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 has
been deemed of so much important 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 thereby 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 forfayture 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. Whereupon presentlie I called
the Wardens of the Cookes before me, advertisinge them hereof,
requiringe them to cause their whole company to appeare before me,