REx vic̄. &c̄. Saltū. Forasmuche as the [...] of the [...] prog [...]s of the Kynge our soueraygne Lorde / dyuerse [...] haue ben made and establesshed for p [...]ment of suche parsons that gyue or receyue lyuereys or that reteyne any parsone or parsones or be reteyned with any parsone or parsones by othe promyse lyuerey wrytynge token bage or otherwyse vpon dyuerse paynes & forfaytures ī suche statutes cō teyned / That notwithstandynge dyuerse and many parsones haue takyn vppon theym some to gyue and some to receyue lyuereyse and to receyue / and be receyued contrarye to the fourme of the sayde Statutes / And lytell or nothynge is or hathe ben done for the ponyshement of the offenderse in that behalfe / By reason wherof manye Murdures / Ryottes, Routes vnlaufull assemblese mayntenaunces imbrac [...]ryse & other great inconuenyences haue ensued and dayly dothe ensue to the disturbaunce and inquietacyon of the Kynges Subgieties & to the [...]ette of thexecucion of his lawes / Wherfore the Kynge our moste [...] soueraygne lord by thaduyse of his counsayll wylleth straytlye chargeth & commaundeth all his true & faythfull subgiettes & liegemen of what degree state or condicion soeuer he or they be / that they & euery of theym fromhensfourthe obserue kepe & perfourme all & synguler statutes & ordynaunces & euery parte of the same aforetyme had or made ayenst suche as make vnlaufull reteynoures / and suche as so be reteyned or that gyue or receyue lyuerey contrarye to the fourme & effecte of the same Statutes & ordynaunces & that no parsone ne parsones fromhensfourthe do reteyne ne be receyued contrary to the sayde estatutes / ne y t any parsone or parsones heretofore in any wyse reteyned by the Kynges letters myssyues placardes patentes or oder wyse fromhensfourthe vse or were any lyuerey Bage tokyn or oderwyse call hym selfe seruaunt to any suche parsone to whome he or they haue ben so reteyned / vpon suche paynes & forfaytures as ben conteyned in the same statutes any commaundement letters myssyues / placardes / commyssyones / or letters / patentes vnder the Kynges great Seale to the contrarye made in any wyse notwithstandynge All whyche commaundementes / letters / myssyues / placardes / commyssyones & lc̄s patentes of what date or nature so euer they be or to whome / or for what cause soeuer they were graunted / the kynges hygnes vtterly hath reuoked & by this proclamacyon clerely declareth theym nowe & fromhesfourthe to be voyde & of no force streyngthe ne effecte / And also the Kynges hyghnes callynge to his remembraunce howe that many notable actes & Statutes haue bene made & establysshed in the days of his noble progenitoures Kynges of Englande for reformacyon & punyshement of vacabundesidle & suspecte ꝑsones & auoydynge of vnlaufull games & correccion of vitellers vpon greuous peynes conteyned in thesame actes & Statutes And that notwithstondynge litle or nothynge hath ben done within Cytyes Boroughes Townes & oder places of this his Realme for punyshement of the sayd vacaboundes idle & susspecte parsones & for the auoydynge of vnlaufull games & correccyon of vitellers by his Iustyces of pease / Mayres / Shereffes & oder his officers therunto auctorysed by reason wherof dyuerse horryble murdres & roboryes hathe ben also commytted & done & also decayes of Cities / Townes / & Borughes lyke to ensue to the great desolacion & rayns of this his Realme. & also for lacke of correccion of by tellers the Kynges subgiettes hath susteyned great damages & losses whiche premyises to auoyde his grace aboue all erthely thynges tēderly myndeth & to reduse y e same his Realme in his dayes into his aūcyent honoure welthe & prosperyte / His hyghnes therfore wyllethe strayghtly chargeth & cōmaūdeth all & synguler his Iustices of pease / Mayres Sherefz / Baylyffes & oder hede Officers Rulers of Coūtryes / Cities & Townys with in this his sayde Realme that they & euerye of them forasmoche as to theym & euerye of theym concernyth doo executes cause to be executed aswell the statute of [...]nchester the statute for punysshement of vacaboundes the statute made for the auoydynge of vnlaufull games & also the statute made for correction of vytellers as the sayde estatutes made ayenste theym that reteyne or be reteyned vpon suche paynes as be conteyned in the sayde statutes & euerye of theym to be executed & leuyed vpon the sayd offenders Mayres / Shrefes and oder hed Offycers aforesayd in case the Kynges grace fynde any defaulte offence remyse or necligence in theym or any of theym in obseruynge & execution of the sayde statutes / and as they wyll answere to the Kynge at theyr forther ꝑilles and to then [...]e that no parson shall haue cause to excuse theym by ignoraunce or for lacke of knowlege of the sayde statutes The Kynges hygnes hath caused the sayde Statutes to be proclaymed thorough oute all his Realme of Englonde and also to be inprynted & remayne in euery Citye / Shyre / Towne / & borough that euery parson may [...] for the [...]ght & vnderstandynge of the same estatutes for theyr suertye & discharge in that behalfe / And that no parsone or parsones of what estate degre or cond [...]on he be presume or truste vppon any pardon Releasse or discharge to be obteyned of our soueraygne Lorde of his or of theyr offences from hensforthe con [...] to the tenure of the sayde estatutes and euery of theym.
