f two or three preceding years claim a priority of
narration.

By a proclamation of February 1566, the queen revived some former
sumptuary laws respecting apparel; chiefly, it should appear, from an
apprehension that a dangerous confusion of ranks would be the
consequence of indulging to her subjects the liberty of private
judgement in a matter so important. The following clause concerning
fencing schools is appended to this instrument.

"Because it is daily seen what disorders do grow and are likely to
increase in the realm, by the increase of numbers of persons taking upon
them to teach the multitude of common people to play at all kind of
weapons; and for that purpose set up schools called schools of fence, in
places inconvenient; tending to the great disorder of such people as
properly ought to apply to their labours and handy works: Therefore her
majesty ordereth and commandeth, that no teacher of fence shall keep any
school or common place of resort in any place of the realm, but within
the liberties of some city of the realm. Where also they shall be
obedient to such orders as the governors of the cities shall appoint to
them, for the better keeping of the peace, and for prohibition of resort
of such people to the same schools as are not mete for that purpose."
&c.

On these restrictions, which would seem to imply an unworthy jealousy of
putting arms and the skill to use them into the hands of the common
people, it is equitable to remark, that the custom of constantly wearing
weapons, at this time almost universal, though prohibited by the laws of
some of our early kings, had been found productive of those frequent
acts of violence and outrage which have uniformly resulted from this
truly barbarous practice in all the countries where it has been suffered
to prevail.

From the description of England prefixed to Holinshed's Chronicles, we
learn several particulars on this subject. Few men, even of the gravest
and most pacific characters, such as ancient burgesses and city
magistrates, went without a dagger at their side or back. The nobility
commonly wore swords or rapiers as well as daggers, as did every common
serving-man following his master. Some "desperate cutters" carried two
daggers, or two rapiers in a sheath, always about them, with which in
every drunken fray they worked much mischief; their swords and daggers
also were of an extraordinary length (an abuse which was provided
against by a clause of th