1 20 Yew- Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



1 2th June 1349, Edward in. sets forth how 'the 

 people of our realm, as well of good quality as 

 mean, have commonly in their sports before these 

 times exercised their skill of shooting arrows ; 

 whence it is well known that honour and profit 

 have accrued to our whole realm, and to us, by the 

 help of God, no small assistance in our warlike 

 acts.' 



Now, however, ' the said skill being laid aside, 

 as it were wholly,' the King proceeds to command 

 the sheriffs to make public proclamation that ' every 

 one of the said city, strong in body, at leisure 

 times on holidays, use in their recreations bows and 

 arrows or piles, 1 and bolts, and learn and exercise 

 the art of shooting, forbidding all and singular, on 

 our behalf, that they do not after any manner apply 

 themselves to the throwing of stones, wood, or 

 iron, hand-ball, foot-ball, bandy-ball, cambuck, or 

 cock-fighting, nor such-like vain plays, which have 

 no profit in them.' 



In the reign pf Richard n. an Act was passed to 

 compel all servants to shoot with them on Sundays 

 and holidays. 2 



' Edward in., in the fifteenth year of his reign, 

 issued an order to the sheriffs of most of the 

 English counties, to provide 500 white bows, and 



1 The words of the letter are : ' Arcubus et sagittis vel pilettis aut boltis.' 

 In the thirty-ninth year of this reign, A.D. 1349, the penalty incurred by 

 offenders was imprisonment during the King's pleasure. Man wood, op. cit. 



2 Forest and Forest Trees, Ingram and Co. 



