J. B.

A _notice_ below, the editor hopes will be read and taken by the reader,

for whose advantage it is introduced, in good part.[68]

_Pasch eggs_ are to be found at Easter in different parts of the

kingdom. A Liverpool gentleman informs the editor, that in that town and

neighbourhood they are still common, and called _paste_ eggs. One of his

children brought to him a _paste_ egg at Easter, 1824, beautifully

mottled with brown. It had been purposely prepared for the child by the

servant, by being boiled hard within the coat of an onion, which

imparted to the shell the admired colour. Hard boiling is a chief

requisite in preparing the _pasch_ egg. In some parts they are variously

coloured with the juices of different herbs, and played with by boys,

who roll them on the grass, or toss them up for balls. Their more

elegant preparation is already described by our obliging correspondent,

J. B.

The terms _pace_, _paste_, or _pasch_, are derived from _paschal_,

which is a name given to Easter from its being the _paschal_ season.

Four hundred eggs were bought for eighteen-pence in the time of Edward

I., as appears by a royal roll in the tower; from whence it also appears

they were purchased for the purpose of being boiled and stained, or

covered with leaf gold, and afterwards distributed to the royal

household at Easter. They were formerly consecrated, and the ritual of

pope Paul V. for the use of England, Scotland, and Ireland, contains the

form of consecration.[69] On Easter eve and Easter day, the heads of

families sent to the church large chargers, filled with the hard boiled

eggs, and there the “creature of eggs” became sacred by virtue of holy

water, crossing, and so on.

_Ball. Bacon. Tansy Puddings._

Eating of _tansy pudding_ is another custom at Easter derived from the

Romish church. Tansy symbolized the bitter herbs used by the Jews at

their paschal; but that the people might show a proper abhorrence of

Jews, they ate from a gammon of bacon at Easter, as many still do in

several country places, at this season, without knowing from whence this

practice is derived. Then we have Easter _ball-play_, another

ecclesiastical device, the meaning of which cannot be quite so clearly

traced; but it is certain that the Romish clergy abroad played at ball

in the church, as part of the service; and we find an archbishop joining

in the sport. “A ball, not of size to be grasped by one hand only, being

given out at Easter, the dean and his representatives began an

antiphone, suited to Easter-day; then taking the ball in his left hand,

he commenced a dance to the tune of the antiphone, the others dancing

round hand in hand. At intervals, the ball was bandied or passed to each

of the choristers. The organ played according to the dance and sport.

The dancing and antiphone being concluded, the choir went to take

refreshment. It was the privilege of the lord, or his _locum tenens_, to

throw the ball; even the archbishop did it.”[70] Whether the dignified

clergy had this amusement in the English churches is not authenticated;

but it seems that “boys used to claim hard _eggs_, or small money, at

Easter, in exchange for the ball-play before mentioned.”[71] Brand

cites the mention of a lay amusement at this season, wherein both tansy

and ball-play is referred to.

_Stool-ball._

At stool-ball, Lucia, let us play,

For sugar, cakes, or wine.

Or for a tansy let us pay,

The loss be thine or mine.

If thou, my dear, a winner be

At trundling of the ball,

The wager thou shall have, and me

And my misfortunes all.

1679.

Also, from “Poor Robin’s Almanack” for 1677, this Easter verse, denoting

the sport at that season:

Young men and maids,

Now very brisk,

At barley-break and

Stool-ball frisk.

