The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-03-11
Ancient Fairs and Markets,

During a recent lecture in New York
on ancient fairs and markets, Chief
Justice Charles P. Daily said: Fairs
have come down to us from a remote
antiquity, and their origin was probably
Asiatic. They were found in Mexico
and Peru when those countries were
first discovered by the Spaniards, and
were known in Europe as early as the
seventh century. From the fourth to the
seventh century Europe was devastated
by the savage tribes of Asia, and COM
mercial intercourse was almost COM
pletely destroyed. At the close of this
warfare, the seeds OF a new civilization
were sown, and people were again
brought together for mercantile trans
actions, but with great difficulty. The
roads were infested with robbers and
merchants were forced 10 unite and
travel well armed for protection. 1t is
probable that the great fairs held down
to the sixteenth century had their origin
in this way. Merchants encountered
each other at certain seasons of the year
al central points, and exchanged their
commodities. Another circumstance
fixed the places for these meetings, and
gave rise to small local fairs. In the
middle ages the devotional feelings OF
tho noop1o oouood than IN 1y;u;t 4ha
shrines OF the saints. Pilgrimages were
made at favorable seasons of lSe year,
and as travel was difficult ahi S,Nger.
Gus the pilgrims set out in large rum
bers. With IN eye to business they
usually managed to carry with them
goods which they Knew would be in de-
mand at the holy place; and thus, not
only Unidentified themselves for the ex-
peuse of the pilgrimage but served God
and turned an honest penny at the same
time. After the religious ceremony
came the fair and the busy scenes OF
traffic. The same causes led to the es.
Enlistment of local fairs or markets on
Sundays and holidays in nearly every
town where the church was established.
They were a source of revenue to the
religious houses, a toll being exacted
from all merchants who engaged in
traffic.
There were seven or eight great fairs
in Europe, to which all the great mer-
chants resorted. They were generally
held in an open plain, covering a space
of six or seven miles. If held near a
town all business was suspended there
during the progress of the fair. The
manner of conducting them was thor
oughly republican, every person in
terested having IN equal voice in the
government. A president was elected
and a council of twelve, in whom all
power was lodged. They also had o
court, com HOsed OF twelve persons, and
police TO preserve order. The proceed.
ings of the court were summary and
without appeal, and execution promptly
followed the sentence. The court settled
all disputes, and THEFT was punished by
whipping the offender and exposing him,
fastened to an iron chain, that all might
know that he was a thief. The fair was
opened and closed by public proclamaN
ton, and merchants were exempt from
arrest in person and property while en-
gagged at the fair, and in going to or re-
turning from it. When the fair was
formally opened the spectacle presented
was striking and picturesque. Booths
and tents were spread out in all direc-
lions, and amusements of all kinds were
literally provided. Everywhere, as
now, the gambler was to be found, and
the puppet-show divided attention with
the rope.dancers and fortune-tellers,
With the advance Of civilization, safety
of travel and the building of great cities
which are, in fact, but fairs, or mar
kets, on u large scale--the necessity for
holding these large fairs disappeared,
and they began to be patronized more
by the idle and vicious in search OF
amusement than by traflickers in the
necessities of life.