It is one thing wholly to worship false gods, another thing to worship the true God falsely and superstitiously. But among all other things I would gladly know wherein the Edward’s priests have offended you? It is happy you let Queen Elizabeth’s priests alone: I marvel whose priests you are?
God be thanked, there is a great number of ministers that can teach others, and may be your schoolmasters in all kind of learning, except you have more than you utter in these treatises.
THE ELIZABETHAN POOR LAW (1572).
An Act for the Punishment of Vagabonds, and for the Relief of the Poor and Impotent.
Anno 14 Eliz. cap. 5.
Source.—Statutes of the Realm, sub anno.
I. Where all the parts of this Realm of England and Wales be presently with Rogues, Vagabonds, and Sturdy Beggars exceedingly pestered, by means whereof daily happeneth in the same Realm horrible murders, thefts, and other great outrages, to the high displeasure of Almighty God, and to the great annoy of the Common Weal ... [previous Acts repealed.]
II. Be it also enacted ... as well for the utter suppressing of the said outrageous enemies to the Common Weal, as for the charitable relieving of the aged and impotent poor people ... that all and every person and persons ... being above the age of fourteen years, being hereafter set forth by this Act of Parliament to be Rogues, Vagabonds, or Sturdy Beggars, and be at anytime ... taken begging ... or taken vagrant, wandering, and misordering themselves ... shall upon their apprehension be brought before one of the Justices of the Peace or Mayor ... and ... be presently committed to the Common Gaol ... there to remain without bail or mainprise until the next Sessions of the Peace or General Gaol Delivery, ... at which Sessions or Gaol Delivery if such person or persons be duly convicted of his or her Roguish or Vagabond Trade of life, either by inquest of office, or by the testimony of two honest and credible witnesses upon their Oaths, that then immediately he or she shall be adjudged to be grievously whipped and burnt through the gristle of the right ear with a hot iron ... manifesting his or her roguish kind of life, and his or her punishment received for the same ... which judgement shall also presently be executed, except some honest person ... will of his charity be contented presently to take such offender ... into his service for one whole year next following....
V. And for the full expressing what person and persons shall be intended ... to be Rogues, Vagabonds, and Sturdy Beggars ... it is now ... declared ... that all and every such person and persons that be or utter themselves to be Proctors or Procurators going in or about any country or countries within this Realm, without sufficient authority ... and all other idle persons going about ... using subtle, crafty or unlawful games or plays, and some of them feigning themselves to have knowledge in physiognomy, palmistry, or other abused[17] sciences, whereby they bear the people in hand[18] they can tell their destinies, deaths and fortunes, and such other like fantastical imaginations; and all and every person being whole and mighty in body, and can give no reckoning how he or she doth lawfully get his or her living; and all fencers, bear-wards, common[19] players in interludes and minstrels, not belonging to any baron of this realm ... all jugglers, pedlars, tinkers and petty chapmen, which ... shall wander abroad and have not licence of two Justices of the Peace ... and all common labourers ... refusing to work for such reasonable wages as is ... commonly given in such parts ... and all scholars of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge that go about begging, not being authorized under the Seal of the said Universities ... and all shipmen pretending losses by sea ... and all persons delivered out of gaols, that go by for their fees or do travel to their countries or friends, not having licence from two Justices of the Peace ... shall be taken, adjudged and deemed Rogues, Vagabonds, and Sturdy Beggars....
XI. Provided that this Act nor anything contained therein do in any wise extend to any harvest folks that travel into any country of this realm for harvest work ... neither yet to any that happeneth to be robbed or spoiled by the way ... neither yet to any serving men of honest behaviour that be turned from their masters, or whose master ... shall be dead....