The Florida star., 1908-10-23
DECREE on FOOTBALL
When GridirOn Sport Was Against
the Law.
PRISON WAS THE PENALTY.

ane Archery, Prohibited Football as
usslsss eams--Why James !. De-
haired It.
Did you ever know IT was once
against the law to play football? Well.
It has been. The same game-Or a
mobilization Of IT. at all events-that
We win now enjoy until after Thanks
giving once came under 0fficial dis
pleasure Of so pronounced a type as TO
make Of 1t a prohibited pastime.
However, In justice to the game that
our colleges have made famOus-with
all due regard to earlier champions Of
the older eouatry-it wasn't because
King Edward III. was opposed to foot
ball as a sport, but because he feared
that its playing would interfere with
the proper pursuit OF archery, which
he looked upon as the national game,
much as we look on baseball today,
only more so In the case OF the good
old king, says a writer In the Indian
apolis Star. England during the reign
Of the ancient Edward was foremost
among the nations In archery, and 1t
was the wish Of the strenuous mon
arch that this position be maintained.
But his subjects didn't altogether
share In this view, and when they had
leisure they didn't devote all of II to
archery practice. but took a whirl at
football or other sports, each to his
liking, and IL was this attitude which
resulted In 1349, In letter being sent
from the king TO the London sheriffs
In this royal complaint King Edward
said that the skill in shooting with the
bow and arrows was almost totally
laid aside for the pursuit OF various
useless and unlawful games" He
therefore commanded them to prevent
such idle practices within the city and
liberties Of London and to see that
their leisure time on holidays was
spent In exercise with the bow and ar
rows" The penalty for foOtballing was
Imprisonment at the kings pleasure.
But notwithstanding royal edicts
football had mighty firm hold ON the
citizenry, particularly the common
folk, and the late Mr.. Barclay has re-
ferred to this In his unsimplified spell
ing. thus:
The sturdy plowman. lustle. strong and
bold,
overcometh the winter with driving the
foOte-ball.
Forgetting labour and many a grievous
fall.
King Edward had an able second in
his antagonism TO football in King
James l., who regarded the dangers OF
the game as serious and gave out this
one: From this court / debarre the
foote-ball, meeter for lameing than
making able the users thereof"
The football itself hasn't always been
the highly scientific contrivance we OF
today are used TO seeing on Indiana
college fields or other college grounds.
The rustic boys Of the long ago used
blown bladder without any leather
covering, and inside the bladder they
placed peas and horse beans, which
made a rattle as the ball was kicked
about This is the way our friend
Barclay saw the picture:
And now in the winter. when men kill
They get the bladder and blow IL great
and thin
With many beans and reason nut within.
IL ratleth. sOundeth and shineth clere and
fayre.
While it is throwen and caste up in the
ayre
Eche one contendeth and hath a great
delite
With foote and with hande the bladder
for TO smite
IL 1t fall to grounde they .ifte it up
agayne.
And this wave 20 labour they account Il
no payne.
Even the shOemakers We're keen for
the sport, and IL was for long the Gus
tom on each Shrove Tuesday for tn.
cobblers OF Chester 10 deliver To the
diapers In the presence Of the mayor
OF Chester at the cross on the Rodehee
one ball OF leather called a football
TO the value Of 3S. Id or more To play
at from thence To the common hall of
the said city. which practice was pro-
ductive OF much Inconvenience. and
therefore in the year 1910 by consent
OF the parties concerned the ball was
changed into six glayves Of silver Of a
like value as a reward for the best
runner.
In an old comedy called The Blind
Beggar Of Bethnal Green" by John
Day, acted In 1859. this line Is spoken
Of himself by one OF the characters:
Il am Tom Stroud OF Hurting. will
play a COLE at campban or wrassel a
fan at the hip or the hin turn" BY
campbah the modest and retiring Mr..
Stroud probably was referring to foot
ball. which was played to the best ad
vantage In the camp" or open coun