• 1. FIrst, whereas you are appointed to heare end, and determine betweene partie and partie, that you doe equall right betweene poore and rich, the particu­lars are left unto your selves as they happen in your Precincts, but since you are commanded to heare, end, and determine the Causes of the people, that you so heare and Order, that they may have no cause to complaine, ei­ther for deniall, or delay of Justice.
• Secondly, whereas you are appointed to heare the tri­alls of offendors, wee will say little, for that the part of Justice moveth in a frame; and if all Officers under you did their parts, so shall ye walke in so streight a path, that you would find it very hard to tread awry. Therefore you had need to heede them narrowly, least they pervert Justice, looke to the corruptions of Sheriffes, and their Deputies, the partialitie of Jurors, the bearing and siding with men of countenance, and power in the Countrie; when you meete with any such proceedings, you ought to be severe and exemplarie against them, otherwise Justice and Truth shall be over-borne, however in your own per­sons you beare your selves with never so much uptight­nesse.
• [Page 4]3. Thirdly, that you afford as much time as may bee for the finall determination of these businesses that are most generall, and most concerne the generall and pub­lique good of this Kingdome, you are to account them as the neighbour matters of the Law, and therefore you are to take them into your prime and chiefe cure and cogita­tion.
  • 1. Now amongst these things I shall commend unto you (in that first place) the presenting and convicting of Recusants, for as it concerneth Religion, so it hath relati­on to His Majesties profits, which are two great motives, to which you may adde a third, because the King hath ma­ny yeares since assigned those forfeitures to the politique defence.
  • 2. The second thing you are required, that you make a strict inquiry of Inclosures, a crying sinne, which bar­reth God of his honour, and the King of His subjects, you have already given in charge to enquire, but to little effect, because they are commonly done by the greatest persons, that keepeth the Iurors under and in awe, and that is the cause there is no more presented and brought in question, howsoever you, charge and inquiry touching this point, have not taken effect worthy our care, and your paines; ne­verthelesse we will you not to cease, but enquire on still, for it is our resolution against all opposition, to make all men see that we have a cure of this over-spreading evill.

  • 3. The third thing that we mention unto you, is the re­ctifying & reforming the abuse of Ale houses, and Tipling houses, that none be enabled, to set up, or eitherto continue without licence, There are a kind of people that doe take upon them Licenses, Recognizances, or Lawes, or what you will, and who have been a great deale the worse, [Page 5]because they see great a multitude tollerated that have no License. And therefore we charge and command that none be permitted, unlesse they be licensed, and those but few, and in fit places.

    We see that by falshood of measure and unjust prizes have drawne more from the guest then out of the Ale and Beere of the Sizes of Holland, we meane, that the Custome of Sizes of Ale and Beere in Holland, doe not mount to so much as the cozenage of Ale in England, we leave this to your care, that they swarme not by default of Justice.

  • 4. The fourth thing we commend unto you, is the pu­nishment of Vacabonds and Wanderers, which the Law hath appointed hands enough to do this worke, the Con­stable, Headborow, tithing-men, & the rest of the Inferior Officers, and the Watchmen, who may do all with a par­ticular Warrant from the Iustices of the Peace, and the Iustices of the Peace are bound to call to account and pu­nish them for their neglect, if this were done as it ought to be, we are assured that those loose people that wander up and downe would quickly be gone, and the Lawes bet­ter observed for many yeeres after.
  • 5. The fifth thing, That the House of Correction had need be looked unto, and that the House of Correction be placed neere unto the Goale, and not idle persons, but the prisoners of the Goale might be made to eat the labour of their owne hands, as it hath been formerly, which we desire may be effected as soone may be.
  • 6. The sixth thing you are to looke unto, is the binding forth of Apprentices, those whom the Parents are not able to maintain them, sometimes the Master refuseth them, and those that bind them are negligent, but all these must be over-ruled, and made to smart for their opposition.
  • [Page 6]7. We have but one thing more to give you in charge; and it is a thing of great weight and importance. It con­cerneth the Honour of His Majesty, and His Kingdome, and the safety of both, Christendome is full of Warre, and there is nothing but rumors of warre, if the warres abroad do make us stand upon our guard, how much care ought we to have to prevent a civill War at home, which is now present, occasioned through the Prelaticall and-Popish Clergy amongst us; therefore in these doubt­full times, it is necessary that the land forces of the King­dome should be set in order and readinesse, and a Fleet at Sea to prevent forraigne invasions, The dominion of the Sea, as it is an ancient and undoubted right of the Crown of England, so it is the security of the Land, for it is im­pregnable, so long as the Sea is well guarded, Therfore out of all question, it is a thing of absolute necessity, that the guard of the Sea be exactly looked unto, And those Sub­jects, whose mindes are most fixed upon the Honour of the King and Countrey, will with no patience indure to thinke of it. That this Dominion of the Sea which is so great an honour, should be either lost or diminished; be­sides the safeties sake, the Dominion of the Sea is to be kept, and the Sea guarded, Therefore We have found it expedient to set to Sea, that Fleete that is now upon the sea, and that it is but reasonable; that we should all putour helping hands to secure both Sea & Land, by a powerfull resistance, that forraigne Nations may see that England is both ableand ready to keepe it selfe, and all its mights.

This is the substance of all that We desire might bee looked into; There are many things else that concern the publique, but your judgements are well knowne in them, so we will trouble you no further, but leave them to your grave considerations.