[Baretti says, "Regatta, _palio che si corre sull' acqua_; a race run
on water in boats. The word I take to be corrupted from _Remigata_, the
art of rowing." Florio, in his _Worlde of Wordes_, has "_Regattare_,
Ital. to wrangle, to cope or fight for the mastery." The term, as
denoting a showy species of boat-race, was first used in this {530}
country towards the close of the last century; for the papers of that
time inform us, that on June 23, 1775, a regatta, a _novel_
entertainment, and the first of the kind, was exhibited in the river
Thames, in imitation of some of those splendid shows exhibited at
Venice on their grand festivals. The whole river, from London Bridge to
the Ship Tavern, Millbank, was covered with boats. About 1200 flags
were flying before four o'clock in the afternoon, and vessels were
moored in the river for the sale of liquors and other refreshments.
Before six o'clock it was a perfect fair on both sides the water, and
bad liquor, with short measure, was plentifully retailed. Plans of the
regatta were sold from a shilling to a penny each, and songs on the
occasion sung, in which "regatta" was the rhyme for "Ranelagh," and
"royal family" echoed to "liberty."]
_Coket and Cler-mantyn._--Piers Plowman says that when new corn began to be
sold--
"Waulde no beggar eat bread that in it beanes were,
But of _coket_ and _cler-mantyn_, or else of cleane wheate."
What are _coket_ and _cler-mantyn_? Also, what are _coronation flowers_,
and _sops in wine_?