steeple. The Greyfriars Church, built by James IV.
in 1594 on the hill not far from the Castle, is still standing, and has
been recently restored. Here James VI. was crowned on the 29th of July,
1567, and John Knox preached the coronation sermon.

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