3012 A. D. I 620. 



* royal confideration , as well the great wafte and confumption of the 

 wealth of our kingdoms, as the endangering and impairing the 

 health of our fubjeds, by the immoderate liberty and abufe of tobac- 

 co, being a weed of no neceffary ufe, and but of late years brought 

 into our dominions ; we therefor ftridly charge and command, that 

 Our proclamation of December lafl, reftraining the planting of tobac- 

 co, be obferved.' [That proclamation is not in the Foedera, but the 

 0(£lavo hiftory of Virginia has given us its fubftance ; viz. ' that the 

 people of Virginia growin-g numerous, they made fo much tobacco as 

 overflocked the market ; wherefor the king, out of pity to the coun- 

 try, commanded that the planters fliould not make above one hun- 

 dred weight of tobacco per man : for the market was fo low that he 

 could not afford to give them above three fliillings the pound for it. 

 The king advifed them rather to turn their fpare time towards pro- 

 viding corn and flock, and towards the making of potafh, or other 

 manufactures.'] This king had afTumed the pre-emption of all to- 

 bacco imported, which he again fold out at much higher prices. This 

 record continues, ' and that no perlbn or perfons, other than fuch as 

 ' fl^all be authorifed by our letters-patents, do import into England any 

 ' tobacco from beyond fea, upon pain of forfeiting the faid tobacco, 

 ' and fuch farther penalties as we fhall judge proper to inflidt. And, to 

 " prevent frauds, all tobacco fliall be marked or fealed that fhall hence- 

 '^ forth be imported.' "[Fadera, V. xvii, p. 233.] 



Somelight is thrown upon the diverfions and amufements of Lon- 

 don and its vicinity, and the general cuftoms of the age, by a grant 

 from King James to Clement Cottrell, Efq. groom-porter of the houfe- 

 hold, to licence a limited number of places, for the ufe of cards, dice, 

 bowling-allies, tennis-courts, and fuch like diverfions ; viz. within Lon- 

 don and Weftminfter, and the fuburbs of the fame, 24 bowling-allies ; 

 in Southwark, 4 ; in St. Catherine's, i ; in the towns of Lambeth and 

 South-Lambeth, 2 ; in Shoreditch, i ; and in ievery other burgh, town, 

 village, or hamlet, within two miles of the cities of London and Weft- 

 ininiler, one bowling-alley. Alio within the faid cities of London and 

 Weftminfter, and witliin two miles thereof, 14 tennis-courts. And to 

 keep play at dice and cards, 40 taverns or ordinaries within the faid li'- 

 mits, ' for the honeft and reafonable recreation of good and civill 

 ' people, whoe, for their quallitie and abilitie, may lawfully ufe the 

 ' games of bowling, tennis, dice, cardes, tables, nineholes, or any other 

 "* game hereafter to be invented.' \Fcedera, V. xvii, p. 236.] 



The pirates of the Barbary fliores having at this time greatly difturb- 

 ed the commerce of England, the king ordered Sir Robert Mauniell, 

 vice-admiral of England, to fail with certain fliips of the king's, jointly 

 with other {hips of his fubjeds, to deftroy the pirates. {Foedera, V. xviij 

 p. 245] 



