620 Ancient Sports and Pastimes. 
make his audience roar, he represents Julius Cesar calling 
fora Hansom cab to drive him to the Capitol, or Alex- 
ander the Great drawing a cheque on Coutts’ bank. But 
in earlier times all this would not have seemed so ridicu- 
lous ; in the old romances of chivalry the description of the 
fabulous Court of Arthur would have far better suited the 
Court of a Plantagenet king; and in the plays of Shak- 
speare we find numerous anachronisms, which would not 
be tolerated in modern compositions. 
In the early days of Christianity stage plays were vigo- 
rously denounced by the Church; and it is related that 
any one connected with a theatre was refused baptism, 
while Augustine declared that they who went to hear plays 
were as bad as those that wrote and acted them; and. it is 
probable that the old Fathers had reason enough for their 
denunciation of the stage, for the plays represented in the 
declining days of the Romans do not seem to have been 
very moral or edifying. After a time, however, the happy 
idea gained ground that the stage might be turned to the 
purpose of religious instruction. During the dark ages 
theatrical representations took place which were of a Scrip- 
tural character, although we should be inclined to consider 
them very profane burlesques of the sacred narratives. 
The festival of fools and the festival of the ass were cele- 
brated in France, and they were partly of a dramatic cha- 
racter, the latter especially. The festival of the boy bishop, 
which was of the same kind, was celebrated in England, as 
well as on the Continent, in honour of St. Nicholas. St. 
Nicholas was the patron of boys. It is said that when an 
infant in arms he fasted regularly on Wednesdays and 
Fridays, and partook of his natural food only once on 
those days. 
“ Anciently, on the 6th of December,” says Mr. Hone, 
“the choir boys in cathedral churches chose one of their 
number to maintain the state and authority of a bishop, 
for which purpose he was habited in rich episcopal robes, 
wore a mitre on his head, and bore a crozier in his hand ; 
his fellows for the time being assuming the character and 
dress of priests, yielding him canonical obedience, taking 
possession of the church, and, with the exception of mass, 
performing all the ceremonies and offices.” 
The authority of the boy bishop continued till the 28th 
of December; if he died during the time of his office, he 
was buried in his episcopal garments, with great pomp, and 
a monument was erected to his memory; such a tomb has ~ 
