Necton Guild.

From the “mayor’s booth,” early on Whit Monday afternoon, the ceremony of commencing or proclaiming the guild emanates in the following order of procession:—

Constable of Necton in a red scarf, with his staff of office.
Beadles or special constables with staves, two and two.
Master beadle of the guild, with a halberd.
Six boys and girls, Maypole dancers, two and two, hand in hand.
Band of Music.
Maskers, or morris-dancers, fancifully attired, two and two.
Pursuivant with a truncheon, habited in a tabard, on which is depictured an allegorical representation of the arms of Necton.
Sword-bearer in grotesque dress, on horseback.
Standard bearer on horseback.
THE MAYOR OF THE GUILD,
On horseback, in full dress suit and purple robes with his chain of office.
Standard bearer on horseback.
The mayor elect on horseback.
Standard bearer on horseback.
Principal tenantry on horseback, two and two.
Beadles of the guild.
Maskers or morris-dancers, fancifully attired, two and two.
Six boys and girls, Maypole dancers, two and two, hand in hand.
Beadles of the guild.
Band of music.
Man bearing a standard.
Members of Royal Oak Friendly Society, with purple and light blue favours in their hats, two and two.
Members of the Necton Old Club Friendly Society with light blue favours in their hats, two and two.

Taking a circuitous route through the field into the park, upon arriving at the principal entrance to the hall, where the colonel and his friends are waiting the approach of the procession, the mayor alights, and thus addresses the patron:—

“Honourable sir,—
“The period now arriv’d,
In which the tokens of my mayoralty
Must be resign’d,—I make it my request,
You should appoint as mayor elect, this year,
Our worthy friend and colleague, Mr. * * * *
But in resigning, beg best thanks to give
For the diversion of our last year’s guild;—
Hoping the festival will as much this year,
By weather and kind friends be happy blest.”

To this the colonel replies, “by thanking the mayor for his past services,—for the good order and regularity observed during the last festival,—and the pleasure it will afford him to make the new appointment.”—They then enter the vestibule, where the mayor resigning his robes and tokens of office, the mayor elect is then invested with them. After returning to the door, the colonel congratulates the new mayor on entering his office, &c. to which his worship thus replies:—

“Honourable sir,—
“With pleasure I receive
Th’ official tokens of my mayoralty,
Which now in place of our late worthy mayor,
Alderman * * * * I do most willingly take:
Be well assured, as much as in me lies,
I will good rule and order strict maintain,
That peace and pleasure may together tend
To make our guild, two days of even mirth
Hoping all here assembled at the hall,
Anon will join us in the festive scene,
And bidding all most welcome to our guild:
I thus respectful beg to take my leave,
That I may tend my duties in the field.”—

The procession then returns by the same route and in the same order, with the exception of the new and the past mayors who have changed places. The rustic sports then commence;—the master beadle, ringing a bell, proclaims the sport and the prize, the competitors for which are desired to “come upon the Maypole-stand.”—The sports usually selected, are