Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/116

108 a refreshment-room for company (generally numerous), and was called "My Lord's Hall." The lord and lady, being the ruling powers, attending with their mace-bearers, or pages, and other officers; the lord, acting as master of the ceremonies, strictly keeping order. All were gaily and suitably dressed, with a preponderance of light-blue and pink, the colours of the Dashwood family, the lady appearing in white only, with light-blue or pink ribands on alternate days.

The lamb-ale began on Trinity Monday, when—and on each day at 11 a.m.—the lady was brought in state from her home, and at 9 p.m. was in like manner conducted home again; the sports were continued during the week, but Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday were the especial days.

The refreshments, as served, were not charged for; but a plate was afterwards handed round for each to give his donation. This seems strikingly to accord with Aubrey's account of the Whitsun-ales of his grandfather's time.

The Morisco dance was not only a principal feature in the lamb-ale, but one for which Kirtlington was noted. No expense was spared in the getting up, as described in the paper on that subject; and, with the linen of the whitest and ribands of the best, the display of the Dashwoods' colours was the pride of the parish, and in my early time it was generally understood that the farmers' sons did not decline joining the dancers, but rather prided themselves on being selected as one of them. The simple tabor and pipe was their only music; but by degrees other instruments came into use in the private balls and dancing on the green, and besides these the surroundings of stalls made up a sort of fair.

On opening the lamb-ale a procession was formed to take the lamb around the town and to the principal houses. It was carried on a man's shoulders or rather on the back of his neck with two legs on each side of it: the lamb being decorated with blue or pink ribands in accordance with the lady's colour for the day. The great house was the first visited, where, after a few Morisco dances (as generally supposed), two guineas were given, and thus within the week every farm or other house of importance within the parish was