stow says, 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 showes, with good archers, morrice-dancers, and other devices for pastime all the day long, and towards the evening they had stage-playes and bone-fires in the streetes. these greate mayinges and maygames, made by governors and masters of this citie, with the triumphant setting up of the greate shafte, (a principall may-pole in cornhill, before the parish church of s. andrew, therefore called undershafte,) by meane of an insurrection of youthes against alianes, on may-day, 1517, have not beene so freely used as afore. the disuse of these ancient pastimes and the consequent neglect of archerie, are thus lamented by richard niccols, in his _londons 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 shooters 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 all the 90 archers shot and losed at once, he then whistled again, and they shot again; their arrows wistled by craft of the head, so that the noise was strange and great, and much pleased the king, the quene, and all the company. all these archers were of the kings guard, and had thus appareled themselves to make solace to the king. then robin hood desired the king and quene to come into the green wood, and see how the outlaws live. the king demanded of the quene and her ladies, if they durst venture to go into the wood with so many outlaws, and the quene was content. then the horns blew till they came to the wood under shooters hill, and there was an arbour made of boughs, with a hall and a great chamber, and an inner chamber, well made and covered with flowers and sweet herbs, which the king much praised. then said robin hood, sir, outlaws breakfasts is vensyon, and you must be content with such fare as we have. the king and quene sat down, and were served with venison and wine by robin hood and his men. then the king and his party departed, and robin and his men conducted them. as they were returning, they were met by two ladies in a rich chairiot, drawn by five horses, every horse had his name on his head, and on every horse sat a lady, with her name written; and in a chair sat the lady may, accompanied with lady flora, richly appareled, and they saluted the king with divers songs, and so brought him to greenwhich. the games of robin hood seem to have been occasionally of a dramatic cast. sir john paston, in the time of king edward iv. complaining of the ingratitude of his servants, mentions one who had promised never to desert him, and ther uppon, says he, i have kepyd hym thys iii yer to pleye seynt jorge, and robyn hod, and the shryf off notyngham, and now when i wolde have good horse he is goon into bernysdale, and i without a keeper. in some old accounts of the churchwardens, of saint helens, at abingdon, berks, for the year 1556, there is an entry for setting up robins hoodes bower; supposed to be for a parish interlude. perhaps the clearest idea of these games will be derived from some accounts of the church-wardens, of the parish of kingston-upon-thames: _robin hood and maygame. £. s. d._ 23 henry 7th. to the menstorell upon mayday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 0 4 for paynting of the mores garments and for sarten gret leveres . . . . . . 0 2 4 for paynting of a bannar for robin hood . .