Bear versus Bible. 
83 
to the entrie of the scaffold, and a third for quiet stand¬ 
ing.” Sunday was the day usually selected, for the sport, 
but towards the end of the century public opinion declared 
against such desecration of the sabbath. An accident at 
Paris Gardens, Sunday, January 13, 1583, when many 
people were injured by the falling of the stage during a 
bear-baiting, was made the occasion of much moralizing 
in clerical pulpits. 
At this period every town of importance had its bear, 
bearward, and set of dogs. A story is told against the 
people of Congleton, in Cheshire, which, though it varies 
in different versions, is a good illustration of the fond¬ 
ness of this pastime which prevailed. One version of the 
story is that the people of Congleton, about the year 
1620, being in want of a new Bible at the chapel, laid up 
a sum of money for the purpose of replacing the worn-out 
volume. But the town bear happened to die at that 
time, and the bearward being unable to purchase another 
applied to the corporation for assistance. The corporation 
gave him the sum set apart for buying the new Bible, and 
left the minister to put up with the old one as well as he 
could. Others say that the authorities only gave the 
bearward the money arising from the sale of the old Bible, 
or gave him the old Bible to sell for that purpose. How¬ 
ever it arose, the tale spread, and g'rew into a rhyme, 
which is still occasionally quoted, to the great indignation 
of the inhabitants of the town :— 
“ £ Congleton rare, Congleton rare, 
Sold the Bible to pay for a bear.’ ” 
(Notes and Queries , 3rd series, vol. ii. p. 166.) 
Bears were brought to England from various countries. 
In a description of a voyage to Cherie Island by Jonas 
Poole, 1609, the author says :— 
“ The thirtieth day we slue 26 whales, and espied three white 
beares : we went aboord for shot and powder, and comming to the ice 
