IT hath been v­sed and accusto­med before this tyme, to call at certayne tymes the Iustices of peace, before the Kynges Maie­sties counsail, to geue vnto theim admonicion and warnyng, dili­gentely as their duetie is, to loke to the obseruyng of suche thyn­ges, as be committed to their charges, according to the truste, whiche the Kynges maiestie hath in theim. How bee it, now at this tyme, wee call you before vs, not onely of custome, but rather of ne­cessitie: For hearyng daily and perceiuyng as we do, the greate negligence, and the litle hede whi­che is taken and geuen, to the obseruyng of the good and wholsome Lawes, and orders in this realme, whereupon muche disordre dooth daily ensue, and the Kynges Maiesties Proclamaci­ons and orders, taken by the counsaill (as we are [Page] aduertised) not executed, the people brought to a disobedience, and in maner all his Maiesties studie and oures, in settyng a good and moste Godly staie, to the honor of God, and the quiet of the relame, spent in vain, and come to nothing. The whiche, as wee haue greate hope and trust, not to bee altogether so, yet so muche as it is, and so muche as it lacketh, of kepyng the realme in a moste Godly ordre and state: we muste nedes im­pute, and laie the faulte therof in you, whiche are the Iustices of Peace in euery Shire: to whom, we are wont to directe our writynges, & to whose trust and charge, the Kynges maiestie hath com­mitted, the execucion of all his Proclamacions, of his Actes, of Parliament, of his Lawes.

We are infourmed that many of you, be so ne­gligent and so slacke, in that, that it doth appere, that you doo rather loke, as it wer through your fingers, then diligently to se, for the execucion of thesaied Lawes and Proclamacions: For if you would accordyng to your dueties, to your othe, to the truste, whiche the Kynges maiestie hath in you, geue your diligence and care, toward thexe­cucion of thesame, most Godly Statutes and Iniunccions, there should no disobedience, no disordre, nor euill rule, bee begon, or arise in any part of the realme, but it should by and by be re­pressed, kepte doune, and reformed.

Mary it is feared, and the thyng it self geueth occasion thereto, that diuerse of you, do not onely set furthe, but rather hynder, so muche as lieth in [Page] you, the kynges maiesties procedynges: and are content that there should arise some disobedience and that menne should repine against Godly or­ders, set furthe by his Maiestie, you do so slack­ly looke to the execucion of thesame. So that in some Shires, whiche bee further of, it maie ap­pere that the people hath neuer hard, of diuerse of his maiesties Proclamaciōs, or if thei haue hard that you are content to wincke at it, and to ne­glecte it, so that it is all one, as though it wer ne­uer commaunded. But if you doo considre, and remembre your dueties, firste, to almightie God, and then to the kynges Maiestie, the wealthe of the whole Realme, the safegarde and suretie of your awne selfes, you must nedes se, that excepte suche ordres, as the kynges Maiestie hath sette, and shall herafter appoynt to be kept, neither the realme can bee defended, if the enemie should in­uade, nor in peace it cannot stande, but vpon the contempt of good and wholsome lawes, all disor­dre and inconueniences should come, the people should be wilde and sauage, and no man sure of his awne. And if at any tyme there was occasion and cause, to be circumspect and diligent aboute thesame, there was neuer more tyme then now: How wee stande in Scotlande you knowe, and that other forrein power maketh great prepara­cion to aide them, and in deede doth come to their aide, we are surely informed and certified. Wherfore, if there should not be good ordre, and obedi­ence kepte in the realme, the realme were like vt­terly [Page] to be destroyed. Neuer forrein power could yet hurte, or in any parte preuaile in this realme, but by disobedience and misordre within out sel­fes, that is the waies wherewith God will pla­gue vs, if he mynde to punish vs: and so long as we do agree within our selfes, and be obedient to our Prince, and to his Godly ordres and lawes, wee maie bee sure that God is with vs, and that forrein power, shall not preuaile against vs nor hurte vs. Wherfore once again, and stil we must and doo laie this charge vpon you, that are the better of the Shire▪ and Iustices of Peace: that with so conuenient spede as you can, you doo re­paire doune into your countreys. And you shall also gaue warnyng, to the Gentle menne of the Shire, whiche haue not necessarie busines here, that thei repaire doune eche man into his coun­trey, and there bothe you and thei, who be reco­ned the staie of euery Shire, to se good ordre and rule kepte. You, that your Sessions of Gaole de­liuery, and quarter Sessions, bee well kepte, and therein your metynges, to bee suche, that Iustice might be well and truly ministered, the offendors and malefactors punished, accordyng to the La­wes of the realme, without any teare of any man, or that for fauoure, you should suffre those to es­cape▪ whiche with their euill exāple, might bryng other to like mishappe, and that all Vacaboun­des, al lewde and light tale tellers, and sedicious berers of false newes of the Kynges Maiestie, or of his counsaill, or suche as will preache without [Page] license, be immediatly by you represte and puni­shed. And if there should chaunce, any lewde and light fellowes, to make any routes or riottes, or vnlawfull assembles, any sedicious metynges, vprors, or vprisynges, in any place, by the sedici­ous and deuilishe mociō, of some priuie traitors, that you and thei appease theim at the firste, and apprehende the firste aucthors and causers ther­of, and certifie vs with spede.

The lightnes of the rude and ignoraunt peo­ple, must be represte and ordered, by your graui­tie and wisedome: And here you maie not (if any suche thyng chaunce) dissemble, with those suche lewde men, and hide your selfes. For it shalbe re­quired of you, if suche misordre bee: and surely without your aide and help, or your dissemblyng suche misordre cannot bee. Nor we dooe not saie this, that wee feare any suche thyng, or that there is any such thyng likely to chaunce, but we geue you warning before, least it should chaunce. We haue had to muche experience in this Realme, what inconuenience commeth of suche mattiers, and though some light persones, doo not in their rage consider it, yet wee doo not doubte but that you weigh it, and knowe it well inough. And if it should chaunce our enemie (who is mainteined, by other forrein powers, and the Bushoppe of Rome) should sodainly arriue, in some place of Englande, either driuen by tempeste, or of pur­pose, to do hurte, ye should se suche ordres kepte, by fieryng of Beacons, as hath all ready been [Page] written vnto you by our letters, to repulse the­same, in so good arraie as you can, as we do not doubte but you will, for the saufegarde of your countrey: so that the enemie shall haue litle ioye of his commyng. And for that purpose, you shall se diligently, that menne haue Horse Harneis, and other furniture of wea­pon redy, accordyng to the Statutes, and good orders of the realme, and the Kynges Maiesties commaundementes.

God saue the Kyng.