“I find,” says Stow, “that in the moneth of May, the citizens of London, of all estates, lightlie in every parish, or sometimes two or three parishes joyning together, had their severall mayinges, and did fetch in Maypoles, with divers warlike shewes, with good archers, morrice-dancers, and other devices for pastime all the day long: and towards the evening they had stage-playes and bonefires in the streetes. . . . . These greate Mayinges and Maygames, made by the governors and masters of this citie, with the triumphant setting up of the greate shafte (a principall Maypole in Cornhill, before the parish church of S. Andrew, therefore called Undershafte) by meane of an insurrection of youthes against alianes on Mayday 1517, the ninth of Henry the Eight, have not beene so freely used as afore” (Survey of London, 1598, p. 72). The disuse of these ancient pastimes, and the consequent “neglect of archerie,” are thus pathetically lamented by Richard Niccolls, in his London’s Artillery, 1616: [Sidenote: A description of one drawing a bow.] “How is it that our London hath laid downe This worthy practise, which was once the crowne Of all her pastime, when her Robin Hood Had wont each yeare, when May did clad the wood, With lustie greene, to lead his yong men out, Whose brave demeanour, oft when they did shoot, Invited royall princes from their courts, Into the wilde woods to behold their sports! Who thought it then a manly sight and trim, To see a youth of cleane compacted lim, Who, with a comely grace, in his left hand Holding his bow, did take his stedfast stand, Setting his left leg somewhat foorth before, His arrow with his right hand nocking sure, {xcvii} Not stooping, nor yet standing streight upright, Then, with his left hand little ’bove his sight, Stretching his arm out, with an easie strength, To draw an arrow of a yard in length.”[79] The lines, “Invited royall princes from their courts Into the wild woods to behold their sports,”