WHEREAS We have taken notice, that by the Malice, Industry, and Importunity of severall ill-affected and seditious Persons in Our County of Lancaster, very many of Our weake and seduced Subjects of that Our County have not only beene drawne to exercise the Militia, under colour of a pretended Ordinance, without and against Our Consent, (a Crime of a very high nature, if We would strictly enquire thereinto) but have made Contributions of Plate, Money, and Horses, towards the Maintenance of the Army now in Rebellion against Vs; We doe hereby publish and declare, That We are gratiously pleased to attribute the Crimes and Offences of Our said Subjects of that County, to the Power and Faction of their Seducers; Who, We beleeve, by Threates, Menaces, and false Informations compelled and led them into these Actions of undutifullnesse and disloyalty towards Vs; And We doe therefore hereby offer Our free and gracious Pardon to all the Inhabitants of Our said County of Lancaster, for all offences concerning the Premisses committed against Vs, before the publishing of this Our Proclamation, except George Booth, and Richard Holland Esquires, against whom Wee shall proceed according to the Rules of the Law as against Traytours and Stirrers of Sedition against Vs, And whom Wee doe hereby require all Our Officers and Ministers of Iustice, and all Our loving Subjects whatsoever, to apprehend, and cause to be kept in safe Custody till Our Pleasure be further knowne. Provided, that this Our Grace shall not extend to any Person, who after the publishing this Our Proclamation shall presume by Loane or Contribution, to assist the said Army of Rebells, to assemble and muster themselves in Armes without Authority derived from Vs under Our Hand, to enter into any Oath of Association for opposing Vs and Our Army, or to succour, or entertaine any of the Persons excepted in this Our Proclamation or in Our Declaration of the 12 ^th of August. But We must and doe declare, That whosoever shall hence­forward be guilty of the Premisses, or of either of them, shall be esteemed by Vs, as an Enemy to the publike Peace, a Person disaffected to Vs, and to the Religion and Lawes of the Kingdome, and shall accordingly receive condigne punish­ment, of which We give them timely notice, that they may proceed accordingly at their perills. And Wee doe hereby will and require Our high Sheriffe, Commissioners of Array, Iustices of the Peace, and all other Our Officers, and loving Subjects to resist, oppose, and apprehend all such Persons as shall presume to make any Leavies in that Our County, upon what pre­tence soever, without Authority derived from Vs under Our Hand. And We likewise will and require them, and every of them to be assistant to all such as shall either Command the Traine Bands of that Our County, or make any Leavies in the same, by vertue of Commission under Our Great Seale, or Signe Manuall.

¶ Given at Our Court at Oxford, the ninth day of December, in the Eighteenth yeare of Our Reigne.

God save the King.