“ So he took such delight in sport that he would go far and near to any meetings, as cudgel-play, bear-baiting, football play, and the like. But as Tom was riding one day, he seeing a company at football play he lighted off his horse to see that rare sport, for they were playing for a wager; but Tom was a stranger there and none did know him there; but Tom soon spoiled their sport, for he meeting the football took it such a kick that they never found their ball no more ”

“ Into the yard they both walk together, the young spark with a naked sword, and Tom with neither stick nor staff in his hand, nor any other weapon. What says the spark, have you nothing to defend yourself? ”

“ I, sirrah, said the Gyant, and took that word in high disdain, that Tom should call him a traytorly rogue, and with that he ran into his cave to fetch his great club, intending to dash out Tom’s brains at the first blow. ”

“ And with that he catch’d a back sword from the side of a Gentleman in his own company, with which he so bravely behaved himself that at every stroke he cut off a joint, loth he was to touch the life of any, but aiming at their legs and arms, he lopt them off so fast, that in less than a quarter of an hour, there was not one in the company but what had lost a limb, the green grass being stained with their purple gore, and the ground strew’d with legs and arms, as ’tis with tiles from the tops of the Houses after a dreadful storm. ”

“ So when Tom began to know that he had more strength then twenty men had, he then began to be merry with men and very tractable, and would run, or go, or jump, and took great delight to be amongst company, and to go to fairs and meetings, and to see sports and pastimes. So going to a feast, the young men were all met, some to cudgels, some to wrastling, some throwing the hammer, and the like; so Tom stood a little to see their sport, and at last goes to them that were a throwing the hammer ”

“ The first time that his strength was known was by his mothers going to a rich farmer’s house (she being but a poor woman) to desire a buttle of straw to shift herself and her son Thomas. The farmer being an honest charitable man, bid her take what she would. She going home to her son Tom, said, I pray thee go to such a place and fetch me a buttle of straw, I have asked him leave. He swore a great oath he would not go: nay, prithee, Tom go, said his old mother. He swore again he would not go, unless she would borrow him a cart rope. ”

“ Tom knew not what to do for a weapon, for he knew his whip would do but little good against such a monstrous beast as he was, for he was in length twelve foot, and six foot about the waste; but while the Gyant went for his club, Tom bethought himself of a very good weapon, for he makes no more ado, but takes his cart and turns it upside down, and takes the axletree and the wheel for his shield and buckler, and very good weapons they were in such time of need. ”

“ The ‘monstrous giant’ who guarded the marsh was in truth no other than the tyrannical lord of the manor who attempted to keep his copyholders out of the common field, Tylney Smeeth; but who was driven away with his retainers by the prowess of Tom armed only with his axletree and cart-wheel.” [B] This does not appear to me to put the case too strongly. A tradition told so readily and believed so generally in the middle of the seventeenth century must have had a strong vitality in it only to be obtained by age. ”

“ Are you indeed weary of the world, that you so unadvisably set upon one who is able to crush you in like a Cucumber; the Troopers laughing at him, said, that they were not to be daunted at his high words, High words quoth Tom, no I will come to action; and with that he run in between these armed Troopers, catching them under his arm. ”

“ And knowing what folk-lore has to say about the long life of traditions, about their constant repetition age after age, it is not, I venture to think, too much to conclude that a story which can be shown by evidence to have lived on from mouth to mouth for two centuries is capable of going back to an almost endless antiquity for its true original. ”

“ So Tom at last yielded to be his man, and his master told him how far he should go; for you are to understand there was a monstrous Gyant, who kept some part of the marsh, and none durst go that way; for if they did he would keep them or kill them, or else he would make bond slaves of them.
But to come to Tom and his master, that he did more work [8] in one day then all his men would do in three; so that his master, seeing him so tractable, and to look so well after his business, made him his head man to go into the marsh, to carry beer by himself, for he needed no man with him. ”

“ Tom Hickathrift, seeing this, gave the Lyon such a blow that it ended his life.
Now was his joy mingled with sorrow for tho’ he had cleared the Island of those ravenous savage beasts, yet his grief was intolerable for the loss of his old friend. Home he returned to his lady, where in token of Joy for the wonderful success which he had in his dangerous enterprizes, he made a very noble and splendid Feast, to which he invited most of his best Friends and Acquaintance, to whom he made the following Promise. ”

“ Tom's fame being spread abroad both far and hear, there was not a man durst give him an angry word for he was something fool-hardy, and did not care what he did unto them; so that all them who knew him would not in the least displease him. At length there was a Brewer at Lynn, who wanted a good lusty man to carry his beer to the marsh, and to Wisbech; hearing of Tom, went to hire him, but Tom seemed coy, and would not be his man, until his mother and friends persuaded him, and his master intreated him ”

“ His father being soon called out of the world, his mother was tender of him, maintained him by her hand-labour as well as she could; he being slothful, and not willing to work to get a penny for his living, but all his delight was to be in the chimney corner, and would eat as much at one time as would serve four or five men ”

