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ballad-singing weaver out of employ, and the screeching responses of his itinerant and interesting family. What would the gallant, gay Mr. Lowe, and his sprightly Euphrosyne, Nan Catley, say, could they be told to what "base uses their harmonious groves are condemned to be turned? Truly their wonder would be on a par with Paganini's, should ever that musical magician encounter on the other side Styx "My Lord Skaggs and his Broomstick!" 1

This celebrated professor played on his musical broomstick at the Haymarket Theatre, November 1751. The following song has his portrait at the top, with on one side a bear dancing on a broom, and on the other a French horn.

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A tragi-comical Dialogue between My Lord Skaggs and his Broomstick.
By H. Howard.

(Tune-Biddy over the hopper, &c.)

As Skaggs did on his Broomstick play,
His Broomstick to him thus did say,
'What mean you, Matt, to play on me,
Who have as good a head. as thee?

And I'll bet you a crown

That half the town

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Who has not heard of Guildhall on Lord Mayor's Day, and the Easter Ball at the Mansion House? But we profane not the penetralia where even Common-Councilmen fear to tread! The City Marshals, and men in armour (Heros malgrè eux !); the pensive-looking state-coachman, in all the plumpness, pomp, and verdure of prime feeding, wig, and bouquet; the postilion, "a noticeable man," with velvet cap and jockey boots; the high-bred and high-fed aristocracy of the Poultry and Cheapside, and their Banquet, which might tempt Diogenes to blow himself up to such a pitch of obesity, that, instead of living in a tub, a tub might be said to live in him, are subjects infinitely too lofty for plebeian handling. Cæsar was told to beware of the Ides of March; and are not November fogs equally ominous to the London citizen? If, then, by some culinary magic, he can be induced to cram his throat, rather than to cut it, -to feast himself, instead of the worms,-to prefer a minuet1 in the Council Chamber to the Dance Macabre in the shades below, — the

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Recitative.

This said, the Broomstick hastily he took,
And snapp'd it short at one malicious stroke.
Nor ended there his dread revengeful ire,

But with a grin he thrust it in the fire;

Though soon his voice in penitential strain
His Broomstick thus bemourn'd, but mourn'd in vain.
(My fond shepherds, &c.)

My poor Broomstick, of Broomsticks the best,
On which I was wont for to play,

Whose notes were the sweetest confest,

To ashes is quite burnt away!

Oh, where shall I find one so dear,

That the table oft set in a roar?

Thy grunting, so soft to the ear,

Shall revive the choice spirits no more!""

There is a curious Tobacco Paper of Skaggs playing on his broomstick in full concert with a jovial party! One of the principal performers is a good-humoured looking gentleman beating harmony out of the salt-box.

1 "Still a beau, though my locks are grey,

Dancing, prancing,

Laughing, quaffing,

Who but I, on my Lord Mayor's Day,
To charm the hearts of the gay, boys?

See me advance, all powder and friz,

The pretty girls lift their glasses to quiz,
With looks so sly,

They giggle and cry,

'What an elegant fellow the Alderman is!'
Sidling, bridling, gammon and strut-
Zounds! my cough, ma'am :---
Now lead off, ma'am-

Capering, tapering, shuffle and cut,
For that is the time o' day, boys!

gorgeous anniversaries of Gog and Magog have not been celebrated in vain.1

"Search all chronicles, histories, and records, in what language or letter soever, let the inquisitive man waste the deere treasures of his time and eye-sight, -he shall conclude his life only in this certainty, that there is no subject upon earth received into the place of his government with the like state and magnificence as is the Lord Maior of the Citty of London." This was said by the author of the "Triumphs of Truth," in 1613. The following list of City Poets will show that the office was not an unimportant one in the olden time :-George Peele; Anthony Munday; Thomas Dekker; Thomas Middleton; John Squire; John Webster; Thomas Heywood; John Taylor (the Water-Poet, one of Ben Jonson's adopted poetical sons, and a rare slang fellow); Edward Gayton, and T. B. (of the latter nothing is known), both Commonwealth bards; John Tatham; Thomas Jordan; Matthew Taubman, and Elkanah Settle, the last of the poetical parsons who wedded Lord Mayors and Aldermen to immortal verse. One of the most splendid of these anniversary pageants was "London's Triumph; or, the Solemn and Magnificent reception of that Honourable Gentleman, Robert Titchburn, Lord Maior, after his return from taking his oath at Westminster, the morrow after Simon and Jude day, being October 29, 1656. With the Speeches spoken at Fosterlane-end and Soperlane-end.”—“In the first place," (says the City Poet T. B.) "the loving members of the honourable societie exercising arms in Cripplegate Ground being drawn up together, march'd in a military order to the house of my Lord Maior, where they attended on him, and from thence march'd before him to the Three Crane Wharfe, where part of them under the red colours embarqued themselves in three severall barges; and another part took water at Stone Staires, being under green colours, as enemies to the other; and thence wafting to the other side of the water, there began an encounter between each party, which continued all the way to Westminster; a third body, consisting of pikes and musquets, march'd to Bainard's Castle, and there from the battlements of the castle gave thundering echoes to the vollies of those that pass'd along the streame. Part before and part behind went the severall barges, with drums beating, and trumpets sounding, and varietie of other musick to take the eare, while the flaggs and silver pendents made a pleasant sight delectable to the beholders.

