So decided a partiality for this savage pastime would, of course, induce her courtiers to take care that their mistress should not be disappointed in this respect, and more especially when she honoured them with one of her periodical visits. Accordingly Laneham tells us, that when she was at Kenelworth Castle, in 1575, not less than thirteen bears were provided for her diversion, and that these were baited with a large species of ban-dogs. *

An example thus set by royalty itself, soon spread through every rank, and bear and bull baiting became one of the most general amusements in England. Shakspeare has alluded to it in more than twenty places, and it has equally attracted the notice of the foreign and domestic historian. Hentzner, whose Itinerary was printed in Latin A. D. 1598, was a spectator at one of these exhibitions, which he describes in the following manner: speaking of the theatres he says, "there is still another place, built in the form of a theatre, which serves for the baiting of bulls and bears; they are fastened behind, and then worried by great English bull-dogs, but not without great risque to the dogs, from the horns of the one, and the teeth of the other; and it sometimes happens they are killed on the spot; fresh ones are immediately supplied in the places of those that are wounded or tired." He then adds an account of a still more inhuman pastime : To this entertainment, there often follows that of whipping a blinded bear, which is performed by five or six men, standing circularly with whips, which they exercise upon him without any mercy, as he cannot escape from them because of his chain; he defends himself with all his force and skill, throwing down all who come within his reach, and are not active enough to get out of it, and tearing the whips out of their hands, and breaking them." Stowe, in the edition of his Survey printed in 1618, remarks, that "as for the bayting of Bulles and Beares, they are till this day much frequented, namely, in Beare-gardens on the Bankside, wherein be prepared Scaffolds for beholders to stand upon." +

* Nichols's Progresses of Queen Elizabeth, vol. i. p. 249. + Hentzner's Travels, pp. 29, 30.

VOL. II.

A A

+ P. 147.

lavoltos, jigs, galliards, and fancies, but the four which w selected for more peculiar notice, appear to have been t celebrated.

It is a melancholy proof of the imperfect state of during the reign of Elizabeth, that the barbarous sport Bullbeating should have been as favourite a diversion nobility, and gentry, as of the lowest class of soci would appear, from an order issued by the privy 1591, that the populace had earlier than their tired of this cruel spectacle, and had given a ma the amusements of the stage; for it is enacted that there should be no plays publickly exhibi cause on Thursdays, bear-baiting and such 1 usually practised; and four days afterwards? effect was sent to the Lord Mayor, in which performance of plays on the Sabbath, it i days of the week in divers place the plays to the great hurt and destruction like pastimes, which are maintained for History informs us that Elizabet an early period of her life, and co reign. When confined at Hatfie' Mary, were recreated with a gr which their highnesses were righ ascended the throne, she en bear and bull baiting, and s six in the evening; a sim Paris-Garden, for the s posterior, Her Majesty for the Danish amba Greenwich.

J

* Chalmers'

+ Warton

arde.

Ke

he first give daily

But the

1. 8. (ann. 1509) not eded in that which his ter dignity unto the same, nacting a good and godly statute

nn. 33 HL 8. cap. 9.) for the use and exercise of shooting in every

༡

And further more for the maintenance of the same laudable

in this honourable city of London by his gratious charter nto the worshipful citizens of the same, this your now of Knightes of Prince Arthure's Round Table or in his life time when he saw a good Archer im and ordained such a one for a knight of the

,

r, Societie, and Unitie Laudable, of Prince nd to which Shakspeare alludes, under in the second part of King Henry me time, considerable support; ten its decline. Under the of King Henry VII., and kilful shooter was comourished abundantly; its and the other members being enry was equally attached to the pointed a splendid match at shooting , an inhabitant of Shoreditch, London, ed such extraordinary skill, that the King, ormance, humorously gave him the title of

an appellation which not only superseded the

being copied by the inferior members, in assuming Larquis, Earl, &c., threw such a degree of burlesque over the business, as finally brought contempt upon the

Society, however, still subsisted with much magnificence

"The Auncient Order, Societie, and Vnitie Laudable, of Prince Arthure, and his knightly Armoury of the Round Table. With a Threefold Assertion frendly in favour and furtherance of English Archery at this day. Translated and Collected by R. R." (Richard Robinson) 4to. 1583.-Vide British Bibliographer, vol. i. p. 125. 127.

+ Reed's Shakspeare, vol. xii. p. 144.

Robinson

♫ 1583, "a captain of the moned a suit of Sario, of Clerkenand Earl of Panpointed time, with mpous march from ousand archers, sumpty-two of them having - splendid company was Almen, besides pages and

t, the residence of their Finsbury, and so on to everal evolutions, they shot at

es, p. 62., from Strype's London, vol. i. p. 250.-In 1682, ce of the worthy show and shooting by the Duke of Shoreditch pul citizens of London, upon Tuesday the 17th of Septemwww.g to the truth thereof, to the everlasting honour of the game

A BW. M.”

"About Bartholomew tyde last, 1595," relates the author, "there came out of Scotland one James Forgeson, bowyer to the King of Scots, who credibly reported, that about two years past, certaine rebelles did rise there against the King, who sent against them five hundred horsemen well appointed. They meeting three hundred of the rebel's bowmen, encountered each with other, when the bowemen slue two hundred and fourscore of their horses, and killed, wounded, and sore hurt most part of the Kinge's men. Whereupon the said Forgeson was sent hether from the King with commission to buy up ten thousande bowes and bowstaves: but because he could not speed heer, he went over into the East countries for them." *

The Toxophilus of Ascham, first published in 1544, was written in order" that stil, according to the olde wont of Englande, youth should use it for the most honest pastime in peace, that men might handle it as a most sure weapon in warre." † The latter of these purposes so completely failed, that the use of the bow as an offensive or defensive weapon of warfare totally ceased in the time of James the First; but the former was partially gained, as the treatise of Ascham certainly contributed to prolong the reign of archery as a mere recreation, though it could not retrieve its character as an instrument for the destruction of game. So early, indeed, as 1531, we learn from Sir Thomas Elyot's "Boke named the Governour," that crossbows and guns had then superseded the long-bow, in the sports of the field:- 66 Verylye I suppose," says he, "that before crosbowes and handegunnes were broughte into this realme, by the sleyghte of our enemies, to the entent to distroye the noble defence of archerye, continuall use of shootynge in the longe bowe made the feate soo perfecte and exacte among englyshemen, that thei than as surely and soone kylled suche game whiche thei lysted to have, as thei nowe can do with the crossebowe or gunne." ‡

* Vide British Bibliographer, vol. i. pp. 448. 450.

+ Ascham's Works apud Bennet, 4to. p. 55.

The Boke named the Governour; the edition of 1553. p. 83.