BY THE KING Sports. 'Whereas upon our return the last year out of Scotland Declaration we did publish our pleasure touching the recreations of concerning our people in those parts under our hand; for some causes us thereunto moving we have thought good to command these our directions, then given in Lancashire, with a few words thereunto added, and most applicable to these parts of the realms, to be published to all our subjects. 'Whereas we did justly in our progress through Lancashire rebuke some puritans and precise people, and took order that the like unlawful carriage should not be used by any of them hereafter, in the prohibiting and unlawful punishing of our good people for using their lawful recreations and honest exercises upon Sundays and other holydays after the afternoon sermon or service; we now find that two sorts of people, wherewith that country is much infected (we mean papists and puritans) have maliciously traduced and calumniated those our just and honourable proceedings. And therefore, lest our reputation might upon the one side (though innocently) have some aspersion laid upon it, and that upon the other part our good people in that country be misled by the mistaking and misrepresentation of our meaning; we have therefore thought good hereby to clear and make our pleasure to be manifested to all our good people in those parts. 'It is true, that at our first entry to this crown and kingdom we were informed, and that too truly, that our county in Lancashire abounded more in popish recusants than any county of England; and hath still continued, to our great regret, with little amendment, save that now of late, in our last riding through our said county, we find, both by the report of the judges and of the bishop of the diocese, that there is some amendment now daily beginning, which is no small contentment to us. The report of this growing amendment amongst them made us the more sorry, when with our own ears we heard the general complaint of our people, that they were Sports. Declaration barred from all lawful recreation and exercise upon the concerning Sunday afternoon, after the ending of all Divine service, which cannot but produce two evils: the one the hindering of the conversion of many, whom their priests will take occasion hereby to vex, persuading them that no honest mirth or recreation is lawful on those days, which cannot but breed a great discontent in our people's hearts, especially of such as are peradventure upon the point of turning; the other inconveniency is, that this prohibition barreth the common and meaner sort of people from using such exercises as may make their bodies more able for war, whenever we or our successors shall have occasion to use them; and in place thereof set up filthy tipplings and drunkenness, and breeds a number of idle and discontented speeches in their ale-houses. For when shall the common people have leave to exercise, if not upon Sundays and holydays, seeing they must live by their labour, and win their living in all working-days? 'Our express pleasure therefore is, that the laws of our kingdom and canons of our Church be as well observed in that county, as in all other places of this our kingdom. And, on the other part, that no lawful recreations shall be barred to our good people, which shall not tend to the breach of our aforesaid laws and canons of our Church : which to express more particularly, our pleasure is, that the bishops and all other inferior clergymen and churchwardens shall for their parts be careful and diligent both to instruct the ignorant, and convince and reform them that are misled in religion, presenting them that will not conform themselves, but obstinately stand out, to our judges and justices: whom we likewise command to put the laws in due execution against them. against them. Our pleasure likewise is, that the bishop of the diocese take the like strait order with all the puritans and precisians within the same, either constraining them to conform themselves, or to leave the county, according to the laws of our kingdom and canon of our Church, and so to strike equally on both hands against the contemners of our authority and Sports. adversaries of our Church. And as for our good people's Declaration lawful recreation, our pleasure likewise is, that after the concerning end of Divine service our good people be not disturbed, letted, or discouraged from any lawful recreation, such as dancing, either men or women, archery for men, leaping, vaulting, or any other such harmless recreation, nor from having of May-games, Whitsun-ales, and morris-dances, and the setting up of May-poles, and other sports therewith used, so as the same be had in due and convenient time without impediment or neglect of Divine service: and that women shall have leave to carry rushes to church for the decoring of it, according to their old custom. But withal we do here account still as prohibited all unlawful games to be used on Sundays only, as bear and bull baitings, interludes, and at all times in the meaner