A COLLECTION Of such Statutes as do enjoin the observation of LENT, And other Fish days throughout the year, with the Reasons for enjoining the same.  
ANd be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid for the benefit and Commodity of this Realm, 
●he Reason's 〈◊〉 the keeping of Lent 〈◊〉 pressed in ●●e Stat. 5. El. p. 5.  to grow, as well in maintenance of the Navy, as in sparing and increase of Flesh victual of this Realm.  
IT shall not be Lawful to any person within this Realm to Eat any Flesh upon any days now usually observed as fish days (upon pain to forfeit twenty shillings for every time he shall offend, 
〈◊〉 forfeiture him that ea●●●h Flesh upon 〈◊〉 days. 〈◊〉 forfeiture him in ●●ose house it ●●●aten.  or else suffer one months close Imprisonment without bail or mainprize 35 Eliz. 7.) And every person within whose house any such offence shall be done: and being privy and knowing thereof, and not effectually punishing and disclosing the same unto some public Officer having authority to punish the same, for every such offence shall forfeit thirtéen shillings four pence (35 Eliz. 7.) All which forfeitures for not abstaining from Meats shall be divided into three equal parts: that is, one part to the use of the Queen, the other to the Informer, the third to the common use of the Parish where the Offence shall be committed, and to be levied by the Churchwardens after any Conviction in that behalf, 5 Eliz. 5.  
But this Act concerning eating of Flesh shall not extend to any persons having special Licenses upon Causes contained in the same, and grounded according to the Laws of this Realm: 
●●ndition up●● Licence, & ●●at shall be ●●●en to the 〈◊〉 upon 〈◊〉 Licence.  Every of which Licences shall be void, unless the same contain these Conditions, viz. Every Licence made to any person of the degree of a Lord of the Parliament and his Wise, shall be upon condition, that they shall pay to the Poor men's box within the Parish where they remain, etc. in the Feast of the Purification of our Lady, or within six days after, twenty six shillings eight pence, and to be paid within one month next after the same Feast upon pain of forfeiture of the same Licence: A Knight and his Wife shall pay yearly thirteen shillings four pence. Every person under the said degree shall pay yearly six shillings eight pence to the said use at the foresaid time, and upon the foresaid Condition. 5 Eliz. 5.  
All persons which by notorious sickness shall be enforced for the recovery of their health to eat Flesh for the time of their sickness, 
●ho may have ●●●●nce, & who ●●y give li●●●ce to eat 〈◊〉 upon fish ●●●es, and the 〈◊〉  shall be Licenced by the Bishop of the Diocese, or by the Parson, Vicar, or Curate of such Parish where such person is sick, or of one of the next Parish adjoining (If there be no Curate, etc. in the same Parish, or if he be wilful) which Licence shall be signed by the Bishop, Parson, etc. and endure no longer than the time of sickness: And if the sickness continue above eight days after the Licence granted, it shall be Registered in the Church Book with the knowledge of one of the Churchwardens: And the party licenced shall give to the Curate four pence for every Entry, and it shall endure no longer but for his sickness. And if any Licence by any Parson, Vicar, or Curate be granted to any person other than such as evidently appear to have need thereof by reason of their sickness, not only every such Licence shall be void, but also every such Parson, Curate or Vicar shall forfeit for every such Licence otherwise granted five Marks, 5 Eliz. 5.  
Such persons as have upon good Considerations any lawful Licence to eat Flesh upon any Fish day, 
〈◊〉 have ●●●●●ce to eat 〈◊〉 upon fish ●●●es, must 〈◊〉 one dish 〈◊〉 Sea fish.  be bound to have for every one dish of Flesh served to be eaten at their Table, one usual dish of Sea-Fish fresh or salt to be likewise served at the same Table, and to be eaten or spent without fraud or covin as the like kind is, or shall be usually eaten on or spent on saturdays (except such persons as for sickness shall for that time be licenced by the Bishop, Curate, etc. or by reason of age or other impediment allowed heretofore by the Ecclesiastical Laws of this Realm) upon the pain aforesaid, 5 Eliz. 5. 1 Jac. 25.  
