THEIR HISTORY, RISE AND PROGRESS. 355 



they consisted principally of strong clumsy beasts, tlie few 

 lighter ones being weak and without bottom. 



It appears that in this reign races were first established 

 in various parts of England, and the first meetings were 

 held at Chester and Stamford, but there was no regular 

 system, and all sorts of horses ran. The prize was usually 

 a wooden bell adorned with flowers ; and this afterwards 

 was exchanged for a silver bell, and " given to him who 

 should run the best and furthest on horseback on Shrove 

 Tuesday." Hence the phrase of " bearing away the 

 bell"(y). 



In this reign also a variety of regulations were made 

 with regard to gaming, some of which are in force at the 

 present day. The object of the legislature was to encour- 

 age archery, and in a.d. 1511 it was enacted, that "all 

 sorts of men under the age of forty years " should " have 

 bows and arrows and use shooting," and that "unlawful 

 games " should not "be used." This, however, was fol- 

 lowed by a much more comprehensive Act, which was 

 passed in a.d. 1541 ; namely 33 Hen. 8, c. 9, being a 

 " bill for the maintaining artillery and the debarring un- 

 lawful games." It professes in its preamble to be founded 

 on a petition from the bowmen and others concerned in the 

 making of implements of archery ; and they complained 

 that " many and sundry new and crafty games and plays, 

 as logetting in the field, slide-thrift, otherwise called shove- 

 groat," had caused the decay of archery (s). It made 

 various regulations concerning the use of bows and arrows, 

 and imposed a penalty of forty shillings a day for the main- 

 tenance of " any common house, alley or place of bowHng, 

 coyting, cloyshcayles, half-bowl, tennis, dicing table or 

 carding," or any game previously prohibited by statute, 

 or any unlawful new game which might afterwards be 

 invented (a). 



There was a penalty of six shillings and eightpence each 

 time for using and haunting any of the above-mentioned 

 " houses or plays and there playing " (b). 



Any justice of the peace, mayor, sheriff, bailiff, &c., 

 had authority to enter any houses or places where un- 

 lawful games were suspected to be held, and take and 

 imprison both the keepers and persons resorting and 



(y) Lib. U. K. " The Horse," 28. Appendix. 



(z) 33 Hen. 8, c. 9 (now virtually («) 33 Hen. 8, c. 9, s. U. 



repealed by 3 Geo. 4, c. 41, s. 4, and (i) Ibid. s. 12. 

 8 & 9 Vict. c. 109, s. 1), ss. 1, 2. See 



A A 2 



