¶ The proclamacion / made and [...] kynges hyghnesse our soueraygne lorde and his most honorable counsayle / nat onely [...] exercisyng of longe bowes and maintayninge of ar­chery / within this his realme / but also for puttyng downe and distroyeng of Crosbowes & hande Gonnes / and other vnlaufull games / vsed within this his sayd realme / contrarye to his lawes and laudable statutes in that behalfe made / ordayned and prouided.

THe Kyng our soueraygne lorde / of his hyghe prudence and wysdome. Consideryng / howe that aswell in the tymes of his noble progenitours / kynges of this his realme of Englande / as also in the tyme of his most noble reygne / by the exercisyng and vsyng of his and their subiectes in shotyng in longe bowes / there dyd insurge / en­creace and growe within the same realme / great nombre and multitude of franke Archers / whiche nat onely therby defended this his said realme and subiectes therof / against the malyce and daungers of their enemyes / but also with a meane & small nombre and puissaunce / in regarde and comparison of their enemyes / hath done many notable exploites and actes of warre / to the discomfiture of their said enemyes. By reason whereof / aswell our sayd souer [...]ygne lorde the kyng / as also his noble progenitours / haue had and optayned great and tryumphant victories / against their enemyes / to the great honour / fame / renowme / and suretye of his and their noble ꝑsons / and of this his said realme of Englande / and subiectes of the same / as also to the terryble feare and drede of all outwarde and straūge nacions / attemptyng any thing by the waye of hostilyte / to the hurt or daunger of this his said realme. In consideracyon wherof / and for the better maynteynaūce and good contynuance of the sayd Archerye and shotynge in longe Bowes / dyuers good and politique statutes haue ben made / establysshed & deuised / aswell in the tyme of our soueraygne lorde the kyng that nowe is / as also in the dayes of his sayd noble proge­nitours kynges of this realme. yet that nat withstandynge / for lacke of good and effectuell execucion of the sayd lawes and statutes / the sayd Archerye and shotynge in longe Bowes / is sore and marueyloussy decayed / and in maner vtterly extyncte: And specially by the newe­fanglenesse and wanton pleasure that men nowe haue / in vsyng of Crosbowes & hande Gōnes / wherby also great nombre of people be gyuen to ydelnesse / & to the vnlaufull distruction of dere / and other brestes and foules / within warrens / forrestes / chaces and parkes / to the great losse and detriment / aswell of the kyng our soueraygne lorde / as also of other his noble men and subiectes. And it is thought by the kynges hyghnesse and his most honorable counsayle / that the Archerye and shotyng in longe Bowes / is lyke for euermore to be decayed & distroyed by the vsyng hereof / and of dyuers and many other vnlaufull games / as playenge at Tennes / Boules / Closshe / Tables / Dyce / Cardes / and other vnlaufull games / contrary to the kynges lawes and honorable statutes made in that behalfe.

¶ For the remedyeng and eschewynge wherof / and for settynge vp agayne of longe Bowes / and auaunsyng and encreasynge of the sayd Archerye. The kyng our soueraygne lorde / straytly chargeth and cōmaundeth / that no maner of persone or persons from hensforth / after this present Proclamacion and publycacion therof had and made / shote in or vse any Crosbowe or hande Gonne / nor haue / beare / or kepe any Crosbowe or hande Gonne in their houses or any other places / contrary and agaynst the sayd statutes.

¶ And furthermore our said soueraigne lorde / wylleth / chargeth / and straytely cōmaundeth / that all and euery person and persons / of what degre or condicyon he or they be / that shall se / perceyue or knowe / any ꝑsone or ꝑsons shotyng in any Crosbowe or hande Gonne / or haue or beare any Crosbowe or handgon / cōtrary to the said estatutes / as is beforesaid. That than it shalbe lefull for such person or ꝑsons to take and sease / or cause to be taken & seased the said Crosbowe and handgon / Crosbowes or hande Gonnes from the sayd ꝑson or persons / sho­tyng / vsyng / bearyng / hauynge or kepyng the same. And the same so taken or seasyd / to breake in peces in the next market towne or other towne / in the presence of the gouernour or gouernours of the same / or in their absēce / in the presence of their deputy or deputies there. And in case the said person or ꝑsons do refuse to delyuer the said Crosbowes or handgōnes / to such ꝑson or ꝑsons as shall attēpte to sease or demaūde the sayd Crosbowes or hande Gonnes: than and in that case / the kynges pleasure and cōmaundement is / that his good & louyng subiectes beynge nere there vnto (beynge also required and desired) shall assyste from tyme to tyme / the same person or persons so intendyng to sease and take the sayd Crosbowes and hande Gonnes / in the takyng / seasyng / and breakyng the same. And furthermore our sayd soueraygne lorde the kyng / chargeth and straytely cōmaundeth / that if any person or ꝑsons shall knowe or probably suppose / any Crosbowe or hande Gonne to be kept in the house of any persone or persons / contrary to the tenour / fourme and effecte of the sayd estatutes: that than it shalbe lefull to the said person or persons / knowyng or probably supposyng the same to be trewe / to entre in to the sayd house or houses / where any suche Crosbowes / hande Gonne or hande Gonnes shalbe kepte / cōmaundyng the sayd housholder / or other person or persons there than beyng / in the absence of the sayd housholder / in the kynges name / that he or they / without any contradyction / denyall or refusall / inconty­nently and without delaye / delyuer the sayd Crosbowe or hande Gonne / Crosbowes or hande Gonnes / beyng in the sayd house to the ꝑsone or persons so demaundyng the same. And if the sayd housholder / or suche persons as in his absence shall than be there / deny and refuse so to do / than and in that case the same person so demaundyng the same Crosbowe or hande Gonne / Crosbowes or hande Gonnes shall resort to [Page] the kynges trewe and louyng subiectes / nere thervnto dwellyng or beynge / chargynge them in the kynges name to go with him to the same house / for his better ayde & assystence / in executyng this the kynges hyghe cōmaundement / for great and vrgent causes mouyng his highnesse and counsayle / concernyng the suertye of his most royall persone and realme / and to charge & cōmaunde the sayd householder / or suche as in his absence shalbe than in the same / to make delyuery of the said crosbowe or Crosbowes / handgon or hande Gōnes / vnder payne of deth / sufferyng the same to be broken in peces / accordyng as is aboue rehersed. ¶ And ouer this our sayd soueraygne lorde the kyng / chargeth and cōmaundeth that no maner of person / of what degree or condicyon he be / from hensforth / after this present Proclamacion & publycacion therof had and made / shall make any Crosbowe within this realme of Englande / except it be to and for suche person or persons / as may laufully therin shote / and vse the same. And also in case any person or persons shall here after make the said Crosbowes / the kynges pleasure is / that the same makers of Crosbowes shalbe fyrst boūde by his and their obligacions to the kynges vse / to the gouernour or ruler of suche places where they shall than dwell / in suche sōmes as shalbe thought by the same rulers and gouernours conuenyent / vpon condicyon that they shall nat make any Crosbowe or Crosbowes / but for suche persons as may laufully vse the same. And furthermore / our soueraygne lorde the kynge / chargeth and cōmaundeth that no maner of person or persons / shall brynge into this his realme / any Crosbowes or hande Gonnes: but onely for and to the vse of our sayd soueraygne lorde / and suche other as may laufully vse the same / vpon payne of the kynges hyghe indygnacion and imprisonment / there to remayne without bayle or mayneprise / tyll his gracious pleasure be further knowen in that behalfe. And also his hyghnesse chargeth and cōmaundeth / that no person (nat laufully auctorised to haue and vse Crosbowes) presume to bye the same / or any straunger Denyson or Englyssheman / beynge within this his realme / vpon lyke payne as is before rehersed.

