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E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Richard J. Shiffer, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
OLD ENGLISH SPORTS
Pastimes and Customs
BY
P.H. DITCHFIELD, M.A.
PREFACE.
CONTENTS.
OLD ENGLISH SPORTS.
CHAPTER I.
JANUARY.
Dedication Festivals—New Year's Day—"Wassail"—Twelfth Night—"King of the Bean"—St. Distaff's Day—Plough Monday—Winter Games—Skating—Sword-dancing.
CHAPTER II.
FEBRUARY.
Hunting—Candlemas Day—St. Blaize's Day—Shrove-tide— Football—Battledore and Shuttlecock—Cock-throwing.
CHAPTER III.
MARCH.
Archery—Lent—"Mothering" Sunday—Palm Sunday— "Shere" Thursday—Watching the Sepulchre.
CHAPTER IV.
APRIL.
Easter Customs—Pace Eggs—Handball in Churches—Sports confined to Special Localities—Stoolball and Barley-brake —Water Tournament—Quintain—Chester Sports—Hock-tide.
CHAPTER V.
MAY.
May Day Festivities—May-pole—Morris-dancers—The Book of Sports—Bowling—Beating the Bounds—George Herbert's description of a Country Parson.
CHAPTER VI.
JUNE.
Whitsuntide Sports—Church-ales—Church-house—Quarter-staff —Whistling and Jingling Matches—St. John's Eve—Wrestling.
CHAPTER VII.
JULY.
Cricket—Club-ball—Trap-ball—Golf—Pall-mall—Tennis— Rush-bearing
CHAPTER VIII.
AUGUST.
Lammas Day—St. Roch's Day—Harvest-home—"Ten-pounding"— Sheep-shearing—"Wakes"—Fairs.
CHAPTER IX.
SEPTEMBER.
Hawking—Michaelmas—Bull and Bear-baiting.
CHAPTER X.
OCTOBER.
Tournaments—Mysteries—Moralities—Pageants.
CHAPTER XI.
NOVEMBER.
All-hallow Eve—"Soul Cakes"—Diving for Apples—The Fifth of November—Martinmas—Demands Joyous—Indoor Games.
CHAPTER XII.
DECEMBER.
St. Nicholas Day—The Boy Bishop—Christmas Eve—Christmas Customs—Mummers—"Lord of Misrule"—Conclusion.
FOOTNOTES
INDEX.
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