Lord of Misrule
—His office was to preside over the festivities of Christmas, and his duties consisted in directing the various revels of the season. In some great families, and occasionally at Court, he was also called the Abbot of Misrule, corresponding with the French Abbé de Liesse, a word which implies merriment. Stow, in his Survey of London, alluding to this whimsical custom says:—“In the feast of Christmas there was in the king’s house, wheresoever he lodged, a Lord of Misrule, or master of merry disports, and the like, had ye in the house of every nobleman of honour, or good worship, were he spiritual or temporal. The Mayor of London, and either of the sheriffs, had their several lords of misrule, ever contending, without quarrel or offence, who should make the rarest pastime to delight the beholders, these lords beginning their rule at Allhallowed Eve, continued the same till the morrow after the Feast of the Purification, commonly called Candlemas Day, in which space there were fine and subtle disguisings, masks, and mummeries, with playing at cards for counters, nayles, and points, in every house, more for pastimes than for game.”
Leland (Collectanea de Rebus Anglicis, 1770, vol. iii., Append. p. 256), speaking of the year 4 Henry VII., 1489, says:—“This Christmas I saw no disguisings, and but right few playes; but there was an Abbot of Misrule that made much sport, and did right well his office.” It appears that large sums of money were expended by this king upon these masquerades and sports, as the following extracts from his “Privy Purse Expenses” will show:—
“Dec. 24 (1491). To Ringley, Lorde of Mysrewle, upon a preste, 5l.
“Oct. 24 (1492). To Ringley, Abbot of Mysreule, 5l.
“Jan. 2 (1494). For playing of the Mourice daunce, 2l.
“Jan. 15 (1494). To Walter Alwyn, in full payment for the disguising made at Christenmas, 14l. 3s. 4d.
“March 3 (1490). To Jacques Haulte, in full payment for the disguising at Christenmas, 32l. 18s. 61⁄2d.
“Jan. 2 (1503). To the Abbot of Misrule, in rewarde, 61. 13s. 4d.
“Feb. 12 (1503). To Lewis Adams, that made disguysings, 10l.”
The Lord or Abbot of Misrule at Court, says Hampson, (Med. Ævi Kalend. vol. i. p. 117) was usually a writer of interludes and plays, and the office was not unfrequently held by a poet of some reputation. Such, for example, was George Ferrers, “in whose pastimes Edward the Sixth,” we are told by Warton, “had great delight.” There can be no doubt, however, that scandalous abuses often resulted from the exuberant licence assumed by the lord of misrule and his satellites, and consequently we find their proceedings denounced in no measured terms by Prynne, and other zealous puritans.—See Book of Days, vol. ii. p. 742.
Stubbes, a morose puritan in the days of Elizabeth, denominates the lord of misrule “a grand captaine of mischiefe,” and has preserved a minute description of all his wild doings in the country, of which the following is a summary. He says that the lord of misrule on being selected, takes twenty to sixty others, “lyke hymself,” to act as his guard, who are decorated with ribbands and scarfs and bells on their legs. Thus, all things set in order, they have their hobby-horses, their dragons, and other antiques, together with the gaudie pipers and thunderyng drummers, and strike up the devill’s dance withal. So they march to the church, invading it, even though service be performing, with such a confused noyse that no man can hear his own voice. Then they adjourn to the churchyard, where booths are set up, and the rest of the day spent in dancing and drinking. The followers of “My Lord” go about to collect money for this, giving in return “badges and cognizances” to wear in the hat: and do not scruple to insult, or even duck, such as will not contribute. But, adds Stubbes, another sort of fantasticall fooles are well pleased to bring all sorts of food and drink to furnish out the feast.—See Disraeli, Curiosities of Literature, 1858, vol. ii. p. 262; and Strutt’s Sports and Pastimes of the People of England, p. 254.