¶ Furthermore our sayd soueraygne lorde the kyng / chargeth and cōmaundeth / that no maner of person or persons / vse / exercise / or haūte any playeng at the Teneys / Dyce / Boules / Cardes / Tables / or any other vnlaufull games / contrarye to suche lawes / ordynaunce / and good statutes / as be prouyded and made in that behalfe. And that euery person and persons / kepynge any Hosterye / Inne / or Alehouse / within this his realme of Englande / immediately after this Proclamacion and publycacion of this the kynges pleasure had and made / shall nat onely eschewe all maner vnlaufull games to be vsed in their houses: but also shall without contradiction / suffre suche persons as be and shalbe auctorised by the kyng for that purpose / to take and brenne the sayd Tables / Dyce / Cardes / Boules / Closshes / Pynnes / Balles / and all other thynges pertayning vnto [...] sayd vnlaufull games, For the kynges expresse determynacion & pleasure is / for great respectes and causes / that the sayd vnlaufull games shall nat from hensforth in any wyse / in the foresayd places and houses be exercised / haunted or vsed / vnder the payne of the kynges indygnacion and imprisonment / as is before rehersed. ¶ Furthermore our sayd soueraygne lorde / consideryng that there is great habundaunce and plentye of all maner of graynes / within this his realme of Englande (our lorde god be thanked). yet [...]erthelesse / by the inordinate iniquite and couetousnesse of certayne yuell disposed persons / more regardyng their owne pertyculer [...] / than the due ordre of charite and cōmen welthe of this his realme / do sell the same graynes at great and excessyue prices / throughout this his realme / to the great hurt & impouerysshing of his subiectes of ye same. ¶ Wherfore the kyng our sayd soueraygne lorde / by thaduyce of his sayd counsayle / chargeth and cōmaundeth / that euery person and persons within the Countyes and places where their abidynge shalbe / do shewe and detecte vnto one or some of the sayd Justices of Peace / within the sayd Counties or place aforesayd / as nere as they can ymagen or coniecte / what shulde be the occasion or cause why that graynes shulde be at so great and excessyue prices / and wheder the same do insurge and aryse by forstallynge / regratyng / or engrosyng of graynes (as it is thought to his hyghnesse and his ho­norable counsayle / that it so shulde be) whiche is contrarye to his lawes. And to detecte and shewe (all fauour and drede put a parte) the name and names of suche persons / as they shall thynke to be regratours / forstallers / or engrosers of graynes / or wheder there be vsed any vndue meane / by reason wherof the sayd price of graynes shulde be so excessyuely enhaunsed. And furthermore the kynges pleasure is / that all and singuler Iustices of Peace through this his realme of Englande: do deligently enquire and serche for reformacion of the pre­mysses / and punisshe the malefactours and offendours / in that case offendynge. ¶ Nat faylyng thus to do / as they wyll answere vnto the kynges hyghnesse / at their vttermost parylles: cōmaundynge and straytely chargyng / all and singuler Mayres / Sheriffes / Iustices of Peace / Bayliffes / Constables / Hedborowes / and other his officers and minysters of Iustice / aswell within libertyes & places priueleged / as without / that from hensforth and from tyme to tyme / they shall se this the kynges Proclamacion / cōmaundement and pleasure / to be put in due & effectuell execucion (all fauour / drede / malyce and mede vtterly set a parte) as they wyll deserue his graces speciall thankes / and by doynge the contrarye / to be in his hyghe indignacion and displeasure.

¶ God saue the kyng.

¶ Cum priuilegio. Impress. ꝑ me Richardū [...]ynso [...]ū regis impress.

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