only science of the pastime consisted in one couple trying with
"waiting foot and watchful eye" to catch the others and bear them
off as captives.

An old writer thus describes a water tournament, which seems to have
been a popular pastime among the youths of London at Easter--"They
fight battels on the water. A shield is hanged upon a pole (this is
a kind of quintain) fixed in the midst of the stream. A boat is
prepared without oars, to be carried by the violence of the water,
and in the fore-part thereof standeth a young man ready to give
charge upon the shield with his lance. If so be he break his lance
against the shield, and do not fall, he is thought to have performed
a worthy deed. If so be that, without breaking his lance, he runneth
strongly against the shield, down he falleth into the water, for the
boat is violently tossed with the tide; but on each side of the
shield ride two boats furnished with young men, which recover him
that falleth as soon as they may. Upon the bridge, wharves, and
houses by the river-side, stand great numbers to see and laugh
thereat." Stow thus describes the water tournament--"I have seen
also in the summer season, upon the river Thames, some rowed in
wherries, with staves in their hands, flat at the fore-end, running
one against the other; and for the most part, one or both of them
were overthrown and well ducked." This sport on the water was a
variety of the famous quintain, which was itself derived from the
jousts or tournaments, only, instead of a human adversary, the
knight or squire, riding on a horse, charged a shield or wooden
figure attached to a piece of wood, which easily turned round upon
the top of a post. At the other end of the wood was a heavy bag of
sand, which, when the rider struck the shield with his lance, swung
round and struck him with great force on the back if he did not ride