Gammer Gurton having lost her needle, a great hunt is made in search
of it, and her boy is directed to blow the embers of an expiring
fire, in order to light a candle to help the search. The witch of a
cat has, in the meantime, got into the chimney, with her two fiery
eyes. The boy cries, "it is the devil of a fire!" for when he puffs,
it is out,--and when he does not, it is in. "Stir it!" bawls Gammer
Gurton. The boy does her bidding, and the _cat_ (the _fire_ as he
imagines) flies forthwith amongst a pile of wood. "The house will be
burnt, all hands to work!" roars the boy, and the cat is discovered by
a priest (more cunning than the rest.) This ends the _episode_, with
which the _main plot_ and catastrophe vie. Gammer Gurton, it seems,
had, the day before, been mending her man Hodge's breeches. Now Hodge,
in some game of merriment, was to be punished, for some default, with
three slaps on the breech, to be administered by the brawny hand of
one of his fellow-bumpkins. To that end, his head is laid in Gammer
Gurton's lap; the first slap is given, Hodge bellows out with pain,
and, oh! joyful announcement, on searching for the cause of his
affliction, the needle is discovered, buried up to the eye in poor
Hodge's posterior portion. The needle is then extracted with becoming
demonstrations, and the curtain falls.
Amongst other interesting matters associated with the memory of Queen
Elizabeth (beside that of her having given Cambridge that admirable
body of statutes upon which all laws for their governance still
continue to be framed,) are the following memoranda, extracted by Dyer
from Baker's MSS. in the public library of the University:--
"The 26th daye of Julie, 1578, the Queene's Majestie came in her
progresse intended to Norfolk, to Audley End, at the town of Waldren,
accompanied by the Lorde Treasurer, High Chancellor of the University
of Cambridge. The Vice Chancellor and Masters of Colleges thoughte
meete and convenient for the dischardge of dutie, that the said
Vice-Chancellor and Hedds of Coll. should shewe themselves of the
Courte, and welcome her Grace into these quarters." About the end of
his oration, the orator (Mr. Bridgewater of King's College) makes
mention, that "Mr. Doctor Howland, then vice-chancellor, maketh his
three ordinarie curtesies, and then kneeling at her Majesty's feete,
presenting unto her--