- founded, that the whole body must be dismembred and the prince
or the heade cannot chuse but sicken. . . . Let them not looke to liue by playes; the little thrift that followeth theire greate gaine, is a manifest token that God hath cursed it.' A final appeal to his countrymen, ending, 'God is iust, his bow is bent & his arrowe drawen, to send you a plague, if you staye too long'.
xxxi. 1583. John Field.
[From A godly exhortation, by occasion of the late iudgement of God, shewed
at Parris-garden, the thirteenth day of Ianuarie: where were assembled by
estimation aboue a thousand persons, whereof some were slaine; & of that
number, at the least, as is crediblie reported, the thirde person maimed and
hurt. Giuen to all estates for their instruction, concerning the keeping
of the Sabboth day. By Iohn Field, Minister of the word of God. . . .
Robert Waldegrave for Henry Carre, 1583. There is no entry in S. R.,
but on 21 Jan. Richard Jones and William Bartlett were imprisoned and
fined for printing 'a thing of the fall of the gallories at Paris Garden'
without licence (Arber, ii. 853). On 19 Jan. Fleetwood wrote to Lord
Burghley (M. S. C. i. 160, from Lansdowne MS. 37, f. 10; also in Wright,
ii. 184), 'Vpon the same day [13 Jan.] the violaters of the Sabothe were
punished by Godes providens at Paris garden and as I was writing of
these last wordes loo here is a booke sett downe vpon the same matter'.]
Epistle to the Lord Mayor, William Fleetwood, the Recorder, and
the Aldermen. Explains the address to them. A 2^v. 'Is it not
a lamentable thing, that after so long preaching of the Gospell,
there should bee so great prophanation amongst vs? that Theaters
should be full and churches be emptie? that the streetes shoulde be
replenished, and the places of holy exercises, left destitute? I write
not this simplie but in respect, and by comparison. . . . If you say
that this thing belongeth not vnto you, because that Parris garden
is out of your iurisdiction, yet why are these men suffered to bring
their Beares into the citie, that thereby they may gather your company
vnto them? It were duety in you to hinder these and to take order
that none of the citie should repaire vnto such places. . . . 18^{th} January
1583. Iohn Feild.' The exhortation is mainly a general call to
repentance and fear of judgement, without special reference to the
occasion. B 3. Stress is laid on abuse of the Sabbath. B 4. 'There
is no Dicing house, Bowling alley, Cock pit, or Theater, that can be
found empty. Those flagges of defiance against God, & trumpets that
are blown to gather together such company, will sooner preuail to
fil those places, then the preaching of the holy worde of God . . .
to fill Churches. Nothing can stoppe them from the same: neyther
feare of danger, losse of tyme, corruption of maners, infection of
diseases, expence of money, suspition of honestie and such like. . . .
Pounds and hundreds can be well ynough afforded, in following these
least pleasures, though euery dore hath a payment, & euery gallerie
maketh a yearely stipend: thogh euery dog hath a coller, & euery
Beare a prize, and euery cracke bring a great aduenture.' Enforces
the warning of Paris Garden. B vii^v. 'I wil set it down as plainly
as I can, and as truly as can be gathered from the examination of
those same common euidences, that haue fallen out. . . . You shal
