Notes and Illustrations. 255 
Ray says it prevailed, in his time, most in Norfolk, Suffolk, and 
Essex. It was new to Sir T. Browne on his settling in Norfolk, 
and is not mentioned by Strutt amongst the ‘‘ Sports and Pastimes 
of the English People.” 
Mr. Spurdens, in his Supplement to Forby’s Vocabulary, remarks: 
“The contests were not unfrequently fatal to many of the combat- 
ants. I have heard old persons speak of a celebrated Camping, 
Norfolk against Suffolk, on Diss Common, with 300 on each side. 
Before the ball was thrown up, the Norfolk men inquired tauntingly 
of the Suffolk men if they had brought their coffins. The Suffolk 
men after fourteen hours were the victors. Nine deaths were the 
result of the contest within a fortnight. These were called fighting 
camps, for much boxing was practised in them.” Cf. 
“This faire floure of womanheed 
Hath two pappys also smalle, 
Bolsteryd out of lenghth and breed, 
Lyche a large Campyng ball.” —Lydgate. 
Camping Land was a piece of ground set apart for the game. A 
field abutting on the churchyard at Swaffham was willed for the 
purpose by the Rector in 1472. At East Bilney and Stowmarket 
are pieces of ground still called Camping land. Sir John Cullum, 
in his ‘‘ History of Hawstead, Suffolk,” describes the Camping-pighile 
as mentioned A.D. 1466. ‘‘ Campar or pleyar at foott balle, campyon 
or champyon.’—Prompt. Parv. ‘‘ Camping is Foot Ball playing, at 
which they are very dextrous in Norfolk; and so many People 
running up and down a piece of ground, without doubt evens and 
saddens it, so that the Root of the Grass lies firm. .. . The 
trampling of so many People drives also the Mole away.”—T. R. 
25. 3. “All quickly forgot as a play on a stage.” Comp. Shak- 
spere, As you Like it, Act il. sc. 7: ‘‘ All the world’s a stage,” etc., 
and Merchant of Venice, Act i. sc. 1, where Antonio calls the world 
“A stage where every man must play a part.” ‘Totus mundus 
agit histrionem,” from a fragment of Petronius, is said to have 
been the motto on the Globe Theatre. Calderon wrote a play 
called El] Teatro del Mundo (The Theatre of the World). It is 
remarkable for containing the lines: 
“En el teatro del mundo 
Todos son representantes,” z.e. in the stage of 
the world all men are players.—W. W.S. In the old play of Damon 
and Pythias (Dodsley’s Old Plays, ed. Hazlitt, iv. 31) the following 
occurs : 
“Pythagoras said that this world was like a stage, 
Where many play their parts: the lookers on, the sage 
Philosophers are, said he, whose part is to learn ficemn:27 
The manners of all nations, and the good from the bad _to dis- 
The same comparison occurs also in Don Quixote, part ii. cap. 12. 
See note to 60. 1. 
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