THE ELIZABETHAN FAIRIES

70 APPEARANCE AND CHARACTERISTICS
of Durant Hotham, a fairy was "a fair Woman in fine
cloaths." l6 Robert Kirk represented them as " a Multitude
of Wight's, - like furious hardie Men ";Ie while the
anonymous author of A Discourse concerning Devils and
Spirits described them as "being like Men, and Women,
Souldiers, Kings, and Ladyes Children, and Horsemen."
'=
Heywood, referring to '' Sylvans, Fauns, Satyrs, Folletti,
Paredry, &c. all included within the number of such
as wee call Familiar Spirits," stated " . . . they can assume
the shapes and figures of men, and eat, drinke, sit
at table, talke and discourse after the manner of our fellowes;
so that they may be easily tooke for some friend
or acquaintance." 118
As has already been seen, the likeness of fairies to
nymphs and fauns, to satyrs and hamadryads was repeatedly
noted, and the identification of the fairies as
the English equivalent of the latter repeatedly made.
So identical were their measurements that when both
were represented in pageant or progress, the same actors
who took the part of nymphs were used to represent the
fairies, as in the Entertainment at Norwich by Churchyard.lg
The stature of the nymphs and dryads according
to common knowledge was that of human maidens
and women. And if the figure of the fairies is to be
reckoned from their identification as nymphs, the same
proportions should hold good in their case.
In the dictionaries of Elyot, Florio and Minsheu of
the early and late 16th century and the early 17th century,
it will be remembered that the fairies or ladies of
l6 Websrer, Disp. of Sup. Witch., p. 301.
l6 Sec. Comm., p. 27.
Page 510.
Is Hierarchie, pp. 599-600.
l9 Nichols, Prog. of Eliz., Vol. 11, p. 199.