Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/112

104 end, and an inflated bladder suspended at the other, and in the use of it he was privileged. He made very free use of this in clearing and keeping a space for the dancers and in his endeavours to raise a laugh, one of the most successful being in the dexterous manner in which he would take a man's hat off by a mere whisk of the calf's tail, or bonnet him by bringing his hat down over his eyes by a blow from the bladder. For such tricks as these, as with the domestic fool, rough as they were, he had full immunity in the general privilege of the clown.

The evidence from churchwardens' accounts and other statements, given in Brand's Popular Antiquities (1873), shows that these and similar pastimes originated or were adopted—at least, in some cases—as means for raising money for parochial and charitable purposes. "In the Introduction to The Survey and Natural History of the North Division of the County of Wiltshire, by Aubrey, at p. 32, is the following curious account of Whitsun-ales:—'There were no rates for the poor in my grandfather's days; but for Kingston St. Michael (no small parish) the Church-ale of Whitsuntide did the business. In every parish is, or was, a church-house, to which belonged spits, crocks, &c., utensils for dressing provisions. Here the housekeepers met and were merry, and gave their charity. The young people were there, too, and had dancing, bowling, shooting at butts, &c., the ancients sitting gravely by and looking on. All things were civil and without scandal.—(Brand's Pop. Ant. vol. i. p. 282.)

"At a vestry held at Brentford, in 1621, several articles were agreed upon with regard to the management of the parish stock by the chapel-wardens. The preamble stated, that the inhabitants had for many years been accustomed to have meetings at Whitsuntide, in the church-house and other places there, in friendly manner, to eat and drink together, and liberally to spend their monies, to the end neighbourly society might be maintained; and also a common stock