makyng of the butts, viijs." Ibid. p. 132, 1622: "Paid to two laborers to playne the grounde where the buttes should be, vs. vjd." 1629, "Paid towards the butts mending, ijs. vjd." Ibid. p. 379, St. Giles's parish, 1566: "Itm. for carrying of turfes for the butts, xvjd." Ibid. p. 381, 1605: "Three labourers, two days work aboute the butts, iiijs. . Carrying ix load of turfes for the butts, ijs. For two pieces of timber to fasten on the railes of the butts, iiijd.” 1621 "The parishioners did agree that the churchwardens and constables should sett up a payre of butts called shooting butts, in such place as they should think most convenient in St. Giles parish, which butts cost xivs. xjd." With the history of this exercise as a military art we have no concern here. Fitzstephen, who wrote in the reign of Henry the Second, notices it among the summer pastimes of the London youth; and the repeated statutes from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century, enforcing the use of the bow, usually ordered the leisure time upon holidays to be passed in its exercise. "In the sixteenth century we meet with heavy complaints," says Strutt, in his Sports and Pastimes, p. 43, "respecting the disuse of the long-bow, and especially in the vicinity of London." Stow informs us that before his time it had been customary at Bartholomew-tide for the lord mayor, with the sheriffs and aldermen, to go into the fields at Finsbury, where the citizens were assembled, and shoot at the standard with broad and flight arrows for games; and this exercise was continued for several days: but in his time it was practised only one afternoon, three or four days after the festival of Saint Bartholomew. Stow died in 1605. After the reign of Charles the First archery appears to have fallen into disrepute. Sir William Davenant, in a mock poem entitled the Long Vacation in London, describes the attorneys and proctors as making matches in Finsbury fields: "With loynes in canvas bow-case tied, Where arrows stick with mickle pride; About 1753 a society of archers was established in the metropolis, who erected targets on the same spot during the Easter and Whitsun holidays, when the best shooter was styled captain, and the second lieutenant for the ensuing year. Of the original members of this society there were only two remaining when Daines Barrington compiled his "Observations" in the Archæologia. It is now incorporated into the archers' division of the Artillery Company. About 1789 archery was again revived as a general amusement; and societies of bowmen and toxophilites were formed in almost every part of the kingdom. The fashion did not last long, but it has recently been resuscitated, and is now a fashionable recreation in all parts of England. Sir Robert Dallington, in his View of France as it stood in 1598, says: 66 Concerning their shooting with the crossebowe, it is used, but not very commonly. Once in a yere, there is in each city a shooting with the peece at a popinjay of wood set upon some high steeple, as also they doe in many places of Germany. He that hitteth it downe is called the King for that yere, and is free from all taxe: besides, he is allowed twenty crownes towards the making of a collation for the rest of the shooters. And if it happen that three yeres together he carry the prize, he is free from all taxe and imposition whatsoever all his life after." KING ARTHUR. A GAME used at sea, when near the line, or in a hot latitude. It is performed thus: a man who is to represent King Arthur, ridiculously dressed, having a large wig, made out of oakum, or some old swabs, is seated on the side or over a large vessel of water. Every person in his turn is to be ceremoniously introduced to him, and to pour a bucket of water over him, crying, Hail, King Arthur! If, during this ceremony, the person introduced laughs or smiles (to which his Majesty endeavours to excite him by all sorts of ridiculous gesticulations), he changes places with and then becomes King Arthur, till relieved by some brother tar, who has as little command over his muscles as himself. BALOON. [A GAME played with an inflated ball of strong leather, the ball being struck by the arm, which was defended by a bracer of wood. ""Tis ten a clock and past; all whom the mues, Had all the morning held, now the second Time made ready, that day, in flocks are found." Donne's Poems, p. 133.] BARLEY-BREAK. THE following description of barley-break, written by Sir Philip Sidney, is taken from the song of Lamon, in the first volume of the Arcadia, where he relates the passion of Claius and Strephon for the beautiful Urania: Then couples three be straight allotted there, The two that in mid-space Hell called were They, false and fearful, do their hands undo; With sight of fear, from friends to friends do fly." Sir John Suckling, also, has given the following description. of this pastime with allegorical personages : "Love, Reason, Hate did once bespeak Three mates to play at barley-break. And Hate consorts with Pride; so dance they: Love coupled last, and so it fell That Love and Folly were in Hell. They break; and Love would Reason meet, In Holiday's play of the Marriages of the Arts, 1618, this sport is introduced. The subsequent is from Herrick's Hesperides, p. 34: "Barley-break, or Last in Hell. "We two are last in Hell: what may we feare To be tormented, or kept pris'ners here: We'll wish in Hell we had been last and first." Dr. Jamieson, in his Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, calls this "a game generally played by young people in a corn-yard. Hence called barla-bracks about the stacks, S. B." (i. e. in the north of Scotland.) "One stack is fixed on as the dule or goal; and one person is appointed to catch the rest of the company, who run out from the dule. He does not leave it till they are all out of sight. Then he sets off to catch them. Any one who is taken cannot run out again with his former associates, being accounted a prisoner; but is obliged to assist his captor in pursuing the rest. When all are taken the game is finished; and he who was first taken is bound to act as catcher in the next game. This innocent sport seems to be almost entirely forgotten in the south of Scotland. It is also falling into desuetude in the north." He adds: "Perhaps from barley and break, q. breaking of the parley; because, after a certain time allowed for settling preliminaries, on a cry being given, it is the business of one to catch as many prisoners as he can. 1. See the Dramatic Works of Philip Massinger, 1779, i. 167, whence these extracts are quoted. Barley-break is several times alluded to in Massinger's Plays. See also Browne's Britannia's Pastorals, published in 1614, book i. song 3, p. 76. Did we suppose it to be allied to burlaw, this game might be viewed as originally meant as a sportive representation of the punishment of those who broke the laws of the boors." ["In January, men do play At cards and dice their time away : Is flawns, fools, custards, and stu'd prunes. Close muffled up from top to toe; Now weather it so warm doth hold, That men, though naked, feel no cold." Poor Robin, 1740.] BEAR-BAITING. BEAR-BAITING appears anciently to have been one of the Christmas sports with our nobility. "Our nobility," says Pennant, in his Zoology, i. 79, 1776, "also kept their bearward; twenty shillings was the annual reward of that officer from his lord, the fifth Earl of Northumberland, when he comyth to my lorde in Cristmas, with his lordshippe's beests for making of his lordschip pastyme the said twelve days.' Northumb. Household Book. BIRKIE. JAMIESON, in the Supplement to his Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, calls this a childish game at cards, in which the players throw down a card alternately. Only two play; and the person who throws down the highest takes the trick. In England it is called beggar-my-neighbour. He derives the name from the Islandic berk-ia, to boast; because the one rivals his antagonist with his card. He adds: "Of this game there are said to be two kinds, king's birkie |