THE GENERAL PREFACE. TR Radition has in no Instance fo clearly evinced her Faithfulness, as in the tranfmitting of vulgar Rites and po pular Opinions. Of these, when we are defirous of tracing them backwards to their Origin, many lose themselves in Antiquity. They have indeed travelled down to us through a long Succeffion of Years, and the greateft part of them, it is not improbable, will be of perpetual Obfervation: for the generality of Men look back with fuperftitious Veneration on the Ages of their Forefathers: and Authorities, that are grey with Time, feldom fail of commanding thofe filial Honours, claimed even by the Appearance of hoary old Age. Many of these it must be confeffed are mutilated, and, as in the Remains of antient Statuary, the Parts of not a few of them have been awkwardly tranfpofed: they preferve, however, the principal Traits, that diftinguished them in their origin. Things, compofed of fuch flimfy Materials as the Fancies. of a Multitude, do not feem calculated for a long Duration; yet have these furvived Shocks, by which even Empires have been overthrown, and preferved at leaft fome Farm and Colour of Identity, during a Repetition of Changes, both in religious Opinions, and in the Polity of States. But the strongest Proof of their remote Antiquity, is, that they have outlived the general Knowledge of the very Caufes that gave rife to them. The Reader will find in the fubfequent pages an union of Endeavours to refcue many of thefe Caufes from Oblivion. If, on the Investigation, they appear to any fo frivolous as not to have deferved the Pains of the Search, the humble Labourers will avoid Cenfure, by incurring Contempt. How trivial foever fuch an Enquiry may feem to some, yet all must be informed that it is attended with no fmall fhare of Difficulty and Toil. A Paffage is to be forced through a Wilderness intricate and entangled: few Veftiges of former Labours can be found to direct us; we must oftentimes trace a tedious retrofpective Courfe, perhaps to return at last weary and unfatisfied, from the making of Refearches, fruitlefs as thofe of fome antient enthufiaftic Traveller, who ranging the barren African Sands, had in vain attempted to inveftigate the hidden Sources of the Nile. Rugged and narrow as this Walk of Study may seem to many, yet Fancy (who fhares with Hope the pleafing Office of brightening a Paffage through every Route of human Endeavour) opens from hence too Profpects, enriched with the choiceft Beauties of her magic Creation. The prime Origin of the fuperftitious Notions and Ceremonies of the People is abfolutely unattainable; we despair of ever being able to reach the Fountain Head of Streams which have been running and increasing from the Beginning of Time. All that we afpire to do, is only to trace backwards, as far as poffible, the Courfes of them on those Charts, that remain, of the distant Countries from whence they were first perceived to flow. Few, who are defirous of inveftigating the popular Notions and vulgar Ceremonies in our Nation, can fail of deducing them in their first Direction from the Times when Popery was our established Religion. We fhall not wonder that thefe were able to furvive the Reformation, when we confider, that though our fenfible and fpirited Forefathers were, upon Conviction, eafily induced to forego religious Tenets, which had been weighed in the Balance, and found wanting; yet were the People by no means inclined to annihilate the feemingly innocent Ceremo nies of their former fuperftitious Faith. Thefe, confecrated to the Fancies of Men, by a Ufage from Time immemorial, though erazed by public Authority from the written Word, were committed as a venerable Depofit to the keeping of oral Tradition: like the Penates of another Troy, recently deftroyed, they were religiously brought off, after having been fnatched out of the fmoking Ruins of Popery. It is not improbable that, in the Infancy of Proteftantifm, the continuance of many of thefe was connived at by the State. For Men, "who are but Children of a larger "Growth," "Growth," are not weaned all at once, and the Refor. mation of Manners, and of Religion, is always moft surely established, when effected by flow Degrees, and as it were imperceptible Gradations. Thus alfo at the first Promulgation of Chriftianity to the Gentile Nations, through the Force of Conviction they yielded indeed to Truth; yet they could not be perfuaded to relinquifh many of their Superftitions, which, rather than forego them altogether, they chofe to blend and incorporate with their new Faith. Christian, or rather Papal Rome, borrowed her Rites, Notions, and Ceremonies, in the most luxurious Abundance from ancient and Heathen Rome; and much the greater Number of thefe flaunting Externals, which Infallibility has adopted, and used as Feathers to adorn her Triple-Cap, have been stolen out of the Wings of the dying Eagle. With regard to the Rites, Sports, &c. of the Common. People, I am aware that the morofe and bigoted Part of Mankind without diftinguishing between the right Ufe and the Abuse of fuch Entertainments, cavil at and maliga them. Yet muft fuch be told that Shows and Sports have been countenanced by the best and wifest of States; and though it cannot be denied that they have been sometimes prostituted to the Purposes of Riot and Debauchery, yet were we to reprobate every thing that has been thus abufed, Religion itself could not be retained; perhaps we should be able to keep nothing. The Common People, confined by daily Labour, feem to require their proper Intervals of Relaxation; perhaps it is of * I fhall quote here the subsequent curious Thoughts on this Subject: the Puritans are ridiculed in them. These teach that Dancing is a Jezabell, Randolph's Poems. 1646. the the highest political Utility to encourage innocent Sports and Games among them. The Revival of many of thefe, would, I think, be highly pertinent at this particular Seafon, when the general Spread of Luxury and Diffipation threatens more than at any preceding Period to extinguish the Character of our boaited national Bravery. For the Obfervation of an honeft old Writer, Stow, (who tells us, fpeaking of the May-games, Midfummer-Eve * Rejoicings, &c. antiently used in the Streets of London, "which open Pastimes "in my Youth being now fuppreft, worse Practices within "Doors are to be feared)," may be with fingular propriety adopted on the moft tranfient Survey of our present popular Manners. Mr. Bourne, my Predeceffor in this Walk, has not, from whatever Cause, done Juftice to the Subject he undertook to treat of. Far from having the Vanity to think that I have exhaufted it, the utmost of my Pretenfions is to the Merit of having endeavoured, by making Additions, to improve it. I think him, however, deferving of no fmall Share of Praise for his imperfect Attempt, for "much is due to thofe, who first broke the Way to Knowledge, and left only to their Succeffors the Task of smoothing it." New Lights have arifen fince his Time. The English Antique has become a general and fashionable Study; and the Discoveries of the very refpectable Society of Antiquaries have rendered the Receffes of Papal and Heathen Antiquities eafier of access. I flatter myself I have turned all these Circumstances in fome measure to Advantage. I have gleaned Paffages that feemed to throw Light upon the Subject, from a great Variety of Volumes, and those written too in feveral Languages; in the doing of which, if I fhall not be found to having deferved the Praife of Judgment, I must at leaft make Pretenfions to the Merit of Industry, I call to mind here the pleafing Account Mr. Sterne has left us in his Sentimental Journey, of the Grace-dance after Supper -I agree with that amiable Writer in thinking that Religion may mix herself in the Dance, and that innocent Cheerfulness is no inconfiderable Part of Devotion; fuch indeed as cannot fail of being grateful to the Good Being,-it is a filent but eloquent Mode of praifing him! Elegance |