How Sunday Was Observed in Merry Olde England

1903

OLD ENGLISH SUNDAY

How the Day Was Observed Prior to the English Revolution.

For a considerable period prior to the English revolution Sunday was a day of great festivity and high revelry in the old country. Incredible though it may appear, its observance was governed and ordered by a paradoxical royal declaration, issued by King James I. This document is generally known as "The Book of Sports." In its preamble it recites a royal rebuke, administered to "some Puritans and precise people" for "prohibiting o' unlawful punishing of Our good people for using their lawful Recreations and honest exercises upon Sundayes and other holy days, after the afternoone sermon or service," and then it refers to "the general complaint of our people that they were barred from all lawful Recreation and exercise upon the Sundayes afternoone, which cannot but produce two evils; the one the hindering of the conversion of many, whom their priests will take occasion hereby to vexe, persuading them that no honest mirth or recreation is lawfully or tollerable in our Religion which cannot but breed a great discontentment in our people's hearts; the other inconvenience is that this prohibition barreth the common and meaner sort of people from using such exercises as may make their bodies more able for Warre, when we or our successors shall have occasion to use them."

Then follows the royal mandate "that no lawful Recreation shall be barred to our good People," and "The Bishop and all other inferior Churchmen and Churchwardens" are enjoined to "bee careful and diligent both to instruct the ignorant and convince and reforme them that are misled in religion." "Our pleasure likewise is That the Bishop of the Diocese take the like straight order with all the Puritans and Precisians within the same, either constraining them to conforme themselves, or to leave the country according to the Lawes of Our Kingdome and Canons of our Church." The declaration proceeds to define "lawful Recreation" as "Dancing, either men or women. Archerie for men, leaping, vaulting or any other such harmlesse Recreation, including May games, Witsun-Ales and Morris-dances and the setting up of May poles and other sports therewith used. But withal wee doe here accompt still as prohibited all unlawful games to be used upon Sundays onely, as Beare and Bull baitings, Interludes, and at all times in the feaner sort of People by Law prohibited, Bowling." A penalty was inflicted upon those who did not join in the Sunday sports, and no one could take part in them without first having attended divine service in the parish church, which was also enforced under pain of penalty.

In those days the clergymen would, in obedience to the royal decree, publicly recite the "Book of Sports" from the pulpit; after divine service he, with his church wardens, would proceed with the congregation onto the village green, there to indulge in all kinds of "lawful Recreation." While the sports were going on it was the custom for the parson and his church wardens to retire to the adjoining room.—New York Evening Post.

—Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, March 4, 1903, page 3.