As Mr.
Evelyn White points out, this "quickening of golden praise," by its
union of religious service and child's play, exactly reproduces the
conditions of the Boy-Bishop festival. Certain it is that the festival
was extraordinarily popular. There was hardly a church or school
throughout the country in which it was not observed, and if we turn to
the Northumberland Book cited in the foregoing chapter we shall find
that provision was made for its celebration in the chapels of the
nobility as well. The inventory is as follows:
"_Imprimis_, myter well garnished with perle and precious stones
with nowches of silver and gilt before and behind.
"_Item_, iiij rynges of silver and gilt with four redde precious
stones in them.
"_Item_, j pontifical with silver and gilt, with a blew stone in
hytt.
"_Item_, j owche broken silver and gilt, with iiij precious stones
and a perle in the myddes.
"_Item_, A Crosse with a staf of coper and gilt with the ymage of
St. Nicholas in the myddes.
"_Item_, j vesture redde with lyons of silver with brydds of gold
in the orferores of the same.
"_Item_, j albe to the same, with stars in the paro.[2]
"_Item_, j white cope stayned with cristells and orferes redde sylk
with does of gold and white napkins about their necks.
"_Item_, j stayned cloth of the ymage of St.
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