Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/127

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Bet and some other witches then sing in chorus : —

" By night and by day "We will dance and play With our noble captain, Tarraway ! Tarraway ! "

Mr. Robert Hunt in his Eomances and Drolls of Old Cornwall has a variation of this play in which the devil sings —

" Duffy my lady, you'll never know — what ? That my name is Ferry-top, Ferry-top — top."

These "goose-dancers" became such a terror to the respectable inhabitants of Penzance that the Corporation put them down about ten years since, and every Christmas-eve a notice is posted in con- spicuous places forbidding their appearance in the streets, but they still perambulate the streets of St. Ives. Guise-dancing wit must have very much deteriorated since the beginning of the present century, as writers before that time speak of the mirth it afforded ; and the saying, " as good as a Christmas-play," is commonly used to describe a very witty or funny thing.

It was the custom in Scilly eighty years ago for girls to go to church on Christmas morning dressed all in white, verifying the old proverb — '* pride is never a-cold."

" On Porthminster Beach on Christmas-day, as seen from the Mala- koff, St. Ives, at nine o'clock in the morning the boys began to assemble on the beach with their bats and balls. As soon as twelve youths arrived a game commenced, called * Rounders.' The first thing to be done was to right up the * bickens.' This accomplished, the sides were chosen in the following manner : — Two of the best players, whom we will call Matthew and Phillip, went aside and selected two objects — the new and old pier. The old pier was Matthew and the new pier was Phillip. After this was arranged the * mopper ' selected the old pier, which meant that he would rather have Matthew his side than Phillip. Then Phillip selected some one for his side ; and so it went on until the whole twelve were elected one side or the other. Then they tossed up for the first innings. Phillip's side won the toss, and it was their luck to go in first. While they are taking off their jackets and getting ready to go in I will briefly describe the game,