From early records it appears that the amusements of our ancestors had a
direct tendency to utility; since nearly all their recreations were
resolvable into public defence against the attacks of an enemy. The
"play at ball was," says Fitz-Stephen, "derived from the Romans, and was
the common exercise of every schoolboy." The intention of this game was
to make the young men active, nimble, and vigourous, whenever they
should be called upon to fight the battles of their country. The
necessity of the above accomplishments must be obvious to all who are
the least acquainted with their manner of fighting.
Another species of exercise was truly martial. It is related by
Fitz-Stephen thus: "Every Friday in Lent a company of young men enter
the field on horseback, conducted by the best horsemen. Then march forth
the sons of citizens and other young men armed with lances and shields,
and these practise feats of war, and show by good proof how serviceable
they would be in martial affairs." This is evidently of Roman descent,
and cannot fail of bringing to our recollection the "Ludus Trojae,"
which is supposed to be the invention, as it was the exercise, of
Ascanius. The common people in that age of masculine manners made every
kind of amusement, where strength was exerted, the subject of
instruction and improvement.
In those vacant intervals of industry vulgarly entitled "holidays,"
indolence which characterizes the present period, was left to the aged
or infirm. The writer whom we have before quoted says "The youths are
exercised in the summer holidays in leaping, dancing, wrestling, casting
the hammer, the stone, and in practising their shields; and in winter
holidays the boars prepared for brawn are set to fight, or else in bull
and bear baiting." Such we see were the pursuits to which our
forefathers devoted their leisure time in or about the year 1130. Their
immediate descendants breathed the same spirit. In 1222 certain masters,
or professors as we should call them, made a public profession of their
instruction and discipline, which they imparted to those who were
desirous of making themselves perfect in the above honourable
achievements, which we think they were, in spite of these enlightened
times, or of the slow "march of intellect."
But of all the manly pastimes our ancestors delighted to honour, archery
appears to have gained the greatest sway over the hearts of the
multitude. It is stated that through the introduction of several
"pernicious games," it had for a long time been disused, and in the 33rd
year of the reign of Henry VIII. a statute was made for its revival; it
then continued till the reign of Charles I. A faint trial to revive it
has again been attempted, but we doubt its success.
James I., at the beginning of his reign, to gratify the people,
published a book of sports, of which the women had some time before
participated on Sunday evenings, but which had been prohibited. These
sports consisted of dancing, ringing, wrestling, and other profanations
of that day, and which had risen to such a height that the land would
have been deluged with immorality, if Charles I. had not wisely shown
his piety, by totally abolishing them; this he did as soon as he came to
his throne. In this reign may be said to have ended all those games that
taught Britons to defend their altars and their homes, and unhappily
nothing has been since instituted to compensate for their loss. E.J.K.
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