WHEREAS We have taken notice, that by the Malice, Industry and Importunity of severall ill affected and seditious Persons in Our Counties of Stafford and Derby, very many of Our Weak and seduced Subjects of those Our Counties have not only been drawn 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, Mony, and Horses, towards the maintenance of the Army now in Rebellion against Us, and have at last actu­ally themselves taken Armes against Us; We doe hereby publish and declare, That We are grati­ously pleased to attribute the Crimes and Offences of Our said Subjects of those Our Counties to the power and faction of their Seducers, who, We believe, by Threats, Menaces, and false infor­mations, compelled and led them into those Actions of Undutifulnesse and Disloyalty towards Us; And We doe there­fore hereby offer Our free and gratious Pardon, to all the Inhabitants of Our said Counties of Stafford and Derby, for all of­fences concerning the premises committed against Us, before the publishing of this Our Proclamation, except Sir Iohn Gell, and Sir William Brereton Knights, against whom We shall proceed according to the Rules of the Law, as against Traitors and Stirrers of Sedition against Us, And whom We 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 farther known. 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 Us under Our hand, to enter into any Oath of Association for opposing Us and Our Ar­my, or to succor or entertain any of the Persons excepted in this Our Proclamation, or in Our Declaration of the twelfth of August. But We must and doe declare, That whosoever shall henceforward be guilty of the Premises, or of either of them, shall be esteemed by Us, as an enemy to the publique Peace, a Person disaffected to Us, and to the Religion and Lawes of the Kingdom, and guilty of High Treason, and shall accordingly receive condigne punishment, of which We give them timely notice, that they may proceed accordingly at their Perills. And we doe hereby require Our High-She­riffes, Commissioners of Array, Iustices of the Peace, and all other Our Officers & loving Subjects to resist, oppose, and ap­prehend all such persons, as shall presume to make any Leavies in those Our Counties, under what pretence soever without Authority derived from Us 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 those Our Counties, or make any Leavies in the same by virtue of Commission under Our great Seale or Signe Manuall. And Our Pleasure is, That this Our Proclamation shall be read in all the Parish Churches and Chappells within those Our Counties of Stafford and Derby.

Given at Our Court at OXFORD, this five and twentieth day of March, in the Eighteenth yeare of Our Reigne.

God Save the KING.