Strutt says the top was known with us as early at least as the fourteenth century, when its form was the same as now, and the manner of using it can admit of but little if any difference. Representations of boys whipping tops occur in the marginal paintings of the MSS. written at this period; and in a work of the thirteenth century, “Le Miracle de Saint Loys,” the whipping top (Sabot) is mentioned. The top was probably in use as a toy long before. Strutt records the following anecdote of Prince Henry, son of James I., which he met with in a MS. at the Museum, the author of which speaks of it as perfectly genuine. His words are—“The first tyme that he, the prince, went to the towne of Sterling to meete the king, seeing a little without the gate of the towne a stack of corne in proportion not unlike to a topp wherewith he used to play; he said to some that were with him, ‘Loe there is a goodly topp;’ whereupon one of them saying, ‘Why doe you not play with it, then?’ he answered, ‘Set you it up for me, and I will play with it.’”—_Sports_, p. 385. Northbroke, in his Treatise against Dicing, 1579, p. 86, says: “Cato giveth counsell to all youth, saying, ‘_Trocho_ lude, aleas fuge, _playe with the toppe_, and flee dice-playing.’” In the English translation of Levinus Lemnius, 1658, p. 369: “Young youth do merrily exercise themselves in whipping-top, and to make it run swiftly about, that it cannot be seen, and will deceive the sight.” Cornelius Scriblerus, in his Instructions concerning the Plays and Playthings to be used by his son Martin, says: “I would not have Martin as yet to scourge a top, till I am better informed whether the trochus which was recommended by Cato be really our present top, or rather the hoop which the boys drive with a stick.”—_Pope’s Works_, vi. 115. Among well-known classical allusions may be noted the following mention of whipping the top, in Persius’s third Satire: “Neu quis callidior buxum torquere flagello.” Thus translated by Dryden: “The whirling top they whip, And drive her giddy till she fall asleep.” Thus also in Virgil’s _Æneid_, vii. 378: “Ceu quondam torto volitans sub verbere turbo, Quem pueri magno in gyro vacua atria circum Intenti ludo exercent. Ille actus habenâ Curvatis fertur spatiis: stupet inscia supra, Impubesque manus, mirata volubile buxum: Dant animos plagæ.” Thus translated by Dryden: “As young striplings whip the top for sport, On the smooth pavement of an empty court; The wooden engine whirls and flies about, Admired with clamours of the beardless rout, They lash aloud, each other they provoke, And lend their little souls at ev’ry stroke.” And so Ovid, Trist. 1. iii. Eleg. 12: “Otia nunc istic: junctisque ex ordine ludis Cedunt verbosi garrula bella fori. Usus equi nunc est, levibus nunc luditur armis: Nunc pila, _nunc celeri volvitur orbe trochus_.”