AN ORDINANCE OF THE LORDS and COMMONS Affembled in PARLIAMENT, For, The utter fuppreffion and abolifhing of all Stage-Playes

AND INTERLUDES. With the Penalties to be inflicted upon the Actors and Spectators, herein expreft. Die Veneris 11 Februarii1. 1647. Ordered by the Lords Affembled in Parliament, That this Ordinance for the fuppreffion of Stage-Playes, fhall be forthwith printed and publifhed. Joh. Brown Cler. Parliamentorum2. Imprinted at London for John Wright at the Kings Head in the old bayley. 1643.

Die Mercurii 9 Februarii3, 1647 An ORDINANCE For Supreffion of all Stage-Playes and Interludes.
Whereas the Acts of Stage-Playes, Interludes,and common Playes, condemned by ancient Heathens, and much leffe to be tolerated amongft Profeffors of the Chriftian Religion, is the occafion of many and fundry great vices and diforders, tending to the high provocation of Gods wrath and difpleafure, which lies heavy upon this Kingdome and to the difturbance of the peace thereof; in regard whereof the fame 4 hath beene prohibited by Ordinance of this prefent Parliament, and yet is prefamed to be pray Etifed by divers in contempt thereof. Therefore for the better fuppreffion of the faid Stage-Playes, Interludes, and common Players, It is Ordered and Ordained by the Lords and Commons in this prefent Parliament Affembled, and by Authority of the fame 5, That All Stage-Players, and Players of Interludes, and common Playes,are hereby declared to be, and are, and fhall be taken to be Rogues, and punifhable, within the Statutes of the thirty ninth yeare of the Reigne of Queene Elizabeth6, and the feventh yeare of the Reigne of King James7, and lyable unto the paines and penalties therein contained, and proceeded againft according to the faid Statutes, whether they be wanderers or no, and notwithftanding any Licenfe whatfoever from the King8 or any perfon or perfons to that purpofe. And it is further Ordered and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That the Lord Mayor 9, Juftices of the peace, and Sheriffs of the City of London and Weftminfter and of the Counties of Middlefex and Surrey, or any two or more of them, fhall, and may, and are hereby authorized and required, to pull downe and demolifh, or caufe or procure to be pulled downe and demolifhed all Stage-Galleries10, Seates, and Boxes, erected or ufed, or which fhall be erected and ufed for the acting, or playing, or feeing acted or plaid, fuch Stage-Playes; Interludes, and Playes aforefaid, within the faid City of London and Liberties thereof, and other places within their refpective jurifdictions ; and all fuch common Players, and Actors of fuch Playes and Interludes as upon view of them, or any one of them, or by Oath of two Witneffes (which they are hereby authorized to adminifter) fhall be proved before them, or any two of them to have Acted, or played fuch Playes and Interludes as aforefaid at any time here after, or within the fpace of two Moneths before the time of the faid Conviction, by their Warrant or Warrants under their hands and feales, to caufe to be apprehended, and openly and publikely whipt in fome Market Towne within their feverall Jurifdictions during the time of the faid Market, and alfo to caufe fuch Offendor and Offendors to enter in to Recognizance, or Recognizances, with two fuccicent Sureties never to Act or play any Plaies or Interludes any more, and fhall returne in the faid Recognizance, or Recognizances into the Sizes or Seffions to be then next holden for the faid Counties and Cities refpectively ; and to commit to the common Goale any fuch perfon and perfons as aforefaid, as fhall refufe to be bound, and finde fuch Sureties as aforefaid, until he or they fhall fo become bound. And in caf any fuch perfon or perfons fo Convicted of the faid offence, fhall after againe offend in the fame kinde, that then the faid perfon or perfons fo offending, fhallbe, and is hereby Declared to be, and be taken as an incorrigible Rogue, and fhall be punifht and delt with as an incorrigible Rogue ought to be by the faid Statutes. And it is hereby further Ordered and Ordained, That all and every fume and fumes of Money gathered, Collected, and taken by any perfon or perfons, of fuch perfons as fhall come to fee, and be Spectators of the faid Stage-Playes, and Interludes, fhall be forfeited and paid unto the Church-wardens of the Church or Parifh where the faid fumes fhall be fo Collected and taken, to be difpofed of to the ufe of the poore of the faid Parifh, and fhall from time to time be leavied by the faid Church wardens11, and Conftables of the faid Parfh12, by Warrant under the hands and feales of any two of the Juftices of the Peace of the County, City, or Town Corporate where the faid fumes are fo taken and Collected, upon complaint thereof to them made, on the Goods and Chattels 13 of the perfon or perfons to whom the fame14 fhall be paid by them that Collect the fame 15, by Diftreffe, and fale of their Goods and Chattels, rendring to them the overplus, upon examination of the faid perfons, or proofe made upon Oath before the faid Juftices of the fume or fumes fo Collected and received, which the faid Juftices are hereby authorized to take and examine. And it is hereby further Ordered and Ordained, That every perfon or perfons which fhall be prefent, and a Spectator at any fuch Stage-play, or Interlude, hereby prohibited, fhall for every time he fhall be fo prefent forfeit and pay the fume of five fhillings to the ufe of the poore of the Parifh, where the faid perfon or perfons fhall at that time dwell or fojoune, being convicted thereof by his owne confeffion, or proofe of any one Witneffe npon Oath

