¶ A Proclamation for restraint of disorderly and vnnecessary resort to the Court.
THe Kings most Excellent Maiesty, hauing taken into His Princely consideration, the many inconueniences which may fall out by the vnlimited concourse of people of all sorts to His Court, or the Townes or Parishes neere the same, especially at this time, and in this season of the yeere, which growes euery day more dangerous for increasing the infection, already begun in the Citie of London, and Confines of the same; And being graciously and prouidently carefull to take away and preuent all occasions tending thereunto, hath thought fit by aduice of His Priuie Councell, by this Proclamation to publish and declare his Royall pleasure and commandement concerning the same, That although his Maiestie cannot but conceiue great ioy and contentment, when His louing Subiects, out of their loyall and dutifull affections towards him, shall desire to see the Persons of Himselfe, or of his deare Consort the Queene, who is (by Gods blessing) shortly to come ouer into England; yet, in his Princely care of His people, Hee is contented to dispence with those publike shewes of their zeale, chearefulnes, and alacritie at this time▪ lest the present occasions of ioy and reioycing, should produce a contrary effect, by dispersing the Infection into other parts of the Realme, where his Maiestie shall keepe his Royall Court and residence.
And therefore his Maiestie doth hereby straitly charge and command, That aswell in the Iourney, which Himselfe shortly intendeth to Douer in Kent, for the reception of his deare Consort, the Queene, at Her arriuall, as also in His, and Her Maiesties returne from thence, and in all other Iourneys and Progresses, which they or either of them shall make this Summer now ensuing, till they shall returne to a standing house in Winter, No person or persons whatsoeuer, not being thereunto called or appointed, or not hauing speciall cause of personall attendance at the Court for his Maiesties seruice, or for some necessary occasion of extremity concerning their owne estate, doe presume to follow, or resort to the Court with Petitions, or vpon other pretence, or vnto any Citie, Towne, Uillage, or priuate house within twelue miles of the same, as they tender his Maiesties displeasure, and will answere for the same, as contemners of this his Maiesties iust and Royall commandement. And whereas many of his Maiesties louing Subiects haue been heretofore wont to pester the Court, vnder colour of repairing thither for healing the disease called The Kings Euill, His Maiestie doth hereby publish and declare his pleasure, That vntill Michaelmas next, and after His Coronation shall be solemnized▪ He wil not admit any person or persons to come to the Court for healing; And doth straitly charge and forbid, That no person or persons doe in the meane time presume to importune his Maiestie in that behalfe: And for auoyding many, and great abuses in that behalfe, his Maiesty doth straitly charge and command, That no person or persons doe at any time hereafter resort to his Maiestie, or His Court for healing of that disease, without bringing a Certificate from the Minister, and Churchwardens of the Parish wherein they inhabite, or some other neighbours of more eminent quality, expressing the time they haue been troubled with that infirmity, and that they haue not at any time before been healed by [Page] his Maiestie, or the late King: And to auoid the great disorder of poore people, who are vsed to come flocking into the high wayes, and streetes, where his Maiestie is to trauell, vnder colour of reliefe from the Almoner, His Maiestie hath taken order, that in all the Townes and Parishes, through which Hee shall passe, his Maiesties sayd Almoner shall deliuer his Maiesties Almes to the Ouerseers of the Poore, to be distributed amongst them, for their better & more equall reliefe, then they should receiue by comming abroad in that dishonourable & vndecent maner; which therfore his Maiesty straitly chargeth and commandeth them to forbeare, and all Maiors, Sheriffes, Iustices of Peace, Constables, and other Officers, to take due care of accordingly. And for other wandering poore, Uagabonds, Rogues, and such like base and vnruly people, which pester the high way, and make it their Trade or profession to liue by begging, pilfering, or other vnlawfull shifting, His Maiestie doth hereby straitly charge and command, aswell the Knight Marshall of His houshold and his deputies, as all Maiors, Sheriffes, Iustices of Peace, Constables, and other his Maiesties Officers and louing Subiects, to cause such as bee Impotent, to bee foorthwith returned into their owne Countreys, and such as be able to labour, to bee sent to the houses of Correction, or otherwise ordered according to the Lawes: To which end also, his Maiestie likewise chargeth and commandeth the sayd Sheriffes, Iustices, and other Officers, to cause diligent Watch by night▪ and Ward by day to be kept by honest and substantiall housholders, in euery Citie, Towne, Uillage, and Parish, through which his Maiesty shall passe, and within twelue miles compasse of his Maiesties passage or Court, aswell to be ready vpon all occasions to suppresse disorders and breaches of the Peace, as to make speciall search for all such persons, as shall pretend themselues to bee his Maiesties Seruants, or followers of the Court, and craue Lodging without hauing Billets for the same, and to apprehend all such as they shall finde so lodged or entertained, & not billeted, and to bring them before the Knight Marshal, or his deputy, and in all other things to be assisting to him and them concerning the premisses[?], for all occasions of his Maiesties seruice.
And because his Maiestie findeth much disorder in some of his owne seruants, in vnnecessary pestering of the Court, when there is no cause for their attendance or imployment, His Maiesty straitly forbiddeth, That any of his seruants do either in this Iourney of his Maiesties intended to Douer, or elsewhere in His Summers Progresse, or vntil his Maiestie shal come to keepe a standing house in Winter, resort to the Court, except such onely of his Maiesties seruants, as are, or shall be set downe in the Liste, or shall be allowed for seruice within doores, and aboue staires, by the Lord Chamberlaine of his Maiesties honourable houshold, or below staires, by the Treasurer and Comptroller of the houshold, or for seruice without doores by the Knight Marshall, vpon paine of his Maiesties displeasure, and incurring the Censure of a high contempt.
And to the end his Maiesties Royall pleasure herein before declared, may bee in all points obserued, his Maiestie straitly chargeth and commandeth His Knight Marshall, and all Maiors, Sheriffes, Iustices of Peace, Constables, Headboroughs, Bayliffes, and other his Maiesties Officers whatsoeuer, to see all things concerning the premisses, carefully performed, and put in due execution, according to the dueties of their seuerall places, as they and euery of them will answere for any their neglects herein, at their vttermost perils.
Giuen at the Court at White-Hall, the seuenteenth day of May, in the first yeere of his Maiesties Reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland.God saue the King.
¶Printed at London by Bonham Norton and Iohn Bill, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie. M.DC.XXV.