NOTES TO INTRODUCTION.
Carol, p. [9]. Middle Latin Choraula, from choreola. The word coraula is still used to denote the ring-dance in Switzerland; also coreihi, to leap (choreare), Rochholz, p. 371. Russian chorom, a round of children, Bezsonoff, p. 190.
May-games, pp. [16]-[19]. Tarbé, "Romancero de Champagne," ii. 61. Puymaigre, p. 201, "Trimazos." A. Rivinus, "De Majumis," etc., in Graevius, Syntagma (Utrecht, 1702).
Games Cited by Froissart (pp. [34], [35]).—The passage here rendered (with the omission of two or three obscure names of amusements) is from "L'Espinette Amoureuse," l. 143-338, 35-47. Many of the games mentioned cannot now be recognized from the titles given. Others, however, can be identified; thus, Queue loo loo (keuve leu leu) is No. 106 of the present collection; Oats (avainne), No. 21; Scorn or Derision (risées), perhaps No. 61; King who does not lie, perhaps No. 55; Grasses (erbelette), No. 42; Cligne-musette (Cluignette), No. 105; Pince-merine, according to Menagier de Paris, lxxvii., the same as Pince-sans-rire, No. 77, C. Playing with nuts, No. 144; Throwing pence, etc., No. 144, B. Pebbles (pierettes), No. 137, or No. 148. Hook (havot), perhaps Hockey, No. 136. Mule, a kind of leapfrog, still played in Italy, Salta-muletta, Gianandrea, No. 30. A species of this game in Philadelphia is now called Saults. Replies (réponniaux), a sort of Hide and seek, No. 105, in which the concealed person indicates his whereabouts in answer to a call; see same poem, l. 2653. Astonishment (esbahi), a game which consisted in imitating that emotion; thus, when the horses of a party have given out unexpectedly—"I should think we were playing at Astonishment," says one of the cavaliers, looking at the faces of the rest (Dict. of La Curne de Sainte-Palaye, art. "Esbahi"). On the whole, the impression which the catalogue gives us, is that the sports of a child in the Middle Ages were very similar to those of to-day, or, perhaps we should rather say, of yesterday.
Love-games (p. [39]).—This is an old name for games representing or offering opportunity for courtship, as "love-songs" is for ballads. We have heard both expressions in New England, from the lips of aged persons, in whose youth they were current. See the Gentleman's Magazine, Feb. 1738.