In this yeare also came ambassadors, not onelie from the king of Arragon and Castile, but also from the kings of France, Denmarke, Scotland, and o|ther places, which were highlie welcomed, and noblie interteined. It happened on a daie, Edw. Hall in Hen. 8. fol. vij. Running at the ring. that there were certeine noble men made a wager to run at the ring and parties were taken, and which partie atteined or tooke awaie the ring oftnest with certeine courses, should win the wager. Whereof the kings grace hearing, offered to be on the one partie with six com|panions. The ambassadors hearing thereof,The king ve|rie roiallie ar|raied runneth at the ring in the sight of the ambassadours & beareth the prise awaie. were much desirous to see this wager tried, and speciallie the ambassadours of Spaine, who had neuer séene the king in harnesse. At the daie appointed, the king was mounted on a goodlie courser, trapped in purple veluet cut, the inner side whereof was wrought with flat gold of damaske in the stoole, and the veluet on the other side cut in letters: so that the gold appeared as though it had beene embrodered with certeine rea|sons or posies. And on the veluet betwéene the let|ters were fastened castels and sheafs of arrowes of EEBO page image 806 ducket gold, with a garment, the sléeues compassed ouer his harnesse, and his bases of the same worke, with a great plume of feathers on his head péece, that came downe to the arson of his saddle, and a great companie of fresh gentlemen came in with his grace richlie armed and decked, with manie other right gorgeouslie apparelled, the trumpets before them goodlie to be hold, whereof manie strangers (but speciallie the Spaniards) much reioised; for they had neuer séene the king before that time armed.

On the other side came in another band of gen|tlemen freshlie apparelled, and pleasant to behold, all apparelled in cloth of gold, checkered with flat gold of damaske, & poudered with roses; and so euerie man ran: but to conclude, the prise was giuen vnto the king. Euerie man did run twelue courses, the king did beare away the ring fiue times, and atteined it thrée. And these courses thus finished, the Spanish ambassadours desired to haue some of the badges or deuises, which were on the kings trapper. His grace therof knowing, commanded euerie of them to take thereof what it pleased them, who in effect tooke all or the more part; for in the beginning they thought they had béene counterfeit, and not of gold; as they were. On Maie day then next folowing in the second yeare of his reigne,King Henrie goeth a mai|eng with o|ther of his courtiers. his grace being yoong, and wil|ling not to be idle, rose in the morning verie earlie to fetch maie or greene boughs, himselfe fresh & rich|lie apparelled; and clothed all his knights, squiers and gentlemen in white sattin, and all his gard and yeo|men of the crowne in white sarcenet: and so went e|uerie man with his bow and arrowes shooting to the wood, and so repaired againe to the court, euerie man with a gréene bough in his cap.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Now at his returning, manie hearing of his going on maieng, were desirous to sée him shoot, for at that time his grace shot as strong and as great a length as anie of his gard. There came to his grace a certeine man with bow and arrowes, and desired his grace to take the muster of him,The king a good archer. and to sée him shoot; for at that time his grace was contented. The man put the one foot in his bosome, and so did shoot, and shot a verie good shoot, and well towards his marke: whereof, not onelie his grace, but all other greatlie maruelled. So the king gaue him a reward for his so dooing; which person afterwards of the peo|ple, and of them in the court, was called, Foot in bo|some. The same yeare in the feast of Pentecost, hol|den at Gréenwich,The king cha+lengeth all commers at sundrie exer|cises of ac|tiuitie that is to say, the thursdaie in the same wéeke, his grace with two other with him, chalenged all commers, to fight with them at the barriers with target, and casting the speare of eight foot long; and that doone, his grace with the said two aides to fight euerie of them twelue strokes with two handed swordes, with and against all commers, none excepted being a gentleman; where the K. be|haued himselfe so well, and deliuered himselfe so vali|antlie by his hardie prowesse and great strength, that the praise and laud was giuen to his grace, and his aides: notwithstanding that diuerse and strong per|sons had assailed him and his aides.