A briefe note of the benefits that grow to this Realme, by the obseruation of Fish-daies: with a reason and cause wherefore the Law in that behalfe made, is ordained.
Very necessarie to be placed in the Houses of all men, especially common Victualers.
WHere heretofore by the Queenes most excellent Maiestie, of her clemencie and care conceiued, for diuers priuate benefits that might growe to her louing Subiects, specially for the better maintenance of the Nauie of this Lande, hath with the assent of the whole state of her Realme, caused to be made and published sundry statute Lawes and Proclamations, for the expence of Fish and obseruation of Fish-dayes, with great penalties to be laid on the offenders: That by the certaine obseruation thereof, Fisher-men (the chiefest Nource for Marriners) might the more be increased and maintained. The common sort of people, contemning this obseruation, to auoyde the ceremony in times past therein vsed, and not certainly knowing the benefites thereby growing to the Realme, nor remembring the penalties by the same Lawes appointed, doe not onely fall into the danger of the said Lawes, but by the same hath caused a great decay to Fishing, whereby groweth many other great detriments to the common-wealth of this Realme. For the better instruction therefore of such persons, as for the benefit of their Countrey will be perswaded: In this briefe Table is set downe the punishment appointed for the Offenders, the discommodities that happen to the Realme by the said contempt, and the great benefit that might grow to the people by obseruation hereof, with the opinion that ought to be conceiued in the eating of Fish, at the dayes and times prescribed, being briefly set downe as hereafter followeth.
THE BRANCHES OF THE STATVTE.
IN the fift yeere of her Maiesties most gracious raigne, it was ordained that it should not be Lawfull for any person within this Realme, to eat any Flesh, vpon any dayes then vsually obserued as Fish-dayes, vpon paine to forfeit three pounds for euery time he offended, or suffer three mon [...]hs of imp [...]isonment without baile or mainprize.
And euery person within whose house any such offence shall be done, being priuie and knowing thereof, and not effectually punishing or disclosing the same to some publique officer hauing authority to punish the same, to forfeit for euery such offence fortie shillings, the said penaltie being great, and many of poore estate fauoured by reason thereof, but the offence thought necessary not to be left vnpunished, the Queenes Maiestie of her great clemencie in the Parliment holden the 34. yeere of her most gracious raigne, hath caused the forfiture for the eater to be but twenty shillings, and for him in whose house it is eaten, but 13. shillings 4. pence, which being executed, will proue very damedgeable to the offenders.
In the twenty seuenth yeere of her highnesse raigne, it was further ordained and remaineth still in force, that no Inholder, Vintner, Alehouse-keeper, Common-victualler, Common-cooke, or Common Table-keeper shall vtter or put to sale, vpon any Fryday, Saterday, or other dayes appointed to be Fish-dayes, or any day in time of Lent, any kind of flesh victuall, vpon paine of forfiture of 5. pounds, and shall suffer ten dayes imprisonment without baile, maineprize, or remooue, for euery time so offending.
THE CAVSE AND REASON.
FIrst for as much as our Countrey is (for the most part) compassed with the Seas, and the greatest force for defence thereof, vnder God, is the Kings Maiesties Nauie of ships: for maintenance and in increase of the said Nauie, this Law for abstinence hath been most carefully ordained, that by the certaine expence of Fish, fishing and Fisher-men might be the more increased and the better maintained, for that the said trade is the cheefest Nource, not only for the bringing vp of youth for shipping but great numbers of ships therein are vsed, furnished with sufficient Marriners, men at all times in a readinesse for his Maiesties seruice in those affaires.
The second cause, for that many Towns and Villages vpon the Sea coasts, are of late yeres wonderfully decayed, and some wonderfully depopulated, which in times past were replenished, not only with Fisher-men, and great store of shipping, but sundry other Artificers: as Shipwrightes, Smithes, Ropemakers, Net-makers, Saile-makers, Weauers, Dressers, Cariers, and Vtterers of Fish, maintained chiefly by fishing. That they hereby againe might be tended, the want whereof, is, and hath beene cause of great numbers of idle persons, with whom the Realme is greatly damaged: and this happeneth by reason of the vncertainty of the sale of Fish, and the contemp [...] which in eating of fish is conceiued.
