throughout the evening he kept bursting into smothered laughter, so
much so that his sister threw him many suspicious glances, and
divined that he had some evil purpose in his head.

The May light lasted long in the sky; but as it failed Frederick
went out, as was his wont, and for many hours he spent his time
with a number of kindred spirits in a neighbouring tavern, quaffing
large potations, and dicing and gaming after the fashion of the
Court gallants.

The bulk of the young roisterers thus assembled belonged to one of
those bands of Scourers of which Frederick claimed to be the head.
They were the worthy successors to the "Roaring Boys" or
Bonaventors of past centuries, and their favourite pastime was,
after spending the night in revelry and play, to start forth
towards dawn and scour the streets, upsetting the baskets or carts
of the early market folks bringing their wares into the town,
scattering the merchandise in the gutter, kissing the women,
cuffing the men, wrenching off knockers from house doors, and
getting up fights with the watch or with some rival band of
Scourers which resulted in broken heads and sometimes in actual
bloodshed.

The Magistrates treated these misdemeanours with wonderful
tolerance when the culprits were from time to time brought before
them, and the nuisance went on practically unchecked--the people
being used to wild and dissolute ways and much brawling--and
looking on it as one of the necessary ills of life.

But upon this bright May morning, before the streets began to