My Lord of Misrule’s badges

The Lord of Misrule’s company sold painted paper badges, called my Lord of Misrule’s badges, to anyone who would pay to keep up their revels, and some people wore them openly in their hats and caps. Those who would not buy were mocked and flouted, and others brought the company bread, good ale, new cheese and old, custards and fine cakes. Stubbes, attacking the practice, called the badges the devil’s cognizances, and his 1595 edition added that refusers were sometimes carried on a cowlstaff and ducked over head and ears in water.