❧ Orders appointed by His most Excellent Maiestie, and signified by speciall Letters from the Right Honourable the Lords of His most Honourable Priuie Counsell, which all persons within this County, of what degree or qualitie soeuer, are straitly commanded to obserue.
- 1. FOrasmuch as the Sergeants, who were sent by His Maiestie into this County, for the Exercising and Instructing of the trayned Souldiers here, have done much good, yet not so much as His Maiestie may iustly expect from so exact Rules and Directions as were giuen; a great cause whereof hath beene, for that as well diuers who stand charged with finding of Armes, haue of late dayes beene negligent to send their Souldiers and Armes to the vsuall places of Traynings; as also the Souldiers when they were there, haue gone away as soone as they were called, before they haue been exercised, and haue come thither without Powder and Match; It is now therefore straitly required, That from henceforwards, no man whatsoeuer, that findes either Horse or Foote, presume to faile in sending such Horsemen, Powder, and Armes which hee is charged to send to the vsuall places of Musters, and that no Souldier presume to depart from his Coulours, vntill hee shall bee discharged by his Captaine, And that no man charged with either Horse or Foote, doe presume to borrow either Horse or Armes, but that he haue the same alwayes by him to bee ready at an houres warning, vpon paine of seuere punishment, if the same bee discouered.
- 2. VVHereas His Maiestie hath a speciall care, that both Captaines, Officers and Souldiers, bee not onely able and sufficient men, but also well affected in Religion, and hath therefore giuen expresse Commandement, that aswell the Officers as Souldiers, be not onely able and sufficient men, but also well affected in Religion; to which purpose His Maiestie hath commanded, that aswell the Officers as Souldiers, take the Oathe of Allegiance; That they therefore take notice hereof, and faile not to bee present at the time of Traynings, when they are to take the sayd Oath, lest a Certificate being made to the Lords of the Counsell of their defaults, there be a suspicion conceiued of their disaffection in Religion, by reason of their absence at such Time as they should take the sayd Oathes.
- 3. VVHereas at the first comming of the Sergeants into the Countrey, there was special order giuen, that out of euery hundred men, there should be two chosen to be Sergeants & Corporals, who should be taught and instructed to exercise the other Souldiers, That they, who are so chosen accordingly, doe at such times as there are no publike Trainings, and when they haue best leisure, repaire to the Sergeants (who are come out of the Low-Countreys to that purpose) to be instructed by them in the duetie of their places, and that as well they, as all other Officers, be very carefull to enable themselues to exercise their Companies when the Sergeants be gone out of the Countrey.
- 4. FOrasmuch as His Maiestie, hath taken speciall notice, that a chiefe cause of the insufficiencie of the trained Bands of this Kingdome, proceedes from the changing of hatch therefore giuen commandement, that no Souldier enrolled, remooue his dwelling out of the Towne or Parish of his abode, without Licence obtained of the Deputie Lieutenant of that Diuision, to the end that in case he shall bee licensed to depart, that then the Company may be againe made vp, and compleat both for Number, Persons of actiue and able bodies, and men practised in their Armes; It is therefore straitly commanded, That all the Souldiers take notice thereof, and be carefull in obeying this His Maiesties Command.
- 5. FOrasmuch, as there are at this present great preparations both in Spaine and Flanders, as well for Land, as Sea-forces, and that it is most apparant, that the Enemies of his Maiesties Peace, haue some Designes vpon his Highnesse Kingdomes; and therefore it is fit that euery man bee in a readinesse vpon any sudden alarme: That therefore euery Horse man haue alwayes by him in a readin [...]sse, a pound of Powder, and foure and twentie Bullets: And euery Musquetiere, his Bandeliers full of Powder, foure and twentie Bullets, and sixe yards of Match, to serue vpon any sudden Alarme, vntill the Magazin of the Countie may bee brought vnto them. It is therefore commanded, that euery Souldier haue in a readinesse by him a Snap-sacke, to carry his Victuals in: And the said Powder, Match, Bullets, and Snap-sacke, to bee presently prouided and daily renewed, as occasion serues, at the charge of the Townes, or priuatemen, that are charged with the said Armes. And for that the Pistols, and Harquebusses for Horse men, and the Musquets for Foot men, are many of them of seuerall Bores, so that the Magazins of the Countrey cannot possibly serue them all: That therefore euery man who findes any such Armes, haue by him a Melting ladle, a payre of Moulds fit for his Pistoll, Harquebusse, or Musquet, according as hee finds the same.
- 6. THat euery Officer and Souldier bee alwayes in a readinesse, at an houres warning, with his Armes and prouisions, as aforesaid, to repaire to his Colours, at such place of Rendeuous as shall by his Captaine bee appoynted.
- 7. THat such Beacons as are in any sort decayed, be forthwith made vp and repayred, and that there bee prouision of Wood laid by them, for the maintaining and renewing of them, and that they bee diligently watched, by discreet and sufficient men.
