A. D. 1541. Anno tricefimo tcrtio Hr.NRici VIII. C. 8, 9. 3^7 C A P, VIII. It fhall be Felony to prac"Hfe, oreaufe to be praclifcd Conjuration, Money; ortoconfm. c any Perfon in his Body, Members or Go unlawful Love; 01 for the Defpight ofChrift, 01 Lucre of Monty, to pulldown any Crofc; orto clarc where Goods ftolcn be. C A P. IX. The Bill for the maintaining Artillery, and the Debarring of unlawful Games. MOST humbly complaining, fhew unto your Highncfs your daily Or-.tor , the Bowyere, Fletchers, g H> g_ c# t - Stringers and Arrowhead-makers of this your Realm, that where tor th Advancement and Main- ,.. co.sjk fcnance of Archery, the better to be maintained and had within the fame, and for the Avoiding of divers and many unlawful Games and Plays, occupied and practifed within this Realm, to the great Hurt and Lett of Shooting and Archery, divers good and lawful Statutes have been deviled, enacted and made, amongst which one was made in a Parliament holden at Weftminfter in the third Year of your mod gracious Reign, and the lame Act made perpetual in the Parliament there holden in the fixth Year of your faid Reign; (2) the which good and laudable Act notwithstanding, divers and many fubtil inventativc andsevenli crafty rcrfons, intending to defraud the fame Eftatutc, Athens the Making thereof, have found, and daily vifed Oimn the find many and fundry new and crafty Games and Plays, as Logctting in the Fields, Slide-thrift, othcrwile C*"* called Shove-groat, as well within the City of London, as ellewhcre, in many other and divers Parts of this D «»y° f A ' Realm, keeping Houfes, Plays and Alleys for the Maintenance thereof; by Reafon whereof Archery is c ' fore decayed, and daily is like to be more and more minifhed, and divers Bowyers and Fletchers, for lack of Work, gone and inhabit themfelvcs in Scotland, and other Places out of this Realm, there working and teaching their Science, to the Puiffance of the fame, to the great Comfort of Eitrangers, and Detriment of this Realm, ' II. And where alfo your Grace's Subjects, Bowyers, Fletchers and other Artificers aforenamed, from 4 Time to Time refort, repair and come out of all Places of this your Realm unto the City of London for ' lack of living, and do inhabit nigh the fame City, or in the Suburbs of the fame City, and in the Streets ' and Lanes of the fame City, being no Freemen of the fame City, nor bearing neither Scot, Lot, nor other ' Charges within your faid City, as other Citizens and Freemen of the fame City do, and are bound to do, ' and by their Oaths arc fworn to do, and which Citizens and Freemen of your (aid City, of the Myfterics ' and Crafts before rehearfed, which have been brought up as Apprentices from their Youth, dwelling with- ' in the Freedom of your faid City of London, are always in readinefs to furnilh your Grace's Affairs, when ' they fliall be commanded ; (2) by Reafon of the which Refort and Abode of fuch Foreigners and Stran- ■ ' gcrs of the Myfterics and Crafts before rehearfed, in the Suburbs, Streets and Lanes of the fame City, ' other Cities, Towns, Villages and Places within this Realm remain and be unfurnifhed of Artificers and ' Craftfmcn before rehearfed, to the great Decay of the Archery of this Realm ; (3) and forafmuch as itap- ' peareth by the Preamble of the faid Statute enacted the faid third Year, which was eftablifhed and made ' perpetual in the forcfaid fixth Year of your raoft gracious Reign, that your Highncfs calling to your moft
- noble and gracious Remembrance, that by the Feat and Exercife of the Subjects of this your Realm in
mooting in Long- Bows, there hath continually grown and been within the fame great Number and Multi- ' tude of good Archers, which hath not only defended this Realm, and the Subjects thereof, -against the cruel ' Malice and Danger of their outward Enemies in Time heretofore paft, but alio with little Number and 1 Puiffance in Regard have done many notable Aits and Difcomfitures of War against the Infidels, and V other, and furthermore fubdued and reduced divers and many Regions and Countries to their due Obei- ' fence, to the great Honour, Fame and Surety of this Realm and Subjects, and to the terrible Dread and
- Fear of all ffrange Nations, any Thing to attempt or do to the Hurt or Damage of them, or any of them ;
' (4) yet ncverthelefs Archery, and (hooting in Long-Bows was little ufed, but daily did minifh, decay and The Caufcs rf
- abate more and more, for that much Part of the Commonalty and poor People of this Realm, whereby the Decay of
' of old Time the great Number and Subffance of Archers hath grown and multiplied, were not of Power Atcll "y. and Ability to buy them Long-Bows of Yew, to exercife {hooting in the fame, and to fuftain the continual Charge thereof, (5) and alfo by Means and Occafions of cuftomable Ufage of Tennis-play, Bowls, Cloyfli and other unlawful Games, prohibited by many good and beneficial Statutes by Authority of Parliament in, that Behalf provided and made, great Impoverifhment hath enfued, and many heinous Murders, Robberies and Felonies were committed and done, and alfo the Divine Service of God by fuch Mifdoers on holy and Festival Days, not heard or folemnifed, to the high Difpleafure of Almighty God, as by the forefaid Pre- amble more plainly may appear :' III. It may therefore be enacted by your Highnefs, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Com- Men ur.d?r th rions, in this prefent Parliament afiembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That every Man being the akz of fixty Cing's Subject, not lame, decrepit nor maimed, nor having any other lawful or reafonable Caufe or Impe- Vean ftall have liment, being within the Age of fixty Years (except Spiritual Men, Justices of one Bench and bf die B °«"-;rad Ar- Jther, Justices of the Affife and Barons of the Exchequer) fha!l from the Feast of Pentecoft next coming, . rows for (hoot " ife and exercife fhooting in Long-Bows, and alfo have a Bow and Arrows ready continually in his Houfe, '" e " o ufe himfelf, and do ufe himfelf in fhocoting; (2) and alio the Fathers, Governors and Rulers of fuch Men-ChUdrenl is be of tender Age, do teach and bring them up in the Knowledge of the fame fhooting; (3) and that every between feven vlan having a Man-child or Men-children in his Houfe, fhall provide, ordain, and have in his Houfe for Yeareanjifeven- yery Man-child being of the Age of feven Years and above, till he fhall come to the Age of feventeen ijjf"" 1 r fears, a Bow and two Shafts to induce and learn them, and bring them up in fftQO'ing, and lhall deliver al! ',"„" . "_ R r 2 tJ;g .^g c .
