human figures of dough, about newyear's day, it being their chief fefti val; and it appears by the council of Leptines, in the diocefe of Cambrai, held 743, that the like cuftom then fubfifted and in Lower Languedoc, during all the Chriftmas week, they make cakes fhaped like men, as prefents to children. :: 8. Nothing is more common in Upper Languedoc, than to hear the commonalty fwear by the fire, by the flame of the candle, &c. at Thouloufe, efpecially, scarce a sentence without per aquest fuec, per aquest lum; if thefe oaths are more ridiculous than that which Virgil puts in the mouth of Sinon, An history of Coaches. ULIUS CESAR found chariots here eighteen hundred years ago, for all wheel carriages which warriors rode and fought in, are fairly comprehended under that name. This method of fighting in chariots is very ancient: we have it in Homer, and in the book of Exodus, and thenceforward to the books of Kings and Chronicles. But this way of fighting was inconvenient, and the Saracens, who were once the best foldiers in the world, ufed horfes. Thefe Saracens, it is probable, were defcended from the ancient Parthians, who alfo fought on horfeback, and ufed Vost æterni ignes, et non violabile to fly with an intention to diforder vestrum Testor Numen, ait, they may furely be ranked with Socrates's per canem, and Zeno's per capparim. Many other like inftances of fuperdition may be added; as, confidence in amulets or charms, the ceremonies on the eve of Midfunmer-day, the numberless fafcinations practifed in drying up the milk in women and cattle, rendering men impotent, laming horfes, bringing a mortality on beafts; the dread of ridiculous prefages, as the breaking of a looking-glafs, overfetting a falt-feller, burning the fieve to difcover a theft, faith in dreams, &c. Thus credulity, fuperftition, and error, are, among the commonalty, maladies of every clime and age, and maladies which the remonftrances of learning and reflexion, it is to be feared, will never be able totally to eradicate. the array of their enemy's battle. From the Romans and Saracens, the nations of Europe might learn to reject the use of chariots in war (if they had not done it fooner), for almost all the nations of Europe fent great armies against them to recover the Holy Land. To come back nearer to our own times; coaches returned to England in the days of queen Elizabeth, by the way of France (as our fafhions commonly do), and it is most certain that the judges rode on horseback to Weftminster-hall, in termtime, all the reign of king James I. and poffibly a good deal later: at the reftoration, king Charles II. rode on horfeback between his two brothers, the duke of York, and duke of Gloucefter; and the whole cavalcade, which was very fplendid, and confifted of a great number of perfons, was performed on horfeback. We shall add one remarkable fac concerning concerning the increafe of coaches among us. Our prefent number of hackney-coaches, which ply in the ftreets, is eight hundred, befides a great many stages, that do not run twenty miles off. We are told how thefe matters stood an hundred years ago by Mr. Ruthworth, a writer of great reputation, and much gravity. He fays the king and council published a proclamation against them, land extraordinary, laid out for meadows, are more than enough to anfwer the increase of horfes in London; and the greatnefs of the quantity of hay makes the price more regular and uniform, unless a feafon of extraordinary barrennefs fhould happen. A R from the French. BOUT the year 1390, cards were invented to divert Charles the fixth, then king of France, who was fallen into a melancholy dif pofition. which he prints in his collections, Of the origin of Cards. Translated alledging that they raised the price of provender againft the king, nobility, and gentry; and then he proceeds to inform us, that they were about twenty in number, and did not ply in the streets, but kept at their inns till they were fent for, which befpeaks a vaft alteration! for we are credibly informed, that even in the city of Dublin (which is not more than a third part of what London was an hundred years ago) there are two hundred licenfed hackney-coaches. Since I am upon this fubject, it may be neceffary to obferve, that, under proper regulations, they are of excellent ufe in a great rich city. They affift the difpatch of business, are beneficial to the health of thofe who use them, and contribute not a little to keep up that breed of ftrong horfes fit for fervice, with which this land is ftored, and is able, in time of war, to furnish her own armies, or in time of peace, to fell to other nations. It is obfervable (upon Mr. Rushworth's story above-mentioned) that human forelight is very fhort; for it is highly probable that provender was dearer here an hundred years ago, in proportion to the fcarcity of money, than it is at this day; we are fure the fact is fo with refpect to eorn; for a large market is always fupplied. Ten thoufand acres of That they were not in use before, appears highly probable. 