No Butcher or other person, 
〈◊〉 not to be 〈◊〉 in Leut.  whether he be licenced or not licenced to kill Flesh, shall from henceforth at any time in the time of Lent, kill or dress to the intent to put to sale any Ox or Oxen, Béeves, Béevets, Hogs, Calves, Rams, Ewes, or Wethers, except Oxen or Béeves for victualling of Ships into foreign parts; and except all Flesh to be killed three days before Easter yearly upon pain to forfeit and lose the same Oxen, Béeves, etc. so killed and dressed contrary to this Statute, or the value of them, 1 Jac. 29.  
All justices of the Peace, 
●●●icers searching for Flesh 〈◊〉 in Lent.  Mayor, Bailiffs, head Officers and Constables as well of Cities and Towns Corporats as in every County of this Realm, shall have full authority yearly in the time of Lent, to enter into all houses of Victuallers and common Victualling houses within their jurisdictions where such offences shall be suspected to be committed, and finding any such Oxen, Béeves, etc. killed or dressed, or any part or parcel of the same contrary to this Statute shall take seize the same as forfeited, and shall give and distribute the same to Prisoners and other poor folks by their discretion, 1 Jac. 29.  
Every Taverner, 
victuallers ●●●ssing of 〈◊〉.  Inne-kéeper, keeper of every common Tablinghouse, common Cook, common Tipler, or Alehouse-kéeper offending at any time hereafter in the dressing of any Flesh victual, contrary to the Statute of Anno 5 Eliz. or contrary to this Statute, shall not only forfeit all the Flesh so dressed, but also the penalty imposed by the said Statute of 5 Eliz. for every offence to be committed, the one half of all which forfeitures (Except such forfeitures as shall be found and taken by the justices of Peace, Mayor, Bailiffs, head Officers and Constables according to the Tenor of this Act) shall be to the KING, and the other half to such person or persons as shall sue or inform for the same in any Court of Record by Action of Debt, Been, Plaint, or Information, wherein no Essoyn, Protection, or Wager of Law shall be allowed, etc. 1 Jac. 29. To continue to the end of the first Session of the next Parliament.  
A Clause in an Act 3 Car. 
continuance ●●e former 〈◊〉.  ●. 4. And so much of an Act made the 5th year of the Reign of the late Queen Eliz. Entitled An Act touching certain Politic Constitutions made for the maintenance of the Navy, as is not repealed by any latter Statute, nor doth concern the eating of Flesh, or using of fish upon the Wednesday, etc. together with all and every other additions, explanations, and alterations made thereunto, or thereof, or of any part thereof by any Statute or Statutes made since the making of the said last mentioned Act, and in force the last day of the Session of Parli. that was in the 21 year of the Reign of the late King James, etc. shall continue in force until the end of the next Session of Parl.  
By a Clause in an Act of 17 Car. 
〈…〉.  1. camp. 4. The aforesaid Stat. be made perpetual. See the Abridgement of the late Statutes. Title, Continuance.  
Note that all the time of Lent, and every Vigil (or Holy day Eve) and every Friday & Saturday (except Christmas-day falls thereon) and the embring days throughout the whole year were usually observed by the Laws and customs of the Realm as Fish days, which is proved by the preamble of the Stat. 2 & 3 Ed 6. cap. 19 whereby also it is Enacted, that in those times such abstinence should be used: And the Stat. of 5 & 6. Ed. 6. cap. 3. appoints what days shall be kept holy, the Eves of which are only to be observed for Fish-days.  
And by the Stat. of 5 Eliz. 5. Every Wednesday in the year (which shall not happen to fall in Christmas or Easter week) is limited to be observed as a Fish day, on which day no manner of person shall eat any Flesh otherwise then ought to be on the common Saturday.  

☞  Note that by a Proviso in the Stat. of 5 Eliz. cap. 5. It is Enacted, that whosoever shall by preaching, teaching, writing, or open speaking notify, that any eating of Fish, or forbearing of Flesh mentioned in this Stat. is of any necessity for the saving of the soul of man, or that it is the service of God, otherwise then as other Politic Laws are, and be, that then such persons shall be punished as spreaders of false News are, and aught to be.  
The Faculty Office for granting Dispensations and Licences to eat Flesh, (by Act of Parliament) in any part of England, is at St. Paul's Chain near St. Paul's Churchyard.   

London, Entered and Printed for R. Pawley, and are to be sold at the Rainbow in Fleetstreet, 1660/1.