The year book of daily recreation and information concerning remarkable men and manners, times and seasons, solemnities and merry-makings, antiquities and novelties on the plan of the 'Every-day book and table book.' / By William Hone.

  • William Hone
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The year book of daily recreation and information concerning remarkable men and manners, times and seasons, solemnities and merry-makings, antiquities and novelties on the plan of the 'Every-day book and table book.' / By William Hone. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    low, and filled with claret wine, and a broad arrow stuck in his side; this was also set in a large charger, with a ground made of salt, having egg-shells of perfumed waters stuck in it, as before. _ Then, at the other end of the table, they would have a ship made of pasteboard, and covered all over with paste, with masts, sails, flags, and streamers; and guns made of kexes, covered with paste and charged with gunpowder, with a train, as in the castle. This, being placed in a large charger, was set upright in, as if were, a sea of salt, in which were also stuck egg-shells full of perfumed waters. Then, betwixt the stag and castle, and the stag and ship, were placed two pies made of coarse paste, filled with bran, and washed over with saffron and the yolks of eggs: when these were baked, the bran was taken out, a hole was cut in the bot- tom of each, and live birds put into one and frogs into the other; then the holes were closed up with paste, and the lids neatly cut up, so that they might be easily taken off by the funnels, and adorned with gilded laurels. These being thus prepared, and placed in order on the table, one of the ladies was persuaded to draw the arrow out of the body of the stag, which being done, the claret wine issued forth like blood from a wound, and caused admiration in the spectators ; which being over, after a little pause, all the guns on one side of the castle were, by a train, discharged against the ship; and afterwards, the guns of one side of the ship were discharged against the castle; then, having turned the chargers, the other sides were fired off, as powder, the ladies or gentlemen took up the egg-shells of perfumed water and threw them at one another. This pleasant disorder being pretty well laughed over, and the two great pies still remaining untouched, some one or other would have the curiosity to see what was in them, and, on lifting up the lid of one pie, out would jump the frogs, which would make the ladies skip and scamper; and, on lifting up the lid of the other, out would fly the birds, which would naturally fly at the light, and so put out the candles. And so, with the leaping of the frogs below, and the flying of the birds ahove, would cause a surprising and diverting hurly- burly amongst the guests, in the dark. After which, the candles being lighted, the banquet would be brought in, the music sound, and the particulars of each person’s surprise and adventures furnish matter for diverting discourse. Subtilties. The art of confectionery was anciently employed in all solemn feasts, with the most profuse delicacy. After each course was a “subtilty.” Subtilties were re- presentations of castles, giants, saints, knights, ladies and beasts, all raised in pastry ; upon which legends and coat armor were painted in their proper colors. At the festival, on the coronation of Henry VI., in 1429, there was “a subtilty of St. Edward, aud St. Louis, armed, and upon either, his coat armor; holding between them a figure of king Henry, standing also in his coat armor; and an incription passing from both, saying, ‘ Beholde twoe perfecte kynges vnder one coate armoure.’’”* WALSALL DOLE. [Communicated by S, D.] The following account of a penny dole, given formerly on twelfth day, at Walsall, in Staffordshire, is derived from “ An abstract of the title of the town of Wal- sall, in Stafford, to valuable estates at Bascott, &e., in the county of Warwick, with remarks by James Cottrell, 1818.” In 1453 Thomas Moseley made a feofiment of certain estates, to William Lyle and William Maggot, and their heirs, in trust, for the use of the town of Walsall; but John Lyle, son of William Lyle, to whom these estates would have descended, instead of applying the pro- duce of the estates for the use of the town, kept them, and denied that the property was in trust, pretending it to be his own inheritance; but the inhabitants of Walsall not choosing to be so cheated, some of them went to Moxhal, and drove away Lyle’s cattle, which unjustifiable act he did not resent, because he was liable to be brought to account for the trust estate in his hands. At length a suit was commenced by the town against Lyle, and the estates in question were adjudged for the use of the town of Walsall. Ac-° cordingly, in 1515, John Lyle of Moxhal, near Coleshill, Warwickshire, suffered a recovery, whereby these estates passed to Richard Hunt, and John Ford, and they, in 1516, made a feoffment of the land, to * Fabyan—Dallaway’s Heraldic Inq, 182.
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