he disuse of these ancient pastimes and the consequent neglect of
Archerie, are thus lamented by Richard Niccols, in his _London's
Artillery_, 1616:

How is it that our London hath laid downe
This worthy practise, which was once the crowne,
Of all her pastime which her Robin Hood
Had wont each yeare when May did clad the wood
With lustre greene, to lead his young 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 clene compacted lim,
Who, with a comely grace, in his left hand
Holding his bow, did take his steadfast stand,
Setting his left leg somewhat foorth before,
His Arrow with his right hand nocking sure,
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.

The lines

"Invited royall princes from their courts
Into the wilde woods to behold their sports,"

may be reasonably supposed to allude to Henry the VIIIth, who appears to
have been particularly attached, as well to the exercise of archery, as
to the observance of Maying. "Some short time after his coronation,"
says Hall, "he came to Westminster with the quene, and all their traine,
and on a tyme being there, his grace, therles of Essex, Wilshire, and
other noble menne, to the number of twelve, came sodainly in a mornyng
into the quenes chambre, all appareled in short cotes of Kentish kendal,
with hodes on their heddes, and hosen of the same, every one of them his
bowe and arrowes, and a sworde and a bucklar, like outlawes, or Robyn
Hodesmen; whereof the quene, the ladies, and al other there were abashed
as well for the straunge sight, as also for their sodain commyng, and
after certayn daunces and pastime made, thei departed."

The same author gives the following curious account of a Maying, in the
7th year of that monarch, 1516: "The king and quene, accompanied with
many lords and ladies, rode to the high ground on Shooter's Hill to take
the air, and as they passed by the way, they espied a company of tall
yomen clothed all in green, with green whodes and bows and arrows, to
the number of 90. One of them calling himself Robin Hood, came to the
king, desiring him to see his men shoot, and the king was content. Then
he wistled, and