“Thus the Lord Maior and Companies, together with the military souldiers being landed, put an end to the water solemnitie, than which there hath not been a more gracefull sight upon the Thames ever since the city stood. The Lord Maior being landed, the severall Companies went to their severall stations appointed for them in the streets; and the Lord Maior being now readie to proceed on his way, the military band march'd before with drums beating and colours flying, all in a noble and warlike equipage; after them the aged pensioners of the city, doing a kind of small homage for their maintenance, went bearing the escucheons of the city, and severall of the members of that Company out of which the Lord Maior was chosen.

"After these came severall gentlemen-ushers adorn'd with gold chaines; behind them certaine rich batchelours, wearing gownes furr'd with foynes, and upon them sattin hoods; and lastly after them, followed the Worshipfull Company of Skinners itself, whereof the Lord Maior is a member. Next these, the city officers passing on before, rode the Lord Maior with the Sword, Mace, and Cap of Maintenance before him, being attended by the Recorder, and all the aldermen in scarlet gowns on horseback. (Aldermen on horseback!!) Thus attended, he rode from Bainard's Castle into Cheapside, the Companies standing on both sides of the way as farr as the upper end of the Old Jury, ready to receive him. When he was come right against the Old Change, a pageant seem'd to meet him. On the pageant stood two leopards bestrid by two Moors, attir'd in the habit of their country; at the foure corners sate foure virgins arraid in cloth of silver, with their haire dishriveld, and coronets on their heads. This seem'd to be the embleme of a city pensive and forlorn, for want of a zealous governor: the Moors and leopards, like evill customs tyrannizing over the weak virginitie of undefended virtue; which made an aged man, who sate at the fore part of the pageant, mantled in a black garment, with a dejected countenance, seem to bewaile the condition of his native city; but thus he remaind not long for at the approach of the Lord Maior, as if now he had espy'd

CHAPTER V.

BUT Easter-Monday was not made only for the city's dancing dignitaries. It draws up the curtain of our popular merriments; and Whit-Monday,1 not a whit less merry, trumpets forth their joyous

the safety of his country, he threw off his mourning weeds, and with the following speech made known the joy he had for the election of so happy and just a magistrate.

"The speech being spoken, the first pageant past on before the Lord Maior as far as Mercers' Chappel; a gyant being twelve foot in height going before the pageant for the delight of the people. Over against Soper-Lane End stood another pageant also; upon this were plac'd several sorts of beasts, as lyons, tygers, bears, leopards, foxes, apes, monkeys, in a great wildernesse; at the forepart whereof sate Pan with a pipe in his hand; in the middle was a canopie, at the portal whereof sate Orpheus in an antique attire, playing on his harp, while all the beasts seem'd to dance at the sound of his melody. Under the canopie sate four satyrs playing on pipes. The embleme of this pageant seem'd proper to the Company out of which the Lord Maior was elected; putting the spectators in mind how much they ought to esteem such a calling, as clad the Judges in their garments of honour, and Princes in their robes of majestie, and makes the wealthy ladies covet winter, to appear clad in their sable furrs. A second signification of this emblem may be this, - that as Orpheus tam'd the wild beasts by the alluring sound of his melody, so doth a just and upright governor tame and govern the wild affections of men, by good and wholesome lawes, causing a general joy and peace in the place where he commands. Which made Orpheus, being well experienced in this truth, to addresse himself to the Lord Maior in these following lines.

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"The speech being ended, the Lord Maior rode forward to his house in Silver Street, the military bands still going before him. When he was in this house, they saluted him with two volleys of shot, and so marching again to their ground in Cripple-gate Churchyard, they lodg'd their colours; and as they began, so concluded this dayes triumph."

