Notes and Queries/Series 1/Volume 1/Number 1/Shakespeare and Deer-Stealing

SHAKESPEARE AND DEER-STEALING.

In "The Life of Shakespeare," prefixed to the edition of his Works I saw through the press three or four years ago, I necessarily entered into the deer-stealing question, admitting that I could not, as some had done, "entirely discredit the story," and following it up by proof (in opposition to the assertion of Malone), that Sir Thomas Lucy had deer, which Shakespeare might have been concerned in stealing. I also, in the same place (vol. i. p. xcv.), showed, from several authorities, how common and how venial offence it was considered in the middle of the reign of Elizabeth. Looking over some MSS. of that time, a few weeks since, I met with a very singular and confirmatory piece of evidence, establishing that in the year 1585, the precise period when our great dramatist is supposed to have made free with the deer of the knight of Charlcote, nearly all the cooks'-shops and ordinaries of London were supplied with stolen venison. The following letter from the lord mayor (which I copy from the original) of that day, Thomas Pullyson, to secretary Walsingham, speaks for itself, and shows that the matter had been deemed of so much importance as to call for the interposition of the Privy Council: the city authorities were required to take instant and arbitrary measures for putting an end to the consumption of venison and to the practice of deer-stealing, by means of which houses, &c. of public resort in London were furnished with that favourite viand. The letter of the lord mayor was a speedy reply to a communication from the queen's ministers on the subject:—

"Right honorable, where yesterday I receaved letters from her Ma^tes most honorable privie councill, advertisinge me that her highnes was enformed that Venison ys as ordinarilie sould by the Cookes of London as other flesh, to the greate distruction of the game. Commaundinge me therby to take severall bondes of xl^li the peece of all the Cookes in London not to buye or sell any venison hereafter, uppon payne of forfay ture of the same bondes; neyther to receave any venison to bake without keepinge a note of theire names that shall deliver the same unto them. Whereuppon presentlie I called the Wardens of the Cookes before me, advertisinge them hereof, requiringe them to cause theire whole company to appeare before me, to thende I might take bondes accordinge to a condition hereinclosed sent to your Ho.; whoe answered that touchinge the first clause therof they were well pleased therewith, but for the latter clause they thought yt a greate inconvenience to theire companie, and therefore required they might be permitted to make theire answeres, and alledge theire reasons therof before theire honors. Affirmed alsoe, that tfce Tablinge howses and Tavernes are greater receyvors and destroyers of stollen venison than all the rest of the Cittie: wherefore they craved that eyther they maye be likewise bounden, or els authoritie maye be geven to the Cookes to searche for the same hereafter. I have therefore taken bondes of the wardens for theire speedy appearance before theire honors to answere the same ; and I am bolde to pray your Ho. to imparte the same unto theire Ho., and that I maye with speede receyve theire further direction herein. And soe I humbly take my leave. London, the xj^th of June, 1585.

"Your honors to commaunde,
"THOMAS PULLYSON, maior."

I dare say that the registers of the Privy Council contain some record of what was done on the occasion, and would enable us to decide whether the very reasonable request of the Cooks of London had been complied with. Whether this be or be not so, the above document establishes beyond question that in the summer of 1585 cooks'-shops, tabling-houses (i. e. ordinaries), and taverns were abundantly supplied with stolen venison, and that the offence of stealing it must have been very common.

J. PAYNE COLLIER.

Kensington, Oct. 26. 1849.