|
| [June 19.] |
83. "Certain articles to be considered and answered by the Commissioners for the musters in the county of—, for the increase of
arquebusiers and the good order thereof:"— |
|
That upon certificate made to the Commissioners of the number
of arquebusiers chargeable to be kept within the shire, a new order
be taken by them on better inquisition, to increase their number
and quality, and to procure all things necessary for their use; and
as many as can be are to be calivers. |
|
To devise how more men may be taught to use the same, and
for that purpose, and to enlighten the Commissioners, the following
things are to be considered by them, and their opinions be given
thereon. |
|
That every office in Her Majesty's gift, of castle, blockhouse,
receivership or auditorship, and every customer, comptroller,
surveyor, or searcher in any port, &c., and any other officer in fees,
&c. of the yearly value of 50 marks, may be chargeable to find a
man to serve with an arquebus or caliver complete. |
|
Every person having any living with cure of souls, value 20l.
or upwards, and not residing upon it two whole months in the
year, to be charged to find one sufficient arquebusier within the
parish where the said cure is, or a sum of money for the wages of
one arquebusier for 24 days, at 9d. a day. |
|
Every justice of the peace keeping house within the shire to
find one arquebusier in the parish where he resides, beside the one
he is chargeable with by statute. |
|
Any justice not chargeable by the value of his lands or goods
is nevertheless to be charged to find a caliver, or else to be omitted
out of his office. |
|
The clergy, according to their abilities, to find arquebusiers, or
else contribute towards tho charges for their maintenance. |
|
The second matter to be considered is how such men shall use
their arquebuses without abuse, wherein the Commissioners are to
devise the best means they can. According to the number of
arquebuses kept within the shire, a number of places should
be chosen for exercises, which they may rent at limited times, as
near as possible to market towns, &c., where the conflux of people
may be most convenient, and where the arquebuses with their
furniture may be most safely kept and preserved in a storehouse. |
|
To devise for such storehouse and a piece of ground to be
enclosed for shooting at marks, not less than 120 yards in
length, and wide enough for the persons to assemble in. |
|
Some person of trust in each place to have charge of the said
artillery house, to be chosen by the two next justices of peace,
and yearly removed or continued; another person to see to
the good order and clean keeping of the arms, and to be paid
by piece or yearly stipend. A book to be kept by him that
has the charge of the house of the number of arms, and names of
the owners, and of those allowed to exercise them, to be yearly
signed by persons appointed. |
|
A corporation to be established by authority of all persons
at charge to find arquebusiers, and of all appointed to shoot, to
be general for the whole shire, with power to license persons
to shoot within the places limited, any law or statute notwithstanding. |
|
Some principal officers in the corporation to have the oversight
of the whole houses, and in every place other officers more
particularly to see that the exercises are orderly kept at the
times limited. |
|
The exercises to be twice a month, but on different days in any
particular place throughout the shire; in nowise are they to
be held on Sundays, but upon other holidays, between the
time of common prayers, or upon working days; one justice of
peace, besides the common officers, always to be present. For
the first year, for the better preservation of order, no person to
carry his arquebus out of the place, except to repair it, or when
repairing to another place, but to deliver it to the person appointed,
under pain of imprisonment. |
|
The last matter to be considered is how to devise contributions
for maintenance of the charge of powder, shot, the person who
has charge, and the repairs, rent of the storehouses, and rewards
for skill in shooting. A pound and a half of lead will make 30
bullets for a caliver, and a pound of powder will serve for 30
times shooting, whereby may be estimated the charge of the powder and lead to be provided for one arquebusier, exercising twice
a month; but not for above five shots on a muster day, which
will be four pounds of powder for the year, and comes to 3s., at
9d. the pound, and six pounds of lead, which comes to 8d. The
charge, therefore, for one arquebusiers for powder and shot is 3s. 8d.
per annum; for 100 arquebusiers 18l. 6s. 8d.; and for 1,000,
183l. 6s. 8d. For maintenance of these charges, there should be
reasonable contribution from the inhabitants, gentlemen, and
others, especially such as have parks, warrens of conies, dovehouses, &c., and use hawking, all which will be the better preserved if the use of arquebuses be adopted, whereby a store
would be kept in some sure place of the shire, to be distributed
for the ordinary allowance at muster or exercise days; and for
other voluntary exercises of shooting. The keepers of the storehouses may be directed to make more provision, and sell the same
at reasonable rates, to support their own charges. |
|
The contribution must be certain for the wages of the keepers
of the horses, and the shot, and for the hire of the ground and
places, and for the roundells and marks where the exercises shall
be, as those charges must continue; the rewards for good shooting may grow by making wagers, as in other games, or else
a portion of the other charges be reserved, and equally distributed
amongst the scholars by way of reward. No common summer
games to be used in any place but either where the artillery houses
are,—and there the best prize to be always appointed for the arquebuses, and the next for the long bow,—or if appointed in any other
place, then such a sum of money as shall be of the value of the
best game to be paid to the keeper of the next artillery house, by
the person licensed to have the said game, to serve for a reward
to the best scholar at the next muster. |
|
The Commissioners to consider how the contributions may be
had for maintenance of the charge, which must be certain, for
besides the device which the Commissioners think meet, there
may be other ways invented and allowed, when it appears what
number of arquebusiers shall be in every shire, and how many
places and houses shall be limited for their exercises, which should
be so situated that none be compelled to travel above— miles,
and a special limitation made to what place of artillery every
town or parish shall resort. |
|
For better maintenance of this weapon and the long bow,
means should be devised to avoid the use of prohibited games, and
special commissioners in every shire authorised,—to be renewed
every second or third year for their ease,—to hear and determine
all offences in that behalf, and in one or two other statutes thought
most necessary, whereof part of the fines may be employed to
this use. [5¼ pages. Draft. Corrected by Sir Wm. Cecil.] |
| June 20. |
Privileges granted by the Emperor of Russia to the English
Merchant Adventurers, at suit of Thos. Randolph. [Dom. Eliz.,
Vol. CXCVI., pp. 113–120. Copy. Printed in Hakluyt, Vol. I.,
pp. 424–429.] |
