made merry at Christmas at this period; but it sometimes happened
that when he went forth with his band of merry men, they got into
trouble. An instance of this, which occurred in 1627, is recorded in
one of Meade's letters to Sir Martin Stuteville. The letter is worth
reprinting as an illustration of the manners of the age, and as
relating to what was probably the last Lord of Misrule elected by the
barristers. Meade writes:--"On Saturday the Templars chose one Mr.
Palmer their Lord of Misrule, who, on Twelfth-eve, late in the night,
sent out to gather up his rents at five shillings a house in Ram-alley
and Fleet Street. At every door they came to they winded the
Temple-horn, and if at the second blast or summons they within opened
not the door, then the Lord of Misrule cried out, 'Give fire, gunner!'
His gunner was a robustious Vulcan, and the gun or petard itself was a
huge overgrown smith's hammer. This being 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 halfway: 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 ga