¶ A Proclamation, set furth by the kynges Maiestie, with thassent of his detest vncle, Edward Duke of Somerset, Gouernor of his moste royall persone, and of his realmes, dominions and subiectes Protector, and others of his moste honorable Counsaill, touchyng tale talers and sedicious runnagates.
THe kynges moste excellent Maiestie hath certaine knowlege geuen aswell to his owne maiestie, as to his moste dere Vncle Edwarde duke of Somerset, gouernor of his person, and Protector of all his Realmes, dominions and subiectes, and to the rest of his highnes counsail, that in diuers his Maiesties Counties of this his Realme, there be dispersed and seuered abrode, sundry light, lewed, idle, sedicious, busie, and disordred persones, whereof the moste part haue neither place to inhabite in, neither seketh any stay to liue by, but hauyng been either cōdempned of felonies and prison breakers, runne from the warres, and sea rouers, departed from the kynges Guarrisons and loyterers, wherby they become desperate persones, and nowe enploy and labor themselfes, runnyng & postyng from place to place, countie to countie, toune to toune, by day to day, to stirre vp rumors, raise vp tales, imagyn newes, whereby they seke to stirre, gather together and assemble, the kynges true subiectes of simplicitie and ignoraunce deceiued, and by that pretence, suche lewed ruffyans, tale tellers, and vnruly vacabondes, become ryngleders and masters of the kynges people, sekyng to spoile, robbe, and rauin, where and whom they list or may, and so to liue, waxe riche, and feede of other mennes labors, money & fode, they themselues nother willyng to serue where they might, neither abidyng when they be well entertained: And beyng thus in seueral places of this his realme, at y e last not hable long to continue together with their assembles, accordyng to their mischiuous purposes, thesame assembles beyng in substaunce, of suche the kynges poore subiectes, as though by ignoraunce and enticemētes of those foresayd tale tellers they offende, yet shortly by the goodnes of God acknowlege their faultes, and returne themselfes to their dueties, most sorowfully repent, receiuyng for thesame, the kynges Maiesties great mercy by his pardon, & by the reason of the quiet ordre, the fallyng, cessyng & appealyng of suche assembles, the sayd runnagates, tale tellers, & sedicious persones, faile and lacke their purposes & mischeuous intentes, so that they accustomyng their euil nature and escapyng from the places of their first attemptes, haue & do daily resort to newe places, and so from place to place, Shere to Shere, neuer quietyng themselfe, but deuisyng slaunderous tales, and diuulgyng to the people suche kynde of newes, as they thynke may moste readely moue them to vprores and tumultes, and for the further deceipt also, pretend to them they seke to redresse the commen wealth: Therfore his Maiestie by thaduise of his sayd deare vncle the lorde Protector and the rest of his Maiesties preuie counsail, to the aduoidyng of the great inconueniences. whiche of the sufferaunce hereof dayly doth ensue, and to admonishe his good subiectes, whiche hitherto haue not felte the peril of these poysoned euil people, moste straitly chargeth and cōmaundeth all maner and euery his Iustices, Shiriffes, Constables, Bayliffes, Hedboroughes and all other his Maiesties ministers and officers whatsoeuer thei be, to be most diligent, and from tyme to tyme, to be in their charge attendant, and therin also to take some good especial pollitike order for the apprehension and attachyng of all maner of suche persones whatsoeuer they be, whiche either as vacabundes, waifaryng men, straglars, or otherwise, in what maner soeuer he be, shal bryng any tale to any place, or inuēt or tel any newes, or conceale and kepe close lenger then he may conuenient, the brynger, inuentor, or teller, whiche tale or newes so brought, inuented or tolde, shall, doth, or may cause, any vnlawfull assembly of people, or any tumulte and vprore, or shal sounde slaunderous to the kynges Maiestie his croune, the lorde Protector and other of his counsail, or any otherwise shall moue the people vnlawfully to remedy or redresse their owne causes, and griefes by force & without lawe, whiche office belongeth onely to the kynges Maiestie [Page] and to the Magestrates vnder him, and therin daily, his Maiesties sayd dere vncle and counsail, moste studiously trauaileth. And thesame lewed person or persones so apprehended, to be brought vnto the kynges Maiestie or his sayd vncle and coūsail, or to any one of his sayd counsal, for euery the whiche so brought, The kynges maiestie assureth his officer and minister, the brynger of him not onely his costes and charges fully to be payed: But also to haue his Maiesties moste heartie and effectual thākes. And if any other the kynges Maiesties louyng subiectes, shall at any tyme knowe certainly any suche tale carier, or rumor runner, newes spredder, or sedicion sower, and of him so informe and geue knowlege to any of the kynges Maiesties officers or ministers, so that thesame euil person, either might or is taken and apprehēded by thesame officer and by force of thesayd informacion, then likewise thesame informer. knowlege geuer, accuser, and vtterer, shall haue of the kynges Maiesties rewarde, for euery suche malefactor by him disclosed and apprehended in maner as is abouesayd xx. crounes, besides like heartie thākes from his Maiestie. Geuen at Richmount the viii. of Iuly, the third yere of the reigne of the kynges excellent Maiestie Edward the. VI.
God saue the Kyng.