Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 9.djvu/622

148 XV. Provided alwaies, and be it enacted by the authoritie aforesayd, That if the woman child to be appointed a servant, as is aforesayd, be married afore her age of 15. yeeres, that then by that marriage, she shall be discharged of serivceservice [sic]. This Act or any thing therein contained to the contrane notwithstanding

XVI. Provided alwaies, and be it enacted by the authoritie aforefaid, That all, and every vagabond, or begger, being borne in any other nation, or Countrie then within this Regime, shall in maner, and forme aforesayd, and upon the forfeitures, and penalties before mentioned, bee conveyed from place to place, or to the place, or marches next adjoyning, to his or their native countrie, or to the next Port, if there be a sea betweene this Realme, and his or their saide countries, there to be kept of the inhabitants of the said next Port, in convenient labour from idlenesse, or otherwise till they may be conveyed over, and then at the costs of the inhabitants of the said Port, if themselves shall not have wherewith, to be conveyed over into their native countries.

Anno primo, Sefssio Secunda. N Act made in the second Session of the Parliament holden at Westminster, upon prorogation the 24. day of October, in the first yeere of the reigne of Queene, late Queene of England, &c. And there continued and kept to the dissolution of the same, being the sixt day of December, then next ensuing, as followeth.

ORASMUCH as Trueth (being of her owne nature of a most excellent vertue, efficacie, force and working) cannot but by processe of time breake out and shew herselfe, hosoeuer for a while she may by the iniquitie and frailtie of man be suppressed and kept close: and being revealed and manifested, ought to be imbraced, acknowledged, confessed and professed in all cases and matters whatsoever, and whomsoever they touch or concerne, without respect of persons, but in such cases and matters specially, as Whereby the glory and honour of God in heaven (who is the author of trueth it selfe) is to be specially set forth, and whereby also the honour, dignitie, surety and preservation of the Prince, and ruler under God in earth dependeth, and the welfare, profit and speciall benefit of the universall people, and body of a Realme is to be continued and maintained.

"II. We your highnesse mostloving, faithfull and obedient Subjects, understanding the very trueth of the state of Matrimonie betweene the two most excellent princes of most worthy memory King Henry the eight and Queen, his loving godly and lawfull wife, your highnesse lawfull father and mother, cannot but thinke our selfe most bounden, both by our duetie of allegiance to your Majestie, and of conseience towards God, to shew unto your highnesse first how that the same Matrimonie being contracted, solemnized and consummated, by the agreement and assent of both their most noble parents, by the counsell and advice of the most wise and gravestmen of both their Realmes, by the deliberate and mature consideration and consent of the best and most notable men in learning in those dayes of Christendome, did even so continue by the space of twentie yeeres and more betweene them, to the pleasure of Almighty God, and satisfaction of the world, the joy and comfort of all the Subjects of this Realme, and to their owne repose and good contentment, God giving for a sure token and testimonie of his good acceptation of the same, not onely godly fruit, your highnesse most noble person (whom we beseech the Almighty and everliving God, long to prosper and preserve here amongst us) and other issue also, whom it hath pleased God to take out of this transitorie life, unto his eternall glory, but also sending us a happy flourishing and most prosperous common wealth in all things: and then afterward, how that the malicious and perverse affections of some (a very few persons) envying the great felicitie, wherein by the goodnesse of God your said most noble father and mother, and all their good Subiects lived and continued in many yeres, did for their owne Angular glory, and vaine reputation conceive sundry subtil and disloyall practises, for the interruption and breach of the said most lawfull and godly concord. And travelling to put the same in use, devised first to insinuat a scruple into the King your fathers confeience, of an unlawfull manage betweene him and his most lawfull wife the Queene, your highnesse mother, pretending for the ground thereof, that the same was against the word of God, and thereupon ceased not to perswade continually unto the said King your father, that he could not without danger of the losse of his soule, continue with his said most lawfull wife, but must be separated and divorsed from her. And to this intent caused the seales, as well of certaine Universities in Italy and France, to begotten (as it were for a testimony) by the corruption with money of a few light persons, scolers of the same Universities, as also the seales of the Universities of this Realme to bee obteined by great travell, sinister working, secret threatnings, and "intreatings