ELIZABETH by the grace of God Queene of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, defendour of the fayth. &c. To all and singular Archbyshops, Byshops, Deanes, Archdeacons, & other Officials persōs Vicares, Curates, Ministers, and to all other spirituall persōs whatsoeuer they be, and also to all & singular Iustices of peace, Maiors, Shireffes, Bay­lyffes, Constables, Hedboroughes, Churchwardens, Tythyngmen, and all other our Officers ministers & subiectes, to whō these presentes shal come, greetyng. Wheras we vpō humble sute made vnto vs by diuers of our Nobilitie, and many others of great credite, & specially at the most humble desire and zealous sute of the Maior & Citizens of our Citie of Bathe, haue gi­uen licence to new builde and erect one Church, vpon the foundations of the late Abbey Church of the late dissolued Monastery of Bathe, for the receauyng of such of the Nobilitie, and other our subiectes as resort or shall from tyme to tyme haue occasions to resorte to that Citie, there to haue cōuenient place to heare Sermons, and other diuine seruice, which cannot cōueniently be in any other Church within our sayd Citie, for the smalenes of the rowmes & buildinges of the same. And heretofore for lacke of cōuenient rowmes in the now Churches within our sayd Citie, the Sermons haue ben made in the open market place there, beyng not mete nor conuenient for such pur­pose, which greater Church cannot be of new buylded and finished without greater sūmes of money thē the Citizēs there be able to beare or sustayne. And albeit they shew them selues very zealous, and do employ great trauayles and charges therin, yet are they not hable to finish the same, therfore haue made their further humble sute vnto vs to licence them and theyr assignes & deputies to receaue the gratuities of our subiectes within this our Realme of England and Wales for the finishyng of the sayd Church.

Know you therfore that we acceptyng very well of this zealous entent & good mea­nyng of the sayd Maior & Citizens & tendryng their ayde and helpe to wardes the new buildyng of the sayd Church, & also towardes the enlargyng & betteryng of an Hospital within that Citie of Bathe called S. Ihones, there erected for the relefe and cōfort of certaine sicke & diseased poore persōs that resort thether, from diuers partes of this our Realme are pleased & contēted, and by these presentes for vs our heyres and successours do giue licēce & free libertie vnto the sayd Maior & Citizens of our sayd Citie of Bathe & their assigne or assignes, deputie or deputies bearers of this our licence & graūt or the duplicate, or true copy hereof duryng the space of vij. yeares, next commyng to aske ga­ther receiue & take the gratuitie, gift, almes, and deuotion, of all and euery or any our louyng subiectes dwellers within this our Realme of England & Wales, aswell with­in the liberties as without for the buildyng & erecting of the sayd Church and Hospital.

Wherefore we will and commaunde you the sayd Parsons, Vicars, and Curates, & all other aforesayd that you and euery of you at such tyme and tymes, as the sayd Ma­ior and Citizens or any of their assigne or assignes deputie or deputies, or any of them bearers or bearer hereof or the duplicate hereof, shall repayre vnto your Churches and other places to aske and gather the gratuities, giftes, almes, and deuotiō of our louyng subiectes or any of them, that ye permit and suffer the sayd Maior and Citizens & theyr assigne or assignes deputy or deputies so to do, without your let or interruption and to declare the tenor and effect of these our letters patentes vnto our louyng subiectes ex­hortyng them to extend to so honorable a worke their gratuities and charitable giftes and almes, redoundyng greatly to the glory of almighty God, and the great renowne of this our Realme, and the ease and commoditie of our louyng subiectes.

And we further straitly charge and cōmaunde all and euery hygh Constable of the hundredes Hedboroughes and other Constables, Churchwardens, and Tythyngmen that vpon the open readyng of these our letters patentes or the duplicate or true copy therof in any Church or other open place or places what soeuer, to collect and gather all the giftes and deuotiōs of all our louyng subiectes, where soeuer the same shalbe read or declared and what summe or summes, soeuer shalbe so leuied and receaued to be de­liuered to the vse of the sayd Maior and Citizens for the purpose aforesayd, and cause the same summes to be endorced vpō these presentes or the duplicate or true copie here­of, to the entent it may playnly appeare what hath bene collected towardes the erec­tyng of the sayd Church and Hospitall, within this our Realme of Englād and Wales.

God saue the Queene.