FOR the Better Observation and Keép­ing Holy the Lords-Day, Commonly cal­led Sunday,

Be it Enacted by the King's Most Ex­cellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in this present Parliament As­sembled; and by the Authority of the same, That all and Every Person and Persons what­soever, shall on Every Lords-Day apply themselves to the Observation of the same, by Exercising themselves thereon in the Duties of Piety and True Religion, Publickly and Privately: And that no Tradesman, Artificer, Workman, La­bourer, or other Person whatsoever, shall Do or Exercise any Wordly Labour, Business or Work of their Ordinary Callings upon the Lords-Day, or any part thereof (Works of Necessity and Charity only Excepted.) And that Every Per­son being of the Age of Fourteén Years, or Vp­wards, Offending in the Premisses, shall for E­very such Offence Forfeit the Sum of Five Shil­lings. And that no Person or Persons what­soever shall Publickly Cry, Shew Forth, or Ex­pose to Sale any Wares, Merchandizes, Fruit, Herbs, Goods or Chattles whatsoever upon the Lords-Day, or any part thereof, upon pain that Every Person so Offending shall Forfeit the [Page 4] same Goods so Cryed, or Shewed Forth, or Exposed to Sale.

And it is further Enacted, That no Drover, Horse-Courser, Waggoner, Carryer, Butcher, Higler, their or any of their Servants, shall Tra­vell, or come into his or their Inn, or Lodging upon the Lords-Day, or any part thereof, upon pain that Each and Every such Offender shall Forfeit Twenty Shillings for such Offence: And for prevention of Disorders and Breaches of the Peace, which commonly happen in Divers parts of the Kingdom, by reason of Tumultu­ous and Disorderly Meétings, which have beén, and frequently are, used on the Lords-Day, Com­monly called Sunday, under pretence of Hurling, Commoning, Foot-Ball-Playing, Cudgells, Wrestling, or other Sports.

Be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That no Person or Persons whatsoever, shall Play, Vse, or Exercise any Hurling, Commoning, Foot-Ball-Playing, Cudgells, Wrestling, or any other Games, Pastimes, or Sports on the Lords-Day, or any part thereof. And if any Person or Persons shall Offend therein, and be thereof Convicted in such manner as herein after Dire­cted; Every such Person and Persons shall Forfeit the Summ of Twelve-pence, sterl. for Every such Offence, to be immediately paid to such Iustice of the Peace, Officer or Officers, before whom such Conviction shall be. And that if any Person Offending against this Act, or any thing therein Contained, shall be thereof Con­victed before any Iustice of the Peace of the County, or of the Chief Officer of Officers, or any Iustice of the Peace, of, or within any Ci­ty, [Page 5] Burrough, or Town Corporate, where the said Offence shall be Committed upon his or their View, or Confession of the Party, or proof of any one, or more Witnesses, by Oath, which the said Iustices, Chief Officer or Officers is by this Act Authorized to Administer: The said Iu­stice, or Chief Officer or Officers shall Give War­rant under his or their Hand and Seal to the Constables or Church-Wardens of the Parish or Parishes where such Offence shall be Commit­ted, to Seize the said Goods Cryed, Shewed Forth, or put to Sale, as aforesaid; And to Sell the same: And to Levy the said other Forfei­tures or Penalties, by way of Distress and Sale of the Goods of Every such Offender Di­strained, rendring to the said Offender the O­verplus of the Monies Raised thereby. And in Default of such Distress, or in Case of Insuf­ficiency, or Inability of the said Offender to pay the said Forfeitures and Penalties, That then the Party Offending be Set Publickly in the Stocks by the space of two Hours, and all and sin­gular the Forfeitures or Penalties aforesaid, shall be Imployed and Converted to the use of the Poor of the Parish where the said Offences shall be Com­mitted, saving only that it shall and may be Law­ful to and for any Iustice, Mayor, or Head Officer or Officers, out of the said Forfeitures or Penalties; to Reward any Person or Persons that shall In­form of any Offence against this Act, according to their Discretions; so as such Reward Exceéd not the third part of the Forfeitures or Penalties.

Provided that nothing in this Act Contained shall Extend to the Prohibiting of Dressing Meat in Fa­milies, or Dressing or Selling of Meat in Inns, [Page 6] Cooks-Shops, or Victualling-Houses, for such as otherwise cannot be provided: Nor the Crying or Selling of Milk or Fish before Ten of the Clock in the Morning, or after Four of the Clock in the Afternoon; Nor to the Vsing of Hackney-Coaches in or about the City of Dublin.

