KENILWORTH - Penn State University

Sir Walter Scottto witness the approach of the two contending parties of Englishand Danes; and after a signal had been given, the gatewhich opened in the circuit of the Chase was thrown wide toadmit them. On they came, foot and horse; for some of themore ambitious burghers and yeomen had put themselvesinto fantastic dresses, imitating knights, in order to resemblethe chivalry of the two different nations. However, to preventfatal accidents, they were not permitted to appear on realhorses, but had only license to accoutre themselves with thosehobby-horses, as they are called, which anciently formed thechief delight of a morrice-dance, and which still are exhibitedon the stage, in the grand battle fought at the conclusion ofMr. Bayes’s tragedy. The infantry followed in similar disguises.The whole exhibition was to be considered as a sort of antimasque,or burlesque of the more stately pageants in whichthe nobility and gentry bore part in the show, and, to the bestof their knowledge, imitated with accuracy the personageswhom they represented. The Hocktide play was of a differentcharacter, the actors being persons of inferior degree, andtheir habits the better fitted for the occasion, the more incongruousand ridiculous that they were in themselves. Accordinglytheir array, which the progress of our tale allows us notime to describe, was ludicrous enough; and their weapons,though sufficiently formidable to deal sound blows, were longalder-poles instead of lances, and sound cudgels for swords;and for fence, both cavalry and infantry were well equippedwith stout headpieces and targets, both made of thick leather.Captain Coxe, that celebrated humorist of Coventry, whoselibrary of ballads, almanacs, and penny histories, fairly wrappedup in parchment, and tied round for security with a piece ofwhipcord, remains still the envy of antiquaries, being himselfthe ingenious person under whose direction the pageant hadbeen set forth, rode valiantly on his hobby-horse before thebands of English, high-trussed, saith Laneham, and brandishinghis long sword, as became an experienced man of war,who had fought under the Queen’s father, bluff King Henry,at the siege of Boulogne. This chieftain was, as right and reasoncraved, the first to enter the lists, and passing the Galleryat the head of his myrmidons, kissed the hilt of his sword tothe Queen, and executed at the same time a gambade, the likewhereof had never been practised by two-legged hobby-horse.Then passing on with all his followers of cavaliers and infan-431