A History of English Culture from the Earliest Known Period to Modern Times (Hardcover)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1874 Excerpt: ...au roy-qui-ne-ment. Ele s'en savoit finement Entremettre de commander Et de demandes demander.--Barbazan, Fabliaux, tom. i. p. 100. THE GAME OF RAGMAN'S ROLL. 247 The aim of the questions was, of course, to provoke answers which would excite mirth; and the sequel of the story shows the great want of delicacy which prevailed in mediaeval society. Another sort of amusement was furnished by what may be called games of chance; in which the players, in turn, drew a character at hazard. These characters were generally written in verse, in burlesque and often very coarse language, and several sets of them have been preserved in old manuscripts. They consist of a series of alternate good and bad characters, sometimes only designed for females, but at others for women and men: two of these sets (printed in my " Anecdota Literaria ") were written in England; one, of the thirteenth century, in Anglo-Norman, the other, of the fifteenth century, in English. From these we learn that the game, in England, was called Rageman, or Ragman, and that the verses, describing the characters, were written on a roll called Ragman's Roll, and had strings attached to them, by which each person drew his or her chance. The English set has a short preface, in which the author addresses himself to the ladies, for whose special use it was compiled: --' My ladyes and my maistresses echone, Lyke hit unto your humbylle wommanhede Resave in gre (goodpart) of my sympille persone, This rolle, which withouten any drede Kynge Ragman me bad mesoure in brede. And cristyned yt the meroure of your chaunce; Draweth a strynge, and that shal streight yow leyde Unto the verry path of, your goyernaunce--i.e., it will tell you exactly how you behave yourself, what is your character. This game is al...