WHEREAS at the Gaol-Delivery for the City of London held in the Old-Baily on Wednesday the nineteenth day of February in the yeer of our Lord, One thousand six hundred and fifty, before the Right Honourable Tho­mas Andrews Lord Mayor of the said City of London, and the rest of the Bench then and there sitting. It appea­red unto the said Court (by a Certificate from the Deputy, Common-Councel men, Church-Wardens, and divers others Inhabitants of the Parish of Sepulchres without Newgate London, well known, and worthy of good cre­dit) That on Munday the two and twentieth day of July, in the said yeer of our Lord, One thousand six hundred and fifty, about seven of the Clocke in the Evening of that day, there happened a most fierce and lamentable Fire near Holborne-Conduit in the Parish aforesaid, which within foure houres, consumed, and burnt downe to the ground five and twenty dwelling Houses; The Losse whereof, amounts to the Summe of Two Thousand and five Hun­dred pounds, as appeared upon a full and particular view and examination of many able and experienced Work­men. By the meanes of which sad Accident Threescore Families are utterly impoverished, and most of them in extream Necessity and Misery, and like to perish for want, unlesse God in mercy move the hearts of well-disposed people in compassion towards them; Besides divers other Houses there adjacent, which were partly burnt and spoyled to a very great dammage and losse, and which are not herein valued, in regard the Owners thereof are able to beare the same: And the same things were likewise at the said Court testified by divers other persons of good worth and quality then, and there present. For the furtherance of which pious and cha­ritable Worke: The Parliament having been acquainted with the particulars of the said sad and lamentable Accident, did thereupon the Fif­teenth day of August last, Order, That the said distressed Inhabitants shall be Authorised by Letters Pattents, under the Great Seale of Eng­land to make a general Collection with the Cities and Counties hereafter mentioned. Know ye therefore, That Wee being willing that such reliefe might be afforded to them herein, as to others in like cases hath been heretofore granted, and not doubting, but that all good Christians within the said places (having a fellow feeling of their miseries, will bee ready to extend their liberall Contributions towards the Reliefe, Helpe, and Comfort of their distressed Brethren in this their great Necessity) Have, Given and Granted; And by these Letters Pattents, doe Give and Grant unto the said distressed Inhabitants, and to their Deputy and Deputies, the Bearer and Bearers hereof, full Power, Licence, and Authority to ask, gather, receive and take the Alms and charitable Benevolence of all good and wel-disposed people Inhabiting within the Cities of London and Westminster, with the Suburbs and Liberties thereof: And in the Counties of Middlex, Surrey, and Kent, the Burrough of Southwark, the City of Canterbury, and County of the same City, the City of Rochester, with the Cinque-Ports, and all other the Cities, Towns Cor­porate, Priviledged places, Parishes, Villages, and all other places whatsoever, within the said Cities, and Counties, and not elsewhere, to­wards the recovery of their said losses; And for the Reliefe, Support, and Maintenance of the said distressed Families. Wherefore, We Will and Command you, and every of you, That at such time, and times as the said Inhabitants, or their said Deputy, or Deputies, the Bearer, or Bearers hereof; shall come and repaire to any of your Churches, Chappels, or any other places, to ask, and receive the gratuities, and charitable Benevolence of good, and well-disposed people, quietly to permit, and suffer them so to doe, without any manner your Lets, or Contradictions. And you the said Parsons, Ministers, Lecturers, Vicars, and Curats, for the better stirring up of charitable Devotions, deliberately to publish and declare the Tenor of these Letters Pattents, or the Copy, or Briefe hereof unto the people upon some Sabbath day after the same shall bee tendred or delivered unto you, exhorting, and perswading them to extend their liberal Contributions in so good and charitable a deed. And you the Overseers of the poore of every Parish where such Collection is to be made as aforesaid, to collect, and gather the Almes and charitable Benevolence as well of strangers as Fellow-Parishoners. And what shall be by you so gathered, to be by the Ministers, and your selves endorsed on the backside of these Letters Pattents, or the Copy or brief hereof in words at length, and not in figures. And the Summe and Summes of Money so gathered, and endorsed, to deliver to the Bearer or Bearers of these Letters Pattents, and to no other person or persons, whenso­ever you shall be by them thereunto required. And in case it so fall out that any Parish being destitute of a Minister shall be without publicke Assemblies. Then the Overseers of the poor of the said Parish are hereby required to go from house to house to gather and receive the charity of the Inhabitants. And lastly, Our Will and Pleasure is, for the more assurance of faithfull, and equall dealing in the Receit, Ac­count, and Distribution of the Moneys hereby to be collected, by vertue of these Presents. That no man shall receive any of the Moneys so collected, but such as shall be appointed thereunto by Deputation under the hands and seales of Humphrey Primate, Thomas Poultney, Josias Ward, and Thomas Bradbury, Citizens, or any two of them, and that the moneys collected and raised by vertue thereof, shal be distributed amongst such only of those damnified by the said Fire, as are in this case fit to be relieved by publick charity. And by such proportions to each of them as shall be thought fit, and set down in writing under the hands of the said persons last above named, or any two of them as aforesaid, at such times and places as shall be by them, or any two of them from time to time appointed for that purpose; Any Statute, Law, Ordinance, or Provision heretofore made to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding. In witnesse whereof, We have caused these our Letters to be made Pattents for the space of Six Months next after the date hereof to endure, and no longer.