WHereas at a Parliament holden at Westminster in the nine and thirtieth yeere of the Reigne of his Maiesties late deare Si­ster deceased Queene Elizabeth, a profitable and necessary Law was made for the repressing of Rogues, Uagabonds, idle and dis­solute persons, wherewith this Realme was then much infested, by the due execution of which Lawe, great good ensued to the whole Common weale of this Realme, but now of late by the re­missenesse, negligence, and conniuencie of some Iustices of the Peace, and other Officers in diuers parts of the Realme, they haue swarmed and aboun­ded euery where more frequently then in times past, which will grow to the great and im­minent danger of the whole Realme, if by the goodnesse of God Almighty, and the due and timely execution of the said Law the same be not preuented.

And where to the end that no impediment might be to the due and full execution of the same Law, his Highnesse Priuie Councell, according to the power to them in that behalfe giuen by the sayd Law, haue by their Order assigned places and parts beyond the Seas, vnto which such incorrigible or dangerous Rogues should according to the same Lawe be banished and conueyed, as by the Order in that behalfe made, and vnder this present Procla­mation particularly mentioned and set downe, more at large appeareth: His Maiestie pur­posing (for the vniuersall good of the whole Realme) to haue the same Law duely and fully executed, doth by aduise of his Priuie Councell require all Iustices of Peace, Maiors, Bay­liffes, Hedboroughs, Constables, and other Officers whatsoeuer to whom it appertaineth, to see that the said Law be in all the parts, and branches of the same carefully, duely and exact­ly executed, as they and euery of them will answere the contrary at their vttermost perils.

Giuen at his Maiesties Mannour of Woodstocke the seuenteenth day of September 1603. in the first yeere of his Highnesse Reigne of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the seuen and thirtieth.

God saue the King.

FOrasmuch as it hath appeared vnto vs aswell by our owne viewes in our trauailes in this present Progresse of his Maiestie, as also by good and credible information from diuers and sundrie partes of the Realme, that Rogues grow againe and increase to bee incorrigible, and dangerous not onely to his Maiesties louing Subiects abroad, but also to his Maiestie and his Honourable Houshold and attendants in and about his Court, which growing partly through the remissenes of some Iustices of the Peace, and other Officers in the Countrey, and partly for that there hath beene no Suite made for assigning some place beyond the Seas, to which such incorri­gible or dangerous Rogues might bee banished, according to the Statute in that behalfe made: We therfore of his Maiesties priuie Councel, whose names are hereunto subscribed, finding it of necessitie to reforme great abuses, and to haue the due execution of so good and necessarie a Law, doe according to the power limitted vnto vs by the same Statute, hereby Assigne and thinke it fit and expedient, that the places and partes beyond the Seas to which any such incorrigible or dangerous Rogues shall bee banished and conueyed according to the said Statute, shall bee these Countries and places following, viz. The New-found Land, the East and West Indies, France, Germanie, Spaine, and the Low-countries, or any of them.