Popular Sports anil Exercises, ^X92 



schools as well as the combats of prize- 

 fighters. 



During the reigti of Henry the Seventh and 

 Henry Eighth, these schooJs were revived in 

 consequence of a supj)ased degeneracy in the 

 ruilitary spirit of the people ; and the baiting 

 of animals at the same time became a fa- 

 vourite * diversion. 



The Bear-garden,f during the 16th and the 

 early part of the 17th century, was the place 

 of rendezvous for the highest as well as the 

 lowest classes of society, llie Tatler, when 

 treating on the barbarous sports of this na- 

 tional circus, and the comments of foreigners 

 on the subject, adds, " I wish I kn«w how 

 to answer the reproaches which arc cast upon 

 us, and to excuse the death of so many inno- 



* Stephen Gossen, in the latter end of Henry 8ih*s reign, 

 considers that our ancestors had entirely sunk into the lap 

 of effeminacy, a* may be proved by the following singu- 

 larly quaint and alliterative style of abuse. " Ouf 

 wrestling at arms is turned into wallowing in ladies' laps ; 

 our courage to cowardice ; our running to riot ; our 

 bow«, into bowls ; and our dart* into dibhes." 



f Another common diversion, during the period of 

 Queen Elizabeth and in the two following reigns con- 

 sisted in several persons at the same time scourging with 

 whips a blind -foMeil bear round the ring, whose suffer- 

 ing< and awkward attempt^ at revenge highly graiified 

 the noble, as well as ignoble spcctalori, 

 Bb 



