The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-24


But for many centuries the good people of Lon
don had sufficient cause to note the annual
recurrence OF St. Bartholomew's day without
paying any attention to the state of the weather,
or its changes. On that day, the Gath OF August,
was celebrated in the very heart of the city
grand saturnalia, passing under the name of
bartholomew Fair, which at last became such
public nuisance that it was found necessary to
suppress it.
The origin of this fair was somewhat curious
and dates back TO the time of King Henry /.
One Rahere, jester and minstrel to that credu-
lous monarch, becoming tired of the never
ceasng gayeties OF his profession, retired to the
clolster, but his shrewduess did not desert HIM
along with his frlvolty. Friar Rahere, like
many gifted persons in their latter days, pos
sessed the happy faculty of "seeing vsions,n
and in one of these supernatural interviews of
his, he was for some hours closeted with the
disembodied spirit of st. Bartholomew.
The saint, ambitious OF benehting his fellow
mortss who were still in the flesh, gave Frar
Rahere to understand that it was his duty to
found il his honor church and hospital and
the then London suburb OF Smthfeld was
pointed out as proper location for these insti.
tutons. Friar Rabere duly reported the
bebests of the saint to hissovereign, and craved
the gilt OF marshY tract of land in Smithfeld
the site of Hosier Lane. In those days the
present tboroughiare was small brook emptying
into the Fleet river. This brook was lined with
osiers, from which the modern name was de.
rived. The King was not slow to accede to the
request, as the ground was of little value in its
marshy condition, and the foundation of the
proposed establishments would inaugurate the
Improvement Of all that section. So the marsh
was drained, and in 1923 the monastery was
founded. Friar Rahere was made Prior and
great success attended the new shrine, the
benevolent saint in whose honor it was estab-
llshed coming to the assistance of his devotees
in so marked and substantial a manner, that
miracles were wrought on the spot, and many
OF the afflicted were made whole.
But Prior Rahere did not ignore temporal
assistance in his undertaking, and so he stipu.
lated with the King that he should have the
privilege of holding an annual fair on the ami
Versary of his patron Saint This was also dulv
inaugurated, and became remarkably successful
1t continued during three days, cattle and mer-
chandise being the staple articles placed on ex-
hlbtion and sale. In those primitive DAYS
travelling was both difficult and dangerous, and
commerce in very unsatisfactory condition
The royal safeguard was vouchsated to all per-
sons going to and returning from the fair, and
as the result it was frequented by multtudes
from all sections of the country. The collection
of such a crowd of people presented fine
opportunity for the operation of minstrels and
testers, and shows of all descriptions, which
soon became leading and attractive feature of
the occasion. In the lapse of time society un-
derwent great changes, travelling became COM
parativey safe, commerce and trade obtained
their modern footing, and the original purposes
of Bartholomew Fair, being thus gradually
superseded, were finally lost sight of. By the
time Queen Elizabeth it had lost its mpor-
tance as an occasion Tor the barter of cloths and
other wares, and was given over entirely to the
devotees of mirth and fun.
A German traveller, who visited England in
1898, thus describes the formallties and sports
attending the fair in his day:-"Every year.
upon st. Bartholomew's day, when the fair is
held it is usual for the Mayor, attended by the
twelve principal aldermen, to walk in a neigh
boring field, dressed in his scarlet gown, and
about his neck golden chain." These dgnided
officials then seated themselves under a large
tent erected for their especial accommodation,
and contemplated with great seriousness a
game of wrestling, "Atter this IS over" con-
tinues our traveller, "a parcel of live rabbits
are turned loose among the crowd,
which are pursued by number of boys,
who endeavOr to catch them with all the noise
they can make" Such were the weighty labors
which were incumbent upon the City Fathers OF
London in the latter part OF the sixteenth CEN
tury. vivid picture OF the Far few years
later Il6l4) is gwen by Ben Jonson in the
comedy which is supposed to be enacted within
the precincts OF the Far. By this time the whole
routine of the occasion had been transformed
into continued round OF eatlng, drinking, and
general jollifcation. Roast pig. was one OF the
principal attractions. and over this savory dish
the fTequenters of the Fair were then accus-
toned to linger in epcurean delight. PaPpet
were likewise in great favor. Religious
history was largely drawn on for the
subjects Of these performances, the BdA OF
Nlneoeh, the Story OF the OtdSte Susanna,
and the like, being enacted over and over again.
The Siege of Troy, the LOues of Hero and Lednder,
and other classical burlesques, which bore a
days, were also exceedingly popular. Curios
ties and monstrosities OF nature contributed to
the entertainment of the multitude, one OF Ben
Jonson's characters being made to say:-"I have
been at the Eagle and the Black Wolf and the
Bull with the five legs, and the Dogs that dance
the MorTice, aud the Hare with the Tabor.n Fol
the especial delectaticn OF the young folks
there were provided enormous dolls in fancitu
attire, gingerbread disguised in glitter of gold
and trumpets, drums, and other instrumentali'
ties of nolse.
By the year l64l the Fair had become greatly
increased in size, and pamphlet of that dat
informs us that il was "of so vast an extent tina
IL was contained in no less than four severa
parishes-namely, Christ Church Great anC
Little ST. Bartholomews, and ST. Sepulchre's.
Knaves arrayed in fools coats held forth on al
sides concerning the attractions of their puppet
shows, with flourish of tlumpets and the din
of drums; while conjurors and wizards ant
fdders did their best to add to the uproar
GAN these together" says the pampheteer
t'made such distracted noise, that you Woul
think Babel not comparable to it,"
But uproarious as was Bartholomew FAIR Il
the times preceding the Commonwealth, tn
Restoration of the Stuarts brought with 1t s
much license and profgacy that 1t was not
\ matter of surprise that this carnival becam
even grosser and noisier than ever. Three day
were found TO be insufficient for the purpose
and the duration of the fair was eXtende
through q fortnight during which time all tn
theatres in the city were closed, in order ths
the actors might participate, and that ther
should be no attractions elsewhere to divel
\ the attention of the people. Everybody
I london devoted one or more days TO tn
reveIry. whether high or low, rich or poo
fsmons or infamous. The principal attraction
81 this time were the booths OF the actors an
Saimrora These structures were two storii