Old English Sports, Pastimes and Customs

solemn fa

kes from her

ad in cote and

ocke arrowes b

lt he bare f

dresse his t

ouped not with

he bare a m

day-Palm Sunday- "Shere" Thu

he fights of Cre?y and Poitiers tell of the prowess of our archers; and the skill which they acquired by practising at the butts at home has gained many a victory. Archery was so useful in war that several royal proclamations were issued to encourage the sport, and in many parishes there were fields set apart for the men to practise. Although the sport has died out as a popular pastime, the o

ing stones, handball, football, bandyball, or cock-fighting, which have no profit in them." Edward IV. ordered every Englishman, of whatever rank, to have a bow his own height always ready for use, and

oss-bow, lest it should interfere with the practice of the more ancient weapon, and many old writers lament over the decay of this famous pastime o

llars with curious devices over them; but four years later Stow laments that "by reason of closing in of common gro

and romances, and the old oaks in Sherwood Forest could tell the tale of many an exciting chase after the king's deer, and of many a luckless traveller who had to pay dearly for

an archer tr

called him

rs as he a

nd never s

AT THE BUTTS (fro

ned to shoot at an ordinary target, and cutting a hazel rod from a t

h archer could split an apple placed on his s

af of arrows winged with gray goose-feathers, a sword, and small shield. Such was the appearance of the men who struck suc

eshment[7] or Mid-Lent Sunday for people to visit their mother-church and make offerings on the altar. Hence probably arose the practice of "m

hee a simn

ou go'st a

en she ble

essing thou'

. In some parts of England-in Lancashire, Shropshire, and Herefordshire-these cakes are still eaten on Mid-Lent Sunday. Possibly they had some religious signification, for the Saxons were in habit of eating consecrated cakes at their festivals. The name Simnell is derived from a Latin word signifying fine flour, and not from the mythical persons, S

were no palms growing in this country), which were subsequently carried to the church and offered at the altar. This custom lingered on after the Reformation, and until recent times the practice of going a-palming, or gathering branches of willow, on the S

d refers to the command of our Lord to imitate His example in the humility which He showed in washing the feet of His disciples. In memory of His lowly act the kings and queens of England used to wash the feet of a large number of poor men and women, and

seen hanging to the bacon-rack, slowly but surely diminishing, until the return of the season replaces it by a fresh one. It is of sovereign good in all manner of diseases that may afflict the family, or flocks and herds. I have seen a little of this cake grated

you, and h

o good-will s

y, for one of the family, it was believed, would surely die before the end of the year. There are many other superstitions attached to the day, such as the preserving of eggs laid on Good Friday, which were supposed to have

count-books we find such

atching the sepultur

ock for watching o

were cold we find

Roger Brock for sys

the soldiers watching the grave in which our Lord's Body was laid. At the dawning of the Easter morn the bells rang joyously, and all was life and animation. The sun itself was popula