s of Misrule to their senses. Perhaps this
dynasty in the empire of foolery closed with this Christmas prince, who
fell a victim to the arbitrary taxation he levied. I find after this
orders made for the Inner Temple, for "preventing of that general
scandal and obloquie, which the House hath heretofore incurred in time
of Christmas:" and that "there be not any going abroad out of the gates
of this House, by any _lord_ or others, to break open any house, or take
anything in the name of rent or a distress."

These "Lords of Misrule," and their mock court and royalty, appear to
have been only extinguished with the English sovereignty itself, at the
time of our republican government. Edmund Gayton tells a story, to show
the strange impressions of strong fancies: as his work is of great
rarity, I shall transcribe the story in his own words, both to give a
conclusion to this inquiry, and a specimen of his style of narrating
this sort of little things. "A gentleman was importuned, at a fire-night
in the public-hall, to accept the high and mighty place of a
mock-emperor, which was duly conferred upon him by seven mock-electors.
At the same time, with much wit and ceremony, the emperor accepted his
chair of state, which was placed in the highest table in the hall; and
at his instalment all pomp, reverence, and signs of homage were used by
the whole company; insomuch that our emperor, having a spice of
self-conceit before, was soundly peppered now, for he was instantly
metamorphosed into the stateliest, gravest, and commanding soul that
ever eye beheld. Taylor acting Arbaces, or Swanston D'Amboise, were
shadows to him: his pace, his look, his voice, and all his garb, was
altered. Alexander upon his elephant, nay, upon the castle upon that
elephant, was not so high; and so close did this imaginary honour stick
to his fancy, that for many years he could not shake off this one
night's assumed deportments, until the times came that drove all
monarchical imaginations not only out of his head, but every
one's."[137] This mock "emperor" was unquestionably one of these "Lords
of Misrule," or "a Christmas Prince." The "public hall" was that of the
Temple, or Lincoln's Inn, or Gray's Inn.[138] And it was natural
enough, when the levelling equality of our theatrical and practical
commonwealths-men were come into vogue, that even the shadowy regality
of mockery startled them by reviving the recollections of ceremonies and
titles, which some