before any one Juftice of Peace of the County, City, or Towne-Corporate where the faid offence is committed (who is hereby authorized to take the fame Oath) to be leavied by the Church-wardens or Conftables of the faid Parifh, by warrant of the faid Juftice of Peace, by diftreffe and fale of the Goods of the faid perfon offending, rendring to him the overplus. And it is hereby further Ordered and Ordained, That all Mayors, Bayliffes, Conftables, and other Officers, Souldiers, and other perfons being there unto required, fhall be from time to time, and all times hereafter, aiding and affisting unto the faid Lord Mayor, Juftices of the Peace, and Sheriffes, in the due execution of this Ordinance, upon paine to be fined for their contempt in their neglect or refufall thereof. Joh. Brown, Cler. Parliamentorum16.

F I N I S17.

Endnotes
1 2

Latin for: On Friday February 11 Latin for: Parliaments 3 Latin for, Wednesday February 9. Most likely, this is the date the text was written, while the February 11 th date on the title page is the date the text was actually published. 4 Fame: In actuality, this word should be same, but due to the use of the long s, the word appears as fame. In the context of the text, this could be Parliaments way of adding salt to the actors and playwrights wounds; by closing the theatres and banning acting, actors and playwrights are no longer famous, but Parliament is for their ordinance. 5 Fame: Once again this word should be same, but due to the use of the long s, the word appears as fame. 6 Within the Statues of the thirty ninth yeare of the Reigne of Queene Elizabeth: From 1596 to 1597 London's authorities banned the public presentation of plays within the city limits of London (The Old Globe Theater History and Timeline). This reference to the statutes then is reinstating the ban. 7 and the feventh yeare of the Reigne of King James: King James reigned from 1603-1625, thus making reference to the year 1610. 8 Notwithftanding any Licenfe whatfoever from the King: This is in reference to the law which stated that, in order to build a theatre, the King must issue a license for it. 9 Lord Mayor: The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of the City of London is the official title for the head of the City of London Corporation, which provides local, policing and other services for the Square Mile. The Lord Mayor presides over its governing bodies, the Court of Aldermen and the Court of Common Council and within the City, only the Sovereign takes precedence (The Lord Mayor of the City of London 10 Stage-Galleries: A section in the theatre where the more affluent members of the audience sat (A History of a Night at the Theatre) 11 Church-warden: one of two lay parish officers in Anglican churches with responsibility especially for parish property and alms (Churchwarden). 12 Parish Constable: Before the creation of a county constabulary in the nineteenth centuries, the c ontrol of law and order in parishes was in the hands of a local constable appointed for a year from among the inhabitants of the parish supported by two high constables in each wapentake (called the Chief Constable in the parish accounts) and Justices of the Peace (Smith). 13 Goods and Chattels: animate or inanimate personal property that is visible, tangible, and movable and has intrinsic value in itself as distinguished from real estate or freehold property or from personal property of the class of choses in action (Goods and Chattels). 14 Once again this word should be same, but due to the use of the long s, the word appears as fame. 15 Once again this word should be same, but due to the use of the long s, the word appears as fame. 16 Latin for, Cler. Parliaments. 17 Latin for, End.

An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons Marginalia

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