“It is enjoined that none be so hardy to be found going or wandering about the Streets of the City, after Curfew tolled at St. Martins le Grand, with Sword or Buckler, or other Arms for doing Mischief, or whereof evil suspicion might arise; nor any in any other Manner, unless he be a great Man or other lawful Person of good repute, or their certain Messenger, having their Warrants to go from one to another, with Lanthern in hand.”

Item, it is enacted, That no Man great nor small, of what Condition soever he be, except the King’s Servants in his presence, and his Ministers in executing of the King’s Precepts, of their Office, and such as be in their Company assisting them, and also [upon a Cry made for Arms to keep the Peace, and the same in such places where such Acts happen,] be so hardy to come before the King’s Ministers doing their office, with force and arms, nor bring no force in affray of the peace, nor to go nor ride armed by night nor …

and if percase any man of this realm ride armed [covertly] or secretly with Men of arms against any other to flay him, or rob him, or take him, or retain him till he hath made Fine or Ransom for to have his Deliverance, it is not the mind of the King nor his Council, that in such Case it shall be judged Treason, but shall be judged Felony or Trespass, according to the laws of the land of old Time used, and according to the laws of the land of old time, used and according to the case requireth.

First, whereas in a Statute made the Seventh Year of the Reign of the King that now is, it is ordained and assented, That no Man shall ride armed within the Realm, against the form of the Statute of Northampton thereupon made, nor with Launcegays within the same Realm, and that the said Launcegays shall by utterly put out within the said Realm, as a Thing prohibited by the King, upon Pain of Forfeiture of the same Launcegays, Armours, or any other Harness, in the Hands and Possession of them that bear them, form henceforth within the same Realm against …

And also be it enacted by authority aforesaid, that no person or persons dwelling or residing within Wales or the Lordship marches of the same, of what estate degree or condition so ever he or they be of, coming, resorting or repairing unto any Sessions or Court to be holden within Wales or any Lordship marches of the same, shall bring or bear or cause to be brought or borne, to the same sessions or court or to any place within the distance of two miles from the same Sessions or Court, nor to any town, church, fair, market, or …

Where in the Parliament holden at Westminster the fifteenth day of January in the twenty-fifth year of the King’s most gracious reign, and there continued and kept until the thirtieth day of March then next ensuing, among diverse and sundry wholesome and laudable acts, statutes, and ordinances one statute and ordinance was made and ordained for the avoiding and eschewing of shooting in crossbows and handguns; since the making of which act diverse malicious and evil disposed persons not only presume willfully and obstinately the violation and breach of the said Act, but also of their malicious and evil disposed …

I. WHEREAS several ill-designing and disorderly persons have of late associated themselves under the name of Blacks, and entered into confederacies to support and assist one another in stealing and destroying of deer, robbing of warrens and fish-ponds, cutting down plantations of trees, and other illegal practices, and have, in great numbers, armed with swords, fire-arms, and other offensive weapons, several of them with their faces blacked, or in disguised habits, unlawfully hunted in forests belonging to his Majesty, and in the parks of divers of his Majesty’s subjects, and destroyed, killed and carried away the deer, robbed warrens, rivers …