A _ball_ custom now prevails annually at Bury St. Edmund’s, Suffolk. On

Shrove Tuesday, Easter Monday, and the Whitsuntide festivals, twelve old

women side off for a game at trap-and-ball, which is kept up with the

greatest spirit and vigour until sunset. One old lady, named Gill,

upwards of sixty years of age, has been celebrated as the “mistress of

the sport” for a number of years past; and it affords much of the good

old humour to flow round, whilst the merry combatants dexterously hurl

the giddy ball to and fro. Afterwards they retire to their homes, where

“Voice, fiddle, or flute,

No longer is mute,”

and close the day with apportioned mirth and merriment.[72]

Corporations formerly went forth to play at ball at Easter. Both then

and at Whitsuntide, the mayor, aldermen, and sheriff of

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with a great number of the burgesses, went yearly

to the Forth, or little mall of the town, with the mace, sword, and cap

of maintenance, carried before them, and patronised the playing at

hand-ball, dancing, and other amusements, and sometimes joined in the

ball-play, and at others joined hands with the ladies.

There is a Cheshire proverb, “When the daughter is stolen, shut the

Pepper-gate.” This is founded on the fact that the mayor of Chester had

his daughter stolen as she was playing at ball with other maidens in

Pepper-street; the young man who carried her off, came through the

Pepper-gate, and the mayor wisely ordered the gate to be shut up:[73]

agreeable to the old saying, and present custom agreeable thereto, “When

the steed’s stolen, shut the stable-door.” Hereafter it will be seen

that persons quite as dignified and magisterial as mayors and aldermen,

could compass a holiday’s sport and a merry-go-round, as well as their

more humble fellow subjects.

_Clipping the Church at Easter._

L. S., a Warwickshire correspondent, communicates this Easter custom to

the _Every-Day Book_:

“When I was a child, as sure as Easter Monday came, I was taken ‘_to see

the children clip the churches_.’ This ceremony was performed, amid

crowds of people and shouts of joy, by the children of the different

charity-schools, who at a certain hour flocked together for the purpose.

The first comers placed themselves hand in hand with their backs against

the church, and were joined by their companions, who gradually increased

in number, till at last the chain was of sufficient length completely to

surround the sacred edifice. As soon as the hand of the last of the

train had grasped that of the first, the party broke up, and walked in

procession to the other church, (for in those days Birmingham boasted

but of two,) where the ceremony was repeated.”

_Old Easter Customs in Church._

In the celebration of this festival, the Romish church amused our

forefathers by theatrical representations, and extraordinary dramatic

worship, with appropriate scenery, machinery, dresses, and decorations.

The exhibitions at Durham appear to have been conducted with great

effect. In that cathedral, over our lady of Bolton’s altar, there was a

marvellous, lively, and beautiful image of the picture of our lady,

called the lady of Bolton, which picture was made to open with _gimmes_,

(or linked fastenings,) from the breast downward; and within the said

image was wrought and pictured the image of our saviour marvellously

finely gilt, holding up his hands, and betwixt his hands was a large

fair crucifix of Christ, all of gold; the which crucifix was ordained to

be taken forth every _Good Friday_, and every man did _creep_ unto it

that was in the church at that time; and afterwards it was hung up again

within the said image. Every principal day the said image of our lady of

Bolton, was opened, that every man might see pictured within her, the

Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, most curiously and finely gilt; and

both the sides within her were very finely varnished with green varnish,

and flowers of gold, which was a goodly sight for all the beholders

thereof. On _Good Friday_, there was marvellous solemn service, in which

service time, after the _Passion_ was sung, two of the ancient monks

took a goodly large crucifix, all of gold, of the picture of our saviour

Christ nailed upon the cross, laying it upon a velvet cushion, having

St. Cuthbert’s arms upon it, all embroidered with gold, bringing it

betwixt them upon the cushion to the lowest steps in the choir, and

there betwixt them did hold the said picture of our saviour, sitting on

either side of it. And then one of the said monks did rise, and went a

pretty space from it, and setting himself upon his knees with his shoes

put off, very reverently he _crept upon his knees_ unto the said cross,

and most reverently did kiss it; and after him the other monk did so

likewise; and then they sate down on either side of the said cross,

holding it betwixt them. Afterward, the prior came forth of his stall,

and did sit him down upon his knees with his shoes off in like sort, and

did _creep_ also unto the said cross, and all the monks after him did

_creep_ one after another in the same manner and order; in the mean

time, the whole choir singing a hymn. The service being ended, the said

two monks carried the cross to the _sepulchre_ with great reverence.[74]

The _sepulchre_ was erected in the church near the altar, to represent

the tomb wherein the body of Christ was laid for burial. At this tomb

there was a grand performance on Easter-day. In some churches it was

ordained, that Mary Magdalen, Mary of Bethany, and Mary of Naim, should

be represented by three deacons clothed in dalmaticks and amesses, with

their heads in the manner of women, and holding a vase in their hands.

