Two official measures of 1572 which restricted the movement of the strolling players are generally regarded by historians of the English stage as marking an epoch in its history. According to one of the most recent authorities, the proclamation of 3 January, reviving the existing laws against unlawful retaining, and the statute 14 Elizabeth, c. 5, for the relief of the poor and against rogues and vagabonds, were two of the seven ‘most decisive acts taken by the central government toward the London theatre during the reign of Elizabeth I’. While the cumulative effect of the new regulations was indeed to redefine the social and legal status of the players, the relationship between the measures has not been fully understood: the standard work on the common players, for example, considers the proclamation as a ‘prelude’ to the act and confuses the provisions of two quite distinct pieces of legislation. To appreciate their significance for the fortunes of the players in particular, the proclamation and the act should be examined in the context of the precautions taken by the Elizabethan regime against disorder and sedition in the aftermath of the first major crisis of the reign.

Vagrancy and excessive retaining were perennial problems of Tudor government; they could lead to disorderly assemblies at any time, but in the years between 1568 and 1572 they were perceived to threaten the security of the realm.