900 ACCIDENT AT A BEAR-BAITING. 
custom, and tradition. Now, the sports of 
the people are among the things which may 
be left upon the footing of tradition, custom, 
and usage. But, whether I am right or 
wrong as to the temper of our Roman Ca- 
tholic times, in reference to Bear-baiting 
and similar sports, you will be pleased 
to hear, that at any rate, after the Refor- 
mation, England had at least some portion 
of its Clergy to condemn them. On a 
Sunday, in the year 1582, a scaffolding 
suddenly gave way, and many of the specta- 
tors were killed, besides many others severely 
wounded and maimed. Several of the Cler- 
gy, and numerous writers, seized upon the 
-moment, for exclaiming against the practice ; 
and the Lord Mayor, (Sir Thomas Blanke,) 
in writing to the Lord Treasurer upon the 
occasion, observed, that it ‘ gave great rea- 
son to acknowledge the hand of God for 
breach of the Lord’s Day,’ and moved him 
to put an end to the practice. At Court, 
however, no notice was taken of that appeal. 
The office of Master of the Bears and Dogs 
was made patent by James I. who gave it 
to Alleyn, in whose time prize-fighting with 
