Letter from the Mayor of London to the Privy Council

ff 264–4v (3 July)

My dutie humbly done to your lordships I and my brethren haue receiued your honourable letters, for execucion of the lawes for maintenance of archerie and restraineng of vnlawfull games, We must acknowledge your honourable and godly consideracion and for our partes do accordingly intend, to call the wardens of those pore companies bef, at whose suite your lettres were obteined, and both to vse their aduise and diligence and to adde our owne good meanes and indeuours that your lordships good meaninges maie take effect, and the lawes be executed with such good circumspection and reasonable orders as haue ben found requisite for the good gouernance of the youth in this citie Vpon the occasion of your lordships said letters reciting the vse of vnlawfull games to be to the hinderance of the vse of archerie and of the maintenance of those honest artificers, We ar humbly to pray lordships to haue in your honorable remembrance how much not only the said vse of archerie and maintenance of good artes ar decaied by the assemblers to vnlawfull spectacles, as barebaiting, vnchast enterludes and other like, but also infection therby increased, affraies, actes and bargaines of incontinencie, and thefte, stolen contractes and spoiling of honest mens children, the withdrawing of people from seruice of God, and the drawing of godes wrath and plages vpon vs Wherof god hath in his iudgement shewed a late terrible example at Paris garden in which place in great contempt of god, the scaffoldes ar new builded and the multitudes on the Saboath daie called together in most excessiue number. These thinges are obiected to vs, both in open sermons at poules crosse and of<.> else where in the hearing of such as repare from all partes of to our shame and greif, when we cannot remedie it. The reproch also to vs as the sufferers and mainteiners of such disorders is published to the whole world in bokes. We herewith moued as becomieth vs in conscience and in regard of our honestie and credites not to be accompted senselesse of the feare of God and of our duties to her maiestie and the preseruacion of her subiectes in our charge haue endeuoured and your good fauours concurring will more endeuour our selues for redresse of such enormities within our iurisdiction specially on the Sabbat and daies appointed for comon praier. Which our trauailes shall yet be vaine and to no effect without your honourable | help and assistance. It may therfore please your good lordships both to geue your allowance of our proceding in such reformacion within our liberties, and to send your lordships lettres of request and comandement, to the Iustices of the cownties and gouerners of precinctes adioining to this citie to execute like orders as we shall do for the honour of god and seruice of her maiestie And so beseching your lordships that I may haue your resolucion herein I leaue to troble your honours. At London this iijd of Iulie 1583.

Your Lordships humble.

To the right honourable the Lordes and other of the Quenes maiestes most honorable Counsell.