The above is one of the rarest of the city pageants, and also one of the most interesting. When the barges wherein the soldiers were came right against Whitehall, they saluted the Lord Protector and his Council with several rounds of musketry, which the Lord Protector answered with "signal testimonies of grace and courtesie." And returning to Whitehall, after the Lord Mayor had taken the oath of office before the Barons of the Exchequer, they saluted the Lord Protector with "another volley." The city of London had been actively instrumental in the deposition and death of King Charles the First, and Cromwell could not do less than acknowledge, with some show of respect, the blank cartridges of his old friends. The furr'd gowns and gold chains, however, made the amende honorable, when they "jumped Jim Crow," and helped to restore King Charles the Second.

1 June 9, 1786. On Whit-Tuesday was celebrated at Hendon in Middlesex, a burlesque imitation of the Olympic Games. One prize was a gold-laced hat, to be grinned for by six candidates, who were placed on a platform, with horses' collars to exhibit through. Over their heads was printed in capitals,

Detur Tetriori; or
The ugliest grinner
Shall be the winner.

Each party grinned five minutes solus, and then all united in a grand chorus of distortion. This prize was carried by a porter to a vinegar merchant, though he was accused by his competitors of foul play, for rinsing his mouth with verjuice. The whole was concluded by a hog, with his tail shaved and soaped, being let loose among nine peasants; any one of which that could seize him by the queue, and throw him across his shoulders, was to have him for a reward. This occasioned much sport; but the animal, after running some miles, so tired his hunters that they gave up the chase in despair. A prodigious concourse of people attended, among whom were the Tripoline Ambassador, and several other persons of distinction.

continuation. We hail the return of these festive seasons when the busy inhabitants of Lud's town and its beautiful suburbs, in spite of hard times, no trade, tithes, and taxes, repair to the royal park of Queen Bess to divert their melancholy! We delight to contemplate the mirthful mourners in their endless variety of character and costume; to behold the forlorn holiday-makers hurrying to the jocund scene, to participate in those pleasures which the genius of wakes, kindly bounteous, prepares for her votaries. The gods assembled on Olympus presented not a more glorious sight than the laughing divinities of One-Tree-Hill,' rolling down from its enchanting summit!

What an animated scene! Hark to the loud laugh of some youngsters that have had their roll and tumble. Yonder is a wedding party from the neighbouring village. See the jolly tar, with his true blue jacket and trousers, checked shirt, radiant with a gilt brooch as big as a crown piece, yellow straw-hat, striped stockings, and pumps; and his pretty bride, with her rosy cheeks and white favours. How light are their heels and hearts! And the blythesome couples that follow in their train — noviciates in the temple of Hymen, but who ere long will be called upon to act as principals! All is congratulation, good wishes, and good humour. Scandal is dumb; envy dies for the day; disappointment gathers hope; and one wedding, like a fool, or an Irish wake, shall make many.

"O yes! O yes! O yes!

When the peripatetic pieman rings his bell

At morning, noon, or when you sit at eve;
Ladies and gentlemen, I guess

It needs no ghost to tell,

In song, recitative,

He warbles cakes and gingerbread to sell!

There is a droll print, called "Greenwich Hill, or Holiday Gambols," with the following appropriate inscription :

"Ye sweet-scented sirs, who are sick of the sport,

And the stale, languid follies of ball-room or court,
For a change, leave the Mall, and to Greenwich resort.
There, heighten'd with raptures that never can pall,
You'll own the delights of assembly and ball,

Are as dull as yourselves, and just nothing at all."

The Easter-Monday of 1840 gave token of returning hilarity. The Regent's Park, Primrose Hill, and the adjoining fields, presented one merry mass of animated beings. At Chalk Farm there was a regular fair, with swings, roundabouts, ups-and-downs, gingerbread-stalls, theatres, donkey-races, penny chaises, and puppet-shows, representing the Islington murder, the Queen's marriage, the arrival of Prince Albert, and the departure of the Chartist rioters! Hampstead Heath, and the surrounding villages, turned out their studs of Jerusalem ponies. Copenhagen House, Hornsey Wood House and the White Conduit, echoed with jollity; the holiday-makers amusing themselves with cricket, fives, and archery. How sweetly has honest, merry Harry Carey described the origin of "Sally in our Alley," which touched the heart of Addison with tender emotion, and called forth his warmest praise. "A shoemaker's 'prentice, making holiday with his sweetheart, treated her with a sight of Bedlam, the puppet-shows, the flying-chairs, and all the elegances of Moorfields, from whence proceeding to the Farthing Pye-house, gave her a collation of buns, cheese-cakes, gammon of bacon, stuffed beef, and bottled ale; through all which scenes the author dodged them. Charmed with the simplicity of their courtship, he drew from what he had witnessed this little sketch of Nature."

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