THe kinges most excellent maiestie, our natural souereigne lorde, certain­ly knowing and vnderstandyng by the good aduise and information of the Lordes and others of his priuie counsail, that by the setting furth of Goddes holy worde, and th establishment of a pure and sincere religion, conformable to goddes institucion, and the vsage of the holy catholique churche, with th administration of Iustice, and th obseruation of the La­wes and statutes of this Realme indifferently amonges al his subiectes, he should not onely discharge his duety to god, but also geue an occasion of perfect quietnes, humble obedience, charitable concorde, greate felicitie and welth, to al his people, eue­ry man in his degree: And vpon trust to se th effectes and fruicte of the same, hauyng caused goddes word to be truely and sincerely taught and preached, and a godly order for the administracion of the Sacra­mentes, and other conuenient and decent orders, to be set furth in the churche, Is moste sory, and earnestly from the botom of his harte doth lament, and so done all his counsailors, to heare and se many of his sub­iectes to abuse dayly by their vicious liuinges and corrupt conuersations, that most precious Iuell the worde of god, and by their licencious behauiors, leude and sedicious talkes, boldely and presumpteously without feare either of goddes plague, or the swearde of their Prince, to breake continually the Lawes and statutes of the realme, to dispute of his maiesties affayres, to sow, sprede abrode, and tel from man to man, false lies, tales, rumors, and sedicious deuises, against his maiestie, his counsaillors, Magistrates, and Iustices: The sede and rote wherof, as they first had beginning and sprang of the corrupte nature, and yll disposicion of naughty men (whiche therefore without short amendement, muste and shalbe firste scourged with the rod of the prince, & afterward by most dredfull condempnation at goddes hād) So the great fault for the continuaunce of the people in euill, hath proceded for want of execution of the good Lawes and Statutes of the realme, and especially the statutes made against vagaboundes, vnlaufull games, tellers of newes, Inuentors of tales and rumors, vnlauful assembles, riotes, rowtes, huntinges, fishinges, shoting in handgonnes and Crossebowes, keping of ale houses, eating of flesh on fishedaies, re­grators, forstallers, breakers of th order of religion and sundry other like statutes, shoulde vndoubtedly not only haue caused eche man, to haue liued in quiet, and to haue applied himself according to his voca­tion and degre: but also bene causers of great welth and felicitie in this realme. No prince in the worlde is more lothe to vse thextremitie of correction vpon his subiectes, then is his maiestie, nor no counsailors more vnwilling to aduise his maiestie therunto, then his highnes counsailors be, but if the subiectes do grow into suche a contempt of their prince, of his lawes, and of his ministers, as they care not to vse al su­che waies as may be daungerous to their souereigne lorde and his estate, and desperately and obstina­tely in thende, to cast them selfes into vtter ruine and destruction: In this cace hys Maiesty wil seuerely, and sharply loke vpon, correct and ponishe, these offendors, thereby to presetue his estate, and to saue the rest of the membres of his politique body, whiche be his faythful louing and obedient subiectes. And yet before his maiestie procede so farre furth, he will vse a fatherly facion, and gentely admonishe and geue warning ere his maiestie fall to chastising. Wherfore his highnes on goddes behalfe, moost hartely dothe requyre, and neuerthelesse, by his royal power and princely aucthoritie, straightly chargeth and comman­deth [Page]all and euery his subiectes, of what estate, degre, or condicion soever he be, to dreade and feare god and his plagues, to conuert and amende their maners, and to liue according to the profession of christen men, to loue his Maiestie, and to feare his Swerde, to obserue his highnes Lawes▪ Statutes and Pro­clamations, to liue euery man within the compasse of his degre, contented with his vocation, euery man to applie himself to liue obediently, quietly, without murmur, grudging, sowing of sedicion, spreding of tales, and rumors, and without doyng or saiyng of any manner of thing (as nere as God wil geue theim grace) that may touche the dignitie of his maiestie, his counsayl, his magistrates or ministers, or be hurt­ful to his neighbour, or in any wise contrary to his maiesties lawes, statutes, or proclamations, whereby his maiesty shal the rather be moued to study, deuise, and put in vre, by the good aduise of his counsail, al good wayes and meanes, that may reduce again this realme, vnto that prospetite, estimation, and weal­the, whiche by sundry occasions in proces of time hath and is decaied, a thing that his maiestie and coun­sail do most desire, and dout not, with some conuenient time to bring to passe, if the nawghtines of some euell hartes geue not cause of let and empechement to the same, wherunto, if any shalbe so vnhappy as to geue themselfes, his maiestie wil with the sharpe swerde of his princely power, so sharpely chastise and correct them, as may be to the feareful example of all other. And for the better aduoiding of al suche in­conueniences, his maiestie straightly chargeth and commaundeth, all Iustices, Mayors, Shirifes, bay­lifes, Constables, Hedboroughes, Tithing men, and al other Officers and ministers of what estate, de­gre, or condicion soeuer they be, from hencefurth, to loke to their offices, and earnestly, truly, and vpright­ly, to execute and se executed, al his maiesties Lawes, Statutes and proclamations, whiche be within the compasse of their offices, and specially the statutes aboue rehersed, and others of like kinde and qualitie, And for because that within the citie of London, ther is at this present a great number of idle persons & masterles men, which seke rather by Idelnes, & mischief to liue by other mens labours & industries, thē to trauail by any paynes takyng, to liue like good and obedient membres of the cōmon welth: His maiesty straightlye chargeth and commaundeth all maner of vagaboundes, and masterles men, vpon the pai­nes, not onelie all ready appoyncted by the Lawes and Statutes made for suche maner of menne. But also vpon suche paynes as his maiestie may and wil ordaine, to be inflicted vpon them, by his pre­rogatiue royal, to departe al suche out of the citie of London, and the Suburbes of the same, within .iiii. dayes after the making of this proclamation home to the place either where they wer borne, or wher they haue dwelt last thre yeres within the realme, goyng at the least vii [...]. miles a day (if they haue so farre to go from London) and passing not aboue .ii. or iii. or iiii. at the moste in a company, and not to abide aboue one night in a place, till they come home (e [...]cept cause of sicknes, the same cause to be allowed by a Iustice of the peace, dwelling next to the place where he or they shal fortune to be sicke) And that al vagabondes, and masterles men in al other places, within this realme, shall also within iiii. dayes after the making of this proclamation, in the next market toune, where they shal fortune to be, departe likewise to the place where they were borne, or last dwelled thre yeres within the realme, without lenger tar [...]eng by the way or going mo in company together, or fewer miles, in a day, then aforesaid: And vpon like paynes as is afore­sayd for them which departe from London.

