ed Peter and
Dogberry in "Romeo and Juliet," and "Much Ado about Nothing;" also,
Launce, Touchstone, Gravedigger, Justice Shallow, and Launcelot. One
feels that the morris dancer has a fresh claim upon our interest by such
associations, and we look into the merry book dedicated to Mistress Anne
Fitton, maid of honour to England's maiden queen, prepared to relish
heartily the frolicsome account of how he tript it merrily to the music
of Thomas Slye, his taberer, gaining every where the admiration of the
wondering townsfolk and villagers upon his road, receiving, and
occasionally of necessity refusing, their profusely proffered
hospitalities, and now and then accepting their offers to tread a measure
with him at his pace, a feat that one brave and buxom lass alone was
found equal to perform--one can appreciate the quiet fun in which he
permits himself to indulge at the discomfiture of the followers who track
his flying steps, when their running accompaniment is interrupted by the
mud and mire of the unmacadamized mediaeval substitutes for turnpike
roads, where occasionally he dances on, leaving the volunteer corps up to
their necks in some slough of despond. Such a picture of the highways in
the good old times, is consolatory to the unfortunate generation of the
nineteenth century, who, among their many burdens and oppressions, can at
least congratulate themselves that in respect to locomotion, the lines
have fallen to them in pleasanter places.

The morris dance in its original glory was most frequently joined to
processions and pageants, especially to those appropriated to the
celebration of the May games. The chief dancer was more superbly dressed
than his comrades, and on these occasions was presumed to personate Robin
Hood; the maid Marian, and others supposed to have been the outlaw's
companions, were the characters supported by the rest; and the
hobby-horse, or a dragon, sometimes both, made a part of the display.

It was by some supposed to have been imported from the Moors, and was
probably a kind of Pyrrhic or military dance, usually performed with
staves and bells attached to the feet, each of which had its several tone
and name; the men who danced it, when in full character, were accompanied
by a boy dressed as a girl, and styled the maid _Marion_ (or Morian,
possibly from the Italian Moriane, a head piece, because his head was
generally gaily decked out).

The hobby-horse was originally a necessary accom