which futes, no Effoine, wager of law, or Protection fhall be

allowed for the defendant.

VI. Prouided alwaies, and be it enacted by the authoritie aforefayd, That if any of the fayd aged, maimed, or impotent persons, of the Cities, Townes, or villages where they were borne in, or had their most abiding, as is aforefayd, be not fo lame or impotent, but that they may worke in fome maner of worke: that then fuch Citie, Towne, Parish or Village, doe either in common prouide fome fuch worké for them, as they may be occupied in, or appoint them to fuch as will find them worke for meate and drinke. And if they refufe of wilfulnesse and ftubborneffe to worke, or do runne away and beg in other places, then to punish the fame according to their discretions, with stocking, beating, or otherwife as fhall feeme conuenient.

VII. Be it also enacted by the authority aforefayd, That all leprouse and poore bedred creatures, whatfoeuer they be, may at their owne liberty remaine and continue in fuch houses as are appointed for leproufe or bedred people, as they now be in, and fhall not be compelled to repaire into any other Countries or places by vertue of this Act, any thing therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding. And that also it shall be lawful unto the fayd leprouse and bedred people, for their better relief to appoint their proctor or proctors, fo there be not appointed aboue the number of two perfons, for any one houfe of leprofie or bedred people, to gather the charitable almes of all fuch inhabitants, as fhall be within the compaffe of foure miles of any of the fayd houses of leproufe and bedred people.

VIII. Prouided alwaies, and be it enacted by the authoritie aforefayd, That it (hall be lawful to the Lord Chancellor of England, or Lord Keeper of the great feale for the time being, at their difcretions to grant commiffion vnder the great feale of England, to euery or any perfon or perfons, that bath, or shall haue his or their houfes or barnes burnt, or fuch loffes, or to fuch as be or shall be leproufe perfons, to gather the relief and charitie of others for their relief, or for their aid, and helpe of his or their loffes, decay, or hinderance, as in time paft hath been vfed, any thing in this Act notwithstanding.

IX. And be it further enacted by the authoritie aforefaid, That all and euery Statute and Act of Parliament made for punifhment of vacabonds, flaues, aged and impotent perfons, or any of them, and euery Article, fentence, claufe or provifo, therein contained, other then this prefent Act and Statute made, and the fayd Act made in the faid two and twentith yeere, fhall be from henceforth vtterly void, repealed, and of no effect or force.

· X. And forafmuch as diuers men and women going on 'begging, impotent and lame, and fome able inough to labour, 'doe carry children about with them of tender age, and fome of four, fiue or fixe yeeres of age, or yonger, or elder, which ⚫ being once brought vp in idleneffe, will hardly be brought after to any good kind of labour, paine, trauell or feruice:"

Be

!

child

Be it enacted by the authoritie aforefayd, That if any aboue the age of fiue yeeres, and vnder the age of fourteene, go about wandering, as is aforefayd, or elfe alone, in cafe any maner person that is able to keep any fuch child, will take it, be it male or female, of and from any fuch begger being the father or mother thereof, nourisher or keeper, whether they be willing or not, or without any fuch Nurffe, father, mother or keeper, by him or her selfe wandring, and bring such child so taken, before one of the Conftables of the Parish, where the child fhall fo Seffions fortune to be taken vp, and at the next generall quarter to be holden in the Shire next to the place where the fayd taking vp fhall fortune to be, prefent the fame in the presence of the fayd Conftable, before the Juftices of peace at the fame Seffions, and there in open Seffions promife to bring the fame child vp in some honest labour or occupation till the woman childe come to the age of fifteen yeeres and the man child to the age of eighteen yeeres, if the Maister or Miftreffe fhall chance fo long to liue, that then and immediately the fayd Juftices of peace by their discretion fhall adiudge by vertue of this Act, the fayd child vnto the ages before fpecified, to be feruant or feruants to the fayd person or perfons, so taking and promifing, as is aforefaid, fuch child to be vfed and ordered, in all points according as the law and cuftome of the Realme is of feruants without wages, to what labour, occupation, or feruice foeuer the fayd taker vp, or Maister or Miftreffe fhall appoint him or her, during the fayd tearme, and the fayd iudgement shall be entered by the Clearke of the peace in the fayd Seffions in forme following:

M

EMORANDUM, That at the Seffions of the peace. holden at W, the day, &c. One I. B. of the Towne of L. had deliuered to him, according to the forme of the Statute in that cafe prouided B. T. esteemed to be of the age of feauen or eight yeeres, to be ordered according to the forme of the • fayd Statute.'