“ On page 1 we read that Tom Hickathrift dwelt “in the marsh of the Isle of Ely.” In the earliest British Museum copy this appears as “in the parish of the Isle of Ely.” Again, on page 11 Tom is described as laying out the giant’s estate, “some of which he gave to the poor for their common, and the rest he made pastures of and divided the most part into good ground, to maintain him and his old mother Jane Hickathrift.” In the earliest British Museum copy the expression “good ground” is displaced by “tillage.” ”

“ Tom’s mother being dead, and he left alone in a large and spacious house, he found himself strange and uncouth, therefore he began to consider with himself that it would not be amiss to seek out for a wife; and hearing of a young rich widow, not far from Cambridge, to her he went, and made his addresses: and at the first coming she seem’d to shew him much favour and countenance; but between this and his coming again, she had given some entertainment to a more genteel and airy spark, who happened likewise to come while honest Tom was there the second time ”

“ Already internal evidence has, it is suggested, pointed to a popular unwritten tradition of Tom Hickathrift’s life and exploits. But we must [v] ask now, Is there, or was there, any tradition among the peasantry of Lyn and its neighbourhood about Thomas Hickathrift? And, if so, how far does this popular tradition reach back, and how far does it tally with the chap-book version? Again, is this popular tradition independent of the chap-book story, or has it been generated from the printed book? ”

“ The pranks which Tom performed “must be noticed,” says Sir Francis, “as being correctly Scandinavian.” He then goes on to say, “Similar were the achievements of the great Northern champion Grettir, when he kept [xiii] geese upon the common, as told in his Saga. Tom’s youth retraces the tales of the prowess of the youthful Siegfried detailed in the Niblunga Saga and in the book of Heroes. It appears from Hearne that the supposed axle-tree, with the superincumbent wheel, was represented on ‘Hycothrift’s’ grave-stone in Tylney churchyard in the shape of a cross. ”

“ Let us now turn to the other side, namely, the existence of a traditional version in modern days, because it is important to note that the printing of a chapbook version need not have disturbed the full current of traditional thought. In a note Sir Francis Palgrave seems to imply that the story was still extant without the aid of printed literature. He writes:
“A Norfolk antiquary has had the goodness to procure for us an authentic report of the present state of Tom’s sepulchre. [xi] It is a stone soros, of the usual shape and dimensions; the sculptured lid or cover no longer exists. ”

“ Kills a giant with a club, Tom using axletree and wheel for his shield and buckler.
(8.) Takes possession of the giant’s territory and lives there.
(9.) Commits more pranks, “kicks a football right away.”
(10.) Escapes from four thieves and despoils them.
(11.) Is defeated by a tinker.
It will not be necessary to analyse the whole of the stories to which we are referred for the mythic parallels of Tom Hickathrift; but I will take out the items corresponding to those tabulated above. In the story of “Grettir the Strong” we have the following incidents:—
(1.) ”

“ In regard Tom had been hinder’d by these troopers, he delay’d his visit to his Lady till next day, and then coming to her, gave her a full account of what had happen’d; she was pleased at heart at this wonderful relation, knowing it was safe for a woman to marry with a man who was able to defend her against all assaults whatsoever, and such a one she found Tom to be. ”

“ Tom going so long that wearisome journey, and finding that way which the Gyant kept was nearer by half, and Tom having gotten more strength by half then before by being so well kept, and drinking so much strong ale as he did; one day he was going to Wisbich, and without saying anything to his master or to any of his fellow servants, he was resolved to make the nearest way to be a road or lose his life, to win the horse, or lose the saddle; to kill or be killed ”

“ Now the reference to Sir William Dugdale is misleading, because, as will be seen by the following quotation, the position of the hero is altered in Dugdale’s version of the legend from that of a popular leader to the tyrant lord himself:—“Of this plain I may not omit a tradition which the common people thereabouts have, viz., that in old time the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages had a fierce contest with one Hickifric (the then owner of it) touching the bounds thereof, which [vii] grew so hot that at length it came to blows ”

“ Tom served two Troopers, whom the young Spark had hired to beset him, etc.
This young galland being tormented in his mind to think how Tom had conquered and sham’d him before his Mistress, he was now resolved for speedy revenge; and knowing that he was not able to coap with a man of Tom’s strength and activity, he therefore hired two lusty Troopers, well mounted, to lie in ambush in a thicket which Tom had to pass through from his home to the young lady, and accordingly they attempted to set upon him: How now quoth Tom Rascals, what would you be at? ”

“ The stone coffin, which stands now out of the ground in Tilney churchyard, on the north side of the church, will not receive a person above six feet in length, and this is shown as belonging formerly to the giant Hickifric. The cross said to be a representation of the cart-wheel is a cross pattée, on the summit of a staff, which staff is styled an axle-tree. ”