Provided also that no person or persons shall be Impeached, Prosecuted or Molested for any Offence before-mentioned in this Act, unless he or they be Prosecuted for the same within Ten Days after the Offence Committed.

Provided; And be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That if any person or per­sons whatsoever, which shall Travell on the Lord's-Day, shall be then Robbed, that no Hun­dred, or the Inhabitants thereof, shall be Char­ged with, or Answerable for any Robbery so Committed; but the person or persons so Rob­bed shall be harred from bringing any Action for the said Robbery, Any Law to the Con­trary Notwithstanding.

Nevertheless the Inhabitants of the Coun­ties, Hundreds, or Baronies, after Notice of any such Robbery to them, or some of them given; or after Huy and Cry for the same to be brought, shall make, or Cause to be made, fresh Suite and Pursuite after the Offenders, with Horse­men and Foot-men, according to the Statute made in the Tenth Year of the Reign of King CHARLES the First, upon pain of Forfeiting to the King's Majesty, His Heirs and Succes­sors, as much Money as might have béen Reco­vered against the said Hundred or Barony, by the Party Robbed, as if this Law had not beén made.

[Page 7]Provided also, and be it Enacted, That no person or persons upon the Lord's-Day, Commonly called Sunday, shall Serve, or Execute, or Cause to be Served or Executed, any Writt, Process, Warrant, Order, Iudg­ment, or Decreé (Except in Cases of Treason, Felony, or Breach of the Peace) But that the Service of Every such Writt, Process, Warrant, Order, Iudgment or Decreé, shall be Void to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever; And the person and persons so Serving or Executing the same shall be as Lyable to the Suite of the Party grieved, and to Answer Damage to him for Doing thereof, as if he or they had done the same without any Writt, Process, Warrant, Order, Iudgment or Decreé at all. And for the better preventing, Drinking and Intempe­rance on the Lord's-Day, Commonly called Sunday.

Be it also Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Keéper of any Tavern, Ale-House or publick Victualling-House, shall Receive, Enter­tain or permit to remain in his House any per­son or persons, During the Time of Divine Ser­vice, Except those who are of their own Family, or Lodgers in the said House; or furnish them with Wine, Ale, Beér, or other Liquor of any sort, upon the penalty of Forfeiting of Ten Shilings for Every such Offence, to be paid by Every such Keéper of Taverns, Ale-Houses, or Publick Victualling-Houses; and also of the sum of Five Shillings to be Forfeited by Every such person or persons who shall Enter or Remain in such Taverns, Ale-Houses, or Victualling-Houses, Contrary to this Act.

[Page 8]And for the better Execution thereof all Con­stables and Church-Wardens of Parishes, with­in the several Cities and Towns Corporate within this Realm, are Commanded and Requi­red Frequently, and as often as they have Rea­sonable Cause so to Do, to Enter into all Ta­verns, Ale-Houses, and Victualling-Houses, with­in their Parishes or Districts, where they shall Reasonably suspect any person to be and Remain, Contrary to the Intent of this present Act: And to Apprehend such persons as they shall find or Reasonably suspect to be Offenders against the same: And also the Master or Keéper of such House where such Offenders shall be Apprehend­ed; and them in Custody to Carry before the next, or some other, Iustice of Peace near the place where such person shall be Apprehended; which Iustice or Iustices of the Peace are here­by Impowred to Examine Witnesses upon Oath touching the Breach of this Law: And after Examination to proceéd to a Conviction or Ac­quittal of the persons Accused, which shall be Final to all Parties. And if such Iustice or Iustices of the Peace shall upon proof Convict the per­sons Accused to have Offended against this Law, the said Iustice of Peace shall forthwith Demand from such Offenders the Penalties on them In­tended to be Imposed by this Act, and to Re­ceive the same; and in Default of payment, to Commit the Offender to the Goal of the said County, till he shall have made payment of the same; which Summ so paid and Received shall be Applyed to the Vse of the Poor of the Re­spective Parishes where such Offences have beén or shall be Committed.

[Page 9]Provided nothing herein Contained shall Ex­tend to Persons who have beén in any Inns before the Lords-Day, Commonly Called Sunday, and Design to Abide there on Sunday: But it shall and may be Lawful for such persons to Continue and Remain in such Inns and Pub­lick Houses, as if this Act hade never beén made.

Provided always that this Act shall Com­mence and Take Effect on the First Day of No­vember, in the Year of Our Lord, One Thou­sand Six Hundred Ninety Five, and not before.