The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 12

This is the Deptford version. The Clapham version is almost identical; the children take hold of each others' skirts and make a long line. If the brave soldier is not able to break the clasped hands he goes to the end of the line of soldiers. The soldiers do not surround the fortress.

In the Suffolk version the soldiers try to break through the girls'

hands. If they do they have the tower. The Cornwall version is not so completely an ill.u.s.tration of the capture of a fortress.

Barley-break

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 1.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 2.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 3.]

Barley-break, or the Last Couple in h.e.l.l, was a game played by six people, three of each s.e.x, who were coupled by lot. A piece of ground was then chosen, and divided into three compartments, of which the middle one was called h.e.l.l. It was the object of the couple condemned to this division to catch the others who advanced from the two extremities (figs. 1, 2), in which case a change of situation took place, and h.e.l.l was filled by the couple who were excluded by pre-occupation from the other place (fig. 3). In this catching, however, there was some difficulty, as by the regulations of the game the middle couple were not to separate before they had succeeded, while the others might break hands whenever they found themselves hard pressed. When all had been taken in turn, the last couple was said to be "in h.e.l.l," and the game ended.-Dekker's _Works_, iv. 434.

Jamieson calls this "a game generally played by young people in a corn-yard. Hence called _barla-bracks about the stacks_, S. B." (_i.

e._, in the North of Scotland). "One stack is fixed on as the _dule_ or goal; and one person is appointed to catch the rest of the company, who run out from the _dule_. He does not leave it till they are all out of sight. Then he sets off to catch them. Any one who is taken cannot run out again with his former a.s.sociates, being accounted a prisoner; but is obliged to a.s.sist his captor in pursuing the rest. When all are taken the game is finished; and he who was first taken is bound to act as catcher in the next game. This innocent sport seems to be almost entirely forgotten in the South of Scotland. It is also falling into desuetude in the North."

(_b_) The following description of Barley-break, written by Sir Philip Sidney, is taken from the song of Lamon, in the first volume of the _Arcadia_, where he relates the pa.s.sion of Claius and Strephon for the beautiful Urania:-

She went abroad, thereby, At _barley-brake_ her sweet, swift foot to try... .

Afield they go, where many lookers be.

Then couples three be straight allotted there, They of both ends, the middle two, do fly; The two that in mid-place h.e.l.l called were Must strive, with waiting foot and watching eye, To catch of them, and them to h.e.l.l to bear, That they, as well as they, may h.e.l.l supply; Like some that seek to salve their blotted name Will others blot, till all do taste of shame.

There may you see, soon as the middle two Do, coupled, towards either couple make, They, false and fearful, do their hands undo; Brother his brother, friend doth friend forsake, Heeding himself, cares not how fellow do, But of a stranger mutual help doth take; As perjured cowards in adversity, With sight of fear, from friends to friends do fly.

Sir John Suckling also has given a description of this pastime with allegorical personages, which is quoted by Brand. In Holiday's play of the _Marriages of the Arts_, 1618, this sport is introduced, and also by Herrick (_Hesperides_, p. 44). Barley-break is several times alluded to in Ma.s.singer's plays: see the _Dramatic Works of Philip Ma.s.singer_, 1779, i. 167. "We'll run at barley-break first, and you shall be in h.e.l.l" (Dekker's _The Honest Wh.o.r.e_). "Hee's at barli-break, and the last couple are now in h.e.l.l" (Dekker's _The Virgin Martir_). See Gifford's _Ma.s.singer_, i. 104, edit. 1813. See also Browne's _Britannia's Pastorals_, published in 1614, Book I., Song 3, p. 76.

Randle Holme mentions this game as prevailing in his day in Lancashire.

Harland and Wilkinson believe this game to have left its traces in Yorkshire and Lancashire. A couple link hands and sally forth from _home_, shouting something like

Aggery, ag, ag, Ag's gi'en warning,

and trying to tick or touch with the free hand any of the boys running about separately. These latter try to slip behind the couple and throw their weight on the joined hands to separate them without being first touched or ticked; and if they sunder the couple, each of the severed ones has to carry one home on his back. Whoever is touched takes the place of the toucher in the linked couple (_Legends of Lancashire_, p.

