First forasmuch as our country is for the most part, compassed with the seas; and the greatest force for defence thereof, under GOD, is the Queen Majesty's Navy of ships: for maintenance and increase of the said Navy, this law for abstinence hath been most carefully ordained, that by the certain expense [consumption] of fish, fishing and fishermen might be the more increased and the better maintained; for that the said trade is the chiefest nurse not only for the bringing up of youth for shipping; but great numbers of ships therein are used, furnished with sufficient mariners, men at all times in a readiness for Her Majesty's service in those affairs.
The second cause is, for that many towns and villages upon the sea coasts are, of late years, wonderfully decayed, and some wonderfully depopulated; which in times past, were replenished not only with fishermen and great store of shipping, but sundry other artificers, as shipwrights, smiths, rope-makers, net-makers, sail-makers, weavers, dressers, carriers, and utterers of fish, maintained chiefly by fishing: that they hereby again might be renewed, the want whereof is and hath been the cause of great numbers of idle persons, with whom the realm is greatly damaged; and this happeneth by reason of the uncertainty of the sale of fish and the contempt which in the eating of fish is conceived.
Furthermore, it is considered that the trade for grazing of cattle through the unlawful expense of flesh, is so much increased; that many farmhouses and villages wherein were maintained great numbers of people, and by them the markets plentifully served with corn and other victuals: are now utterly decayed and put down: for the feeding or grassing [grazing] of beefs [oxen] and muttons [sheep] only. By means whereof the people which in such places were maintained, are not only made vagrant; but also calves, hogs, pigs, geese, hens, chickens, capons, eggs, butter, cheese, and such like things, do become exceedingly scarce and dear; by want of
