Star.
London, England, 1829-09-07 00:00:00

BARTHOLOMEW FAIR.

In the year 1641, a curious tract, Dow extremely rare, of which
the following is a copy,* was printed for Richard Harper, at the
Bible and Harpe, in Smithfield :
" BARTHOLOMEW FAIRS,
" Or, Variety of Fancies, where you may hod a Faire of Wares,
and all to please your mind, with the several enormity.. and
misdemeanours which are there scene sad heard.
"Bartholomew Fair begins on the twenty-fourth day of August,t
and is then of so rut an extent that it is contained in no lease than
four parishes; mainly. Christ Church, Great and Little Saint Bar-
tholomewes, and Saint Sepulchres. Hither resort people of all
sorts., high and low, rich and poor., from cities, rownes, and coun-
try.; of all setts, Papists, Atheists, Anabaptists, and Brownists ;
and of all conditions, good and bad, virtuous and vinous, knaves
and Irwin, cuckolds and cuckoldmaken, pimps and panders, rogues
and rascal's, the little loud-one, and the witty wanton,
" And now that wee may thee better take an exact survey of
the whole faire, first let us enter into Christ Church cloysters,
which are now hung so full of pictures, that you would take
that place, or, rather, mistake it, for Saint Peter's in Rams ; only
this is the difference—those there are set op for worship, these
here for sale; but, by the way, I'll tell you a tale of a precise
Puritan, who came in all haste from Lisseehw to London, pur-
posely to see the faire, where he bad never him before, and
coming out of Newgate Market, through Christ Church into the
cloisters, and elevating the snow bale of his eyes, he presently
espyes the picture of Omer and his twelve Aponte., with the
Virgin Mary, and many other saints departed, at which sight
the very thought and strong conceit of superstition set such a
sharp edge upon the pure mettle of his inflam'd teak, that very
manfully, like a man of valour, and ma of Mars, be steps to a
stal, welstor'd with twopenny halberts and wooddea beekswords,
where having anted himself cep ape (as be thought), be begins in
a violent passion to Pukka against the Idolatry of the times, that
it was grown abominable; protesting that the whore of Babilon
was crept into Christ Church, and 'that the good motions of the
Spirit had brooght him to town. to make a sacrificed( those idle
Idols to his just anger end holy indignation ; which begot no Bitten
laughter to the multitude, which thronged about him; end pot blot
into such a chafe, insomuch that at last. like Rosielsoirs, the Knight
of the Sunne, or Doss Quint, most furiously he makes an wank
upon the poor. innocent pictures, till the shopkeepers apprehending
him, had him Won a constable, who forthwith committed my
little &dem the Batelle., where we will leave him to cook his
hocks, whilst we cake a further view of the faire • mid now being
arrived through the tong walks to Saint Bartholmewes Hospital.
that place (me thinks) appears to me a sucking Exchange. and
may be so termed, not unfitly. • • •
" Let us now make progress into Smithfield, which is the heart
of the Faire, where in my heart I think. there are more swim.
in a day to be scene then are in a Terme in Westminster Hall to be
beard. Bat whilst you take notice of the several motions there
take this caution along with you, let ow eye watch narrowly that,
no one's hand make a motion into your pocket, which is the next
way to move you to impatience.
" The Faire is full of gold and silver drawin. Jest as Lent is
to the fishmonger, so is Bartholomew Faire to the pickpockets;
it is his high harvest. which is never bad but when his can goes
up Holborne.
The Cittpourshalls are as dreadful to these youngsters as the
plague is to our London actors; that tunable. them from playing,
and they hinder these from working; you may quickly know these
nimble youths, and likely find them very built bodyes in quartette
which nothing concern. them, and sometimes in discourse with
their. wenches (the sisters of the scabard).tor the most part to be
found in a throng of people. Their buttocks walkd up and down.
the Faire very.danurely ; the cud of their perambulation is to be
taken up by some cotustry•Gull, or City...coxcomb., and then your
band is no sooner in one of their plackets, but theirs is as nimble
in one of your pockets; and if you take not heed of them they will
give you fairings, &c. • • •
" Some of your cut-pursee are in fee with cheating colter.
meager% whotave a trick now and then to throw downe a basket
of refer peens, whisk prove choake peares to those that shall
Wee their bats or cloaks in striving who shall gather fastest. They
have many dainty baits to draw a bit, and (If you be Dot vigilant)
you shall hardly escape their nets : fine fowler they an. for every
lager of their's is a lime twine, with which they catch dotterels.
They are excellently welhread in physiognomy; for they well
know bow strong you are In the purse by looking In your face •
and for the more certainty thereof, they will follow you close, amt.
never leave you till you draw your purse. or they for yew. which
they'll be sure to have (If you look. not to it) though they kisse
New-gate fee it.
" It is remarkable, and worth your observation, to beheld and
bean the strange sights and confus'd noise in the Fain. Here a
knave la a foole's nate, with a trumpet sounding, or oel a drumme
beating, invites you and would faine perswade you to see his pup-
pets ; there a rogue like a wild woodman, or in anthip (dupe) like
an Incubus, desires your company to view his motion; on tie other
side Huns Pocus, with three yards of ribbin in 's hand, .owing
his art of Legeedensatte, to the admiration and astimishment of a
company of cocholoaches. Amongst these you shalt see a gray
goose-tap (as wise as the rest), with a " what deo ye kcke ?" in his
mouth, stand in his booths., shaking a rattle, or scraping a fiddle,
with which children are so taken that they presently cry out for
these fopperies; and al these together make such a distracted noise
that you would think Bable were not comparable to it. Here there
are also your gamesters in ection—some tondos of a whimsey,
others throwing for pewter, who can quickly diteolie a round shil-
ling into a three halfpenny saucer.
" Long-lane at this time looks very fair, and puts out her btu
cloatbes, with the wrong side outwards, so turned for their better
corning off ; and Cloth Faire is now in great request ; well fare
the ale-houses therein ; yet better may a man fare (bet at a dearer
rate) hi the pig market, alias Pasty-nook, or PVe-corner, where
piggies. are at all hours of the day on the stalk piping hot, and .
would cry (if they could speak) ' come eate me :' but they are so
damnable dears., and the reckoning.. for them are so saucy, that
man had meond liche his fingers as at this time come into. use of
those houses where the fat greasy hostess. instructs Nick Froth, hen
ureter, to :eke a shilling more for a pig's bead of a longing wonnia
than of another ordinary customer ; these unconscionable Unc-
tions, and recessive inflammations of rectos*, made that angle of
the fake too hot for my company ; therefor* resolved with soy,
self to steers my course souther way, and basing once got out, not
to come again ht lust.
N.w farewell

N the Fake :

. to . ; you who are wise
Preserve your purses, whilst you please- your mos."
e: For obvious reasons we have made some few omissin*,
Now dte•Sd of September, by the alteration of style in 1756.

A few days ago, some thieves broke into the house of
Mrs. Chartres, at Chichester, in the day time, and wok a tram
thy of linen, wearing apparel, and money, to the amount of ei: