The Traditional Children's Games of England Scotland
& Ireland In Dictionary Form - Volume 1

With Tunes(sheet music), Singing-rhymes(lyrics), Methods Of Playing with diagrams and illustrations.

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HIDE AND SEEK
213
" Eleanora . . . obiit Jun. 14, 1681. Hanc, subito et imma­ture) (ipsos pene inter hymenaeos) fato correptam, moestissimus luxit maritus, et in gratam piamq. parentum sororis et dilec-tissimae conjugis memoriam, monumentum hoc erigi voluit." Tradition connects this sudden death—" ipsos pene inter hymenaeos "—with the story of the bride playing at " Hide and Seek." It is curious that, in Haynes Bayly's song, the bride­groom's name should be Lovell. There is no mention on the monument of the name of the bereaved husband. The father, Edward Lovell, was fourteen years rector of Bawdrip and fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, and died in 1675, and so could not have been present at the wedding, as represented in the song. He came from Batcombe, near Castle-Cary; at which latter place the Lovells were seated in very early days.— Notes and Queries', 4th Ser., ix. 477.
Cope (Hampshire Glossary) calls the game " I spy I." Lowsley (Berkshire Glossary) says, u In playing this game, the seeker has to call out *. I spy !' to the one he finds before he may start for home." It is called " Hy Spy " in Patterson's Antrim and Down Glossary; Evans' Leicestershire Glossary', " Hide and Wink; " Barnes' Dorset Glossary, "Hidy Buck."
In Pegge's Alphabet of Kenticisms the game is given as " Hide and Fox." Cf. " Hide Fox, and all after," i.e., let the fox hide and the others go to seek him; Hamlet, iv. 2, 32. In Stead's Holderness Glossary, " Hed-o." In the North Riding it is " Lam-pie-sote-it," also called " Felto" in Robin­son's Whitby Glossary. He also mentions that the hidden child cries " How-ly" to the finder. Apparently the same as the south country "Whoop," a signal to the finder to begin the search. Addy (Sheffield Glossary) says this game is called " Felt and Laite." Holland (Cheshire Glossary) speaks of it as " I Spy."
See " Davie Drap."