The statutes of wynchester.
Hyrste the statute of wynchestre / made the .xiii. yere of the reygne of the kynges noble progenytours kynge Edwarde the firste as ensueth. ¶ Forasmuche as dayly roboryes murdres and brēnynges be more often and comenly done within this our realme thenne euer was heretofore / and that felons haue not ben therfore atteynted / by the othes of the Iurours / whyche rather wylfully suffre Felonyes to be doon to straunge parsones / and to passe withoute punysshement of endittement of the sayde Mysdoers / wherof greate parte of the sayde Mysdoers be of the people of the same countre / or at the leste if the sayde Mysdoers be of another Countre / the Receytours be of the neyghbours of the same Countre / and the sayd Iurours doo not regarde nor fe [...]e theyr othes / where the sayde felonyes be doon. ¶ And as to the restytucyon of them that were dammaged and hurtyd byfore tyme / noo payne was purueyed for the concillement or Mysbehauoure of the sayd Countre or Iurours where suche offences were doon.
¶ The kynge our Soueraygne lorde for to esschewe and abate the power of felons hath establysshed a payne in this case / Soo that for fere of the sayde payne [...] ther than for fere and drede of theyr othes / and that no parsones from hensforthe offendynge shall not escape / nor no felouyes be conceyled.
¶ The kynge our sayd Soueraygne Lord cōmaūdeth that a Erye and proclamacion be solempnely made in all Shyres Hūdredꝭ Markettes Fayres & all other places where greate assemble of people shalbe / So that by Ingnoraunce no parsone shall excuse hym / that euery Counte from hensforth be kept so that [...] after any Roboryes and felonyes be doon fresshe suyte be made from Towne to towne and countre to Countre.
¶ And also if nede be that enquestes be made in Towne or Townes by hym or theym that is Soueraygne of the Towne or townes / And after in hūdredꝭ and in Fraunchyses And in the Countie or Counties / and somtymes in two / thre / or foure Shyres in case whan felonyes be doon in marches of the same Shyre or Shyres / soo that the sayde mysdoers may be atteynted accordynge to theyr demerites / and if the Countre or Countres do [...] not take the body or bodyes of suche mysdowers / Theyr punysshement and payne shalbe suche / That is to saye euery of the people in the Countre abydynge there shall answere at the robberyes and damages doon there / So that the hundrede or hundredes where as the Robberye or Robberyes shalbe doon within the Fraunchyse or Fraunchyses within the sayd hū drede or hundredes shall answere of the sayde Robberye or Robberyes And if the Robberye be doon in the endes or the deuydynge of two hundreds / then shall [...]the the hundredes with the Fraunchyse within theym answere / for the sayde mysdedes and offenses doon And the Countre or Countres shall haue no longer [...]e / after the Robberye or Robberyes Felony or Felonyes doon but .xl. dayes within whiche tyme the sayde Countre or Countrees shal make agrement or [...] pence of the sayde Robberye or Robberyes and mysdedes / or elles answere the bodye or bodyes of suche mysdoers.
¶ And furthermore the kynges hyghnes / for the farther sewertye of his subiectis / chargeth & cōmaūdth that all the gates in euery greate walled Towne or Townes be shutte at the sonne settynge / and not open byfore sonne rysynge.
¶ And that no parsone shalbe lodged nor harbergyd in y e Subbardes nor in the foreyn of any suche To [...]hut by day ty [...] nor yet by daye tyme but if the [...] wyll answere for hym.
And the Bayllyfz of Towne or Townes euery wyke or euery. xv. dayes shall make enquerye of the people ha [...]bergyd and, [...] of Towne or Townes / and if they fynde any man that ha [...]bergeth or doo loge any parsons suspecte or do ayenst y e kynges [...] y e [...] sayde Bayllyffz shal doo theym ryght and punysshe theym accordynge to the lawe.
¶ And from hensforthe it is ordeyned and cōmaūded by the kynges sayde hyghnes / [...]at watche be made as of [...] is to saye / from the daye of the Assencyon vnto the feest of Seynt mychel the [...]gells & that in euery Cytye in the [...] by. xii. men / & euery vplanded Towne / by .vi. men or . [...]iii. after the nomb [...] of the people there dwellynge / & they shall [...] vnto sonne rysynge / and if any straunger passe by theym / they sha [...] or theym and kepe hym or theym tyll the m [...] [...] hym or the [...] or they [...] his [...] be founde in hym or the [...] he or they [...] [...]whiche shall Re [...] and [...] delyuerd / and if suche suspecyous [...] [...]e and [...] be made [...] be taken / and [...] Sher [...]f accordynge [...] takynge and deteynynge [...]ged.