London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History -- 16th century -- Sources; London (England) -- Surveys
One other show, in the year 1377, made by the citizens for disport of
the young prince, Richard, son to the Black Prince, in the feast of
Christmas, in this manner:--On the Sunday before Candlemas, in the
night, one hundred and thirty citizens, disguised, and well horsed,
in a mummery, with sound of trumpets, sackbuts, cornets, shalmes,
and other minstrels, and innumerable torch lights of wax, rode from
Newgate, through Cheape, over the bridge, through Southwarke, and so to
Kennington beside Lambhith, where the young prince remained with his
mother and the Duke of Lancaster his uncle, the Earls of Cambridge,
Hertford, Warwicke, and Suffolke, with divers other lords. In the first
rank did ride forty-eight in the likeness and habit of esquires, two
and two together, clothed in red coats and gowns of say or sandal, with
comely visors on their faces; after them came riding forty-eight knights
in the same livery of colour and stuff; then followed one richly arrayed
like an emperor; and after him some distance, one stately attired like
a pope, whom followed twenty-four cardinals, and after them eight or
ten with black visors, not amiable, as if they had been legates from
some foreign princes. These maskers, after they had entered Kennington,
alighted from their horses, and entered the hall on foot; which done,
the prince, his mother, and the lords, came out of the chamber into the
hall, whom the said mummers did salute, showing by a pair of dice upon
the table their desire to play with the prince, which they so handled
that the prince did always win when he cast them. Then the mummers set
to the prince three jewels, one after another, which were a bowl of
gold, a cup of gold, and a ring of gold, which the prince won at three
casts. Then they set to the prince’s mother, the duke, the earls, and
other lords, to every one a ring of gold, which they did also win. After
which they were feasted, and the music sounded, the prince and lords
danced on the one part with the mummers, which did also dance; which
jollity being ended, they were again made to drink, and then departed in
order as they came.
The like was in Henry IV., in the 2nd of his reign, he then keeping his
Christmas at Eltham, twelve aldermen of London and their sons rode in a
mumming, and had great thanks.
Thus much for sportful shows in triumphs may suffice. Now for sports and
pastimes yearly used.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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