These performers came through the middle of the choir, and hastening

towards the sepulchre, with downcast looks, said together this verse,

“Who will remove the stone for us?” Upon this a boy, clothed like an

angel, in albs, and holding a wheat ear in his hand, before the

sepulchre, said, “Whom do you seek in the sepulchre?” The Maries

answered, “Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified.” The boy-angel answered,

“He is not here, but is risen;” and pointed to the place with his

finger. The boy-angel departed very quickly, and two priests in tunics,

sitting without the sepulchre, said, “Woman, whom do ye mourn for? Whom

do ye seek?” The middle one of the women said, “Sir, if you have taken

him away, say so.” The priest, showing the cross, said, “They have taken

away the Lord.” The two sitting priests said, “Whom do ye seek, women?”

The Maries, kissing the place, afterwards went from the sepulchre. In

the mean time a priest, in the character of Christ, in an alb, with a

stole, holding a cross, met them on the _left_ horn of the altar, and

said, “Mary!” Upon hearing this, the mock Mary threw herself at his

feet, and, with a loud voice, cried _Cabboin_. The priest representing

Christ replied, nodding, “_Noli me tangere_,” _touch me not_. This being

finished, he again appeared at the _right_ horn of the altar, and said

to them as they passed before the altar, “Hail! do not fear.” This being

finished, he concealed himself; and the women-priests, as though joyful

at hearing this, bowed to the altar, and turning to the choir, sung

“Alleluia, the Lord is risen.” This was the signal for the bishop or

priest before the altar, with the censer, to begin and sing aloud, _Te

Deum_.[75]

The _making of the sepulchre_ was a practice founded upon ancient

tradition, that the second coming of Christ would be on Easter-eve; and

_sepulchre-making_, and watching it, remained in England till the

reformation. Its ceremonies varied in different places. In the abbey

church of Durham it was part of the service upon Easter-day, betwixt

three and four o’clock in the morning, for two of the eldest monks of

the quire to come to the sepulchre, set up upon Good Friday after the

Passion, which being covered with red velvet, and embroidered with gold,

these monks, with a pair of silver censers, censed the sepulchre on

their knees. Then both rising, went to the sepulchre, out of which they

took a marvellous beautiful image of the resurrection, with a cross in

the hand of the image of Christ, in the breast whereof was inclosed, in

bright crystal, the _host_, so as to be conspicuous to the beholders.

Then, after the elevation of the said picture, it was carried by the

said two monks, upon a velvet embroidered cushion, the monks singing the

anthem of _Christus resurgens_. They then brought it to the high altar,

setting it on the midst thereof, and the two monks kneeling before the

altar, censed it all the time that the rest of the quire were singing

the anthem, which being ended, the two monks took up the cushion and

picture from the altar, supporting it betwixt them, and proceeded in

procession from the high altar to the south quire door, where there were

four ancient gentlemen belonging to the quire, appointed to attend their

coming, holding up a rich canopy of purple velvet, tasselled round about

with red silk and gold fringe; and then the canopy was borne by these

“ancient gentlemen,” over the said images with the host carried by the

two monks round about the church, the whole quire following, with

torches and great store of other lights; all singing, rejoicing, and

praying, till they came to the high altar again; upon which they placed

the said image, there to remain till _Ascension-day_, when another

ceremony was used.

