yowe of it in time, I bid yowe hartelie ffarewell. At the Guildhall this xxvijth of Aprill 1583.
Your louing freind.
lxix.
[1583, May 3. The Lord Mayor to Sir Francis Walsingham, Secretary,
printed M. S. C. i. 63, from Remembrancia, i. 538.]
It may please your honor. According to oure dutie, I and my
bretheren haue had care for staye of infection of the plage and published
orders in that behalfe, which we intend god willing to execute
with dilligence. Among other we finde one very great and dangerous
inconuenience, the assemblie of people to playes, beare bayting,
fencers, and prophane spectacles at the Theatre and Curtaine and
other like places, to which doe resorte great multitudes of the basist
sort of people; and many enfected with sores runing on them, being
out of our iurisdiction, and some whome we cannot discerne by any
dilligence; and which be otherwise perilous for contagion, biside the
withdrawing from Gods service, the peril of ruines of so weake
byldinges, and the auancement of incontinencie and most vngodly
confederacies, the terrible occasion of gods wrathe and heauye striking
with plages. It auaileth not to restraine them in London, vnlesse
the like orderes be in those places adioyning to the liberties, for
amendment whereof I beseche your honor to be meane to the most
honorable Counsel, and the rather I ame to make that humble sute,
for that I wold be lothe to susteine hir maiesties heauie displeasure,
when such forren and extraordinarie occasions shalbe aboue all our
habilities by any dilligence or foresight to redresse it. And so I leaue
to troble your honor. At London this 3 of May 1583.
Your honours to comaund.
To the right honorable Sir Frances Walsingham knight, principal Secretarle to the Quenes most excellent Maiestie.
lxx.
[1583, July 3. The Lord Mayor to the Privy Council, printed M. S. C.
i. 64, from Remembrancia, i. 520. In reply to a letter of June 30, calling
attention to the neglect of the statutes and orders for the maintenance
of archery (Remembrancia, i. 519; Index, 16).]
My dutie humbly done to your LLps. I and my brethren haue
receiued your honourable letters, for execution 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,
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 LLps. good meaninges maie take effect, and the
lawes be executed with such good circumspection and reasonable
orders, as haue ben founde requisite for the good gouernance of the
youth in this citie. Vpon the occasion of your LLps. said lettres
reciting the vse of vnlawfull games to be to the hinderance of the