[1598/6/3]¹

Regarding a pastime day weekly

²Our sovereign lord and estates presently convened, considering one of the greatest causes which has procured God's judgment from time to time to fall upon this realm in any time bygone has been the profanation of the Sabbath day, which should be only bestowed and employed in God's service and no other way, where, by the contrary, the same has been abused by the whole lieges of this realm by practice and using of games and pastimes upon the said day, pretending a lawful excuse for them in the said matter that no day in the week was granted to them for their relief from their labour except the said Sabbath, which upon necessity they were forced to break and abuse. For remedy whereof, and that the whole lieges within this realm may the better observe and keep the said Sabbath and bestow the same whole day, as well as before noon as after noon, to God's service, our sovereign lord and estates foresaid have found it fit and expedient that in all time hereafter there be one day of every week upon which day no judgment seat within this realm shall sit, neither civil nor criminal, neither shall there be any court held nor fenced, neither any subjects within this realm shall be forced to compear and answer before the said judges but they to be freed that day from any proceeding against them likewise and in the same manner as if the same was the Sabbath day indeed, discharging all officers of arms or sheriffs in that part of all using of any denunciation upon the same day; which day by our said sovereign lord and estates is appointed to be Monday every week. Likewise the same day the whole servants within this country shall be freed from all service or labour to their masters, and the same day shall be only bestowed and employed by them in using and handling of their armour and in other lawful games and pastimes procuring ability of body, whereby all persons' minds and bodies may be refreshed and they may the more willingly bestow the whole Sabbath day in God's service, having that day for relaxation from their labours, and the whole rest of the week await upon their own vocation. Discharging always the whole lieges from unlawful and unnecessary games, certifying those that be found to contravene the same that they shall be punished with all rigour. And likewise ordains the masters of all colleges and schools within this realm to permit and give liberty to their students and scholars to exercise them in the lawful games and pastimes above-written every Monday after 12 o'clock, and that they in no way be compelled or forced to return the said day to the school again. And this present act to begin and have effect the [...] day of August next to come, being the first Monday of the said month. And our said sovereign lord and estates declare that in time of harvest yearly upon the said Monday every week all cottars, tenants and farmers who are astricted and bound to harvest their master's corns shall be freed from their said master's service that day, to the effect they may employ the same in harvesting and gathering their own corns, which of before, by reason of the hard dealing of their masters, they were forced to do upon the Sabbath and break the said day which should have been consecrated to God's service; and that letters of publication be directed hereupon. It is thus subscribed, James Rex.