Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-10

curity Of his person a band Of fifty
archers, under a captain, to attend him,
by the the name Of the yeomen Of his
guard. And yet. that it might be
thought to be rather matter of dig
nifty, after the imitation of that he had
known abroad than any matter Of diff
fidence appropriate to his own case, he
made it to be understood an ordinance
not temporary, but to hold in succession
for ever after" The materials for
such body were ready to the
kings hand; and from his household
Henry selected body-guard Of fifty
men, "choice archers, strong and hardy
fellows, six feet in height" whom, as
Speed chronicles. she assigned to the
service Of himself and his successors.
kings and queens Of England" The
number as well as the armament Of this
body have varied in successive reigns,
it's present official complement being one
hundred men, generally selected by the
commander-in- chief from deseryingnon-
commissioned officers of the regular
army. The officers consist Of a captain,
lieutenant, ensign, and four "cxOns."
or excmpts "a title thought to be
traceable to the French "capitaines
oxcmpts des gardes du corps" Their
arms have at various times included
long-bow and battle-aXe. sword and
lance, partisan and arqubuse; the or
namental halbcrd of to day being rather
a wand Of Office than a weapon with
much offence in it. But it is on the
picturesque dress that the popular eye
is fixed. At the coronation Of Henry
VII. the ycomen appeared in white ga
bcrdincs. embroidered with the royal
device" and in caps surrounded by the
roses Of York and Lancaster. In the
reign Henry VII. the well-knOwncoS-
tune was adopted which has never
Stree been substantially varied. The
King was himself fond Of appearing in
it; nor would it have been easy for him
to don a dress more becoming to his
handsome proportions. 1t consists of
a scarlet coat, or tune, of peculiar
make, reaching to the knees, and
guarded with garter-blue velvet
and badges Of the rose and crown both
on the breast and the back the breeches
are scarlet, also guarded with vel
vet the low-crowned, broad-brimmed
hat being composed Of the same ma
tc1ial, with ribbons Of the kings
color red, white, and blue.
To refer to the duties of this ancient
corps is to come also to the question Of
its later nomenclature. This matter,
apparently simple, has yet been the ex-
citing cause Of an animated contro-
versy. The "yeomen Of the guard ="
is title at once dignifcd, betting,
and ineligible. Our old word "yeO-
man is racy OF the soil, and was pro-
perly applied to a bOdy-guard selected
from the general band Of retainers.
Dryden speaks Of the - brawny yeO-
men Of the trusty guard -; and the
description is entirely in accord with
the traditional idea that they were
"big burly men, with nothing
to do but eat royal commons
and look dignifed." That their
duties were never very onerouS is
likely; and therefore, says the curious
inquirer, they fell to be employed at
the Kings buiiet-becamc, in fact,
mere bufeters; and hence. through
popular corruption, the term beef.
eater" 1t is. however, by no mean,
clear that the yeomcn Of the guard
ever habitually fulfilled the duties thus
implied. Whatever occasional service
they may have rendered at the royal
sidcboard was certainly in derOgatlor
of their higher duties as the SOW
ereign's responsible body-guard
Moreover, the "yeoman of the
mouth" originally the roasting
cook. was afterward raised tC
the dignity Of attendant at the roya
table. OF such attendants Queen Eliz
abeth had two, who did waite upon
her Majestic with tyne breade, salte
tIencher>, KNIVES etc, and we hear
r further Of them in the reignS of William
and Mary and Of Anne. The Beef
eaters. on the contrary, were represent
tatiye Of the prOwesS of the kingdom
, and were 30 much the less likely TO bC
employed in a quasi-menial capacity
This contention, however, should have
|, been settled by the plain and natural ex
, PLANTATION given in No. las of The Tatier
Writing of the English beef and muttor
(which bred the hardy race of mortal.
who won the fields of Cressy and Agin
court Steele goes on to observe how
mutton was formerly regarded as the
fitting food Of men OF "nice and deli.
cate appetite, rather than Of those o
robust constitutions. "For which
reason" he continues, "even to thi.
day we use the word sheep-biter as
: term of reproach, as we do beef-eater
ia respectful and honorable sense"
This account, at once so reasonabl,
, and consistent, might have been wei
accepted as the true one. How far i
may be justified on an exhaustive ap
peal to English literature is an inquiry
too extensive to be here entered upon
Butat least two expressive and fortify
|, ing sentences are TO be found in Shak
speare. Sir Toby, as he watches the
stewards affected extrayagances, calls
Malyolio a 'rascally sheep-biter
and in Measure for Measure '
Lucio conjures the disguised duke
to show "his sheep-biting face. ;
The antithesis is obvious. Thu
"sheep-bitern is the fastidious
and finikin chamberer the "beef
eater" is the stalwart and breezy
Apglo-Saxon--the hardy yeoman Of Ole
England. The yeomen cf the gusrS
were, above all else, q representative
body. As beef-eaters they fourished
and waxed brawny ; as beef-eaters they