[65]. Ground near Moorfields, London, famous in old times for the archery practised there. "In the year 1498," says Stow, "all the gardens which had continued time out of minde, without Mooregate, to wit, about and beyond the lordship of Fensberry, were destroyed. And of them was made a plaine field for archers to shoote in." Survay of London, 1598, p. 351. See also p. 77, where it is observed that "about the feast of S. Bartlemew ... the officers of the city ... were challengers of all men in the suburbes, ... before the lord maior, aldermen, and sheriffes, in Fensbery fielde, to shoote the standarde, broade arrow, and flight, for games."
[The Finsbury] archers are mentioned by Ben Jonson, in Every man in his humour, act i, scene 1: "Because I dwell at Hogsden, I shall keep company with none but the archers of Finsbury."
The practice of shooting here is alluded to by Cotton, in his Virgile travestie (b. iv.), 1667:
"And arrows loos'd from Grub-street bow,
"In Finsbury, to him are slow;"
and continued till within the memory of persons now living. Ritson.
ROBIN HOODS CHASE:
Or, a merry progress between Robin Hood and King Henry: shewing how Robin Hood led the king his chase from London to London; and when he had taken his leave of the queen, he returned to merry Sherwood. To the tune of Robin Hood and the Beggar."
"From an old black-letter copy in the collection of Anthony à Wood." Ritson's Robin Hood, ii. 96.
Come, you gallants all, to you I do call,
With hey down, down, an a down,
That now are in this place;
For a song I will sing of Henry the king,
How he did Robin Hood chase.