"estry could tell men and women's fortunes:" wherefore they are directed to avoid the realm, under pain" of imprisonment and forfeiture of goods," sixteen days being allowed for their avoidance after the proclamation of the Statute.

The inefficiency of this Act in operation, gave rise to severer measures, as will be seen in the following Letter.

It was afterwards enacted by Stat. 1 and 2 Ph. & Mary, chap. ivth, and again, Stat. 5 Eliz. chap. xx. that if any such persons should be imported into the Kingdom, the importers should forfeit forty pounds. And if the Egyp tians themselves remained one month in the kingdom, or if any person being fourteen years old, whether natural-born subject or stranger, who had been seen or found in the fellowship of such Egyptians, or who had disguised him or herself like them, should remain in the same one month at one or several times, it should be felony without benefit of clergy.

Sir Matthew Hale informs us that at one of the Suffolk assizes, no less than thirteen persons were executed upon these latter statutes a few years before the restoration. Some others were executed at Stafford a short time after the restoration.

The Gypsies were expelled from France in 1560; and from Spain in 1591.

In Scotland these people seem to have enjoyed some share of indulgence. Brand, in his Popular Antiquities, quotes Writs of Privy Seal of the years 1553, 1554, and 1594, respecting privileges in that country granted to JOHN FAW, or FALL who is called Lord and Earl of Little Egypt. But there is an earlier entry relating to them in the Privy Seal Book, N° xiv. fol. 59. "Letters of Defence and Concurrence to John Fall Lord and Earl of Little Egypt, for assisting him in the execution of Justice upon his Company, conform to the Laws of Egypt. 15th. Feb. 1540."

AFTER my right hartie commendations. Whereas the Kings Maiestie, about a twelfmoneth past, gave a pardonne to a company of lewdea personnes within this realme calling themselves Gipcyans, for a most shamfull and detestable murder commytted amongs them, with a speceall proviso inserted by their owne consents, that onles they shuld all avoyde this his Graces realme by a certeyn daye long sythens expired, yt

shuld be lawful to all his Graces offycers to hang them in all places of his realme, where they myght be apprehended, without any further examynacion or tryal after forme of the lawe, as in their letter patents of the said pardon is expressed. His Grace, hering tell that they doo yet lynger here within his realme, not avoyding the same according to his commaundement and their owne promes, and that albeit his poore subjectes be dayly spoyled, robbed, and deceyved by them, yet his Highnes officers and Ministres lytle regarding their dieuties towards his Majestye, do permyt them to lynger and loyter in all partys, and to exercise all their falshods, felonyes, and treasons unpunished, hathe commaunded me to sygnifye unto youe, and the Shires next adjoynyng, whether any of the sayd personnes calling themselfes Egipcyans, or that hathe heretofore called themselfes Egipcyans, shall fortune to enter or travayle in the same. And in cace youe shall here or knowe of any suche, be they men or women, that ye shall compell them to depart to the next porte of the See to the place where they shalbe taken, and eyther wythout delaye uppon the first wynde that may conveye them into any parte of beyond the Sees, to take shipping and to passe in to owtward partyes, or if they shall in any wise breke that commaundement, without any tracta to see them executed according to the Kings Hieghnes sayd Lettres patents remaynyng of Recorde in his Chauncery which, with these, shalbę

a stay, hesitation.

your discharge in that behaulf: not fayling t'accomplishe the tenor hereof with all effect and diligence, without sparing uppon any Commyssion, Licence, or Placarde that they may shewe or aledge for themselfes to the contrary, as ye tender his Graces pleasor which also ys that youe shall gyve notyce to all the Justices of Peax in that Countye where youe resyde, and the Shires adjoynant, that they may accomplishe the tenor hereof accordingly. Thus fare ye hertely wel; From the Neate the vth day of December the xxixth yer of his Maties most noble Regne

Yo' louyng ffreend

To my verye good Lorde my Lorde of Chestre President of the Marches of Wales.

THOMAS CRUMWELL.

LETTER CXXXVIII.

King James Vth of Scotland to Sir Thomas Wharton, in answer to his Complaints against certain scurrilous Ballads.

A. D. 1538.

[MS. COTTON. CALIG. B. III. fol. 191. Orig.]

WEILBELOVID frende we gret zou weil. And forsamekle as we haven considerate be zour Vrytinges, sic Ballats and buks of Diffamatioun as ze allege ar maid be our legis to the displesoure of our derrest un

cle, quhairof we ar ryt miscontentit gif sua beis; and has presentlie directit scharpe charges to all partis of our bordours to defend sic thingis to be usit be ony oure liegis, and to get knawlege of the auctors of it ze wryt is done to the intent that thai may be punyschit for their demerits as accords. Bot because we never hard of sic thingis of befoir, we suspect rather the samyn to be imaginate and devisit be sum of zour awin natioun, and liegis of our derrest unclis. Forther in this behalfe we have gevin charge to the Lord Maxwell Warden of our West Merches, as he will schaw zou, quhame God conserve. At our Palace of Linly gw the last Day of Januar.

To our weilbilovit Schir

Thomas Warthoun Wardane of the West
Marchis of Ingland foranent Scotland.

LETTER CXXXIX.

Thomas Wyllughby to Lord Cromwell, concerning his proceedings against the Rebels in the West. A. D.

1539.

[MS. COTTON. TITUS B. I. fol. 381. Orig.]

YT maie like yor honorable and good Lordshipe to be advertysyd, I have according to the Kyng's highe and severall Commyssyons ben in Hampshire, Wylschire, Dorsett, Somerset, Devonshire, and Corne

wall; and those that hath ben Offendours of high treason and indytyd befor me and other of the Kings Commyssioners wer fownde gyltie upon good and substaunciall evidence: and hathe hade their Judgments, and sufferyd according to their demeretts and offencys. The gret and highe Offendours to the Kings good grace were in Cornewall, whose names were William Kendall and one Quyntrell, as errant traytours as anie were within the Realme of Inglonde, who lenyd and favouryd asmuche to the avauncement and setting forthe of that traytour Henrie late Marques of Exceter, that hys ungracius and traitorus purpose myghte take effecte, not letting ne sparing to speke to a gret nombre of the Kings subjects in these parties that the said Henrie was heire apparaunte and shuld be Kyng, and wolde be King, yf the Kyngs Highnes procedyd to marrie the Ladie Anne Bollen : or ells it shuld cost a thowsand mennys lives. And for their myschevus entent to take effecte, the same Kendall and Quyntrell unlawfullie retaynyd dyverse and a gret nombre of the Kings subjects in those parties to be towards the lorde Marques, to be in a redynes within an howers warnyng, puttyng in their hedds and harts that the said Marques shuld be the man that shuld helpe them and do them good, saying also to them see the experyence how all thei do prevayle that were towards the said Marques: for nother Assyses, Nisi prius, nother Bill of Indytment put up agenst them colde take effecte: and, of the contrary parte how it pre