WHereas certayne obstinate and irrepentant traytours, after theyr notorious rebellions made against this theyr naturall countrey, haue fledde out of the same, and haue remayned in forraigne partes, with a continual & wylful de­termination (as it appeareth) to contriue al the mischeefe that they can ima­gine, to impeache and subuerte the vniuersall quietnesse and peace of this Realme, whereof they do behold with deadly enuie this theyr natural coun­trey, by Gods speciall grace directyng her Maiestie in her gouernment, to haue ben of long tyme moste comfortably possessed, both inwardly at home, and with al outwarde countreyes next adioynyng: and that nowe synce they haue wasted theyr whole tyme for the prosecutyng of theyr rooted malice, by congregatyng themselues to­gether in routes, with shewes of conuenticles, and of forces, (wherin they haue condemned and despised such of their former companions, as haue duetifully sought for mercy for their offences) and by combination with others of this countrey byrth, of lyke disposition, beyng founde as persons vagarant and wylful fugitiues, they haue sought by and with them to excite by al kinde of sinister meanes, diuers estates and gouernours a­broade, to mislyke, and to enter into enimitie agaynst the Queenes Maiestie, her Realme, and people: and that notwithstandyng these theyr labours and practises, they see that neyther they haue nor coulde preuaile as they desyred, by reason of the great wysdome, honour, and graue consyderation of the sayde persons of estate, whom they haue muche troubled and annoyed with theyr importunate suites and clamours, and spe­cially with theyr false, malitious, and traiterous suggestions, and calumniations against the Queenes Ma­iestie, her gouernment, and this Realme: Therefore at the last beyng desperate of those theyr former tra­uayles and practises, and fyndyng her Maiesties amitie is had in good estimation with other the greate prynces and estates her neyghbours, and the amitie also of the same princes reciprocquely imbraced by her Maiestie, to the honour and benefite both of her Maiestie, and her alies and confederates, and their coun­treyes and subiectes, they are fallen into another crooked course of malitious persecutyng the happy estate of this countrey and gouernment, by choosyng out of certayne shamelesse, spiteful, and furious braynes, ha­uyng a trade in pennyng of infamous libelles, not only in the Englishe, but also in Latine, & other strange languages. And by these meanes they haue lately caused certayne seditious bookes and libelles to be compi­led, and printed in diuers languages, wherein theyr final intention appeareth to be to blaspheme, and as it were to accurse theyr natiue countrey, with al manner of reprocheful tearmes, agaynst the peaceable go­uernment thereof, condemnyng generally the whole pollicie of the present estate, as hauing no religion, nor pietie, nor iustice, nor order, no good ministers at al, either for diuine or humane causes: & yet to abuse such as are strangers to the state, they haue glosed some of theyr late libelled bookes with argumentes of discoueries of treasons, intended, as they do craftily alleage, by some special persons beyng counsaylers, agaynst her Maiestie, and the state of this crowne and Realme, with reprocheful tearmes of most notorious false as­sertions and allegations: bendyng theyr mallice moste specially agaynst two, who be certaynely knowen to haue alwayes ben moste studiously and faythfully careful of her Maiesties prosperous estate, and vertuous gouernment, employing therto al theyr cares, trauayles, diligence, and watchyng, with the manifest losse and hynderaunce of theyr owne health, that no treason myght approche to hurte her hyghnesse, nor trayte­rous malice to disturbe the quiet of her prosperous raigne. These cheefely, besyde theyr general reproouing of al other, hauyng charge in this gouernment, they studie by theyr venemous and lying bookes, to haue spe­cially myslyked of her Maiestie, contrary to theyr manyfolde desertes, so approoued by long and manifest ex­perience, whiche both her Maiestie, and al the rest of her good counsaylours and nobilitie, with other the states of the Realme, haue had, and dayly haue of the very same counsaylours, who also are the more to be allowed of her Maiestie, in that she seeth, and of her owne meere knowledge truely vnderstandeth, that al the perticuler matters wherewith the sayde libellers labour to charge the sayd counsaylours, as offences, be vt­terly improbable & false, as in like maner generally, al others her Maiesties counsellours, ministers, and sub­iectes of vnderstandyng, in euery degree, do repute, accept, & know the same to be: so as both of her Maiestie, & of al other her good counsaylers and noble men, this theyr attempt is vnderstanded to be the worke of canck­red enuie and malice, and the accustomed wont of suche men as be possessed with those spirites, when they [Page] can not, ne dare not openly assayle her princely Maiestie by force or open doynges, then to goe about to pull from her Maiestie her faythful and trustie counsaylours, by false calumnies, or with faigned and surmised tales, to make variance, yf they coulde, gelousie, and discorde amonges her highnesse counsaylours, who hy­therto with muche concorde and good agreement, haue, as it is wel seene, serued prosperously her hyghnesse. And therefore her Maiestie hauyng regarde to be thankeful to almyghtie God for his blessyng of her with his protection in her gouernment these many yeeres, and for that cause myslykyng to suffer the same to be in this sorte by suche infamous libelles obscured, defamed, and blasphemed, eyther presently, or in time to come, by the secrete dispearsyng of the same bookes and libelles, eyther within her Realme, or abroade in forraigne language: and in lyke manner, beyng vnwyllyng to haue suche as be her wel tryed and approoued faythful seruauntes and counsaylours to be thereby taxed, altogeather with manyfest vntruethes impudently vtte­red, to the dishonour of her Maiestie, to whom they are counsailours: hath therfore thought necessary, and so by aduice of others of her counsayle and nobilitie, whose reputation is also moste certainely taxed by the said manyfest slaunders and vntruethes, she willeth that by this her Maiesties publique declaration, it be know­en, that the sayde bookes and libelles be of her Maiestie, and of her counsayle, esteemed, iudged, and condem­ned, to be the workes of despisers of Gods true religion, of obstinate traytours against her Maiesties person, estate, and dignitie, & of vnnatural and malignant enuiers of the common good tranquilitie of her Realme, who the more to abuse some sympler sort of people, do delyuer a shewe of certayne thynges pretended for the safetie of her Maiesties person and estate, the same beyng in deede moste manyfest and direct practises to ruine her person, and to ouerthrowe her estate: And therewith chargeth al manner of persons, to despise, re­iect, and destroy suche bookes and libelles, whensoeuer they shal come to theyr handes, for the malitious slaunders and vntruethes conteyned in them, and that no man wyllyngly do bryng into this Realme, dis­pearse, dispose, or delyuer to any other, or keepe any of the sayde bookes or libelles without destroying, excepte the same person be one of her Maiesties priuie counsayle, or otherwyse for reasonable respectes, be duely li­censed to haue the same to peruse, and to reprooue, accordyng to the qualitie thereof, vpon payne to be by any publique officer, who may haue notice thereof, apprehended, and thereupon to be punished as sowers of se­dition, and abbettours to the treasons vttered in the same .xxviij. die Septembr. 1573.

God saue the Queene.