THE KINGS majesties Declaration to His Subiects, CONCERNING lawful Sports to be used.  
LONDON Printed by BONHAM NORTON, and John BILL, deputy Printers for the Kings most Excellent majesty. M.DC.XVIII.  
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 royal blazon or coat of arms HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  
By the King.  
WHereas vpon Our return the last year out of Scotland, Wee did publish Our pleasure touching the recreations of Our people in those parts under Our hand: For some causes Us thereunto moving, We haue thought good to command these Our directions then given in Lancashire with a few words thereunto added, and most appliable to these parts of Our realms, to be published to all Our Subiects.  
Whereas We did justly in Our progress through Lancashire, rebuk some puritans& precise people, and took order that the like unlawful carriage should not bee used by any of them hereafter, in the prohibiting and unlawful punishing of Our good people for using their lawful Recreations, and honest exercises vpon sundays and other Holy dayes, after the afternoon Sermon or service: Wee now find that two sorts of people wherewith that country is much infested,( Wee mean Papists and puritans) haue maliciously traduced and calunniated those Our just and honourable proceedings. And therefore lest Our reputation might vpon the one side( though innocently) haue some aspersion laid vpon it, and that vpon the other part Our good people in that country bee misled by the mistaking and misinterpretation of Our meaning: We haue therefore thought good hereby to clear and make Our pleasure to bee manifested to all Our good People inthose parts.  
it is true that at Our first entry to this crown, and kingdom, Wee were informed, and that too truly, that Our County of Lancashire abounded more in Popish Recusants then any county of England, and thus hath stil continued since to Our great regret, with little amendment, save that now of late, in Our last riding through Our said County, Wee find both by the report of the Judges, and of the Bishop of that diocese that there is some amendment now daily beginning, which is no small contentment to Us.  
The report of this growing amendment amongst them, made Us the more sorry, when with Our own ears Wee heard the general complaint of Our people, that they were barred from all lawful Recreation, and exercise vpon the sundays afternoon, after the ending of all divine service, which cannot but produce two evils: The one, the hindering of the conversion of many, whom their Priests will take occasion hereby to vex, persuading them that no honest mirth or recreation is lawful or tolerable in Our Religion, which cannot but breed a great discontentment in Our peoples hearts, especially of such as are peradventure vpon the point of turning; The other inconvenience is, that this prohibition barreth the common and meaner sort of people from using such exercises as may make their bodies more able for war, when Wee or Our Successors shall haue occasion to use them. And in place thereof sets up filthy tiplings and drunkenness, and breeds a number of idle and discontented speeches in their Alehouses. For when shal the common people haue leave to exercise, if not vpon the sundays and holidays, seeing they must apply their labour, and win their living in all working dayes?  
Our express pleasure therefore is, that the laws of Our kingdom, and Canons of Our Church bee as well observed in that County, as in all other places of this Our kingdom. And on the other part, that no lawful Recreation shall bee barred to Our good People, which shall not tend to the breach of Our aforesaid laws, and Canons of Our Church: which to express more particularly, Our pleasure is, That the Bishop, and all other inferior Churchmen, and Churchwardens, shall for their parts bee careful and diligent, both to instruct the ignorant, and convince& reform them that are misled in religion, presenting them that will not conform themselves, but obstinately stand out to Our Iudges and Iustices: Whom We likewise command to put the Law in due execution against them.  
Our pleasure likewise is, That the Bishop of that diocese take the like strait order with all the Puritans and Precisians within the same, either constraining them to conform themselves, or to leave the country according to the laws of Our kingdom, and Canons of Our Church, and so to strike equally on both hands, against the contemners of Our authority, and aduersaries of Our Church. And as for Our good peoples lawful Recreation, Our pleasure likewise is, That after the end of divine service, Our good people be not disturbed, letted, or discouraged from any lawful Recreation; Such as dancing, either men or women, Archerie for men, leaping, vaulting, or any other such harmless Recreation, nor from having of May-Games, whitsun Ales, and Morrisdances, and the setting up of Maypoles and other sports therewith used, so as the same be had in due and convenient time, without impediment or neglect of divine service: And that women shall haue leave to carry rushes to the Church for the decoring of it, according to their old custom. But withall We do here account still as prohibited all unlawful games to bee used vpon sundays onely, as bear and Bullbaitings, Jnterludes, and at all times in the meaner sort of People by Law prohibited, Bowling.  
And likewise Wee bar from this benefit and liberty, all such known Recusants, either men or Women, as will abstain from coming to Church or divine service, being therefore unworthy of any lawful recreation after the said service, that will not first come to the Church and serve GOD: Prohibiting in like sort the said Recreations to any that, though conform in Religion, are not present in the Church at the service of GOD, before their going to the said Recreations. Our pleasure likewise is, That they to whom it belongeth in Office, shall present and sharply punish all such as in abuse of this Our liberty, will use these exercises before the ends of all divine services for that day. And We likewise straightly command, that every person shall resort to his own Parish Church to hear divine service, and each Parish by itself to use the said Recreation after divine service. Prohibiting likewise any offensive weapons to be carried or used in the said times of Recreations And Our pleasure is, That this Our Declaration shalbe published by order from the Bishop of the diocese, through all the Parish Churches, and that both Our Iudges of Our Circuit, and Our Iustices of Our Peace be informed thereof.  
given at Our Mannour of Greenwich the four and twentieth day of May, in the sixteenth year of Our reign of England, France and Ireland, and of Scotland the one and fiftieth.  
God save the King.