1ft, Becaufe no cards are to be feen in any painting, fculpture, tapestry, &c. more ancient than the preceding period, but are reprefented in many works, of ingenuity, fince that age. 2dly. No prohibitions relative to cards, by the king's edicts, are mentioned, ' although fome few years before, a moft fevere one was published, forbidding, by name, all manner of fport, and paftimes, in order that the fubjects might exercife themfelves in fhooting with bows and arrows, and be in a condition to oppofe the English. Now it is. not to be prefumed, that fo luring a game as cards would have been omitted in the enumeration, had they been in ufe. 3dly. In all the ecclefiaftical canons, prior to the faid time, there. occurs no mention of cards; altho' twenty years after that date, cardplaying was interdicted the clergy, by a Gallican fynod. About the fame time is found in the account-book of the king's cofferet, the following charge: Paid for a pack pack of painted leaves bought for the king's amufement, three livres." Printing and ftamping being then not discovered, the cards were painted, which made them fo dear. Thence in the above fynodical canons, they are called pagelle pictæ, painted little leaves. 4thly, About 30 years after this, came a fevere edict againft cards in France; and another by Emanuel, duke of Savoy; only permitting the ladies this paftime, pro spinulis, for pins and needles. Of the design of Cards. The inventor propofed by the figures of the four fuits, or colours, as the French call them, to reprefent the four ftates, or claffes of men in the kingdom. By the Cœurs (Hearts) are meant the Gens de Chaur, choir men, or ecclefiaftics; and therefore the Spaniards, who certainly received the ufe of cards from the French, have copas or chalices, instead of hearts. The nobility or prime military part of the kingdom, are reprefented by the ends or points of lances or pikes, and our ignorance of the meaning or refemblance of the figure induced us to call them fpades. The Spaniards have espadas (words) in lieu of pikes, which is of fimilar import. By diamonds, are defigned the order of citizens, merchants, and tradefmen, carreaux (square ftones, tiles, or the like). The Spaniards have a cein, dineros, which anfwers to it; and the Dutch call the French word carreaux, stieneen, ftones, and diamonds from the form. Traste, the trefoil leaf, or clover grafs, (corruptly called clubs) alludes to the husbandmen and pea fants. How this. fuit came to be. called Clubs, I cannot explain, unlefs, borrowing the game from the Spaniards, who have bastos (ftaves or clubs) instead of the trefoil, we gave the Spanish fignification to the French figure. The hiftory of the four kings, which the French in drollery fometimes call the cards, is David, Alexander, Cæfar, and Charles (which names were then, and ftill are, on the French cards.) Thefe refpectable names represent the four celebrated monarchies of the Jews, Greeks, Romans, and Franks under Charlemagne. By the queens are intended Argine, Efther, Judith, and Pallas (names retained on the French cards) typical of birth, piety, fortitude, and wifdom, the qualifications refiding in each perfon. Argine is an anagram for Regina, queen by defcent. By the knaves were defigned the fervants to knights; (for knave, originally, meant only fervant; and in an old tranflation of the bible, St. Paul is called the knave of Chrift) but French pages and valets, now indifcriminately used by various orders of perfons, were formerly only allowed to perfons of quality, efquires (Escuiers) fhield or armour bearers. Others fancy that the knights themselves were defigned by thofe cards, becaufe Hogier and Lahire, two names on the French cards, were famous knights at the time cards were supposed to be invented. able, to divert themselves in the woods and meadows with Maygames, diverfions not confined to the lower clafs, but equally the entertainment of perfons of the higheft rank; a remarkable inftance of which is inferted in Hall's Chronicle, under the year 1515, when that author obferves, that king Henry VIII. and queen Catharine, accompanied by many lords and ladies, rode a maying from Greenwich to the high ground of Shooter's-hill, where, as they paffed along, they faw a company of 200 tall yecman, all cloathed in green, with green hoods and bows and arrows. One, who was their chieftain, was called Robin Hood, and defired the king and all his company to ftay and fee his men fhoot; to which the king agreeing, he whiftled, and all the two hundred difcharged their arrows at once, which they repeated on his whiftling again. Their arrows had fomething placed in the heads of them that made them whistle as they flew, and all together, made a loud and very uncommon noise, at which the king and queen were greatly delighted. The gentleman who affumed the character of Robin Hood then defired the king and queen, with their retinue, to enter the green wood, where, in arbours made with boughs intermixed with flowers, they were plentifully ferved with venifon and wine, by Robin Hood and his men. About two years after an event