THE ELIZABETHAN FAIRIES

120 EARTHLY LIFE OF FAIRIES
characteristics, the tradition of which continued to exist
long after the race itself had disappeared from general
credence. In the first half of the 18th century, it was
reported that
. . . when the Master and Mistress were lain on their Pillows, the
Men and Maids, if they had a Game at Romps, and blundered up
Stairs, or jumbled a Chair, the next Morning every one would
swear it was the Fairies, and that they heard them stamping up
and down Stairs all Night, crying, Waters lock'd, Waters lock'd,
when there was no Water in any Pail in the Kit~hen.~~
With their need for mortal bread and water and the
necessity put upon them to steal changelings and seduce
witches," the dependence of the fairies upon mortals
ceased. At no time were they ever regarded as an in-
ferior or a dependent race. Instead, they flourished as
domestic tyrants who set up a standard of conduct for
the mortals of the 16th century, and established, in their
world, a number of prohibitions which had, perforce, to
be observed under the penalty either of death or abduc-
tion or pinchings.
The latter method of punishment seems to have been
the unique invention of the Elizabethan fairies. What-
ever its origin (and all trace of its source is lost in the
confusion of the characteristics of the devils, hedgehogs,
imps and monsters who played one part or another in the
fairy genealogy), it was taken up in the 16th century
and practised with much vigor from the beginning of
Elizabeth's reign.*'
Round about our Coal Fire, or, Christmas Entertainments. Rpt.
of 1740 ed., 1883, p. 54.
39 Discussed in Chap. IV.
40 Besides the texts used on the following pages, cf. Thomas Cam-
pion, A Booke of Ayres, Vivian ed., 1909, Poem XIX; Burton, Anat.
of Mel., Vol. I, p. 222; C. of E., 11, 2; Maydes Met., 11, 2; Shirley,