nor no other sorte of unlawfull or forbidden pastymes that drawe together the baser sorte of people, from hence forth untill the feast of St. Michaell.
xci.
[1592, June 23. Privy Council Minute, printed by Dasent, xxii. 549.]
A letter to the Earle of Darbye. Whereas wee are informed that
there are certaine May gaimes, morryce daunces, plaies, bearebaytinges,
ales and other like pastimes used ordinarilye in those counties
under your Lordship's Lieutenancye on the Sondaies and Hollydaies
at the tyme of Divine service and other Godlie exercyses, to the
disturbance of the service, and bad example that those kinde of
pastimes should be used in such sorte and at suche tyme when men
do assemble togeather for the hearinge of God's worde and to joyne
in Common praiers, which sportes are moste ordinarilye used at those
undue seasons by such as are evill affected in religion, purposlie by
those meanes to drawe the people from the service of God, and to
disturbe the same. Theis shalbe therefore to praie your Lordship by
vertue hereof to give knowledge not onlie to the Byshop of that
Dioces of this common and unsufferable disorder, but to give speciall
direction to all the Justices in theire severall divisions by all meanes
to forbid and not to suffer theis or the like pastimes to be in anye
place whatsoever on the Sondaie or Holydaie at the tyme of Divine
service. And yf notwithstandinge this straite prohibicion and speciall
order taken, any shall presume to use the saide sportes or pastimes
in the tyme [of] services, sermons or other Godlye exercyses, you shall
cause the favorers, mayntainers or cheife offenders to be sent up hether
to answere this theire contentions and lewde behaviour before us.
xcii.
[c. 1592, c. July. Undated documents, printed by Greg, Henslowe
Papers, 42, from Dulwich MS. i. 16-18; also in Collier, Alleyn Memoirs,
33-6. I agree with Greg (cf. Henslowe, ii. 52) that 1592 is a more likely
date than 1593, during the whole of the long vacation of which plague
ruled. We have not the terms of the Surrey inhibition of 23 June 1592
(cf. No. xc), but it may have made an exception for Newington Butts.
If so, the documents can hardly be later than July, as the plague was
increasing by 13 Aug. (Dasent, xxiii. 118). But Greg tacitly assumes that
no earlier year than 1592 can be in question, and as against this, cf. vol. i,
p. 359. I think that 1591 is a conceivable alternative, as Strange's (q.v.)
were probably at the Rose by the spring of that year. There is no corroborative
evidence, indeed, of any inhibition in 1591. But do the documents
point to a general inhibition? The inference from (b) is that houses other
than the Rose were open.]
(a)
[Petition from Strange's men to the Privy Council.]
To the right honorable our verie good Lordes, the Lordes of her maiesties moste honorable privie Councell.
Our dueties in all humblenes remembred to your honours. Forasmuche
(righte honorable) oure Companie is greate, and thearbie our
