Chauncellors and Keepers of our great Seale, gyven commaundment, by our speciall letters and otherwise, for the restreyninge of such passing of bills at the suyte of parties by the immediate warrant without our pleasure expreslie signifyed in that behalf. Forasmuch as we finde our comaundement not to have ben herein observed accordinge to our pleasure, and as for our service were meete, and that by the continewance of the former evill custome of passinge Letters Patentes vnder our great Seale by the immediate warrant the inconveniences do also continewe, and maye increase more and more, as not longe since experience hath well shewed; We have therefore thought good to renewe our former order given to your predecessors, and by theis our speciall letters to will and commaunde you, that from henceforth ye doe not suffer any booke, bill, guifte, graunte, lease, or other letters pattentes to be made vnder our greate Seale at the suyte of any parties whatsoever, whereof the originall warrant is to be obteyned by our bill signed with our hand, nor any leases from our Commissioners, being appointed by statute, to passe under our signett and privye Seale, but that the same shall orderlie be passed by the usuall and direct warrantes of our saide Seale. And for that there are dyvers causes happening from tyme to tyme, for bills of commissions to be signed with our hand, concerning the publicke service of us and our realme; and bills of pardons alsoe for parties which are to be obteyned under our signe manuell, and `maye at some tyme require speedyer expedition then the writing of them at the signett and pryvie Seale maye afforde, in such cases of necessitie, we are pleased that the same shall be passed under our saide Great Seale by the immediate warrant under our hand, soe as there be an indorsment upon those said bills, testifying under the handes of three or fower of our privie Councell (whereof the Lord Treasorer of England to be one) our pleasure and contentation for the passinge of them by the immediate warrant. And as our pleasure is that this course be strictlie observed by yow, soe to the end the same maye be alsoe dulie kepte hereafter by your successors in the office of Chaun

cellor or Keeper of our Great Seale, you shall cause theis our Letters to be forthwith enrolled in our Chauncerie, there to remayne of recorde of this our pleasure and commaundment, and that ye doe likewise make the contentes hereof knowne to all clerkes and officers of our Chauncerie whatsoever, who it doth or maye concerne. Gyven at our manor of Grenewich, the nyne and twentith daye of Maye, in the eight and thirtith year of our raigne.

This Bill conteyneth a restreynte that the nowe Lord Keeper of the Great Seale doe not suffer any Bills signed to passe by imediate warrant, but onelie such Bills of Commissions and Pardons as require. speedie expedition, and those to be endorsed with the handes of three of your highnes privie councell, whereof the Lord Treasurer to be one, and agreeth with a former restreynt directed to Sr John Puckering, late Lord Keeper, in like cases.

THOMAS POWLE.

ENCOURAGEMENT OF ARCHERY.

[The following is one of the latest measures for the maintenance of Archery, which had so far fallen into disuse in 1542, as to render necessary an Act of Parliament for suppressing unlawful games, and for promoting shooting with the bow. The Lord Keeper is here authorised under the sign manual to issue Commissions to any county or town with the same object, but no power of enforcing the law is given to the Commissioners, who, in case of disobedience, are merely to report the names and dwelling places to the Lord Chancellor, or Lord Keeper. In 1596 the purpose was at least as much to restrain unlawful games, as to maintain skill in the use of the bow. In addition we find from Murdin's State Papers, p. 810, that authority was given to the Lord Mayor, Lord Keeper, Lord Treasurer, the Earls of Cumberland and Essex, the Lords Cobham, Buckhurst, &c. "To survey the fields about London fit for Archery." This passage is from Lord Burghley's Diary, which, however, does not mention the warrant which follows. In 1596 great resistance was made to dramatic representations. Vide Hist. Dram. Poetr. i. 298, &c.]

CAMD. SOC. 12.

2 F

A Warrant for the L. Keeper to passe Commissions for the maintenaunce of Archerye.

ELIZABETH R.

ELIZABETH by the grace of God Quene of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. To our right trustie and right welbeloved counsailor Sr. Thomas Egerton, Knight, Lord Keper of the Great Seale of England, greatinge. We will and commaunde you by warrant herof to make fourthe, and direct from tyme to tyme, under our Great Seale of England, suche and as manye Commissions of the forme hereunder written, to be directed to suche persons, or to any convenyent nomber of them, in anye sheire, citie, towne, or other place of libertie of this our Realme of England, as you shall thinke convenyent, and the same and everie of them to renewe as often as you shall thinke expedyent. And these presentes shalbe your sufficient warraunt and dischardge for the same. Given at our Mannor of Greenwich the fyfte daie of June, in the eight and thirtith yere of our raigne.

