As for the hobby-horse itself, I have not heard whether it was of the usual nursery type, or whether it was built in the likeness of the leather camels of a German steamship.

Dryden's Epilogue spoken by Hart when The Silent Woman was played before the University of Oxford in 1673: Th' Italian Merry-Andrews took their place, And quite debauch'd the Stage with lewd Grimace: Instead of Wit and Humours, your Delight Was there to see two Hobby-horses fight, Stout Scaramoucha with Rush Lance rode in, And ran a Tilt at Centaure Arle

Under these circumstances we cannot be surprised to find the principal performers in the May pageants passing the one into the other,to find the May King, whose occupation was gone when the gallant outlaw had supplanted him in the favor of the Lady, assuming the part of the Hobby-Horse, Robin Hood usurping the title of King of the May, and the Hobby-Horse entering into a contest with the Dragon, as St. George.

Under these circumstances we cannot be surprised to find the principal performers in the May pageants passing the one into the other,to find the May King, whose occupation was gone when the gallant outlaw had supplanted him in the favor of the Lady, assuming the part of the Hobby-Horse, Robin Hood usurping the title of King of the May, and the Hobby-Horse entering into a contest with the Dragon, as St. George.

"But to throw downe the walls and Gates of Rome To make an entrance for an Hobby-horse; To vaunt to th'people his ridiculous spoyles; To come with Lawrell and with Olyves crown'd For having been the worst of all the singers, Is beyond Patience!"

" The hobby-horse was a basket-horse used in morris-dances and May games.

what new paper hobby-horses, what rattle-babies, are come out in your late May morris-dance? JUDICIO.

I call all people who fall in love with furniture, clothes, and equipage, of this number, and I look upon them as no less in the wrong than when they were five years old, and doated on shells, pebbles, and hobby-horses: I believe you will expect this letter to be dated from the other world, for sure I am you never heard an inhabitant of this talk so before.

The hobby-horses swarmed with Negresses and Hindoos of the lower order.

For though Shakspeare himself seemed to think with regret that the dirge of the hobby-horse had been sung, yet, as we ourselves have given evidence, it is impossible for any one to write on this subject without taking an occasional airing on one or more of those imaginary steeds that stand at livery with no risk of eating off their own heads.

We laugh at his foolish sports, but his game is our earnest; and his drums, rattles, and hobby-horses, but the emblems and mocking of man's business.

Of course, such a book has not been the work of a day, month, or, perhaps, a year; and its literature entitles it to a permanent place in the library, where we hope to see it stand auro perennius; were its fate to be otherwise, we should condemn the publicfor we hate ingratitude in every shapeand write in the first page the epitaphFor, O, for, O, the hobby-horse is forgot.

Let them freely feast, sing and dance, have their puppet-plays, hobby-horses, tabors, crowds, bagpipes, &c., play at ball, and barley-breaks, and what sports and recreations they like best.

This place is remarkable, or was lately, for a sport on New Year's Day and Twelfth Day, called The Hobby-Horse Dance, from a person who rode upon the image of a horse, with a bow and arrow in his hands, with which he made a snapping noise, and kept time to the music, while six men danced the hay and other country dances, with as many deer's heads on their shoulders.

10 The Italian Merry-Andrews took their place, And quite debauch'd the stage with lewd grimace: Instead of wit and humours, your delight Was there to see two hobby-horses fight; Stout Scaramoucha with rush-lance rode in, And ran a tilt at centaur Arlequin.

When, in the last act, a Battle is fought between Foot and great Hobby-Horses 'At last, Drawcansir comes in and Kills them all on both Sides,' explaining himself in lines that begin, Others may boast a single man to kill; But I the blood of thousands daily spill.

pray ye no services, Or if ye needs must play the Hobby-horses, Seek out some beauty that affects 'em: farewel, Nay pray ye spare: Gentlemen I am old enough To go alone at these years, without crutches.

Three Boys on Hobby-horses, with three penny Halberds, would beat you all.

Our poor hobby-horses are dragged out of the stable, and made to show their shambling paces before the mob of gentlemen who read with ease.

It is often difficult to provide stabling for dead men's hobby-horses.

As the mood seizes him he plays the rôle of fireman for hours together; goes carol-singing in his sledge, and reaps his harvest of coppers from the houses of his subjects; rides a hobby-horse at a village fair, and shrieks with laughter until he falls off; or plies saw and plane in a shipbuilding yard, sharing the meals and drinking bouts of his fellow-workmen.

MORRIS-DANCE, a rustic merrymaking common in England after 1350, and still extant; is of disputed origin; the chief characters, Maid Marian, Robin Hood, the hobby-horse, and the fool, execute fantastic movements and Jingle bells fastened to their feet and dress.

It would not be imaginable to any person free from hobby-horse or fanciful attachments, how much mortification such an incident occasions.

Have done with your senseless and profane mummeries; and dismiss your Robin Hoods, your Friar Tucks, and your Hobby-horses.

For indeed these fantastic, and altogether too scantily clad women, among whom were a few really beautiful girls, behaved in a most immodest manner, baring their bold, white breasts, chaffing those who went by with shameless words, and swinging their long walking sticks; and using the latter as hobby-horses, they rode down toward the gate of St. Katherine, singing in shrill tones the witch-song "Where is the goat?