chardge intollerable, in travellinge the Countrie, and the Contynuaunce thereof wilbe a meane to bringe vs to division and seperacion, whearebie wee shall not onelie be vndone, but alsoe vnreadie to serve her maiestie, when it shall please her highenes to commaund vs, And for that the vse of our plaiehowse on the Banckside, by reason of the passage to and frome the same by water, is a greate releif to the poore watermen theare, And our dismission thence, nowe in this longe vacation, is to those poore men a greate hindraunce, and in manner an vndoeinge, as they generallie complaine, Both our and theire humble peticion and suite thearefore to your good honnours is, That youe wilbe pleased of your speciall favour to recall this our restrainte, and permitt vs the vse of the said Plaiehowse againe. And not onelie our selues But alsoe a greate nomber of poore men shalbe especiallie bounden to praie for yor Honours.
Your honours humble suppliantes,
The righte honorable the Lord Straunge
his servantes and Plaiers.
(b)
[Petition from the Watermen of the Bankside to Lord Admiral Howard.]
To the right honnorable my Lorde Haywarde Lorde highe Admirall of Englande and one of her maiesties moste honnorable previe Counsayle.
In most hvmble manner Complayneth and sheweth vnto your good
Lordeshipp, your poore suppliantes and dayly Oratours Phillipp
Henslo, and others the poore watermen on the bancke side. Whereas
your good L. hathe derected your warrant vnto hir maiesties Justices,
for the restraynte of a playe howse belonginge vnto the saide Phillipp
Henslo one of the groomes of her maiesties Chamber, So it is, if it
please your good Lordshipp, that wee your saide poore watermen
have had muche helpe and reliefe for vs oure poore wives and Children
by meanes of the resorte of suche people as come vnto the said playe
howse, It maye therefore please your good L. for godes sake and in
the waye of Charetie to respecte vs your poore water men, and to
give leave vnto the said Phillipp Henslo to have playinge in his saide
howse duringe suche tyme as others have, according as it hathe byne
accustomed. And in your honnors so doinge youe shall not onely
doe a good and a Charitable dede, but also bynde vs all according
to oure dewties, with oure poore wives and Children dayly to praye
for your honnor in muche happynes longe to lyve.
Isack Towelle. William Dorret, master of her maiestes barge.
[Fifteen signatures or marks of royal watermen and others follow.]
(c)
[Warrant from the Privy Council for the reopening of the Rose.]
Wheareas not longe since vpon some Consideracions we did restraine
the Lorde Straunge his servauntes from playinge at the Rose on the
banckside, and enioyned them to plaie three daies at Newington
