The Privy Council. A brief note of the benefits that grow to Very necessary to be placed in the houses of all HERE heretofore, by the Queen's most excellent Majesty, of her clemency and care conceived, for divers private benefits that might grow to her loving subjects, specially for the better maintenance of the Navy of this land; hath with the consent of the whole state of her realm, caused to be made and published sundry statute laws and proclamations for the expense [consumption] of fish and observation of Fish Days, with great penalties to be laid on the offenders; that by the certain observation thereof, fishermen, the chiefest nurse for mariners, might the more be increased and maintained. The common sort of people contemning this Observation, to avoid the ceremony in times past therein used, and not certainly knowing the benefits thereby growing to the realm, nor remembering the penalties by the same laws appointed: do not only fall into the danger of the said laws: but the same hath caused a great decay to fishing; whereby groweth many other great detriments to the commonwealth of this realm. For the better instruction therefore of such persons as for the benefit of their country will be persuaded; in this brief Table Council is set down the punishment appointed for the offenders, the discommodities that happen to the realm by the said contempt, and the great benefit that might grow to the people by the observation hereof; with the opinion that ought to be conceived in the eating of fish at the days and times prescribed: being briefly set down as hereafter followeth. The Branches of the Statute. IN the fifth year of Her Majesty's most gracious reign, it was ordained that it should not be lawful for any person within this realm to eat any flesh upon any days then usually observed as Fish Days; upon pain to forfeit £3 [= £30 of present money for every time he offended, or suffer three months of imprisonment without bail or mainprize. And every person within whose house any such offence shall be done, being privy and knowing thereof and not effectually punishing or disclosing the same to some public officer having authority to punish the same; to forfeit for every such offence forty shillings. The said penalty being great, and many of the poor estate favoured by reason thereof; but the offence thought necessary not to be left unpunished: the Queen's Majesty, of her great clemency, in the Parliament holden in the 34th year of her most gracious reign, hath caused the forfeiture for the eater to be but twenty shillings; and for him in whose house it is eaten, but 13s. 4d.-which being executed, will prove very damageable to the offenders. In the 27th year of Her Highness's reign, it was further ordained and remaineth still in force; that no innholder, vintner, alehouse-keeper, common victualler, common cook, or common table-keeper shall utter or put to sale upon any Friday, Saturday or other days appointed to be Fish Days, or any day in time of Lent, any kind of flesh victuals; upon pain of forfeiture of £5; and shall suffer ten days' imprisonment without bail, mainprize, or remove, for every time so offending. Council The Cause and Reason. IRST forasmuch as our country is for the most part, compassed with the seas; and the greatest force for defence thereof, under GOD, is the Queen Majesty's Navy of ships: for maintenance and increase of the said Navy, this law for abstinence hath been most carefully ordained, that by the certain expense [consumption] of fish, fishing and fishermen might be the more increased and the better maintained; for that the said trade is the chiefest nurse not only for the bringing up of youth for shipping; but great numbers of ships therein are used, furnished with sufficient mariners, men at all times in a readiness for Her Majesty's service in those affairs. The second cause is, for that many towns and villages upon the sea coasts are, of late years, wonderfully decayed, and some wonderfully depopulated; which in times past, were replenished not only with fishermen and great store of shipping, but sundry other artificers, as shipwrights, smiths, ropemakers, net-makers, sail-makers, weavers, dressers, carriers, and utterers of fish, maintained chiefly by fishing: that they hereby again might be renewed, the want whereof is and hath been the cause of great numbers of idle persons, with whom the realm is greatly damaged; and this happeneth by reason of the uncertainty of the sale of fish and the contempt which in the eating of fish is conceived. Furthermore, it is considered that the trade for grazing of cattle through the unlawful expense of flesh, is so much increased; that many farmhouses and villages wherein were maintained great numbers of people, and by them the markets plentifully served with corn and other victuals are now utterly decayed and put down: for the feeding or grassing [grazing] of beefs [oxen] and muttons [sheep] only. By means whereof the people which in such places were maintained, are not only made vagrant; but also calves, hogs, pigs, geese, hens, chickens, capons, eggs, butter, cheese, and such like things, do become exceedingly scarce and dear; by want of . their increase in those places, so that the markets are not, nor cannot be served, as in times past it hath been done. Many other things for confirmation hereof might be spoken, as the great number of ships decayed which have been maintained by fishing; the wealth and commodity that fishing bringeth to this realm; the cause that certain days and times for expense of fish must of necessity be observed, grown by reason of the provision of flesh for the people's diet must be certainly provided: whereof the gentle reader shall be more at large instructed in a little book published to that effect, with sundry other arguments which for brevity are omitted. In hope the consideration hereof will be sufficient to persuade such persons as esteem more the benefit of their country than their own lust or appetite; setting before their eyes the fear of GOD in obedience to the Prince's commandment: especially in such things as concern the benefit of a commonwealth, considering Saint PAUL saith, "There is no power but of GOD. The powers," saith he, "that be, are ordained of GOD: and those that resist these powers, resist the ordinance of GOD." It is further to be considered that there is no conscience to be made in the kind or nature of the meat being flesh or fish, as in times past a feigned ceremony therein was used; neither is the meat concerning itself unlawful to be eaten at any time but the use thereof is unlawful, being forbidden to eat by the Prince having power and authority from GOD, and done by the consent of the whole estate for a commonwealth; wherein obedience ought to be showed, not for fear of punishment only, as Saint PAUL saith, but for conscience' sake, not esteeming the meat or the day but obedience. to the law and benefit to our country and poor brethren. Remembering that the magistrate beareth not the sword for nought, but to take vengeance upon them that do evil. For Saint PAUL saith further, "He that will live without fear of punishment must do well, and so shall he have praise for the same." And although fear of punishment will not reform such persons, as by affection conceived hath been addicted from the expense of fish and the observation of fish days: yet the foresaid things considered, let obedience to their Prince and benefit to their country persuade them to bridle their affectioned lust for a small time; so shall they both see and feel the great benefits thereby growing, and escape the punishment for the offence appointed. And for that the commodities may in some part more plainly appear, hereafter followeth an estimate of the beefs [oxen] that were killed and uttered in the City of London and its suburbs for a year; and what number of them might be spared in the said year, by one day's abstinence [from flesh] in a week: by which also may be conjectured, what may be spared in the whole realm. An estimate of what beefs [oxen] might be spared in a year, in the City of London, by one day's abstinence [from flesh] in a week. |IRST. In the year are 52 weeks, for every week, seven days in all, 365. The Lent, with Friday and Saturday in every week, and the other accustomed Fish Days, being collected together, extend to 153. So in the year there are 153 fish days and 211 flesh days, that is 58 flesh days more than fish days. So the year, being 52 weeks; abate 7 for the time of Lent, wherein no beefs [oxen] ought to be killed: and there remaineth but 45 weeks. Then let us say there be threescore Butchers, that be freemen within the City; and every Butcher to kill weekly, the one with the other, five beefs [oxen] apiece: the same amounteth to 13,500 beefs. The foreigners in the suburbs, and such as come out of the country to serve the markets in the City; as it is credibly affirmed, kill and utter [sell] in the City weekly, four times so many as the freemen: which amounteth to 54,000. So joining the beefs uttered by the freemen and foreigners &c. together; they extend to 67,500. |