138). The modern name of this game is "Prison Bars" (_Ibid._, p. 141).

There is also a description of the game in a little tract called _Barley Breake; or, A Warning for Wantons_, 1607. It is mentioned in Wilbraham's _Cheshire Glossary_ as "an old Cheshire game." Barnes, in his _Dorsetshire Glossary_, says he has seen it played with one catcher on hands and knees in the small ring (h.e.l.l), and the others dancing round the ring crying "Burn the wold witch, you barley breech." Holland (_Cheshire Glossary_) also mentions it as an old Cheshire game.

See "Boggle about the Stacks," "Scots and English."

Barnes (Mr.)

Mr. Barnes is dead and gone, And left his widder, Three poor children in her arms; What will you give her?

Where did you come from?

-Played about 1850 at Hurstmonceux, Suss.e.x (Miss Chase).

This is probably a forfeit game, imperfectly remembered. See "Old Soldier."

Base-ball

An undescribed Suffolk game.-Moor's _Suffolk Words_. See "Rounders."

Basket

[Music]

-London (A. B. Gomme).

In this game the children all follow one who is styled the "mother,"

singing:

I'll follow my mother to market, To buy a silver basket.

The mother presently turns and catches or pretends to beat them.-Dorsetshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 231).

We'll follow our mother to market, To buy herself a basket; When she comes home she'll break our bones, We'll follow our mother to market.

-Hersham, Surrey (_Folk-lore Record_, v. 84).

A version familiar to me is the same as above, but ending with

For tumbling over cherry stones.

The mother then chased and beat those children she caught. The idea was, I believe, that the children were imitating or mocking their mother (A.

B. G.). In Warwickshire the four lines of the Surrey game are concluded by the additional lines-

We don't care whether we work or no, We'll follow our mother on tipty-toe.

When the mother runs after them and buffets them.-Northall's _English Folk Rhymes_, p. 393.

Battledore and Shuttlec.o.c.k

See "Shuttlefeather."

Bedlams or Relievo

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 1.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 2.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 3.]

A number of boys agree to play at this game, and sides are picked. Five, for example, play on each side. A square is chalked out on a footpath by the side of a road, which is called the "Den;" five of the boys remain by the side of the Den, one of whom is called the "Tenter;" the Tenter has charge of the Den, and he must always stand with one foot in the Den and the other upon the road; the remaining five boys go out to field, it being agreed beforehand that they shall only be allowed to run within a prescribed area, or in certain roads or streets (fig. 1). As soon as the boys who have gone out to field have reached a certain distance-there is no limit prescribed-they shout "Relievo," and upon this signal the four boys standing by the side of the Den pursue them, leaving the Tenter in charge of the Den (fig. 2). When a boy is caught he is taken to the Den, where he is obliged to remain, unless the Tenter puts both his feet into the Den, or takes out the one foot which he ought always to keep in the Den. If the Tenter is thus caught tripping, the prisoner can escape from the Den. If during the progress of the game one of the boys out at field runs through the Den shouting "Relievo" without being caught by the Tenter, the prisoner is allowed to escape, and join his comrades at field. If one of the boys out at field is tired, and comes to stand by the side of the Den, he is not allowed to put his foot into the Den. If he does so the prisoner calls out, "There are two Tenters," and escapes if he can (fig. 3). When all the boys out at field have been caught and put into the Den, the process is reversed-the boys who have been, as it were, hunted, taking the place of the hunters. Sometimes the cry is "Delievo," and not "Relievo." One or two variations occur in the playing of this game. Sometimes the Tenter, instead of standing with one foot in the Den, stands as far off the prisoner as the prisoner can spit. The choosing of sides is done by tossing. Two boys are selected to toss. One of them throws up his cap, crying, "Pot!" or "Lid!" which is equivalent to "Heads and Tails." If, when a prisoner is caught, he cries out "Kings!" or "Kings to rest!" he is allowed to escape. The game is a very rough one.-Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_.