complained of to my Lord Mayor, he said he would be with them about
eleven o'clock on Sunday night last; willing that all that ward should
attend him with their halberds, and that himself, besides those that
came out of his house, should bring the Watches along with him. His
lordship, thus attended, advanced as high as Ram-alley in martial
equipage; when forth came the Lord of Misrule, attended by his gallants,
out of the Temple-gate, with their swords, all armed _in cuerpo_. A
halberdier bade the Lord of Misrule come to my Lord Mayor. He answered,
No! let the Lord Mayor come to me! At length they agreed to meet half
way; and, as the interview of rival princes is never without danger of
some ill accident, so it happened in this: for first, Mr. Palmer being
quarrelled with for not pulling off his hat to my Lord Mayor, and giving
cross answers, the halberds began to fly about his ears, and he and his
company to brandish their swords. At last being beaten to the ground,
and the Lord of Misrule sore wounded, they were fain to yield to the
longer and more numerous weapon. My Lord Mayor taking Mr. Palmer by the
shoulder, led him to the Compter, and thrust him in at the prison-gate
with a kind of indignation; and so, notwithstanding his hurts, he was
forced to lie among the common prisoners for two nights. On Tuesday the
king's attorney became a suitor to my Lord Mayor for their liberty;
which his lordship granted, upon condition that they should repay the
gathered rents, and do reparations upon broken doors. Thus the game
ended. Mr. Attorney-General, being of the same house, fetched them in
his own coach, and carried them to the court, where the King himself
reconciled my Lord Mayor and them together with joining all hands; the
gentlemen of the Temple being this Shrovetide to present a Mask to their
majesties, over and besides the king's own great Mask, to be performed
at the Banqueting-house by an hundred actors."

Thus it appears, that although the grave citizens did well and rightly
protect themselves, yet, by the attorney-general taking the Lord of
Misrule in his coach, and the king giving his royal interference between
the parties, that they considered that this Lord of Foolery had certain
ancient privileges; and it was, perhaps, a doubt with them, whether this
interference of the Lord Mayor might not be considered as severe and
unseasonable. It is probable, however, that the arm of the civil power
brought all future Lord