As he turned into the High, or principal, Street, he heard a burst of music very near him, followed by a loud shout.
"My merry mates, the morrice dancers," thought he; "I would know old Jeremy's rebeck among an hundred.

I will venture across the street ere they pass on; if I am espied, I shall have the renown of some private quest, which may do me honour as a roving blade." With these longings for distinction among the gay and gallant, combated, however, internally, by more prudential considerations, the bonnet maker made an attempt to cross the street.

But the revellers, whoever they might be, were accompanied by torches, the flash of which fell upon Oliver, whose light coloured habit made him the more distinctly visible.
The general shout of "A prize--a prize" overcame the noise of the minstrel, and before the bonnet maker could determine whether it were better to stand or fly, two active young men, clad in fantastic masking habits, resembling wild men, and holding great clubs, seized upon him, saying, in a tragical tone: "Yield thee, man of bells and bombast--yield thee, rescue or no rescue, or truly thou art but a dead morrice dancer." "To whom shall I yield me ?" said the bonnet maker, with a faltering voice; for, though he saw he had to do with a party of mummers who were afoot for pleasure, yet he observed at the same time that they were far above his class, and he lost the audacity necessary to support his part in a game where the inferior was likely to come by the worst.
"Dost thou parley, slave ?" answered one of the maskers; "and must I show thee that thou art a captive, by giving thee incontinently the bastinado ?" "By no means, puissant man of Ind," said the bonnet maker; "lo, I am conformable to your pleasure." "Come, then," said those who had arrested him--"come and do homage to the Emperor of Mimes, King of Caperers, and Grand Duke of the Dark Hours, and explain by what right thou art so presumptuous as to prance and jingle, and wear out shoe leather, within his dominions without paying him tribute.

Know'st thou not thou hast incurred the pains of high treason ?" "That were hard, methinks," said poor Oliver, "since I knew not that his Grace exercised the government this evening.

But I am willing to redeem the forfeit, if the purse of a poor bonnet maker may, by the mulct of a gallon of wine, or some such matter." "Bring him before the emperor," was the universal cry; and the morrice dancer was placed before a slight, but easy and handsome, figure of a young man, splendidly attired, having a cincture and tiara of peacock's feathers, then brought from the East as a marvellous rarity; a short jacket and under dress of leopard's skin fitted closely the rest of his person, which was attired in flesh coloured silk, so as to resemble the ordinary idea of an Indian prince.