290 C. 5—7. Anno decimo fexto Caroli II. A. t). 1664. I r xp. 33 & 14 Ca (.■ I. EXP. EXP. as & 23 Car, C. li. The Inconve- nience of immo- derate unlawful Ufe of" G.iming. <; MoJ. Jj4, 35. 33 H. 8. f. 9. f, 9. Deceit! and Coufenages in Gaming yin. V. 14— 4, tS'r. See 9 Anna;, c. 14. 1% Geo. 2. c. 34., Tlie Penalty. How to be fued for and recover- ed. jPrcvcntion of exceilive and jmimodcralc Cainihg. CAP. IV. rates. The Penalty on Mailers of Ships. Officers declining, to fight. The Penalty. Ships which fhall be taken by the Englijh. of this A6i for three Years, is'c. An Aft to prevent and fupprefs feditious Conventicles. 35 El. c, i. declared to be in Force. Further Re- medy againft feditious Se£taries. Unlawful Conventicles and Meetings under Pretence of Exercife of Religion, forbidden. The Puniftiment and Manner of Proceeding againft them for the firft Offence. The fecond Offence. The third Offence. How feditious SeiSaries convifted may be tranfported. How the Offender may be dlfcharged upon Payment of 100/. Puniflimeht of Offenders after the third Of. ' fence. How the laid Penalty of loo/. fhall be difpofed. Perfons fued for executing this Aft, mayplead the General IiTue and recover treble Cofts. Felony to efcape after Conviftion, or to return after Tranf. portation. Seditious and tumultuous Meetings and Conventicles. The Penalty of fuffering Conventi- cles in private Houfes. Gaolers may not let Prifoners committed upon this Aft to go at large. The Pe- nalty. Within what Time Offenders mull be profecuted. Married Women, how to be punilhed. How Juftices of the Peace may enter into Houfes fuipefted for Conventicles. The Houfes of Peers. What Perfons may not be committed to the Houfe of Correftibn. _ Perfons ferved with Procefs refufing to take an Oath. The Penalty. How fuch Perfons may be acquitted. Peers offending, how to be proceeded ■ againft. Continuance of this Aft for three Years, ^c. C A P. V. i An Aft to prevent the Difturbances of Seamen aiid others, and to preferve the Stores belonging to his Mar jelly's NavyRoyal. Who may punifh Difturbances by Seamen and others relating to the Navy-Officei Imbezilling of Stores and Ammunition, The Continuance of this Aft. [19 Car. 2. c. 7.] j C A P. VI. I An Aft to prevent the delivering up of Merchant Ships. Englt/h Ships not to be yielded up to Turks orPi- Procefs out of the Court of Admiralty. Mariners or inferior Encouragement to Captains and Seamen to defend their Ships. The Penalty of wilfully deftroying Ships. The Continuance CAP. VII. An A£l againft deceitful, diforderly, and exceflive Gaming. HERE AS all lawful Games and Exercifes fhould not be otherwife ufed, than 'as innocent and moderate Recreations, and not as conftant Trades or Callings to gain a Living, or make unlawful ' Advantage thereby ; (2) and whereas by the immoderate Ufe of them, many Mifchiefs and Inconveni- ' encies do arife, and are daily found, to the maintaining and encouraging of fundry, idle, loofe and difor- ' derly Perfons in their difhoneft, lewd and diffolute Courfe of Life, and to the circumventing, deceiving, ' coufisning and debauching of many of the younger Sort, both of the Nobility and Gentry, and others, -to ' the Lofs of their precious Time, and the utter Ruin of their Eftates and Fortunes, and withdrawing them ' from noble and laudable Imployments and Exercifes :' XL Be it therefore enafted by the King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confentof the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this prefent Parliament afferiibled, and by the Authority of the fame, That if any Perfon or Perfons of any Degree or Quality whatfoever, at any Time or Times after the nine and twentieth Day of Si^pfembur which Ihall be in the Year of our Lord God one thoufand fix hundred fixty and four, do or fh-ill by any Fraud, Shift, Coufenage, Circumvention, Deceit, or unlawful Device, or ill Praftice whatfoever, in playing at or with Cards, Dice, Tables, Tennis, Bowles, Kittles, Shovel -board ; or in or by Cock-fightings, Horfe-races, Dog-matches, Foot-races, or other Paftimcs, Game or Games whatfoever,' or in or by bearing a Share or Part in the Stakes, Wagers, or Adventures, or in or by betting on the Sides or Hands of fuch as do or fhall play, aft, ride or run as aforefaid, win, obtain, or acquire to him or themfelves, or to any other or others, any Sum or Sums of Money, or other valuable Tiling or Things whatfoever ; That then every Perfon and Perfons fo offending as aforefaid, fliall ipfofaSlo forfeit and lofe treble the Sum or Value of Money, or other Thing or Things fo won, gained, obtained or acquired ; the one Moiety ihtreof to our Sovereign Lord the King, his Heirs and Succeffors ; and the other Moiety thereof unto the Perfon or Perfons grieved, or who fliall lofe the Money, or other Thing or Things fo gained ; fo as every fuch Lofer and Perfon grieved in that Behalf, do • or fhall profecute and fue for the fame within fix Kal.endar Months next after fuch Play : (3 j And in De- ■ _ fault of fuch Profecution, the fame other Moiety to fuch Perfon or Perfons as Ihall or will profecute or fue for the fame within one Year next after the faid fix Months expired: (4) And that the faid Forfeitures r fhall or may be fued for, or recovered by Aftion of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information, in any of his Ma- 1 jefty's Courts at TFeftmin/hr, wherein no Efibin, Proteftlon or Wager of Law fhall be allowed : (<;) Arid that all and every fuch Plaintiff or Plaintiffs, Informer or Informers, fhall in every fuch Suit and Profecu- tion have and recover his and their treble Cofts againft the Perfon offending and forfeiting as aforefaid; any Law, Statute, Cuftom or Ufage to the contrary in any wife hotwithftanding. III. And for the better Avoiding and Preventing of all excelTive and immoderate Playing and Gaming for the Time to come ; (2) Be it further ordained and enafted by the Authority' aforefaid. That if any Perfon or Perfons fhall at any Time or Times a!fter the nine and twentieth Day of September aforefaid play at any cf thelaid Games, or any other Paftime, Game or Games whatfoever (other than with and for ready Mo-- 3 "^y^
