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[1597, May 6. Privy Council Minute, printed Dasent, xxvii. 97.]

A letter to the High Sheriff of Suffolk, William Foorth, John Gurdall and Clopton, esquires. We do understand by your letter of the third of this instant of a purpose in the towne of Hadley to make certaine stage playes at this time of the Whitson holydaies next ensuinge, and thether to draw a concourse of people out of the country thereaboutes, pretending heerein the benefit of the towne, which purpose we do utterly mislike, doubting what inconveniences may follow thereon, especially at this tyme of scarcety, when disordred people of the comon sort wilbe apt to misdemeane themselves. We do therefore require you straightly to prohibite the officers and all others in the towne of Hadley not (sic) to goe forward with the sayd playes and to cause the stage prepared for them to be plucked downe, letting them know that they are to obey this our order as they will answere it at their perill. We thanck you for the care you take to keepe the country in good order. And so, &c.

cix.

[1597, July 28. The Lord Mayor and Aldermen to the Privy Council, printed M. S. C. i. 78, from Remembrancia, ii. 171.]

To the Lords against Stage playes.

Our humble dutyes remembred to your good LL. & the rest. Wee haue signifyed to your HH. many tymes heartofore the great inconvenience which wee fynd to grow by the Common exercise of Stage Playes. Wee presumed to doo, aswell in respect of the dutie wee beare towardes her highnes for the good gouernment of this her Citie, as for conscience sake, beinge perswaded (vnder correction of your HH. iudgment) that neither in politie nor in religion they are to be suffered in a Christian Commonwealth, specially beinge of that frame & matter as vsually they are, conteining nothinge but prophane fables, lascivious matters, cozeninge devises, & scurrilus beehaviours, which are so set forth as that they move wholie to imitation & not to the auoydinge of those faults & vices which they represent. Amonge other inconveniences it is not the least that they give opportunity to the refuze sort of euill disposed & vngodly people, that are within and abowte this Cytie, to assemble themselves & to make their matches for all their lewd & vngodly practices; being as heartofore wee haue fownd by th'examinaton of divers apprentices & other seruantes whoe have confessed vnto vs that the said Staige playes were the very places of theire Randevous appoynted by them to meete with such otheir as wear to ioigne with them in theire designes & mutinus attemptes, beeinge allso the ordinarye places for maisterles men to come together & to recreate themselves. For avoyding wheareof wee are now againe most humble & earnest sutours to your honours to dirrect your lettres aswell to our selves as to the Iustices of peace of Surrey & Midlesex for the present staie & fynall suppressinge of the saide Stage playes, aswell at the Theatre, Curten, and banckside,