WHereas by Authority of two several Acts of Parliament made and Ordained in the Third and fourth years of the Reign of Our late Royal Grandfather King James (of blessed memory) the River now running fron Chadwell and Amwell, in Our County of Hertford, to the North parts of Our City of London, was at the great charge of Our said Grandfather, and other the Undertakers happily made and finished, since which time the water there­of is dispersed by Pipes and Branches through the several Streets and Places of our said City, the Liberties and Suburbs of the same, and elsewhere, to thebenefit and ease of Our Subjects there inhabiting, as well for the clean­ing and sweet keeping of them in the times of Infection, as the preservation and safety of the Houses and Build­ings, Goods and Riches therein, from the fearful danger of fire casually happening; And such was the care and Providence of Our said Grandfather, that the water in any place in the course thereof should not at any time be troubled or corrupted (whereby the health or lives of the people might suffer or be endangered) that by his Letters Patents of In­corporation dated the One and twentieth day of June, in the Seventeenth year of his Reign over this Our Realm of England, he created and erected a Governour and Company, successively to Regulate, and carefully to Oversee all things appertaining to the said River; and several strict Orders and Commands were made and given by Our late Royal Father (of blessed memory) for preservation of the said River, and preventing of such things as might be prejudicial thereunto; Notwithstanding which, the present Governour and Company have represented unto Us, That great abuses are daily committed: VVe therefore taking into Our Princely consideration, That the preservation of the said River is of great and esp [...]cial consequence, are Graciously pleased by this Our Royal Proclamation (with the advice of Our Privy Council) Exactly to Charge and Command, That all and every the Grants, Clauses and Rest [...]ons in the said Acts of Parliament, Letters Patents, and in all other Our Letters Patents, Orders and Proclamations concerning the said River Enacted, Made, Established, Granted or Confirmed, be from time to time carefully obeyed, observed, and performed; And VVe do hereby strictly prohibit and forbid all and singular the Inhabitants of Our City of London, the Suburbs and Liberties there­of, Our City of Westminster, and also the Inhabitants of Our several Counties of Middlesex and Hertford, and likewise all the Plum­mers, Paviers, and other, Artificers whomsoever, and every of them, That they nor any of them, do or shall presume at any time or times hereafter, without the privity, permission and allowance of the Governour and Company aforesaid for the time being, to in­termeddle with the said VVorks, or any of the Pipes or Branches thereof, or to convey or derive any Pipe or Branch, pipes or Branch­es of the said VVater, into then, or any of their houses, or other places, nor shall fetch or carry the water out of said River, the Pipes or Branches thereof, [...] otherwise hinder, waste or consume, disturb, infect, abuse or corrupt the same River, by setting up of Grates, overflowing of Grounds, making of Trenches or Drains, filling of Ponds, Fishing, watering of Cattel, keeping of Geése or Ducks thereupon, casting of Carrion thereinto, or by doing or permitting any misusance, annoyance, let, stoppage, or prejudice whatso­ever to the stream of Our said River in any part of the Currant thereof, nor shall cut, spoil, take away or destroy any the Branches, Bridges, VVharfs, Posts, R [...]ils, Banks, Bounds or Fences to the said River in any wise belonging or appertaining, or therewith enjoyed, or lying near, or behoful to the same; And that the said Governour and Company, their Officers and Servants shall have free Liberty in the day-time, in the presence of a Constable, to Search any House, Yard, or Back-side where they shall suspect any Branch or Branches are laid contrary to their knowledge, upon pain of Our high displeasure, and of such pains, penalties and pu­nishments, as by the Laws [...]d Statutes of this Kingdom, or Our Prerogative-Royal can and may be inflicted upon the Offenders for contempt of Our Royal VVi [...] and Pleasure herein declared: And VVe do hereby straitly Charge and Command all Mayors, Iusti­ces of Peace, Commissioners [...]f Sewers, Sheriffs, Bayliffs, Constables, Headboroughs, and all other Our Officers, and Ministers and Subjects within Our said C [...]ties of London and Westminster, the Suburbs and Liberties thereof, Our Counties of Middlesex and Hert­ford, whom the same shall o [...] may concern, That they and every of them hereafter be vigilant and circumspect, that Our Royal VVill and Pleasure herein declare [...] be from time to time effectually observed; And that they and every of them in their several Offices and Places respectively, without [...]xcuse or delay, be upon all occasions aiding and assisting to the said Governour and Company, their Officers and Ministers, in t [...] strict observance and execution of all and singular the Powers and Authorities, Limitations and Re­straints herein before menti [...]ed, and in the Grants and Prohibitions aforesaid contained, according to the true intent and meaning of these presents, when they all be thereunto required by them or any of them, as they and every of them tender Our Pleasure, and will avoid the contrary at t [...]ir perils.

[...]en at Our Court at Whitehall the Fifth day of March 1685/6. In the Second year of Our Reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.