And furthermore, his maiestie straightly chargeth and cōmaundeth, that no man be so hardy either to deuise any tale, rumor or talke, touching his maieste, his Counsail, Magistrates, Iustices, officers, or mi­nisters, nor hearing any suche tale, rumor, or talke, to tel, reporte, or speake, the same agayne to any other person or persons, then to either one of his counsayl or to a Iustice of peace, and there withall to shew also, of whome he had the same, to thintent that the same person, from whome the tale or rumor commeth, may [Page]be punished for the deuising of it, if he deuised it, or for the telling of it, to any other person, then by this proclamation is appointed.

And forbicause diuers Printers, Bokeselers, and Plaiers of Enterludes, without consideration or regarde to the quiet of the realme, do print, sel, and play, whatsoeuer any light and phantastical hed listeth to inuent and deuise, whereby many inconueniences hath, and dayly doth arise and follow, amonge the kinges maiesties louyng and faithful subiectes: His highnes therfore straightly chargeth and com­maundeth that from hencefurth, no printer or other person do print nor sel, within this Realme or any o­ther his maiestis dominions, any matter in thenglish tōg, nor they nor any other persō, do sel, or otherwise dispose abrode any matter, printed in any forreyn dominion in thenglishe tongue, onles the same be firste allowed by his maiestie, or his priuie counsayl in writing signed with his maiesties most gratious hand or the handes of sixe of his sayd priuie counsayl, vpon payne of Imprisonment, without bayle or mayne­price, and further fine at his maiesties pleasor. Nor that any cōmon players or other persons, vpon like paines, do play in thenglish tong, any maner Enterlude, play, or matter, without they haue special licence to shew for the same in writing vnder his maiesties signe, or signed by .vi. of his highnes priuie counsaill willing & straightly charging & commaunding al Iustices, Mayors, Shirifes, Bailifes, Constables, & o­ther officers and ministers, diligently to enquire for, and serche out al maner offendors, within the limites and compasse of their commissions, and specially al suche as shal offend against any the poinctes or braū ­ches expressely setfurthe in this proclamation, and to punishe the same without remission: Willing lyke­wise, and also strayghtely charging and commaunding, al his good, true, louing and faythefull Subiec­tes to be aiding, helping, and assisting, to all and euery officer, in thexecution of their charges, as they tender the fauor of his Maiestie, and the preseruation of the common wealthe, as they will aunswer to his Maiestie, for the contrary at their vttermost perill.

God saue the King.