must needes impute the fault and blame thereof to you or some of you, the Justices of the Peace, that are put in trust to see them executed and perfourmed, whereof wee may give you a plaine instance in the great abuse contynued or rather encreased in the multitude of plaie howses and stage plaies in and about the cittie of London.
For whereas about a yeare and a half since (upon knowledge taken of the great enormities and disorders by the overmuch frequentinge of plaies) wee did carefullie sett downe and prescribe an order to be observed concerninge the number of playhowses and the use and exercise of stage plaies, with lymytacion of tymes and places for the same (namely that there should be but two howses allowed for that use, one in Middlesex called the Fortune and the other in Surrey called the Globe, and the same with observacion of certaine daies and times as in the said order is particularly expressed), in such sorte as a moderate practice of them for honest recreation might be contynued, and yet the inordinate concourse of dissolute and idle people be restrayned, wee do now understande that our said order hath bin so farr from takinge dew effect, as in steede of restrainte and redresse of the former disorders the multitude of play howses is much encreased, and that no daie passeth over without many stage plaies in one place or other within and about the cittie publiquelie made.
The default of perfourmance of which our said order we must in greate parte the rather impute to the Justices of the Peace, because at the same tyme wee gave earnest direction unto you to see it streightly executed, and to certifie us of the execution, and yet we have neither understoode of any redresse made by you, nor receaved any certificate at all of your proceedinges therein, which default or omission wee do now pray and require you foorthwith to amende, and to cause our said former order to be putt duely in execution, and especiallie to call before you the owners of all the other play howses (excepting the two howses in Middlesex and Surrey aforementioned), and to take good and sufficient bondes of them not to exercise, use or practise, nor to suffer from henceforth to be exercised, used or practized any stage playinge in their howses, and if they shall refuse to enter into such bondes, then to comitt them to prison untill they shall conforme themselves. And so, &c.
cxxix.
[1601, Dec. 31. Minute of letter from Privy Council to Lord Mayor
and Aldermen of London, printed by Dasent, xxxii. 468, and Halliwell-Phillipps,
i. 308, from Council Register; also in M. S. C. i. 83, from
letter-book copy in Remembrancia, ii. 187.]
A letter to the Lord Maiour and Aldermen of London. Wee have
receaved a letter from you renewing a complaint of the great abuse
and disorder within and about the cittie of London by reason of the
multitude of play howses and the inordinate resort and concourse
of dissolute and idle people daielie unto publique stage plaies, for
the which information, as wee do commende your Lordship because
