WHereas by sundry Proclamations grounded vpon important and weightie reasons, Wee haue heretofore made knowen Our Pleasure, as well for restraint of new Buildings in and neere Our City of London, As for reedifying olde Houses with Bricke and Stone, The good effect that hath ensued thereby, and by the diligence and care of Our Commissioners authorized for the execution of Our Commandements in that behalfe, And the dueti­full obedience and conformitie of many Our best disposed Subiects, Hath not onely giuen Vs great content, but confirmed Our Resolution against all opposition of refractory persons, to proceede in a worke not onely honourable and gracefull, but safe and healthfull for Our sayd City; It being not without president of ancient times, euen in this Our Citie of London; In the Records whereof it is remembred, that in the time of King Richard the first, Henry Fitz-Allwyn then Mayor, for preuention of casualties by fire, caused prouision to be made, that Buil­dings in the said City should be of Stone, which for many yeeres after was obserued: But the neglect thereof in succeeding times, especially in the present, the great confluence to Our sayd City, pestering of the Streets with Iutties, Stalles, and other annoyances scarcitie of Tim­ber, and many other occurrents, haue turned the policie of those ancient times from conueni­encie to necessitie: In which respect, We are now fully determined, not onely to ratifie Our former Commandements, but to vse all possible endeauour by Our further care and direction to accomplish Our intention in a matter of such high consequence. And therefore being infor­med, that albeit the discreetest of Our Subiects doe now accept Our Commands, not with con­formitie and obedience alone, but with alacritie and cheerefulnesse, as tending to no priuate end, but to the generall good; yet there want not many that doe daily put in vre sundry sleights and inuentions, to the disturbance and impediment of that generall reformation, which We so much affect, vnder pretence of euading the Letter, though not the sence of Our former Procla­mations. And albeit some of them, notwithstanding their sleights and subterfuges, haue been censured in Our high Court of Starre-Chamber, yet others hauing not tasted of that seueri­ty, doe hazard themselues to incurre the like: Howsoeuer, to make offenders in this kind vnex­cusalbe, Wee doe hereby publish and declare, That as Wee are resolued to cherish and comfort the dutifulnesse of such as apply themselues to the conformitie desired; So We will extend the [Page]seueritie of Our Iustice to all them, that by subtill euasions shall endeauour to frustrate Our command. And therefore being giuen to vnderstand, That the progresse of this so glorious a worke is now chiefly hindred through the supportation and strengthening of ruinous and olde Buildings, vnfit to be continued, by digging of Cellars, and bringing vp new Bricke walles, by erecting new Chimneys and Staire-cases, by placing pieces of Timber, by setting on new Roofes and Rafters, and thrusting out of Dormers, knitting and fastening together the sayd new Additions vnto the olde Timber by barres and crampes of Iron, and other like deuices, whereby the olde deformitie is not onely continued, but encreased.

We doe hereby straitly charge and command, That no person or persons whatsoeuer with­in Our said City of London, or within two miles from any the Gates of the said City, doe pre­sume or attempt to doe any of the things before recited, or any other thing whatsoeuer of like nature, tending to the hinderance of Our said intended Worke, vnlesse hee shall be thereunto li­cenced and allowed by Our Commissioners for Buildings.

And further We do hereby straitly charge and command, That no person or persons what­soeuer within the limits aforesaid, doe at any time hereafter presume or attempt to erect, couer, ouerlay or inclose any Houels or other Sheds of Timber, with Reeds, Faggots, Hay, Straw, Boards, or other materials, or doe raise vp any wall, pale or banke of earth, to which Sheds may be added: Or doe repaire or new make into the streets, any maner of Bulkes, Stalles, windowes, doores, or other offensiue issues: Or doe alter or change the vse of any dwelling house or other building to any more noysome or offensiue vse, end or purpose, then the same was imployed before the time of the demolishing or altering the same. By all which, and especially by the said pretences of repaire and alterations, Our Royall intention of Reformation is much hindred and preuented. Our will and pleasure therefore is, That all such as shall hereafter presume to offend in any the premisses, vnder pretence of repairing decayed houses, or addition or alteration of dwelling houses or other Buildings, or otherwise, hauing not first had the ap­probation of Our said Commissioners, shall be deemed as persons opposing Our Royall com­mandements, and be proceeded against in Our high Court of Starre-chamber, according to the qualitie of their seuerall offences.

