This while it happens, that a Woolfe is descryed: away runne the boyes: fast abides the imaginary Felon, and so fast, that for want of timely rescouse, the breath poasted out of his body, and left the same a liuelesse carkase. The which notifyed to the Samnites, quitted the striplings (or slipstrings) of their punishment, but encreased the dismay of the elder people.
A like accident befell sithence, hy testimony of the ceremonious Texera, as a presage of Lewes the prince of Condyes death, 1569. Foure daies before which, at Xaintes, the youth of all sorts, from 9. to 22. yeres age, assembled, and (of their owne accord) chose two Commaunders, one they entitled the Prince of Condy, the other Mounsieur, who then lay in the field against him. For three dayes space, they violently assaulted each other, with stones, clubs, and other weapons, vntill at last it grewe to Pistoles: by one of which, the imaginary Prince receiued a quelling wound in his head, about 10. a clock in the morning: the very howre (saith this Portugall confessour) that the Prince himselfe, by a like shot was slaughtered.
The same authour vouched a semblable chaunce, somewhat before the siege of Rochell 1572. where, some of the boyes banded themselues, as for the Maior and others for the King; who after 6. dayes skirmishing, at last made a composition, and departed: even as that siege endured sixe moneths, and finally brake vp in a peace.
So doth Mercurius Gallobelgicus giue vs to wit, that in the yeere 1594. a Turkish Beglerbey of Greece, either seeking by a fore-coniecture, to be ascertained himselfe, or desirous to nusle the yonger sort in martiall exployts, led out of Alba Regalis, about 600. Turkish boyes, aged betweene 11. and 14. yeeres, and seuered them into two troups, terming the one, The Christian, the other, The Turkish batalion. Those, he directed to call vpon Iesus, these, vpon Hala: both parts he enioyned to bicker coragiously, and egged them onward with the enticement of rewards. The token is giuen, the forces encounter, the fight is hote. In the end, the Turks betake themselues to their heeles, and Iesus party carryeth away the victory. But such occurrents do not alwayes either foregoe, or foresignifie; for sometimes they fall out idle, and sometimes not at all. Howbeit, Nicetaes Choniates taketh it very vnkindly, that God woud not spare some watchword out of his prescience, to the Constantinopolitanes, what time Baldwyn Earle of Flaunders and others, first assisted, and then conquered their Citie.
Touching Veall the Mercurialist, I haue spoken in my former booke.
The youthlyer sort of Bodmyn townsmen vse sometimes to sport themselues, by playing the box with strangers, whome they summon to Halgauer. The name signifieth the Goats moore, and such a place it is, lying a little without the towne, and very full of quauemires. When these mates meet with any rawe seruingman, or other young master, who may serue and deserue to make pastime, they cause him to be solemnely arrested, [127] for his appearance before the Maior of Halgauer, where he is charged with wearing one spurre, or going vntrussed, or wanting a girdle, or some such like felony: and after he hath beene arraygned and tryed, with all requisite circumstances, iudgement is giuen in formal termes, and executed in some one vngracious pranke or other, more to the skorne, then hurt of the party condemned.
Hence is sprung the prouerb, when we see one slouenly appareled, to say, He shall be presented in Halgauer Court.
But now and then, they extend this merriment with the largest, to the preiudice of ouer-credulous people, perswading them to fight with a Dragon lurking in Halgauer, or to see some strange matter there: which concludeth at least, with a trayning them into the mire.
Within short space after the great fame dispersed, touching the rare effects of Warwickshire wels, some idle enuious head raysed a brute, that there rested no lesse vertue (forsooth) for healing all diseases, in a plentifull spring, neere vnto Bodmyn, called Scarlets well: which report grew so farre, and so fast, that folke ranne flocking thither in huge numbers, from all quarters.