ELIZABETH by the grace of God, &c. To our right trustie and welbeloved A. B. C. and D., and to everie of them, greatinge. Whereas in the Parliament holden at Westmr in the xxxiijth yeare of the raigne of our late dere Father of worthie memorie, Kinge Henrie the eight, one Acte or Statute was then and there made for the maynetenaunce of archerye and debarringe of unlawfull games, by the whiche good Statute, amongste manye other thinges, it was provided that the fathers, governors, and masters of the youthe of this our realme shoulde, in divers and sondrye sortes, trayne and bringe upp their youthe in shotinge in the longe bowe, and shoulde have for that purpose severall bowes and arrowes in nomber and quantetie accordinge to their ages and yeres, upon suche payne and penaltie as is expressed in the said Statute, as by the same Statute more at large it dothe and maie appere. And beinge

given to understand that for lacke of due searche whether everie person and persons have bowe and arrowes accordinge to the tenor of the said Acte, the comendable exercise and use of shotinge, and the rest of the good devises and provisions conteyned in the said Statute is, therefore, in the moste partes of this our realme utterlie forgotten and not accomplished; and to the intent that shotinge may be used and exercised within this our realme as in tymes paste, and unlawfull games suppressed and put out of use, wee have thought it convenient, for good considerations us speciallye moveinge, to nominate, assigne, and appoynte you to be our Commissioners, givinge unto you and to everie of you, and to all other persons authorised and appoynted by the said Statute, full power and aucthoritie by vertue of these presentes, in our name, not onlie from tyme to tyme as often as need shall require, to make due and laufull searche in everie place within our countie of B., as well within liberties as withoute, as well for suche as use unlawfull games, as also for suche as kepe howses or alleies for unlawfull games; but also whether everie person, for himself, his servauntes and other youthe in his or their severall houses, have sufficient furniture and provision of bowe and arrowes, and have and doe use and occupie the same accordinge to the true meaninge of the said Statute. And to the intent the same maye be the better understanded and knowen, our pleasure and commaundement is that all suche bowes and arrowes, that everie person ought to have by the order of the said Statute, ye shall cause the parties to bring to some convenient place or places within the parishe where suche parties dwell, or other convenient place within the said sheire, by the discrecion of you our said Commissioners, or any of you, there to be vewed and seene by you our said Commissioners or any of you, upon whiche vewe, serche, and examination, if you our said Commissioners or any of you, or any other our officer and minister authorised by the said Statute, shall finde any person or persons either not furnished with bowe and arrowes or not useing the same, as by the said Statute is limited and appointed, or any person

or persons useinge unlawfull games, or kepeing houses or alleys for unlawfull games, contrarie to the meaninge of the said Statute, that then our pleasure is that you our said Commissioners, and everie or any of you, by gentle admonition and order, shall doe your good endeavour to cause a reformation to be hadd therein, that the exercise of shotinge maie be used and contynewed by as manye of our good subjectes of everie estate as cann or maye use the same. And if you cannot by gentle admonition and order cause the offenders to reforme themselves in the premises, then our pleasure is, that you, or any two of you, shall cause the names and dwellinge places of such offendors to be noted and certified unto the Lord Chauncellor, or Lord Keeper of the Great Seale of England for the tyme beinge, to the intent wee maye cause suche order and direction to be taken and hadd therein, as by the lawes and statutes of this our realme is provided in that behalf. Wherefore wee will and commaunde all and singuler our officers, ministers, and subjectes of our said countye of B., as well within liberties as withoute, that they and everie of them be aidinge, helpinge, and assistinge, and at the commaundement of you our said Commissioners, and everie or anye of you, in the due execution of this our Commission, as they and everie of them tender our pleasure, and will answere for the contrarie at their perills. In witness whereof, &c.

This conteyneth a bill to be signed by your Matie, authorisinge the nowe Lord Keper to graunt fourthe Commissions from tyme to tyme for mayntenaunce of Archerie and debarringe of unlawfull games, according to a Statute in that case provided; and agreeth with the like warrant directed unto Sr John Puckering, Knight, late L. Keeper of the Great Seale.

THOMAS POWLE.