WHereas many and sundry orders, haue bene formerly conceiued and published by Proclamtion, and other wise by her Maiesties expresse commandement, for the restraint of the vnordinate repayre of multitudes of Suitors to the Court, with Petitions and Complaints to her Maiestie or her Priuie Coun­sell: wherof commonly the most part are for matters priuat, vnmeete to bee preferred to her, or for a Counsel of State to deale in: or be such as are depen­ding or decidable in some of her Maiesties Courtes of Iustice, or equitie at westminster or other places in the Realme: which former orders are not ob­serued, to the great distike of her Maiestie, and the trouble and hinderance of her Counsell in the dispatch of her Highnesse important seruices: It is nowe therefore otrdered and inioyned that all Sutors, that from hencefoorth shall vpon coulour or cause of Suite, intend to exhibite complaint or petition to her Maiestie or to her Counsell, shall first acquaint there with one of the Masters of Requests, if any of them shalbe attendant in the Court, who with one of the Clerkes of the Counsell then attendant vpon hearing of the complaints, or vpon view and consideration of their petitions, shall indorse the substance of the matter, with their opinions subscribed with their hands: But if the Master of Requests, shall bee out of the Court, so as the Clerke of the Counsell then attendant in the Court, cannot be present with the Master of the Requests at the hearing of the Complainant, then the Master of the Requests shall indorse the Bill with his opinion, and shall send the same to the Clerke of the Counsell then attendant, who shall present the same to the Priuie Counsell at their next sitting, to bee answered as shall bee found meete by the Counsell. And the Master of the Requests to referre the rest of the Suitors, with their complaints to ordinarie Courtes of Iustice or equitie as the cause shall require: And to direct all other Suitors in causes, neither meete to be pre­ferred to her Maiestie, nor to be heard by the Priuie Counsell, nor yet meete for any other ordinarie Court of Iustice or equitie, to depart & not to remaine as Suitors about the Court, vpon paine of imprisonment, and so to be committed by direction of the Masters of Requests by warrant vnder his hand to the Knight Mar­shall or his Deputie.

And the Master of the Requests shall also deliuer the names, of the parties that shall bee reiected, to the Queenes Maiesties Porter, to the intent he may know whom to exclude: and vpon the direction on the com­plaints so indorsed, the Suitors shall addresse themselues to follow the said direction, & in no other sort to folow their suites. And therefore it is ordred, that at such time as any maner persō (not being her Maiesties knowen seruant, or not of the degree & condition of a known gentleman) shall offer to come in at the Court gates, as to be a Suitor, the Queens Maiesties Porters shall informe the partie of this order, and shall direct him or her to the Chamber of one of the Masters of the Requests, if any of them shalbe in the Court: And if none of them shall be in the Court, then the Porters shall command the partie not to continue in the Court, but to repayre to the house of one of the Masters of Requests, and afterwards as his petition shall be indorsed, he shall admit him to come into the Court, or reiect him: straitly prohibiting all persons not to presse in at the Court gate as Suitors, to exhibite any petition or complaint, without their Bill shall be first so endorsed by the sayd Master of the Requests and Clerke of the Counsell as abouesayd: or that the partie shall be licensed by some of the pri­uie Counsel, vpon speciall cause knowen to repaire vnto the Court, to exhibite his complaint to the Queenes Maiesty, or to the Counsel, vpon paine of imprisonment in the Marshalseas, during their Lordships pleasure.

At the Court at Greenewich the xx. of August. 1594.

God saue the Queene