Great Britain -- Economic conditions; Great Britain -- Social conditions
_c._ 6. Further, it is agreed and assented that no servant of husbandry
or labourer or servant of an artificer or victualler carry henceforward
baslard, dagger or sword, on pain of forfeiture of the same, except in
time of war for defence of the realm, and then by survey of the arrayers
for the time being, or when travelling through the country with their
masters or on a message of their masters; but such servants and
labourers shall have bows and arrows and use them on Sundays and feast
days, and entirely forsake games of ball as well hand as foot and the
other games called quoits, dice, casting the stone, skittles and other
such unsuitable games; and that the sheriffs, mayors, bailiffs and
constables have power to arrest and do arrest all the contraveners
hereof and the baslards, daggers and swords aforesaid, and to seize and
keep the said baslards, daggers and swords until the session of the
justices of the peace, and present them before the said justices in
their sessions together with the names of those who carried them. And it
is not the King's intent that prejudice be done to the franchises of
lords touching the forfeitures due to them.
_c._ 7. Further, it is agreed and assented that touching every man who
goes begging and is able to serve or labour, it be done with him as with
him who departs out of hundreds and other places aforesaid without a
letter testimonial, as is said above, excepting people of religion and
hermits approved, having letters testimonial of the ordinaries. And that
beggars unable to serve remain in the cities and towns where they are
dwelling at the time of the proclamation of this Statute; and that if
the people of the said cities or towns will not or cannot suffice to
find them, the said beggars withdraw to the other towns within the
hundred, rape or wapentake, or to the towns where they were born, within
forty days after the said proclamation be made, and dwell there
continually for their lives. And that with all those who go on
pilgrimage as beggars and are able to labour it be done as with the said
servants and labourers, if they have not letters testimonial of their
pilgrimage under the seals aforesaid. And that the clerks of the
Universities who go begging thus have letters testimonial of their
chancellor on the same penalty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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