XI. And if it fhall fortune fuch child fo adiudged to runn away at any time, once, or more times, from his, or her Maifter or Miftreffe, that then it shall be lawfull for euery fuch Maifter or Miftreffe, to take the fayd child againe, and to keepe and punish the fayd child in the ftockes, or otherwife by difcretion, or otherwife at the liberty of such Maister or Miftreffe, to haue a warrant from any Juftice of peace in the fame Shire where the child fo runns away, for fuch child running away, or going away, as is prouided by the Statute of labourers, for fuch feruants as depart away from their Maifter or Miftreffe, without a reasonable cause before the end of their tearm.

XII. And that euery Juftice of peace fhall by force of this Act haue authoritie and power, to make fuch warrant against euery fuch perfon fo going, and running away, in like forme as they or any of them may doe against any feruant departing out of his Maifters feruice without licenfe, or reafonable caufe, and

Bb 4

by

by force of the fame warrant, the child fo running or going away, to be taken and ordered in euery degree, as is prouided by the fayd Statute of labourers for feruants departing out of their Maister or Miftreffe feruice, as is aforefayd.

XIII. And be it further enacted by the authoritie aforefayd, That if, and as often as it fhall chance the father, mother, nurffe, or other bearer about of the child, or any other perfon or perfons, to steale, or intise away any fuch child, adiudged for a feruant, as is aforefayd, that then, and fo often it fhall be lawfull for the maister, or mistreffe of the fame child to be at his or their liberty, to take an Action vpon the Statute of labourers, against euery fuch person so stealing, or intifing away such child as he or they might haue, by reason of the faid Statute for labourers, against him, or them that retaines any mans feruant out of his feruice, before the end of the fayd tearme, or else to take an Action of Trespasse against such offendor, in which Action hee thall recouer his dammages, and treble coftes of his fute.

XIV. Prouided alwaies, and be it enacted by the authoritie aforefayd, That if the Maifter, or Miftreffe, to whom fuch child as is aforefayd fhall be adiudged to be feruant, be vnreafonable in ordering, and bringing vp of fuch child, that then at all times vpon complaint made at the generall quarter Seffions of the peace, in the Countie where the fayd child thall be by two honeft neighbours of the fame place, or Towne where the faid child fhall fortune to be fo vnreasonably ordered, if it fhall appeare by honeft witneffe to the Juftices of peace at the fame Seffions that the complaint thereof made fhall be true, then the Juftices of peace at their generall Seffions in the fame Shire, where fuch complaint fhall be made, fhall by vertue of this Act haue authoritie and power to difcharge the fayd child from his or their vnreasonable maifter, or miftreffe, and appoint the fame to fome other honeft maifter, or mistreffe, vnto the fayd ages, to be ordered in euery degree as the fayd child fhould haue beene with his former maifter or mittreffe, and that order, and appointment to be written in the Booke of the Clearke of the peace, for the which entrie the faid Clearke of the peace fhall haue foure pence for his labour, and not aboue, and in like maner fhall have foure pence and not aboue, for the first entrie of the child to be feruant, as is aforefayd, to be payd by the maifter, or miftreffe of the fayd child,

XV. Prouided alwaies, and be it enacted by the authoritie aforefayd, That if the woman child to be appointed a feruant, as is aforefayd, be married afore her age of 15. yeeres, that then by that marriage, the fhall be difcharged of feruice. This act or any thing therein contained to the contrarie notwithstanding.

XVI. Prouided alwaies, and be it enacted by the authoritie aforefaid, That all and euery vacabond, or begger, being borne in any other nation, or Countrie then within this Realme, fhall in maner, and forme aforefayd, and vpon the forfeitures, and penalties before mentioned, bee conueyed from place to place, or to the place, or marches next adioyning, to his or their natiye countrie, or to the next Port, if there be a sea betweene this Realme, and his or their faide countries, there to be kept

of

of the inhabitants of the faid next Port, in conuenient labour from idlenesse, or otherwife till they may be conueyed ouer, and then at the costs of the inhabitants of the faid Port, if themfelues fhall not haue wherewith, to be conueyed ouer into their natiue countries.

A1

Anno decimo tertio Regina ELIZABETHÆ.

T the Parliament begun and holden at Westminster, the second day of April, in the thirteenth year of the reign of our most gracious fovereign Lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God, of England, France, and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, &c. and there continued until the diffolution of the fame, to the high pleasure of Almighty God, and the weal publick of this realm.

CAP. XVIII.

