him for another in-coming card is like to conduce more for drawing of the stake,) is by good gamesters without any ceremony discarded."(2)

Macham has been incidentally noticed as an Irish game at cards in a former section. (8)

Since the publication of Mr. Brand's work in 1813, a very curious book has appeared, entitled "Researches into the History of Playing Cards," by Samuel Weller Singer: from the third section of which, p. 233, &c., "On some of the principal games," we learn that Lansquenet, Trappola, and Minchiate are foreign games, unnoticed by English writers as in use here. Tarocco was played in England early in the reign of James I. Primero is supposed to have been introduced into England after the marriage of Mary with Philip of Spain. Shakspeare makes Falstaff say "I never prospered since I forswore myself at Primero." Mawe, another game, is described by Arthur Hall, about the year 1580, as "a playe at Cards grown out of the country from the meanest, into credit at court with the greatest." It is also alluded to in Dekker's works, as well as in many other of the satirical tracts of the time of James I. Loadan, Noddy, and Macke, are mentioned as games at cards by Sir John Harrington. Gleek is described at large by Cotton in the "Complete Game

ster." Post and Paire is said by Cotton to be a game on the cards very much played in the West of England. Bankrout is supposed to have been the same as Bank-a-fa-let described in the same work. All Fours is described by Cotton as "a game very much played in Kent." The Spanish game of Ombre is supposed by Barrington to have been introduced into this country by Catherine of Portugal, the Queen of Charles II., as Waller has a poem "On a Card torn at Ombre by the Queen." Quadrille, which is a species of Ombre, supplanted that game in England. Reversis is a French game. Bassett, which is said by Dr. Johnson to have been invented at Venice, was certainly known in Italy as early as the end of the thirteenth century. It appears to have been a fashionable game in England at the end of the seventeenth century. Cent, or Mount Sant, which is a Spanish game, is alluded to in one or two of our old plays. Trump was a common game at the latter end of the sixteenth century. Whist is said to be a very ancient game amongst us: though not to have been played on principle before 1730. Piquet is of French origin, though the period which gave it birth is uncertain.

For a particular account of Gleek, see Nares's Glossary in voce, who also notices the game of Gresco.

water, and two stools placed on each side of it. Over the whole is thrown a tarpawlin or old sail; this is kept tight by two persons, who are to represent the king and queen of a foreign country, and are seated on the two stools. The person intended to be ducked plays the ambassador, and, after repeating a ridiculous speech dictated to him, is led in great form up to the throne, and seated between the king and queen, who rising suddenly as soon as he is seated, he falls backwards into the tub of water."

He notices another game in the subsequent words:

"ARTHUR. KING ARTHUR. A game used at sea, when near the Line, or in a hot latitude. It is performed thus: a man who is to represent King Arthur, ridiculously dressed, having a large wig, made out of oakum, or some old swabs, is seated on the side or over a large vessel of water. Every person in his turn is to be ceremoniously introduced to him, and

to pour a bucket of water over him, crying, Hail, King Arthur! If, during this ceremony, the person introduced laughs or smiles (to which his Majesty endeavours to excite him, by all sorts of ridiculous gesticulations), he changes places with and then becomes King Arthur, till relieved by some brother tar, who has as little command over his muscles as himself." And a third game, as follows:

"HOOP. To run the hoop; an ancient marine custom. Four or more boys, having their left hands tied fast to an iron hoop, and each of them a rope, called a nettle, in their right, being naked to the waist, wait the signal to begin; this being made by a stroke with a cat of nine tails, given by the boatswain to one of the boys, he strikes the one before him, and every one does the same. At first the blows are but gently administered; but each, irritated by the strokes from the boy behind him, at length lays it on in earnest. This was anciently practised when a ship was wind-bound."(1)

(1) See Grose's "Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue." In another part of his Dictionary Grose has given us the definition of "COB, or COBBING; a punishment used by the seamen for petty offences, or irregularities, among themselves: it consists in bastinadoing the offender on the posteriors with a cobbing stick, or pipe staff; the number usually inflicted is a dozen. At the first stroke the executioner repeats the word Watch, on which all persons present are to take off their hats, on

pain of like punishment: the last stroke is always given as hard as possible, and is called the Purse. Ashore, among soldiers, where this punishment is sometimes adopted, Watch and the Purse are not included in the number, but given over and above, or, in the vulgar phrase, free gratis for nothing. This piece of discipline is also inflicted in Ireland, by the school-boys, on persons coming into the school without taking off their hats; it is there called School-butter."

