xvm. THE BUFFET-GAME. 321 



away and is chased, and if overtaken becomes in his 

 turn the pursuing figure. And blind-mart s-bvff> which is 

 one of the most charming and enjoyable of our indoor 

 amusements, is another development in which the ad- 

 ditional features of pursuit and capture are introduced ; 

 and the game, from being a sedentary, becomes an ex- 

 ceedingly active one. "Blind-man's-buff," it may be 

 remarked, was known to the ancient Greeks by the 

 name of " Muinda," and is supposed to have originated 

 in the fable of Polyphemus a cruel giant son of Nep- 

 tune, who had but one eye in the middle of his fore- 

 head, which Ulysses burnt out with a fire-brand, having 

 first made him drunk. Of the game of " hot-cockles " 

 it may be said that it used to be one of the pastimes 

 played at funerals in some parts of Yorkshire. Could 

 its history be traced far enough back, it might be found 

 from various associations connected with it to be not a 

 mere innocent game, but a dark religious rite connected 

 with some primitive nature-worship. 



Venerable and remarkable as these associations are, 

 they are altogether lost sight of in the surpassing interest 

 which its tragical connection with our Saviour's last 

 hours on earth imparts to the game. We are told that 

 when Jesus was judged worthy of death in the palace of 

 the high priest, a scene of disorder and brutal ferocity 

 began worthy of the darkest orgies of paganism. The 

 lowest menials of Caiaphas and the members of the San- 

 hedrim joined together in heaping upon Him all the 

 abuse of vulgar spite and religious hatred. They spat 

 in His face ; they smote Him with sticks ; they struck 



