Whom as a man that lately dyed of honest life and fame,
In blanket did they beare about, and streightways with the same
They hurl him up into the ayre, not suff’ring him to fall,
And this they doe at divers tymes, the citie over all.
The Kentish “holly boy,” and “ivy girl” are erroneously supposed (at p.
226,) to have been carried about on St. Valentine’s day. On turning to
Brand, who also cites the circumstance, it appears they were carried the
Tuesday before Shrove Tuesday, and most probably were the unrecognised
remains of the drest mawkin of the “Popish Kingdome,” carried about with
various devices to represent the “death of good living,” and which our
catholic neighbours continue. The Morning Chronicle of March the 10th,
1791, represents the peasantry of France carrying it at that time into
the villages, collecting money for the “funeral,” and, “after sundry
absurd mummeries,” committing the body to the earth.
* * * * *
Naogeorgus records, that if the snow lay on the ground this day,
snow-ball combats were exhibited with great vigour, till one party got
the victory, and the other ran away: the confusion whereof troubled him
sorely, on account of its disturbance to the “matrone olde,” and “sober
man,” who desired to pass without a cold salutation from the “wanton
fellowes.”
The “rabble-rout,” however, in these processions and mockeries, had the
honour of respectable spectators, who seem to have been somewhat
affected by the popular epidemic. The same author says that,
----------------- the noble men, the rich and men of hie degree,
Least they with common people should not seeme so mad to bee,
came abroad in “wagons finely framed before” drawn by “a lustie horse
and swift of pace,” having trappings on him from head to foot, about
whose neck,
-------------- and every place before,
A hundred gingling belles do hang, to make his courage more,
and their wives and children being seated in these “wagons,” they
-------------behinde themselves do stande
Well armde with whips, and holding faste the bridle in their hande.