THe Solemnities of our Coronation being now performed according to the vsages and customes of this our Realme of England, and with mutuall content­ment, aswell of Vs in the zeale and loue of our people at the performance thereof ex­pressed, as of them in the expectation of our gouernment; We haue entred into conside­ration of the state of the seuerall parts of the body of our Realme, And therein do finde, that the absence of the Noblemen and Gentlemen which are vsed to reside there in seue­rall quarters, is accompanied with great inconuenience, aswell in the want of reliefe which the poorer sort did receiue by their ordinary Hospitalitie, as also chiefly in the de­fect of Gouernment, whereby besides other inconueniences, through lacke of order, the infection of the Plague sprea­deth and scattereth it selfe into diuers places of the Realme, and is like further to increase, if by the presence and care of such as are in authority and creadit amongst our people, they be not contained in some good course, for the preuenting of that contagion.

Wherefore hauing taken order for the returning home into their Countreys of diuers of the Nobilitie of our Nation of Scotland, and others also, who to do vs honour at our Coronation, haue attended here since the entring of Vs and the Queene our deare wise into this Kingdome: We haue thought good also to publish to all other good Subiects of this Realme, that our Pleasure is, and we command that all such as are not our Seruants in Ordinary, or be not bound to attendance about our Court by expresse commandement of Vs, or our Councell, shall immediatly depart home into their Countreys; Specially all Deputy Lieutenants, and all such as are in Commission of the Peace, there to attend their seuerall charges, & chiefly to preuent by all good meanes the spreading of this Contagion of the Plague. For seeing now there is no necessary cause why any man should abide either about our Citie of London, or about our Court, who is not our ordinary Seruant, We shal haue iust cause to be offended with such, as shall contrary to this our Pleasure, voluntarily absent themselues from the places where their dueties doe require they should abide.

And whereas We are giuen to vnderstand, That notwithstanding our former Proclamation, there doe continu­ally hang vpon our Court, a great number of idle and masterlesse persons, aswell Scottissh as English, who can giue no accompt of their abode here: For preuenting hereof our Pleasure is, That all Noblemen and Gentlemen our ordinary seruants or attendants in Court, shall presently within three dayes after the publishing hereof, deliuer in to our Chamberlaine, to the Officers of our Greencloth, and to our Knight Marshal, to each of them a Roll of the names of such as be their seruants in ordinary, wherin We require them to haue care to receine no more then they must needs bee serued with: With which Roll Wee haue giuen charge, that the sayd Knight Marshall shall continually ride, both in the day time and in the night about our Court, and whomsoeuer they shall sinde not centeined in the sayde Roll, they shall punish according to the Lawes of our Realme, or otherwise as shall bee thought meete for such contempts. And for that our pleasure also is, during the time of this Infection, That our Court be not followed with vnnecessary multitudes vnder pretence of Suites, We doe charge all Sutors to abstaine from following of vs for this time, sauing onely such as haue Suits, or cause of attendance of our Councell for necessary seruices. For the discerning whereof, We haue appointed, that the Masters of our Requests, or one of them, with one of the Clearkes of our Councell, or of our Signet, shal reside at Kingston till Wednesday next, of purpose to receiue the Petitions of all such as suppose they haue any necessary cause to attend for the seruice at the Court, and shall allowe such as they shall see cause why for our seruice they should be pursued, and all others deferre till the Winter: And after that day passed no Suitor shall be allowed to follow the Court, vpon what pretence soeuer, during this Contagion.

Giuen at our Honour of Hampton the nine and twentieth day of July 1603, in the first yeere of our Reigne of England, France and Ireland, and of Scotland the seuen and thirtieth.

God saue the King.