circuitous
by-paths that the travellers could proceed on their journey.
    The Queen's purveyors had been abroad, sweeping the farms and villages of
those articles usually exacted during a royal Progress, and for which the owners
were afterwards to obtain a tardy payment from the Board of Green Cloth. The
Earl of Leicester's household officers had been scouring the country for the
same purpose; and many of his friends and allies, both near and remote, took
this opportunity of ingratiating themselves, by sending large quantities of
provisions and delicacies of all kinds, with game in huge numbers, and whole
tuns of the best liquors, foreign and domestic. Thus the high roads were filled
with droves of bullocks, sheep, calves, and hogs, and choked with loaded wains,
whose axle-trees cracked under their burdens of wine-casks and hogsheads of ale,
and huge hampers of grocery goods, and slaughtered game, and salted provisions,
and sacks of flour. Perpetual stoppages took place as these wains became
entangled; and their rude drivers, swearing and brawling till their wild
passions were fully raised, began to debate precedence with their waggon-whips
and quarter-staves, which occasional riots were usually quieted by a purveyor,
deputy-marshal's man, or some other person in authority, breaking the heads of
both parties.
    Here were, besides, players and mummers, jugglers and showmen, of every
description, traversing in joyous bands the paths which led to the Palace of
Princely Pleasure; for so the travelling minstrels had termed Kenilworth in the
songs which already had come forth in anticipation of the revels which were
there expected. In the midst of this motley show, mendicants were exhibiting
their real or pretended miseries, forming a strange, though common, contrast
betwixt the vanities and the sorrows of human existence. All these floated along
with the immense tide of population, whom mere curiosity had drawn together; and
where the mechanic, in his leather apron, elbowed the dink and dainty dame, his
city mistress; where clowns, with hobnailed shoes, were treading on the kibes of
substantial burghers and gentlemen of worship; and where Joan of the dairy, with
robust pace, and red sturdy arms, rowed her way onward, amongst those prim and
pretty moppets, whose sires were knights and squires.
    The throng and confusion was, however, of a gay and cheerful character. All
came forth to see and to enjoy, and all laughed at the trifling inconveniences
which at another time might have chafed their temper. Excepting the occasional
brawls which we have mentioned among that irritable race the carmen, the