In Brand’s “Antiquities,” and other works, there are many items of

expenses from the accounts of different church-books for making the

sepulchre for this Easter ceremony. The old Register Book of the

brethren of the Holy Trinity of St. Botolph without Aldersgate, now in

the possession of the editor of the _Every-Day Book_, contains the

following entries concerning the _sepulchre_ in that church:--“Item, to

the wexchaundeler, for makyng of the _Sepulcre_ light iii times, and of

other dyvers lights that longyn to the trynite, in dyvers places in the

chirche, lvii^{s}. 10^{d}.” In An. 17 Henry VI. there is another “Item,

for xiii tapers unto the lyght about the _Sepulcre_, agenst the ffeste

of Estern, weying lxxviii lb. of the wich was wasted xxii lb.” &c. In

Ann. 21 & 22 K. Henry VI. the fraternity paid for wax and for lighting

of the sepulchre “both yers, xx^{s}. viii^{d}.” and they gathered in

those years for their sepulchre light, xlv^{s}. ix^{d}. This gathering

was from the people who were present at the representation; and when

the value of money at that time is considered, and also that on the same

day every church in London had a _sepulchre_, each more or less

attractive, the sum will not be regarded as despicable.

The only theatres for the people were churches, and the monks were

actors; accordingly, at Easter, plays were frequently got up for popular

amusement. Brand cites from the churchwardens’ accounts of Reading, set

forth in Coate’s history of that town, several items of different sums

paid for nails for the sepulchre; “for rosyn to the Resurrection play;”

for setting up of poles for the scaffold whereon the plays were

performed; for making “a Judas;” for the writing of the plays

themselves; and for other expenses attending the “getting up” of the

representations. Though the subjects exhibited were connected with the

incidents commemorated by the festival, yet the most splendid shows must

have been in those churches which performed the resurrection at the

_sepulchre_ with a full _dramatis personæ_ of monks, in dresses

according to the characters they assumed.

Mr. Fosbroke gives the “properties” of the sepulchre show belonging to

St. Mary Redcliff’s church at Bristol, from an original MS. in his

possession formerly belonging to Chatterton, viz. “Memorandum:--That

master Cannings hath delivered, the 4th day of July, in the year of our

Lord 1470, to master Nicholas Pelles, vicar of Redclift, Moses Conterin,

Philip Berthelmew, and John Brown, procurators of Redclift beforesaid, a

new Sepulchre, well guilt with fine gold, and a civer thereto; an image

of God Almighty rising out of the same Sepulchre, with all the ordinance

that longeth thereto; that is to say, a lath made of timber and iron

work thereto. Item, hereto longeth Heven, made of timber and stained

cloths. Item, Hell made of timber and iron work thereto, with Devils the

number of thirteen. Item, four knights armed, keeping the Sepulchre,

with their weapons in their hands; that is to say, two spears, two axes,

with two _shields_. Item, four pair of Angel’s wings, for four Angels,

made of timber, and well-painted. Item, the Fadre, the crown and visage,

the _ball_ with a cross upon it, well gilt with fine gold. Item, the

Holy Ghost coming out of Heven into the Sepulchre. Item, longeth to the

four Angels, four _Perukes_.” The lights at the sepulchre shows, and at

Easter, were of themselves a most attractive part of the Easter

spectacle. The _paschal_ or great Easter taper at Westminster Abbey was

three hundred pounds’ weight. Sometimes a large wax light called a

_serpent_ was used; its name was derived from its spiral form, it being

wound round a rod. To light it, fire was struck from a flint consecrated

by the abbot. The _paschal_ in Durham cathedral was square wax, and

reached to within a man’s length of the roof, from whence this waxen

enormity was lighted by “a fine convenience.” From this superior light

all others were taken. Every taper in the church was purposely

extinguished in order that this might supply a fresh stock of

consecrated light, till at the same season in the next year a similar

parent torch was prepared.[76]