do me honour as a roving blade."

With these longings for distinction among the gay and gallant, combated,
however, internally, by more prudential considerations, the bonnet maker
made an attempt to cross the street. But the revellers, whoever they
might be, were accompanied by torches, the flash of which fell upon
Oliver, whose light coloured habit made him the more distinctly visible.
The general shout of "A prize--a prize" overcame the noise of the
minstrel, and before the bonnet maker could determine whether it were
better to stand or fly, two active young men, clad in fantastic masking
habits, resembling wild men, and holding great clubs, seized upon him,
saying, in a tragical tone: "Yield thee, man of bells and bombast--yield
thee, rescue or no rescue, or truly thou art but a dead morrice dancer."

"To whom shall I yield me?" said the bonnet maker, with a faltering
voice; for, though he saw he had to do with a party of mummers who were
afoot for pleasure, yet he observed at the same time that they were far
above his class, and he lost the audacity necessary to support his part
in a game where the inferior was likely to come by the worst.

"Dost thou parley, slave?" answered one of the maskers; "and must I
show thee that thou art a captive, by giving thee incontinently the
bastinado?"

"By no means, puissant man of Ind," said the bonnet maker; "lo, I am
conformable to your pleasure."

"Come, then," said those who had arrested him--"come and do homage
to the Emperor of Mimes, King of Caperers, and Grand Duke of the Dark
Hours, and explain by what right thou art so presumptuous as to prance
and jingle, and wear out shoe leather, within his dominions without
paying him tribute. Know'st thou not thou hast incurred the pains of
high treason?"

"That were hard, methinks," said poor Oliver, "since I knew not that his
Grace exercised the government this evening. But I am willing to redeem
the forfeit, if the purse of a poor bonnet maker may, by the mulct of a
gallon of wine, or some such matter."

"Bring him before the emperor," was the universal cry; and the morrice
dancer was placed before a slight, but easy and handsome, figure of a
young man, splendidly attired, having a cincture and tiara of peacock's
feathers, then brought from the East as a marvellous rarity; a short
jacket and under dress of leopard's skin fitted closely the rest of his
person, which was attired in flesh coloured silk, so as to resemble the