New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-18
SPORTS OF THE OLDEN TIME.
ANCIENT PLEASURES OF EMPERORS.
PRINCES. PRIESTS AND YEOMEN.

THE GREAT CRAZE FOR FALCONRY-
CoURsING. GOLF TENNIS. QUARTER
TERsTAFF AND QUINTAIN.
Let Imagination take thoughts back three
hundred years, and set before our eyes a castle
surrounded by valley wood and stream. The time
shall be a morning spring, the occasion visit
OF some royal parsonage So may have before
entertainment wherein almost all forms OF
outdoor recreation shall be shown Already tho
plain that stretches away in front OF the castle
is the scene Of great activity. The butts for the
archers being placed In order platforms Tor
jugglers acrobats and contortionlsts are being
erected: here and there groups OF young blades
practising at quarterstaff backsword play; the
tennis courts are being newly marked and where
the valley creeps to the level we see the signs
OF the golf links. The morning meal Is dispatched
cold beef and humming nile for the men; frumcnty'
bread and honey like light morsels for the
wonen-the groups issuing forth from the cas-
tie Here IL one-courtiers ladies and bishop;
each bears upon his her wrist hooded falcon
The bells attached to the Jesses tnkle In the misty
morning air: suddenly one IL released-she darts
heavenward. and soon comes Matchmaking, haf-
flying toward the earth. a heron entanged In her
taOns. Other groups are now coming on the scene
Here Is entertainers OF the castle, holding In leash
several brace Of hounds. Behind follow the men
with the horses ready saddled; their masters VIII
hunt FOR deer In the woods near at hand The
hounds eager for the courslng as any one
and can scarcely be restrained. Here Is another
knot OF men, Their green suits and their longbows
proclaim their trade: they will. during the day,
shoo; for n prize offered by one of the royal visi-
tors-a purse Of silk. wherein gold pieces clink
merrlly The men talk eacerly-they have seen the
prize and It Is worthy OF their best efforts.
Now the lads and iasscs come trooping out-sofne
10 play at tennis some at stool ball. some at trap
bail Here and there one OF them bears a hawk
upon his fist and some Of the older lads carry
bow and sheaf OF arrows ut their sides. truly. the
scene is a gag one. Tho bright coors In which the
noble guests are arrayed. the brave sounds OF the
music the neighing Of the horses and the baying
of the hounds-all make up such picture as
we Of to-day have never seen and can never hope
to see.
Those pursuits which are to-day almost purely
pastimes were in the earlier days so nearly allied
10 the noeds OF existence that they could scarcely
DO called recreation. Archery was necessary In
war and peace; hounds were necessary In taking
deer and hare FOR food. and many a fat pigeon
reached the table through the aid OF the falcon that
would have been lacking otherwise.
THE NOBLE SPORT OF ARCHERY.
Archery was o. tho most important occupa-
tons OF the time The Romans introduced the bow
into Britain but its history goes back TO the days
o, mythology for Apollo is credited with being an
expert bowman as also Perses. son OF Perseus.
and scythes OF Jupiter. At the battle OF
Agincourt in 1915 under Henry V. the victory Of
tho British Is ascribed 10 the archers. In the
reign OF Edward III practice with the bow was en-
)oined by law and Richard II issued mandates com
polling all servants TO spend certain portion or
each Sunday and holiday In improving their skill
M archery. Henry VIII made II obligatory for
fathers 10 provide a bow and arrows FOR their sons
when they had reached the age OF seven years Al
seventeen each lad 10 provide a bow ana -FOUR
arrows for himself Special sections regarding the
manufacture Of archery implements were also pro-
vided. FOR instance bowyers were to make ordinary
bows Of elm ash. wtchhazel. etc. and FOR each
FOUR made o, these wood. one 10 be made OF
vow tho most desirable Of all woods by reason OF
IT, elaaticity strength and toushn-ss A. the same
pcrol law was passed providing decentralization
from the charge OF murder Cor all who should acc-
dentallv XIII another with tho bow and arrow.
A bow In the hands Of strong and skilful archer
vas A weapon to be feared In one OF the battles
Of that day II is related that certain Welsh bow
men shot their arrows with such strength that they
passed through an oaken door four inches In thick
ness, In the Ballad OF Chevy-Chasc." descriptive
OF the battle OF Otterburn 1855 occur the following
lines which show what force an arrow could be
projected with:
lie had a bow bent In his hand
Mad Of a trusty tree;
An arrow OF cioth-yard long
Up TO the head drew hee'
Against Sir Hugh Montgomery
80 ght the shaft he sett
Tho grey goose winge that was thereon
In hl- harris bloode was welt
t--o,, -FOUR hundred 10 SIX hundred feet the
effective range OF ordinary bow. but the nu-
merous legends about Robin Hood tell OF much
greater dstnnce-one detailing the killing OF a deer
a, a distance Of quarter OF mile. The string
yas a most important adjunct. being made usually
~ ,,ststed SILK Roger Ascham, who wrote
treatise on archery. published in lt45 says
In ware n stringe breake tho man Is lost. and
is no man. for lis weapon IL Rohe-hho htioush an
have two strnses pn,, On .s. "a, rnom. TO bend his
flgA
for ware and peace.
Arrows were occasionally used for ssna1hns' .h's
being done by perforated balls OF horn attached 10
tho shaft These werc called whistling arrows III
,u5 while the English King and queen were Al
C;recpwich Robin Hood. tho famous outlaw. asked
49, rovol na,r 20 ace him shoot The chroniclor
.,atcs TINT their whistsd by craft OF 'he'r
head 30 ,hnt the noise was strange ana great anu
much pleased the King and Queen
FALCONRY. THE SPORT OF h'N"S'
Certain Thraca1s are said by Phny 70 haVo
o-,g,,otcA the idea of using hawks to aid In the
con,,re OF winged game About the year ooo i,ohi-
,ao Archhsbop OF Mons. presented 70 Ethelbert
v,,e Of Kent one hawk and two falcons. fred-
eric Yarbarossa German KING WIN INV"
Rorno I'm the twelfth century. mas tho repu.""o'
u, being the first In medieval history 10 '@h' Wy
h,vlirg ma one u tho regular sports OF his Court
uouL,rg grew slowly In favor during the Two
following centuries. hut one nnds little reference
20 Il till tho time OF james l. fie tooK sre"'
interest in sports Of all kinds and about the year
,1c5 issued an essay the sports and ninusemen'S
OF the day. indorslng some anu "e"e
or hawking he wrote;
A ,or hawking | condemn II not. but l must
nraise IL more spdrrngly than hunting) pecause
|, neither resembles he wares so he.te az ,uu.
,oe docth In making man hardie ana sklltuuy
riSdcn I'm all grounds, and Is more uncertain anu
a,n,oct "a rnIschances and which Is worst or all
there through an extreme strrer UP OF the pas
sions. =. -.
In the time OF Edvard III nearly all heid sports
mara encouraged The King himself gave most OF
b,s leisure time to hawking and hunting. and II is
related Of him that in one OF bis invasons OK
France his rctlnue included thirty falconiers on
horseback whose soo duty II was to care for the