Southwark was a popular place for baiting animals, and Sunday the usual day for the amusement. Stow has several notes bearing on this theme. In respect to charges to witness the sport, he tells us "those who go to the Paris Garden, the Belle Sauvage, the Theatre, to behold bear-baiting, interludes, or fence-play, must not account (_i.e._, reckon on) any pleasant spectacle unless they first pay one penny at the gate, another at the entrie of the scaffold, and a third for quiet standing." We learn from Stow that at Southwark were two bear-gardens, the old and the new; places wherein were kept bears, bulls, and other beasts to be baited; as also mastiffs in their several kennels were there nourished to bait them. These bears and other beasts were baited in plots of ground scaffolded round for the beholders to stand safe. Stow condemns the foulness of these rude sights, and says the money idly thrown away upon them might have been given to the poor. In the reign of Henry VIII., Erasmus visited England, and he relates that many herds of bears were maintained at the Court for the purpose of being baited. We are further told by him that the rich nobles had their bearwards, and the Royal establishment its Master of the King's Bears. [Illustration: BEAR GARDEN, OR HOPE THEATRE. 1647.] Men were not wanting to raise their voices against this brutal sport even at the time kings favoured it. Towards the close of the reign of Henry VIII., Crowley wrote some lines, which we have modernised, as follows:-- "What folly is this to keep with danger A great mastiff dog, and foul, ugly bear, And to this intent to see these two fight With terrible tearing, a full ugly sight. And methinks these men are most fools of all Whose store of money is but very small, And yet every Sunday they will surely spend A penny or two, the bear-ward's living to mend. At Paris Garden, each Sunday, a man shall not fail To find two or three hundred for the bear-ward's vale; One halfpenny a piece they use for to give When some have not more in their purses, I believe. Well, at the last day their conscience will declare That the poor ought to have all that they may spare, If you therefore go to witness a bear fight Be sure that God His curse will upon you alight." We may recognise the zeal of the writer, but we cannot commend the merits of his poetry. When Princess Elizabeth was confined at Hatfield House, she was visited by her sister, Queen Mary. On the morning after her arrival, after mass was over, a grand entertainment of bear-baiting took place, much to their enjoyment.