Struggle for Constitutional Government 229 his return he further saw that his loyal subjects in all other parts of his kingdom did suffer in the same kind, though perhaps not in the same degree ; and did therefore, in his princely wisdom, publish a declaration to all his loving subjects concerning lawful sports to be used at such times, which was printed and published by his royal command- ment in the year 16 18, in the tenor which hereafter fol- loweth : . . . Whereas we did justly in our progress through Lancashire rebuke some Puritans and precise people and took order that the like unlawful carriage should not be used by any of them hereafter, in the prohibiting and unlawful punishing of our good people for using their law- ful recreations and honest exercises upon Sunday and other holydays, after the afternoon sermon or service, we now find that two sorts of people wherewith that country is much infected — we mean papists and Puritans — have maliciously traduced and calumniated those our just and honorable proceedings. . . . We have therefore thought good hereby to clear and make our pleasure to be mani- fested to all our good people in those parts. . . . Our pleasure likewise is, that the bishop of that diocese take the like strait order with all the Puritans and preci- sians within the same, either constraining them to conform themselves or to leave the county, according to the laws of our kingdom and canons of our Church, and so to strike equally on both hands against the contemners of our authority and adversaries of our Church ; and as for our good people's lawful recreation, our pleasure likewise is, that after the end of divine service our good people be not disturbed, letted, or discouraged from any lawful recrea- tion, such as dancing, either men or women ; archery for men, leaping, vaulting, or any other such harmless recrea- tion, nor from having of May-games, Whitsun-ales, and Morris-dances, and the setting up of Maypoles and other sports therewith used, so as the same be had in due and convenient time, without impediment or neglect of divine service ; and that women shall have leave to carry rushes
