New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-21

vicissitudes Of the Morris Dance.
There ere traces Of the Morris Dance
n England further back than the time
Of Henry VII, but in that Kings reign
it began 10 get that popularity which
rescued its height in the time OF Hen
" VIII. Early in the sixteenth CEN
,ury II was already intimately con-
aected with the merrymskings attend
ant on the first day Of May, and had
also received an admixture Of the Rob-
IN Hood element, as may be seen from
the picture OF stained glass window
in house 10 staTordshire which dates
hack 20 Henry WIS time. Bluff King
Hal did not scruple himself 70 join in
he Msytime games. Edward Hall, in
his chronicle" gives an account OF
how the King and Queen Katherine
vent a-Maying, and also tells how, g
short time after his coronation, while
he was staying at Westminster, &C
eompsnisd BIZ the Earls Of Essex AND
wiltshire end other noblemen to the
.uuber Of twelve "he came suddenly
N a morning into the Queens chamber
All spparelled in coats Of Kentish Ken
ds'. With hoods on their heads, anc
hosen Of the same, every one OF then
MS bow and arrows, and q sword anc
buckler like outlaws or Robin Hoods
men; whereof TIE Queen, the ladies
and al others there, were abashed a:
veil for the strange sight, as also fol-
,hei- sudden coming; and after Ger
tain dances and psstime made, the5
dcrarted"
Thereafter Il seems TO have fallen
INTO q moral decay, or, at any rate, II
led to practices which brought It, TO-
Fether With tho May games, under the
condemnation OF the Puritans. Never
hsless It Is 70 q Puritan writer that
"a Grs beholden for the liveliest &C
count Of the revels which are to be re-
produced IN the college stadium. Philip
Stubbes, declaimlng against dancing
ninstrelsy and smusements generally
Ia bis "Anatomie Of Abuses" 1850
wrote; "But their cheefest jewell they
bring from thence (the woods in their
Msie Poole, which they bring home
With create veueration as thus: They
have twentie or fourtie yoke Of oxen,
every oxe havyng a sweete nosegaie OF
flowers tyed or the tippe of his hornes'
and these oxen drawe home this May
poole (this stinckyng idol rather
shicb is covered al over with flowers
snd hearbes, bounde rounde aboute with
strnges. from top TO bottome. and
sometimes painted with variable col
ours, with two or three hundred men,
women and children following II with
create devotion. And thus beyng reared
up with handkercheifes and fsgges
'treamyng on the toppe. they strawe
The grounde aboute. binde greene
ooughcs about IL, sett up sommer-
haules, bowers and arbours hard by IT.
md then fall they TO banquet and
least, 10 lespe and dsunce aboute 1t, as
The Heather people did at the dedica-
Ton Of their idolles, whereof this is q
perfect patterne, or rather the thyng
itself"
In April 1914, the Long Parliament
dccreed the removal Of May-poles as
a heatheuish vanity, generally abused
% superstition and wickednesse"; but
The Morris Dance was revived after the
Restoration; and, though it never at
'sined IT'S oldtime popularity, 1t re
nsined a village amusement in some
portions Of England long enough to be
aiken Up by English folklorists Of this
generation, who have not only made a
sreful scientific study OF IL, but arc
aboring now 70 bring about its revival
throughout Great Britain. Mr.. Sharp
s ore Of the best Of these, and under
Ms direction there is a school Of folk
'snee a. Stratford on-Avon, where men
And women are trained TO teach both
iolksong and folkdance in the public
schools. There is also an English Folk
lance Society, branches Of which Mr..
sharp, who has spent much Of the last
NO years in the United States, has