happened, which occafioned the epithet of Evil to be added to this day of rejoicing. The citizens being extremely exafperated at the Encouragement given to foreigners, a prieft, named Bell, was perfuaded to preach agaiaft them at the Spital; and, in a very inflaming fermon, he incited the people to oppofe all ftrangers; this occafioned frequent quarrels in the ftreets, for which fome Englishmen were committed to prifon. Suddenly a rumour arofe, that on May-day all the foreigners would be affaffinated, and several strangers fled; this coming to the knowledge of the king's council, cardinal Wolfey fent for the lord mayor and feveral of the city council, told them what he had heard, and exhorted them to preferve the peace. Upon this affair a court of common council was assembled at Guildhall, on the evening before May-day, in which it was refolved to order every man to fhut up his doors, and keep his fervants at home; and this advice being immediately communicated to the cardinal, met with his approbation. Upon this every alderman fent to inform his ward, that no man should ftir out of his houfe after nine o' clock, but keep his doors fhut, and his fervants within till nine in the morning. This order had not been long given, when one of the aldermen, returning from his ward, obferved two young men at play in Cheapfide, and many others looking at them. He would have fent them to the Compter, but they were foon refcued, and the cry raised of "'Prentices! 'Prentices! Clubs! Clubs!" Inftantly the people arofe; by eleven o'clock they amounted to fix or feven hundred; and, the croud ftill increafing, they rescued from Newgate and the Compter the prifoners committed for abufing the foreigners; while the mayor and sheriffs, who were present, made proclamation in the king's name; butz but, inftead of obeying it, they broke open the houfes of many Frenchmen and other foreigners, and continued plundering them till three in the morning, when, beginning to difperfe, the mayor and his attendants took 300 of them, and committed them to the feveral prifons. While this riot lafted, the lieutenant of the Tower difcharged feveral pieces of ordnance against the city, but without doing much mischief; and about five in the morning feveral of the nobility marched thither, with all the forces they could af femble. On the 4th of May the lord mayor, the duke of Norfolk, the earl of Surry, and others, fat upon the trial of the offenders at Guildhall, the duke of Norfolk entering the city with 1300 men. That day feveral were indicted; and on the next 13 were fentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered; for, the execution of whom ten gallowfes were fet up in feveral parts of the city, upon wheels, to be removed from ftreet to ftreet, and from door to door. On the 7th of May feveral others were found guilty, and received the fame fentence as the former, and foon after were drawn upon hurdles to the standard in Cheapfide; but, when one was executed, and the reft about to be turned off, a refpite came, and they were remanded back to prifon. After this, the foldiers who had kept watch in the city were withdrawn, which making the citizens Hatter themfelves that the king's displeasure against them was not fo great as they had imagined, the lord mayor, recorder, and feveral aldermen, went in mourning gowns to wait upon the king at Greenwich, when, having attended for fome time at the privy chamber-door, his majefty, with feveral of the nobility, came forth; upon which all of them falling upon their knees, the recorder, in the name of the rest, in the moft humble and fubmiffive terms, begged that he would have mercy on them for their negligence, and compaffion on the offenders, whom he reprefented as a fmall number of light perfons. His majefty let them know that he was really dif pleafed, and that they ought to wail and be forry for it: for, as they had not attempted to fight with thofe whom they pretended were fo fmall a number of light perfons, they must have winked at the matter; he therefore ordered them to repair to the lord chancellor, who would give them an answer. Upon which they retired, deeply mortified. Being informed that the king was to be at Westminster-hall on the 22d of May, they refolved to repair thither, which they did with the confent of cardinal Wolfey, lord high-chancellor. The king fat at the upper end of Westminster-hall, under a cloth of ftate, with the cardinal and feveral of the nobility; and the lord-mayor, aldermen, recorder, and feveral of the common council attended; the prifoners, who then amounted to about 400, were brought in their fhirts, bound together with cords, and with halters about their necks, and among thefe were eleven women. The cardinal having fharply rebuked the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty for their negligence, told the prisoners, that, for their offences against the laws of the realm and against his majesty's crown and dignity, they had deferved death; upon which they all fet up a piteous cry, of Mercy, gracious "lord, mercy!" which fo moved the |