Christmas: Its Origin and Associations: Together with Its Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen CenturiesDawson, W. F. (William Francis)
History
Christmas: Its Origin and Associations: Together with Its Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen Centuries
Dawson, W. F. (William Francis)
Christmas -- History
The following explanation is given of "the apparently strange titles
of the Prince of St. John's: 'The most magnificent and renowned
Thomas, by the favour of Fortune, Prince of _Alba Fortunata_, Lord St.
Johns, high Regent of the Hall, Duke of St. Giles, Marquis of
Magdalens, Landgrave of the Grove, County Palatine of the Cloisters,
Chief Bailiff of the Beaumonts, High Ruler of Rome, Master of the
Manor of Waltham, Governor of Gloucester Green, Sole Commander of all
Tilts,' &c. The Prince of _Alba Fortunata_ alludes, as may be readily
conjectured, to the name of the founder, Sir Thomas _White_; St.
John's, and the Hall, are equally clear; Magdalens is the parish in
which a portion of the college stands, and a part of which belongs to
the society; the Grove and the Cloisters are again parts of the home
domain of the college; Beaumonts is the name of a portion of land
belonging to the college, on which stands the ruin of the palace of
Beaumonts, built about the year 1128 by King Henry the First; Rome is
a piece of land so called, near to the end of the walk called _Non
Ultra_, on the north side of Oxford. The manor of Waltham, or Walton,
is situate in the north suburb of Oxford, and is the property of the
college, as is a considerable portion of Gloucester-green, which
though now better known as the site of an extensive bridewell, was in
1607 literally a meadow, and without any building more contiguous than
Gloucester-hall, from which house it derived its name."
Then follows "A true and faithfull relation of the rising and fall of
Thomas Tucker, Prince of _Alba Fortunata_, Lord St. Johns, &c., with
all the occurrents which happened throughout his whole domination."
"It happened in the yeare of our Lord 1607, the 31 of October, beinge
All Sayntes Eve, that at night a fier was made in the Hall of St. John
Baptist's Colledge, in Oxon, accordinge to the custome and statuts of
the same place, at which time the whole companye or most parte of the
Students of the same house mette together to beginne their Christmas,
of which some came to see sports, to witte the Seniors as well
Graduates, as Under-graduates. Others to make sports, viz., Studentes
of the seconde yeare, whom they call Poulderlings, others to make
sporte with all, of this last sorte were they whome they call
Fresh-menn, Punies of the first yeare, who are by no meanes admitted
to be agents or behoulders of those sports, before themselves have
been patient perfourmers of them. But (as it often falleth out) the
Freshmen or patients, thinkinge the Poulderlings or Agentes too buysie
and nimble, They them too dull and backwarde in theyr duety, the
standers by findinge both of them too forwarde and violente, the
sportes for that night for feare of tumultes weare broken upp, everye
mann betakinge himself to his reste.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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