An act for bringing of the Riuer of Lee, to the Northfide of the Citie of London.

F

G. 2. c. 32.

ORASMUCH as it is perceived by many graue and wife men, afwell of the Citie of London, as of the Countrey, that it were very commodious and profitable, both for the Citie and the Countrey, that the River of Lee, otherwife called Ware River, might be brought within the land, to the North part of the fayd Citie of London, the fame to be cut out of the fayd River, in the most aptest and meetest place of the fayd Riuer of Lee, to haue from Further imthence the leading and paffage of the fayd water, thorow fuch a con- proved by sz uenient and meete cut, as may ferue for the nauigation of Barges and other vessels for the carriage and conueying afwell of all Merchandifes, corne, and victuals, as other neceffaries, from the Towne of Ware, and all other places necre the faid Riuer, unto the fayd Citie of London, and from the fayd Citie, to the fayd places, and the Towne of Ware, and also for Tiltbotes and Whirries, for conueying of the Queenes fubiects to and fro, to their great cafe and commoditie. In confideration of the premises, and of diuers fundry commodious, profitable, and beneficiall causes, which are like to infue to the bodie of this common wealth, and fo incidently to many particuler perfons: Be it enacted by the Queenes moft excellent Maieftie, with the affent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall, and the commons. in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the authoritie of the fame, That it fhall be lawfull to the Lord Maior, Comminaltie, and Citizens of the Citie of London, and their succeffors, at any time or times hereafter, to beginne and continue the laying out of fuch conuenient limits of ground, for the making of the trench for the fayd Riuer, at fuch breadth, as to them and their deputies and workemen shall be seene conuenient and meete for the fame, and in that place that they shall find to be most apt and meete for that purpose, to haue, take,

and

and ufe for the purpose abouefayd, fuch and fo much ground, during, and by all the length as the fayd new Channel, cut, or Riuer, fhall paffe, as fhall be requifite for the conueying of the fayd water, and also fifty or threescore foote, in bredth on each fide of the fayd Riuer, by all the length of the fame: fo alway that they doe not in any one place, take in breadth both in Channel and in ground on both the fides of the water, above the breadth of eight fcore foot in all, which conuenient breadth of ground on both fides, is thought needfull to be had for that ground and foile of neceffitie must be occupied on both fides of the fayd Riuer, afwell for the laying of the earth that shall be cast out of the fayd trench, to ferue in the lower grounds, and especially neere the fayd Riuer, to make fubftantiall bankes for the preferuation and keeping of the Countrey from innundations when the fluds fhall arife, as alfo for way to paffe with tronkes and carts, which must carry away the grauell and other earth, in very great quantity from the hils, whereas the cut must be very deepe, to fuch places as fhall be conuenient, to helpe to make up the fayd bankes, and otherwise to bestowe the fame: and alfo for that when it shall please God that the same shall be brought to paffe and full effect, that the whole ground on both fides of the fayd Riuer, may lie in one leuill from the fayd Citie of London, to that place where the faid Riuer or trench fhall haue his beginning out of the maine Riuer of Lee, and to the end also, that in all places within that limit and distance, all people may with great ease and commoditie goe in and out of their Tiltebotes, and other veffels whatfoeuer without perill, and fo walke by foote, as long as it fhall please them, and alfo that the Bargemen may vpon the fame ground without offending any other, draw their veffels from place to place alongst the fame, as of like they fhall be driuen to doe against the ftreame, being loden.

II. And be it enacted, That the fayd Maior, Comminaltie, and Citizens, and their fucceffors for ever, fhall haue the faid ground alongst all the fayd whole length, for fuch compofition as they fhall make with the Lords, owners, and occupiers of the foile and ground.

III. Prouided alwayes, and be it enacted, That if in the new cut, there happen any breaches, innundations, or hurts, the Maior and Citizens of London, fhall top the breaches at their owne charges, and so maintaine them from time to time.

IV. And be it alfo enacted, That the fayd Lord Maior, Comminaltie, and Citizens, fhall have the whole jurifdiction, conferuice, rule, and gouernment, afwell of the fayd new cut Riuer, and ground of each fide, as alfo the royaltie of the fifh, and fishing of the fame, and profits of the faid ground, foile, and water, to them and their fucceffors for euer: and alfo fhall have authoritie to punish afwell all fuch tranfgreffors as fhall offend in the breaking of such good orders as fhall be hereafter made, for such of the Queenes Maiefties fubiects as fhall haue occasion to trauele and paffe by the fame new cut Riuer, as alfo

euery