By the Rev. Canon J. K Jackson, F.S.A. 31 



long to cotenewe. from y^ tower of London thys eglit day of may 1572. 

 " Yow'. honors most humeble 

 assewred at yow"'. comandmet 

 " To y* Ryght honorable dewrg lyfE 



my vray sigler gud L. " Etchaed Faejiae." 



th erlle of Layster M' of 



the qweyns mayestyes horse 



one of noble ordd' of y^ gei-tt'. 



and of hyr mayestys most honorable 



Cowsell dellyv' thes 



w' speyd." 

 XX. — 1572, June 12th. Siu Thomas Weothe, «/?«* Wriothesley, 

 Garter King at Arms, to the same, about the CoMjriTTAL op 

 ONE Rawlins, for unlawfully playing at the Game of Riffe. 



" Mine humble dutie done to yo'. Lordship ; concerninge the comittinge of 

 John Rawlins otherwise Yonge this is the truthe. / On sondaie was sennight he 

 caiu to me aboute ix of the clock or som thinge before to speake w"". me being 

 in my bed, sicklie as I am still. I sent to him to sende me worde what the 

 the matter was, he sent me that it was aboute a licence, to playe at games which 

 yo'. lordship, and others of the Councell had graunted him / and that he desyred 

 to speake wth me his self. So I sent for him to my bedds syde, and Loked uppon 

 his License : and fyndinge there a greate meanye of Lawfull games named, and 

 in the ende and laste this worde RLfEe was written ; and after generall words to 

 kepe playe at all other LawfuU and usuall games. I then asked him (Yonge I • 

 meane) what game this RifEe was, he sayd it was a game at Dise cast out of a 

 dishe, and so forthe, a thinge I knewe well enough. Then I tolde him that that 

 word putting in had hiirt his Licence and made it suspitiouse : albeit I knew ther 

 hands that were at it / for I tolde him I thoughte he had begyled y'. Lordships 

 in thrustinge in that worde Riffe, which is not onelie an uulawfull game, but also 

 a disceytfuU game : wherein he did somewhat stand with me in the defence of 

 the game. Well, in the ende after Longe talk, I tolde him that I did honor all 

 y' Lords of the CounceU doing as became me, and wold fuiiher then as became 

 me, and to them that had sett ther hands to his Licence I was so bounde, and 

 especiallie to y^ Lordship, as, they might comande me bie message to do in anye 

 thing what I might LawfuUie doo / And so sayd unto him that for aU his Law- 

 full games, he shuld not onelie have mye furtherance for yo"' Lordshipps sakes, 

 but I wolde also comaunde the highe constable and other ofEycers to assist and 

 further him the best they colde, but for the Riffe because it was an unlawful! 

 game and an eveU example to the Queene's people and that I thought yo' LI. 

 were scante previe to that worde and the meaninge of it, I told him that I colde 

 in no wise suffer him to Kepe play at that game : he answered me flatlye that 

 except he might have playe at that game he wolde Kepe playe at none, for all 

 the games he said were losse to him, his gayne was onelie at that. I told him it 

 was uulawfull, and therefore he must not playe at it. He urged me verrie moch. 

 I tolde him then somewhat shortlier, but with good words that he shulde not 

 Kepe playe at that game in Midd". if I might knowe it, and said unto him that 

 I was lothe to hurte him and therefore praied him to forbeare that game, for I 

 assured him if he Kept plaie at that game in Midd^. I wolde comit him which I 



