uncheon, pole, or sort of tilting-spear,
ran direct with force; if he was skilful, the board gave way, and he
passed on before the bag reached him, in which feat lay success; but if
he hit the board, but was not expert enough to escape, the bag swung
round, and striking him, often dismounted him; to miss the board
altogether was, however, the greatest disgrace. The quarrel alluded to,
arose ostensibly about the truncheons, but it was supposed really to have
been at the instigation of other persons, both on the part of the
monastery and city.

Tombland Fair stands not quite alone as a memorial of ancient festivals
held in honour of patron saints--one other day in the year stands forth
in the calendar of juvenile and mature enjoyments, unrivalled in its
claim upon our notice and our love. St. Valentine, that "man of most
admirable parts, so famous for his love and charity that the custom of
choosing valentines upon his festival took its rise from thence," as
Wheatley tells us,--is yet, even to this hour, held in high honour, and
most gloriously commemorated in this good old city, and in so unique a
fashion, that a few words may not suffice to give a true delineation of
it. The approach of the happy day is heralded, in these days of
steam-presses and local journals, by monster-typed advertisements,
gigantically headed "_Valentines_," or huge labels, bearing the same
mystic letters, carefully arranged in the midst of gorgeously-decked
windows, towards which young eyes turn in glistening hope and admiration;
and at sight of which little hearts beat high with eager expectation.
Not of Cupids, and hearts, and darts, and such like merry conceits on
fairy-mottoed note paper, doth the offerings of St. Valentine consist in
this good old mart of commerce;--far more real and substantial are the
samples of taste, ornament, and use, that rank themselves in the category
of his gifts. The jeweller's front, radiant with gold and precious gems,
and frosted silver, and ruby-eyed oxydized owls, Russian malachite
fashioned into every conceivable fantasy of invention, brooches,
bracelets, crosses, studs masculine and feminine, chatelaines ditto, and
not a few of _epicene_ characteristics, betokening the signs of the
times,--all claim to rank under the title. The Drapers--especially the
"French depots," with their large assortments on shew, in remote
_bazaars_ appropriated exclusively to the business of the festive season,
where labyrinth