562.  Morrice-dancers.  The morrice or morris dance was probably of Spanish (or Moorish, as the name implies) origin, but after its introduction into England it became blended with the Mayday games.  A full historical account of it is given in Douce’s Illustrations of Shakespeare.  The characters in it in early times were the following:  “Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian (Robin’s mistress and the queen or lady of the May), the fool, the piper, and several morris-dancers habited, as it appears, in various modes.  Afterwards a hobby-horse and a dragon were added” (Douce).  For a description of the game, see Scott’s Abbot, ch. xiv., and the author’s note.  See also on 614 below.

564.  The burghers hold their sports to-day.  Scott has the following note here: 

“Every burgh of Scotland of the least note, but more especially the considerable towns, had their solemn play, or festival, when feats of archery were exhibited, and prized distributed to those who excelled in wrestling, hurling the bar, and the other gymnastic exercises of the period.  Stirling, a usual place of royal residence, was not likely to be deficient in pomp upon such occasions, especially since James V. was very partial to them.  His ready participation in these popular amusements was one cause of his acquiring the title of the King of the Commons, or Rex Plebeiorum, as Lesley has latinized it.  The usual prize to the best shooter was a silver arrow.  Such a one is preserved at Selkirk and at Peebles.  At Dumfries a silver gun was substituted, and the contention transferred to firearms.  The ceremony, as there performed, is the subject of an excellent Scottish poem, by Mr. John Mayne, entitled the Siller Gun 1808, which surpasses the efforts of Fergusson, and comes near those of Burns.

“Of James’s attachment to archery, Pitscottie, the faithful though rude recorder of the manners of that period, has given us evidence: 

’In this year there came an ambassador out of England, named Lord William Howard, with a bishop with him, with many other gentlemen, to the number of threescore horse, which were all able men and waled [picked] men for all kind of games and pastimes, shooting, louping, running, wrestling, and casting of the stone, but they were well sayed [essayed or tried] ere they past out of Scotland, and that by their own provocation; but ever they tint:  till at last, the Queen of Scotland, the King’s mother, favoured the English-men, because she was the King of England’s sister; and therefore she took an enterprise of archery upon the English-men’s hands, contrary her son the King, and any six in Scotland that he would wale, either gentlemen or yeomen, that the English-men should shoot against them either at pricks, revers, or buts, as the Scots pleased.