Furthermore, it is considered, that the trade for grasing of cattell, through the vnlawfull expence of flesh, is so much increased, that many Farme houses and Villages, wherein were maintained great numbers of people, and by them the markets plentifully serued with Corne and other victuals, is now vtterly decayed and put downe for the feeding or grassng of Beefs, and Muttons only, by meanes whereof, the people which in such places were maintained, are not only made vagrant; but also Calues, Hogs, Pigs, Gees [...], Hennes, Chickins Capons, Egges, Butter, Cheese, and such like things, doth become exceeding scarce and deare by want of their increase in those places, so that the markets are [...] nor cannot be serued as in times past it hath beene.
Many other things for confirmation hereof might be spoken, as the great number of ships decayed, which hath beene maintained by fishing, the wealth and commoditie that fishing bringeth to this Realme, the cause that certaine dayes and times for expence of fish, must of necessitie be obserued, growne by reason the prouision of flesh for the peoples diet, must be certainely prouided, whereof the gentle Reader shall be more at large instructed in a litle booke published to that effect, with sundry other arguments which for breuitie is omitted, in hope the consideration hereof, will be sufficient to perswade such persons as esteeme more the benefite of their Countrey, then their owne lust or appetite, setting before their eies the feare of God in obedience to the Princes commandement, especially in such things as concerne the benefite of a Common-wealth, considering S. Paul saith, There is no power but of God: The powers (saith he) that be, are ordained of God: and those that resist these powers, resist the ordinance of God.
It is further to be considered, that there is no conscience to be made in the kinde or nature of the meate being flesh or fish, as in times past a feigned ceremonie therein was vsed; neither is the meate concerning it selfe vnlawfull to be eaten at any time, but the vse thereof is vnlawfull, being forbidden to eat by the Prince, hauing power and authoritie from God, and done by the consent of the whole estate for a Common-wealth, wherein obedience ought to be shewed, not for feare of punishment onely (as S. Paul saith) but for conscience sake, not esteeming the meate nor the day, but obedience to the Law & benefite to our Countrey and poore brethren: remembring that the Magistrate beareth not the sword for nought, but to take vengeance vpon them that doe euill. For S. Paul saith further: He that will liue without feare of punishment must doe well, and so shall he haue praise for the same.
And although feare of punishment will not reforme such persons, as by affection conceiued hath bene addicted from the expence of Fish and the obseruation of Fish-dayes: yet the foresaid things considered, let obedience to their Prince and benefite to their Countrey, perswade them to bridle their affectioned lust for a small time, so shall they both see and feele estimate of the Beefes that were killed and vttered in the Citie of London and Suburds for a yeere, and what number of the might be spared in the said yeere, by one dayes abstinence in a weeke, by which also may be coniectured, what may be spared in the whole Realme.
An estimate what Beefes might be spared in a yeere, in the Cittie of London by one dayes abstinence in a weeke.
First the yeere are fiftie two weekes, for euery weeke seuen dayes, in all 365. The Lent with Fryday and Satuday in euery weeke, & the other accustomed Fish dayes, being collected together, extend to 153. So in the yeere is 153 fish dayes, and 211. flesh-dayes, that is 58. flesh-dayes more then fish-dayes.
So the yeere being 52 weekes, abate 7. for the time of Lent, wherein no Beefes ought to be killed, and there remaineth but 45. weekes. Then let vs say there be three score Butchers, that bee Freemen within the Cittie, and euery Butcher to kill weekely the one with the other, fiue Beefes apeece. The same amounteth to 13500. Beefes.
The Forriners in the Suburbs, & such as come out of the Countrey to serue the Markets in the Cittie, as it is credibly affirmed, kill and vtter in the Cittie weekely, foure times so many as the Freemen, which amounteth to 54000. So ioyning the Beefes vttered by the Freemen & Fariners together, they extend to 67500.
If we will now know what number of Beefes might be spared in a yeere, by one dayes abstinence in a weeke: let vs say in the weeke are fiue daies accustomably serued with flesh, (for that Fryday and Saterday by the Law are dayes of abstinence) whereof one being taken away, the rest but foure: in like case, deuide the said 67500. into fiue parts And the fift part spared, by the fift dayes abstinence, is 13500.
By this is not ment that any moe fish-dayes should be ordayned then already are, but that Fryday and Saterday might be in better sort obserued, for that Flesh victuals on those dayes, in most places, are as commonly spent as on flesh-dayes, and therefore may well be accounted for the expence of one flesh-day's the due obseruation wherof, would spare the number of Beefes aforesaid or more, besides those things sold by the Poulters, and other small Cattell, as Calues, Sheepe, and Lambes innumerable killed by the Butcher.
Seene and allowed by the most honorable priuie Councell, in the yeere of our Lord God, 1593. The 20. of March.