A FAIR is a greater kind of market, granted to any town by privilege, for the more speedy and commodious providing of such things as the place stands in need of.

Fairs are generally kept once or twice in a year. Proclamation is to be made how long they are to continue, and no person is allowed

to sell any goods after the time of the fair is ended, on forfeiture of double their value.

Warton tells us, that before flourishing towns were established, and the necessaries of life, from the convenience of communication and the increase of provincial civility, could be procured in various places, goods and com

modities of every kind were chiefly sold at fairs to these, as to one universal mart, the people resorted periodically, and supplied most of their wants for the ensuing year. (1) The display of merchandise, and the conflux of customers, at these principal and almost only emporia of domestic commerce, were prodigious; and they were therefore often held on open and extensive plains.

It

One of the chief of them was that of St. Giles's Hill or Down, near Winchester: the Conqueror instituted and gave it as a kind of revenue to the Bishop of Winchester. was at first for three days, but afterwards, by Henry III., prolonged to sixteen days. Its jurisdiction extended seven miles round, and comprehended even Southampton, then a capital and trading town. Merchants who sold wares at that time within that circuit forfeited them to the bishop. Officers were placed at a considerable distance, at bridges and other avenues of access to the fair, to exact toll of all merchandise passing that way. In the mean time, all shops in the city of Winchester were shut. A court, called the Pavillion, composed of the bishop's justiciaries and other officers, had power to try causes of various sorts for seven miles round. The bishop had a toll of every load or parcel of goods passing through the gates of the city. On St. Giles's Eve the mayor, bailiffs, and citizens of Winchester delivered the keys of the four gates to the bishop's officers. Many and extraordinary were the privileges granted to the bishop on this occasion, all tending to obstruct trade and to oppress the people. Numerous foreign merchants frequented this fair; and several streets were formed in it, assigned to the sale of different commodities. The surrounding Monasteries had shops or houses in these streets, used only at the fair; which they held under the bishop, and often let by lease for a term of years. Different counties had their different stations. (2)

It appears from a curious record now remaining, containing the establishment and expenses of the household of Henry Percy, the fifth Earl of Northumberland, A. D. 1512, and printed by Dr. Percy, (a) that the stores

(a) The late Bishop of Dromore, in Ireland.

of his Lordship's house at Wresille, for the whole year, were laid in from fairs. (3)

In the accounts of the Priories of Maxtoke in Warwickshire, and of Bicester in Oxfordshire, in the time of Henry VI., the monks appear to have laid in yearly stores of various yet common necessaries, at the fair of Sturbridge (4) in Cambridgeshire, at least one hundred miles distant from either monastery.

It may seem surprising that their own neighbourhood, including the cities of Oxford and Coventry, could not supply them with commodities neither rare nor costly: which they thus fetched at a considerable expense of carriage. It is a rubric in some of the monastic rules, "De euntibus ad Nundinas; i. e. concerning those who go to fairs. (5)

Two annual fairs held on the Town Moor at Newcastle-upon-Tyne are called Lammas and St. Luke's Fairs, from the days on which they begin. Bourne, in his history of that town, tells us, that the tolls, booths, stallage, pickage, (6) and courts of pie-powder (dusty foot) to each of those fairs, were reckoned, communibus annis, at twelve pounds, in the time of Oliver Cromwell. The records of the monasteries there, are many of them lost, otherwise they would doubtless have furnished some particulars relative to the institution and ancient customs of the fairs at that place.

Bailey tells us, that in ancient times amongst Christians, upon any extraordinary solemnity, particularly the anniversary dedication of a church, (7) tradesmen used to bring and sell their wares even in the churchyards, especially upon the festival of the dedication; as at Westminster, on St. Peter's Day; at London, on St. Bartholomew's; (8) at Durham, on St. Cuthbert's Day, &c.; but riots and disturbances often happening, by reason of the numbers assembled together, privileges were by royal charter granted, for various causes, to particular places, towns, and places of strength, where magistrates presided to keep the people in order.

Courts were granted at fairs, to take notice of all manner of causes and disorders committed upon the place, called pie-powder, because justice was done to any injured person before the dust of the fair was off his feet. (")

It is customary at all fairs to present fair