THEIR HISTORY, RISE AND PROGRESS. 373 



arrows, and imposed a penalty of foi-ty shillings a day for 

 the maintenance of " any common House, Alley or Place 

 of Bowling, Coyting, Cloyshcayles, Half-bowl, Tennis, 

 Dicing Table or Carding," or any Game previously pro- 

 hibited by Statute, or any unlawful new Grame which 

 might afterwards be invented (a). 



There was a penalty of six shillings and eightpence each 

 time for using and haunting any of the above-mentioned 

 " Houses or Plays and there playing'' (b). 



Any Justice of the Peace, Mayor, Sheriff, Bailiff, &c. 

 had authority to enter any houses or places where un- 

 lawful Games were suspected to be held, and take and 

 imprison both the keepers and persons resorting and 

 plajdng there, until the keepers should find sureties and 

 the other parties should give security to abstain from such 

 practices for the future (c). The chief authorities in 

 To\vns were to make weekly search in such places as 

 were suspected of being Gaming-houses, or, at the fur- 

 thest, once a month, under a penalty of forty shillings (d) ; 

 and the Leases of Houses used for unlawful Games were 

 to be void (e) . 



" No manner of artificer or craftsman, husbandman, 

 apprentice, labourer, servant at husbandry, jomnejonen, 

 mariners, fishermen, watermen or any serving man," was 

 to play at " the Tables, Tennis, Dice, Cards, Bowles, 

 Closh, Coyting, Legating, or any other unlawful Game 

 out of Christmas, imder the pain of twenty shillings for- 

 feit each time ;" and in Christmas they were to play in 

 " their master's houses or in theii' master's presence," and 

 no person was to play at any " Bowl or Bowls in open 

 places out of his garden or orchard," under the penalty of 

 six shillings and eightpence (/). 



Under certain restrictions and regulations, however, and 

 on giving sufficient security, a person might sue for a 

 Placard to have common Gaming in his house (g) . And a 

 master might license his servant to play with him or any 

 other gentleman at his own house or in his presence (h) . 

 Also a nobleman or person with an income of 100/. a-year 

 might license his servants to play among themselves at his 

 or their houses, gardens or orchards (i) . 



(a) 33 Hen. 8, c. 9, s. 11. 27 Vict. c. 125. 



{b) Ibid. 8. 12. (/) Ibid. s. 16. 



(c) Ibid. s. 14. (ff) Ibid. s. 13. 



(d) Ibid. s. 15. (70 Ibid. s. 22. 



(e) Ibid. s. 21, repealed by 26 & (J) Ibid. s. 23. 



