688 SUNDRIES. 



Shakspere belonged, acted before the Court on All Saints' Day, 

 on the Sunday following, on St. Stephen's, on Childermas, on 

 the 6th and 8th of January, on Candlemas, on Shrove Sun- 

 day, Monday and Tuesday, and received 100 for their ten 

 performances. The colleges and county gentlemen occasion- 

 ally treated themselves to these favourite and frequently 

 intellectual entertainments 1 . 



On these gaudies too wine was added to the banquet 

 claret and white French wine, sack, Malmsey, and sometimes 

 Rhenish, and even rarer wines. As time went on, tobacco was 

 added to the entertainment, and not infrequently a gross of 

 pipes was purchased. This custom of smoking at the gaudy 

 or election occurs early at Eton. 



It is not wonderful that, in so monotonous a life, the fellows 

 of a college betook themselves to study, engaged eagerly in 

 the formal business of the society, looked forward to the 

 progresses, or watched for any opportunity by which they 

 could exchange a dull existence, with a college benefice in 

 the distance, for more active occupation. The head and 

 bursars rode on circuit at least twice, sometimes three times 

 a year. During this time they journeyed at the college 

 expense, visited the principal tenants (who entertained them at 

 a fixed charge or by agreement in their leases, and were likely 

 from motives of self-interest to use them well), and collected 

 their rents. When the roads became unsafe, the fellows went 

 armed ; and some of the entries of fire-arms which one finds 

 in the college accounts were purchased for defence during the 

 progresses. On their return the arms were displayed in the 

 college hall, as those of the county gentleman were hung round 

 the principal apartment of the mansion. 



Towards the end of the period before me greater luxury 

 crept in. The fellows appropriated a common or com- 

 bination room, and furnished it with an eye to comfort. It 

 is said that the custom began with the Restoration. But 



1 Shakspere's plots were taken from books in common use. Familiarity with the 

 story aided a play in which there could have been no scenic effects. 



