on the throne, and which,
 * at this time to turn to the pages of Matthew

irom the riot they occasioned, must have been remembered long after by the citizens of that

day.

The men of London, the chronicler says, on the day of the feast of St. James the Apostle

(25 July, 1222), held a wrestling match, meet-

'ing the men of Westminster and the suburbs, near the Leper's Hospital, an institution which had been founded by Matilda, the wife of Henry I. After a long contest and amidst much uproar on both sides, the citizens carried

off the victory, to the discomfiture and chagrin of those " outside the walls." Amongst those who returned defeated was the Seneschal of the Abbot of Westminster. This man and his fellows, determining to revenge themselves for their recent overthrow and pondering on this, devised a treacherous plan, " thirsting for vengeance rather than sport " ( " qui potius vindictam quarn ludum sitiebant"). A

challenge was issued throughout the county

("per provinciam "),the prize for the wrestling to be a ram and the contest to take place in Westminster. The Seneschal meanwhile got together as powerful a team as he could muster ( " viros rooustos et luctamine expedites " ) in the hope of carrying off the day. The citizens at the appointed time, on the feast day of St. Peter ad Vincula, assembled in Westminster, treating the event as a friendly gathering. They too had collected a strong band and felt confident of victory.

The bouts were long and hotly contested, one party and then the other gaining the mastery ("diu et fortiter sese mutuo pro- sternebant"). Then the Seneschal, seeing that once again the Londoners were likely to carry off the palm, incited his followers, who were ready with weapons, to attack the unarmed citizens. A fight ensued, and not without much bloodshed did the visitors flee within the safety of the City walls, where, an alarm having been beaten ("signo pulsato") soon an angry crowd collected. The matter was noisily discussed, and although their Mayor Serlo, " vir prudens et pacificus," tried to persuade them to get redress for their wrongs by legal methods from the Abbot of Westminster, William de Humeto, the crowd were swayed more by the arguments of one Constantino FitzAthulf, who urged them to return in force and to wreck the ouildings in Westminster with the house of the Seneschal, and to raze them all to the ground. This Constantino appears to have been a man of great influence and wealth in the City, and was, besides, one of those who had been taken prisoner at the battle of Lincoln, fight- ing for the French Prince Louis against King John. Now a treaty had been made with France by Henry III. that a free pardon should be given to all those who had sided with the French against John, Constan- tino being one of those who profited by this agreement. To return to the narrative, " Quid plura 1 " No sooner said than done. The citizens under his leadership sallied forth and proceeded to damage and wreck the abbot's property, Constantino the while stimulating them, and shouting " reboante voce " the battle-cry which was familiar to him as a late partisan of Louis, namely, " Montjoie ! Montjoie ! " adding, " God and our Lord Louis help us."

Now the event which had occurred quickly came to the ears of the Justiciar Hubert de Burgh, who, collecting an armed force, pro- ceeded totheTower ana convened an assembly of the elders of the City. He there demanded information as to the ringleaders in the late riot, and who were thus concerned in breaking