Historic%20Yorkshire

THE BISHOP BLAIZE FESTIVAL. 187
Woolsorters on horseback, with ornamented caps, and
various coloured slivers.
Combmakers.
Charcoal Burners.
Band.
Woolcombers, with wool wigs, &c.
Band.
Dyers, with red cockades, blue aprons, and crossed
slivers of red and blue.
At ten o'clock everything was in readiness for the
pageantry to commence. At these celebrations it was
always the custom to repeat a number of lines, which
run as follows: —
Hail to the day whose kind auspiciousrays
Deign'd first to smile on famous Bishop Blaize!
To the great author of our combing trade
This day's devoted,and due honors paid;
To him whose fame thro' Britain's isle resounds,
To him whose goodness to the poor abounds;
Long shall his name inBritish annals shine,
And grateful ages offer at his shrine!
By this, our trade, are thousands daily fed,
By it supplied with means to earn their bread,
In various forms our tradeits work imparts,
In different methods and by different arts,
Preserves from starving indigents distress'd,
As combers, spinners,weavers, and therest.
We boast no gems, or costly garments vain,
Borrowed from India or the coast of Spain;
Our native soil with woolour trade supplies,
While foreign broil our common good annoys,
Our country's product all our art employs:
Our fleecy flocks abound in everyvale,
Our bleatinglambs proclaim the joyful tale.
Solet not Spain with us attempt to vie,
Nor India's wealth pretendto soar sohigh;
Nor Jason pridehim in his Colchian spoil;
By hardships gain'd andenterprising toil :
Since Britons all with easeattain theprize,
And everyhill resounds withgolden cries,
To celebrate our founder's great renown
Our shepherd andour shepherdess we crown;
For England's commerce, and for George'ssway
Eachloyalsubject gave aloud " Huzza! Huzza ! '