The Trve Cavse of the WATER

MENS Suit concerning Players, and the reasons that their Playing on London side

is their extreame

hindrances.

With a Relation how farre that suit

was proceeded in, and

the occasions that

it was not

effected.

By John Taylor.

THE

CAUSE OF THE WATERMEN'S SUIT CONCERNING PLAYERS,

&c., &c.

HE occasions that hath moved me to write this pamphlet are many, and forcible and the attempt in writing it adventurous and full of danger, for as on the one side I doubt not but with truth to stop the mouths of Ignorance and Malice that have and do daily scandalize me, (and withal I know I shall purchase a general thanks from all honest men of my Company) so I am assured to gain the hatred of some that love me well, and I affect them no worse, only for my plain truth and discharging my conscience; but fall back, fall edge, come what can come, I am resolved, and without fear or flattery, thus I begin.

In the month of January last 1613,* there was a motion made by some of the better sort of the Company of Watermen, that it were necessary for the relief of such a decayed multitude to petition to his Majesty, that the players might not have a playhouse in London or in Middlesex, within four miles of the City on that side of the Thames. Now this request may seem harsh and not well to be digested by the players and their appendices. But the reasons that moved us unto it, being charitably considered, makes the suit not only seem reasonable, but past seeming most necessary to be sued for, and tolerable to be granted.

Our petition being written to purpose aforesaid, I was selected by my Company to deliver it to his Majesty and follow the business, which I did with that care and integrity, that I am assured none can justly tax me with the contrary. I did ride twice to Theobalds, once to Newmarket, and twice to Royston, before I could get a reference upon my petition. I had to bear my charge, of my Company first and last, seven pounds two shillings, which horse hire, horse meat, and man's meat brought to a consumption; besides I wrote several petitions to most of the Right Honourable Lords of his Majesty's

* Although Lowndes makes no mention of an earlier edition of this Tract, than that to be found in Taylor's Works of 1630, it was in all probability printed at the above date, as the manner in which he usually published his books--which were separately of little bulk-was to print them at his own cost, make presents of them, and then hope for "sweet remuneration."

Privy Council, and I found them all compassionately affected to the necessity of our cause.

First, I did briefly declare part of the services that watermen had done in Queen Elizabeth's reign, of famous memory, in the voyage to Portugal, with the Right Honourable and never to be forgotten Earl of Essex; then after that, how it pleased God (in that great deliverance in the year 1588,) to make watermen good serviceable instruments with their loss of lives and limbs to defend their Prince and Country. Moreover, many Moreover, many of them served with Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkins, Sir Martin Frobisher, and others: besides in Cadiz action, the Island Voyage, in Ireland, in the Low Countries, and in the narrow seas they have been, (as in duty they are bound, at continual command, so that every summer 1,500 or 2,000 of them were employed to the places aforesaid, having but nine shillings fourpence the month a piece for their pay, and yet were they able then to set themselves out like men, with shift of apparel, linen and woollen, and forbear charging of their Prince for their pay sometimes six months, nine months, twelve months, sometimes more, for then there were so few watermen and the one half of them being at sea, those that staid at home had as much work as they would do.

Afterwards the players began to play on the Bankside and to leave playing in London and