Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- FRONTISPIECE
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- SECTION I LAND AND FOLK
- SECTION II BIRTH AND NURTURE
- SECTION III AUTHORS, SCRIBES AND READERS
- SECTION IV CHURCH AND CHURCHMEN
- SECTION V KINGS, KNIGHTS AND WAR
- SECTION VI MANOR AND COTTAGE
- SECTION VII TOWN LIFE
- SECTION VIII RICH AND POOR
- SECTION IX HOUSE, DRESS AND MEALS
- SECTION X SPORTS AND PASTIMES
- SECTION XI WAYFARING AND FOREIGN TRAVEL
- SECTION XII WOMEN'S LIFE
- SECTION XIII ARCHITECTURE AND THE ARTS
- SECTION XIV MEDICINE AND JUSTICE
- SECTION XV SUPERSTITIONS AND MARVELS
- INDEX
- SOCIAL LIFE IN BRITAIN FROM THE CONQUEST TO THE REFORMATION
- Plate section
SECTION X - SPORTS AND PASTIMES
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2010
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- FRONTISPIECE
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- SECTION I LAND AND FOLK
- SECTION II BIRTH AND NURTURE
- SECTION III AUTHORS, SCRIBES AND READERS
- SECTION IV CHURCH AND CHURCHMEN
- SECTION V KINGS, KNIGHTS AND WAR
- SECTION VI MANOR AND COTTAGE
- SECTION VII TOWN LIFE
- SECTION VIII RICH AND POOR
- SECTION IX HOUSE, DRESS AND MEALS
- SECTION X SPORTS AND PASTIMES
- SECTION XI WAYFARING AND FOREIGN TRAVEL
- SECTION XII WOMEN'S LIFE
- SECTION XIII ARCHITECTURE AND THE ARTS
- SECTION XIV MEDICINE AND JUSTICE
- SECTION XV SUPERSTITIONS AND MARVELS
- INDEX
- SOCIAL LIFE IN BRITAIN FROM THE CONQUEST TO THE REFORMATION
- Plate section
Summary
In this section also, it would be superfluous to retrace again all the ground which has been covered by J. Strutt in his Sports and Pastimes of the English People (cheap edition by Chatto and Windus, 1898). Here again, it has seemed best to concentrate mainly upon London.
LONDON PASTIMES
John Stow understood medieval London life so well, and formed his opinions on so careful and exhaustive a study of original documents (many of which he uses textually), that it needs no further apology for including his own description of London revels and pageants in this collection of authentic medieval documents (A Survey of London, 1603, chap. XI. p. 92). A considerable portion of this chapter is translated textually from Fitzstephen's twelfth-century description of London, which has been printed in Materials for the History of Thomas Becket, R.S., vol. III.
SPORTS AND PASTIMES OF OLD TIMES USED IN THIS CITIE.
Let us now (saith Fitzstephen) come to the sports and pastimes, seeing it is fit that a Citie should not only be commodious and serious, but also merrie and sportful.… But London, for the shews upon Theaters, and Comicall pastimes, hath holy playes—representations of myracles which holy Confessours have wrought, or representations of torments wherein the constancie of Martyrs appeared. Every yeare also at Shrovetuesday, (that we may begin with childrens sports, seeing we al have beene children,) the schoole boyes do bring Cockes of the game to their Master, and all the forenoone delight themselves in Cockfighting: after dinner all the youthes go into the fields to play at the bal.
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- Social Life in Britain from the Conquest to the Reformation , pp. 387 - 411Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1918