WHereas by Ordinance of Parliament intituled, An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, For the speedy Raising and Impresting of Men for the recruiting of the Forces under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax, in the de­fence of the Kingdome. It is Ordained (inter alia) that the Committee of the Militia for the City of London, the Deputy: Lievtenants and Committees of Par­liament, in every County, City, or place within this Realme, or any two or more of them, within their severall Limits and Iurisdictions, shall be and are thereby Au­thorised, Required, and Injoyned from time to time, to Raise, Leavy, and Impresse such number of Souldiers for the defence of the King, Parliament, and Kingdom, as shall be appointed by both Houses of Parliament, by the Committee of both Kingdomes, or by Sir Thomas Fairfax. The said Lords and Commons for pre­venting abuses which may happen by the Souldiers absenting themselves from their Colours and the Army, and by the harbouring and concealing of Souldiers so Raised, Leavied, and Imprested, as aforesaid, doe therefore Order and Ordaine, That all Souldiers already Raised, Listed, or Imprested, or which hereafter shall be Raised, Listed or Imprested under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax, shall upon paine of death to bee inflicted without mercy, repaire to their Colours within six dayes af­ter publication hereof: And for such as shall be hereafter Imprested and Listed, within six duyes after their Listing; and constantly abide there, and not depart without Licence under the hand of Sir Thomas Fairfax, or of the superiour Officer then present of the Regiment wherein such Souldier or Souldiers shall Serve. —And [...]or the better discovery of all such persons who have beene Imprested or Listed, as already have, or hereafter shall absent themselves from their Colours, The said Lords and Commons doe hereby require and command all High Constables, petty Constables, Tithingmen, and Headboroughs in their severall Divisions, Hundreds, Townes, and Parishes, to make strict search and inquiry in the severall Houses within their respective Limits and Parishes, for finding out such Souldiers as may be harboured there. And if any Souldier or Souldiers shall be found remaining in any of the Towns and Places aforesaid, the high Constables and petty Constables afore-mentioned, are hereby Authorised and required to apprehend their persons, and carry them before such of the Deputy-Lievtenants, Committees of Parliament, or Iustices of Peace as are neerest to the places where they are so apprehended; who are hereby authorized and required to commit such Souldiers to the County-Goale, or other Prison, and to secure their Horses, Armes, Souldiers clothes, and Moneys, if they have any, for the Service of the State. And for the preventing the harbouring and concealing any Soul­dier or Souldiers, as aforesaid, who shall depart out, or absent himselfe from the said service without licence.

It is further Ordained and Declared, That every Towne or Parish wherein such Souldier or Souldiers shall be found to be harboured or concealed, shall forfeit and pay the summe of ten pounds; and every person harbouring or concealing any souldier or souldiers, as aforesaid, shall pay for every souldier so concealed and harboured forty shillings: All which said sever all summes of Money to be forfeited, as aforesaid, shall bee Collected, Leavied, and paid in such sort, manner, way, and forme, and shall be imployed to the same uses as are Prescribed and set downe for leavying of Money in the former Ordinance of Parliament, for railing and maintaining Forces for defence of the Kingdome, under the Command of Sir Thomas Fairfax. And to the intent that all souldiers under the command of the said Sir Thomas Fairfax, and all and every other person and persons concerned in the premises may take no­tice hereof.

It is further Ordained, That this present Ordinance be forthwith Printed, and published in the severall Market Townes and Parish Churches of every County within the power of the Parliament within six dayes next following the receipt thereof, that none may pretend ignorance of any of the particulars before mentioned.

And it is hereby further Ordained, That the Deputy-Lievtenants, Committees of Parliament, all Majors, Bai­liffs, Sheriffs, Governours of Towns, and Iustices of Peace of the severall Counties, Cities, and places within this Kingdome, shall take speciall care to put this Ordinance in due execution, according to the purport and true mean­ing thereof.