Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 9.djvu/611

Rh II. And furthermore be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no person or persons, of what estate or degree soever he or they be, from or after the said last day of June, shall shoot in, carry, keepe, use, or have in his house or elsewhere any hand gun, other then such as shall be in the stocke and gun of the length of one whole yard, or any haquebut, or demy hake, other then such as shall be in the stocke and gun of the length of three quarters of a yard, upon paine to forfeit for every time, that he or they shall carry, use or have any such ran, being not of the length of one whole yard, or haquebut, or demy hake, being not of the length or three quarters of a yard x. li. sterling. And that it shal be lawfull to every person and persons, which have lands, tenements, fees, annuities or offices to the yeerely value of one hundred pounds, as is aforesaid, to seize and take every such Crosbow, and also every hundgun being instocke, and gun shorter in length then one whole yard, and every haquebut and demy hake, being shorter in length then three quarters of a yard, or any of them from the keeping or possession of every such offendor contrary to the forme of this Act, and the same Crosbow or Crosbowes to keepe and retaine to his or their owne use. And also the same handgunes, haquebuts and demy hakes, so seized and taken, within twenty days next after the same seizure or taking, to breake and destroy, upon paine of xl. s. for every gun so seized, & not broken & destroied, & the same so broken & destroied, to keepe &c retaine to his or their owne use. III. And bee it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no person or persons, other then such as have lands, tenements, rents, fees, annuities or offices, to the yeerely value of 100. li. as is aforesaid from or after the said last day of June, shall carry, or have in his or their journy, going or riding in the Kings high Wayes, or elsewhere, any Crosbow bent, or gun charged or furnished with powder, fire, or touch for the same, except it bee in the time and service of war, upon paine to forfeit for every such offence x. li. this present Act or any thing therein conteined to the contrary notwithstanding.

IV. And be it further enacted by the authoritie aforesaid, that no person or persons from the said last day of June, shall in any wise shoot in or with any Handgun, Demie hake or Haquebut at any thing at large, within any Citie Borough or market Towne, or within one quarter of a mile of any Citie, Borough or market Towne, except it be at a Butt or Banke of earth in place convenient, or for the defence of his person or house, upon peine to forfeit for every such shot ten pounds, this present Act or any thing therein contained to the contrarie notwithstanding. V. And be it further enacted by the authoritie aforesaid, that no person or persons of what estate or degree soever he or they be, shall from or after the said last day of June, command any of his or their sevants to shoot in any Crossebow, Handgun, Haquebut, or Demie hake, or his or their said maisters, or of any other persons, at any Deere, Fowle, or other thing, except it be onely at a Butt or Banke of earth, or in the time of warre, as is abovesaid, upon peine to forfeit for every such offence ten pounds. The one moitie of all which forfeitures and penalties in this present Act above specified, shall be to the King our Soveraigne Lord, his heires and successors, and the other moitie thereof to the partie that will sue for the same, by bill, plaint, action of debt or information in any of the Kings Courts of record, in which sute no essoine, protection, nor wager of law shall be allowed.

VI. Provided alwayes, and be it enacted by the authoritie aforefaid, that it shall be lawfull from henceforth to all Gentlemen, Yeomen and Servingmen of every Lord or Lords spirituall or temporall, and of Gentlemen, all Knights, Esquires and Gentlemen, and to all the inhabitants of Cities, Boroughs, and market Townes of this Realme of England, to shoot with any Handgun, Demie hake, or Haquebut at any Butt or Banke of earth, only in place convenient for the same, so that every such Handgun, Demie hake and Haquebut, be of the severall lengths aforesaid, and not under. And that it shal be lawfull to every of the said Lord and Lords, Knights, Esquires and Gentlemen, and the inhabitants of every Citie, Borough, and market Towne, to have and keepe in every of their houses any such Handgun or Handguns of the length of one whole yard, or any Haquebut, or Demie hake of the length of three quarters of a yard, as is aforesaid, and not under, to the intent to use and shoot in the same at a Butt or Banke of earth only, as is abovesaid, whereby they and every of them by the exercise thereof in forme abovesaid, may the better aid and assist to the defence of this realme, when need shall require: this present Act, or any thing therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

VII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that it shall bee lawfull to every person and persons, which dwelleth and inhabiteth in any house standing and being set distant two furlongs from any Citie, Borough or Towne, to keepe and have in his said house, for the onely defence of the same, handguns, haquebuts, and demy hakes, being of the severall lengths aforesaid, and not under, and to use and exercise to shoot in the same at any butte or banke of earth neere to his house, and not otherwise: any thing conteined in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding.

VIII. And furthermore the Kings most loving subjects, the Lords spirituall and temporall, and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, most humbly doe beseech the Kings Majestie, that it be further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all Letters Patents, Fraternities, and all other placards, Licences, and billes assigned, heretofore had, made or signed by his highnesse, or by any other authorized by his highnesse Letters Patents, under his great Seale, to give Licence and placard to shoot in Crosbowes and handguns, or any of them, shall be from and after the said last day of Hune, frustrat, void, and of none effect. IX. And also that it may be further enacted by authority aforesaid, that the said Statute made in the said xxv. yeere of the Kings most gracious reigne, and all other Statutes heretofore made and provided for the avoiding and restreint of shooting in Crosbowes and Handguns, or for any of them, or for the using and keeping of the same, be from henceforth utterly void and of none effect.

X. Provided alwayes, that every processe, sute or information concerned, commensed, and now depending, for any offence done contrary to the forme of the said Statute, made in the said xxv. yeere of the Kings most Noble reigne, or of any other Statute, made or provided for and concerning the shooting in Crosbowes