And whereas by Our former Proclamation, all Houses and Buildings, to be reedified or new made within the limits aforesaid, were to be built of bricke, or bricke and stone, We being desirous that the like good order and decency should be obserued hereafter within fiue miles of any the gates of Our said Citie, Doe hereby straitly charge and commaund, That no person or persons doe hereafter presume, to erect, reedifie, or set vp any house or Building within the said distance of fiue miles from any the [...]tes of Our said Citie, vnlesse he doe make all the vt­ter walls of the same of Bricke, or Bricke and Stone; And that all houses and Buildings to be erected within the said Citie of London, or in, or adioyning to any open streete of any Towne or Village out of the said Citie within the limits of fiue miles aforesaid, shall be built according to the forme and proportion hereafter in these presents expressed, viz. Euery whole story of and in such Houses and Buildings, and all and euery the roomes of such whole Story, shall bee of the height of ten foote of Assize at the least, and euery halfe Story, of and in such Houses and Buildings, shall be of the height of seauen foote and a halfe at the least: And that the forefront and all outward and diuision walls betwixt house and house, & the Iambes, heads and soyles of the windowes, shall be of Brick, or of Brick & Stone, and the windowes (being of Timber) not to be put in vntill the Iambes and heads aforesaid, be finished and beare of themselues.

And if the said Buildings doe not exceed two Stories in height, then the walls thereof shall be of the thicknesse of one Brick and halfe a Brickes length from the ground vnto the vpper­most part of the said walls. And where the Building shall be of the height of three Stories, the walls of the first Story shall be of the thicknesse of two Bricks length, and from thence vn­to the vppermost part of the wall, of the thicknesse of one Brick and halfe a Bricks length, and so proportionably if there shall be more Stories.

And that in building of the said Houses, there shall bee no Iutties or Iutting, or Cant win­dowes, either vpon Timber Ioystes, or otherwise, but the walls to goe direct and streight vpwards, and at the setting off a Water-table to be made. Also the forme of the windowes of euery whole Story to be of more height then bredth, to the end the roomes may receiue ayre for health, and that there bee sufficient Peeres of Brick, not lesse then halfe the bredth of the windowes betweene them for strength. And likewise the windowes of euery halfe Story to be made square or neere thereabouts.

And that all Shops and Streete doores be made with Pillasters of Stone, or Bricke, and the heads of the Shop windowes cut in wedges, with Arches ouer them to susteine the wall aboue, and that the Pillasters of Stone be in bredth fifteene inches at the least, and as thick as the wall of the Story.

And lastly, that none doe raise the first floore to gaine height in their cellars, so as they are forced to make steps into the streete.

And to the end this Our pleasure hereby signified and published, may be the better executed, Wee doe hereby require and authorise Our said Commissioners for Buildings, and euery or a­ny of them, and all and euery Iustice, or Iustices of Peace, respectiuely to commit to Ward or Prison, all such persons as shal be found to offend in any of the premisses, contrary to the intent of this Our Proclamation. And We doe further require and command, and giue authoritie vnto all Mayors, Sheriffes, Iustices of Peace, Constables, Headboroughes, and other Our Officers and Ministers, without any further or other Warrant, to make stay of, and re­straine all irregular Buildings and proceedings contrary to Our command heereby, or by any former Proclamation concerning Buildings published. Wherein if any shall be so bold to pro­ceed notwithstanding this Our gentle admonition, Our pleasure then is, that Our Attourney Generall for the time being, doe from time to time informe against such persons in Our High Court of Starre-chamber, as wilfull contemners of Our Royall Command.

Giuen at Theobalds the seuenteenth day of Iuly, in the eighteenth yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, and of Scotland the three and fiftieth.

God saue the King.