sort of people by law prohibited, bowling. And likewise we bar from the benefit and liberty all such known recusants, either men or women, as will abstain from coming to church or Divine service, being therefore unworthy of any lawful recreation after the said service, that will not first come to church and serve God. Prohibiting in like sort the said recreations to any that, though conform in religion, are not present in the church at the service of God, before their going to the said recreations. Our pleasure likewise is, that they, to whom it belongeth in office, shall present and sharply punish all such as in abuse of this our liberty will use their exercises before the end of all Divine services for that day. And we likewise straitly command, that every person shall resort to his own parish church to hear Divine service, and each parish by itself to use the said recreations after Divine service. Prohibiting likewise any offensive weapons to be carried or used in the said times of recreations. And our pleasure is, that this our Declaration shall be published by order from the bishop of the diocese through all the parish churches, and that both our judges of our circuits and our justices of our peace be informed thereof. Given at our manor of Greenwich, the 24th day of May, Declaration in the 16th year of our reign of England, France, and concerning Ireland, and of Scotland the 51st. Sports. Now, out of a like pious care for the service of God, and for suppressing of any humours that oppose truth, and for the ease, comfort, and recreation of our welldeserving people, we do ratify and publish this our blessed father's declaration, the rather because of late in some counties of our kingdom we find, that under pretence of taking away abuses there hath been a general forbidding not only of ordinary meetings, but of the feasts of the dedication of the churches, commonly called "Wakes.” Now our express will and pleasure is, that the feasts with others shall be observed, and that our justices of the peace, in their several divisions, shall look to it, both that all disorders there may be prevented or punished, and that all neighbourhood and freedom with manlike and lawful exercises be used. And we farther command our justices of the assize, in their several circuits, to see that no man do trouble or molest any of our loyal and dutiful people in or for their lawful recreations, having first done their duty to God, and continuing in obedience to us and our laws. And of this we command all our judges, justices of the peace, as well within liberties as without, mayors, bailiffs, constables, and other officers, to take notice of and see observed, as they tender our displeasure. And we further will that publication of this our command be made by order from the bishops through all the parish churches of their several dioceses respectively. Given at our palace of Westminster, the 18th day of October, in the ninth year of our reign. God save the king.'Wilkins' Concilia, iv. 483, 484, fol. 1737. Extracts illustrative of the foregoing "Declaration” May Games and May-poles 1585 The order of them [May games] is thus. Against Sports. May, Whitsunday, or some other time of the year, every Declaration parish, town, and village, assemble themselves together, concerning both men, women, and children, old and young, even all indifferently; and either going all together, or dividing themselves in companies, they go, some to the woods and groves, and some to the hills and mountains, some to one place, some to another, where they spend all the night in pleasant pastimes; and in the morning they return, bringing with them birch boughs and branches of trees to deck their assemblies withal. And no marvel, for there is a great lord present amongst them, as superintendent and lord over their pastimes and sports, namely, Sathan, prince of hell. But their chiefest jewel they bring from thence is their May-pole, which they bring home with great veneration, as thus. They have twenty or forty yoke of oxen, every ox having a sweet nosegay of flowers tied on the tip of his horns; and these oxen draw home this May-pole, (this stinking idol rather,) which is covered all over with flowers and herbs wound round about with strings from the top to the bottom, and sometimes painted with variable colours; with two or three hundred men and women and children following it with great devotion. And thus being reared up, with handkerchiefs and flags streaming on the top, they strew the ground about, bend green boughs about it, set up summer-halls, bowers, and arbours hard by it. And then fall they to banquet and feast, to leap and dance about it, as the heathen people did at the dedication of their idols, whereof this is a perfect pattern, or rather the thing itself.'-The Anatomie of Abuses, etc., by Philip Stubs, fol. 94, 4to. 1585. Temp. Eliz. 'Is not this the merry month of May, When love-lads masken in fresh array ? Youth's folk now flocken in every where, To gather May-buskets [little bushes] and smelling breere, |