- 8. VVHereas His Maiestic hath giuen expresse commandement, That there be sufficient prouision of Carriages in readinesse, for the conueying of Munition, Victuals, Baggage, &c. to such Rendeuous, as the Forces of this Countie shall be assigned vnto; And that to euery thousand Souldiers, there be allotted one hundred Pioners, to be prouided with Spades, Pick [...]xes, Shouels, H [...]tchets, Bills, and the like: And that there bee Carts and Carriages, and a conuenient number of Nagges appoynted, to mount Shot on vppon any sudden: And that there be Postes appointed in seuerall parts of this Countie, to be sent with directions from place to place. That therefore the high Constables within their seuerall Hundreds, doe presently warne foure sufficient Carts, and twentie Naggs to euery Company of two hundred men, within some of those Townes, where the said two hundred men are charged to bee always in readinesse to repaire at an houres warning, to such Rendeuous, as the Captaine within that Diuision shall appoint his Souldiers to repaire vnto, letting the Owners of the said Carts and Horses know, that there is no intention to lay any charge vpon them, but that they shall be fully and reasonably satisfied for any seruice they shall performe therein. And that euery high Constable doe deliuer a Note in writing both to the Deputie Lieutenants neere adioyning, and to the Captaine of that Diuision, as well of the names of the men, whom he hath warned to haue the said C [...]ts and Naggs, at all times in a readinesse, as in what Parishes they dwell: And that all the pettie Constables, and other Inhabitants of euery Parish, take notice heereby of His Maiesties pleasure for appoynting of Postes in seuerall parts; and that therefore whensoeuer any Letters of Direction shall come to any of their Parishes, for this His Maiesties important seruice, that they forth with, without excuse or delay, furnish the Messengers, who shall bring any such Letters, with Post-horses from place to place. And that the High Constables doe presently, vpon sight hereof, with euery Diuision of two hundred Souldiers, warne twentieable and sufficient Labourers for Pioners to appeare before the Deputie-Lieutenants next adioyning to that Diuision, to be enrolled for Pioners, and that the said Pioners so enrolled, bee also ready at an houres warning, to repaire vnto such place of Rendeuous, as the Captaine within that Diuision shall appoint for his Souldiers. And that euery Pioner carry with him to the said place of Rendeuous, his Spade, Pickaxe, Shouell, Hatchet and Bill. And for that it will be a great charge to the Countrey, to buy so many Spades, Pickaxes, and the rest, not knowing certainly, whether there shall be occation to vse them, and that in time they are likely to be lost, That therefore euery high Constable, doe take order, that in euery Parish where any such Pioner so inrolled as aforesaid, shall dwell, the Inhabitants of the said Parish shall either prouide for them at their charge, or vndertake to haue alwayes in a readinesse, at an houres warning, for euery Pioner a Spade, Pickaxe, Shouell, Hatchet and Bill to be paid, if there be vse of them by a generall charges and that the said high Constables, giue an account to the Deputie Lieutenants next adioyning, what order the Inhabitants of the said Parishes haue taken for hauing the said Spades, &c. in a readinesse: for that, if an Army should march, it would bee very troublesome for the Carriages, especially of Ordnance, to trauell, in respect of the great decay of High wayes in this County; that therefore the Inhabitants of euery Parish, be carefull presently to mend their High wayes, and especially to scoure their Ditches, and loppe the Trees growing vpon the High wayes, that vpon any sudden occasion the great defects in the High wayes, be no impediment to the safetie and welfare of this Kingdome.
- 9. HIs Maiestie, out of His Royall and tender care of the peace and safetie, as well of euery one of his louing Subjects in particular, as of the whole Kingdome in generall, hath giuen vs strict commandement, by seuerall Letters from the Right Honourable, the Lords of his Counsell, to deale seriously with the best fort of men, to prouide themselues Armes for their particular vse, which accordingly wee doe hereby pray and desire all persons that haue any thing to lose, seriously to take the same into their consideration, and to prouide themselues of some competent Armes for the defence of their Wiues, Houses, and Families, from the danger of persons ill-affected in Religion, or otherwise riotous and disorderly, at such times as the trayned forces shall be drawne from the places of their habitation. And therefore that all high Constables & pettie Constables be carefull to watch, for to apprehend, and punish all vagrant and idle persons, as liue not in any lawfull vocation, and in times of suspition and trouble, may either by tales and false tumours, distract the peoples minds, or by way of fact, commit insolences or outrages, or minister the occasion by their loose examples, or vnlawfull combinations, wherein there may arise much disaduantage to His Maiesties seruice, and quiet of the people. And that therefore as well the high and petty Constables, as all other His Maiesties louing Subjects, doe vpon the least notice or suspition of any such dangerous persons, aduertise some Iustice of Peace, or Deputy-Lieutenant, that they may be suppressed, and punished according to their demerits.
- 10. THat the high Constables within euery seuerall Hundred, do forthwith send into euery parish within their Diuision, requiring the petty Constables, with the aduice of other the principall Inhabitants of their Parishes, presently to deliuer vnto the Iustices of Peace, within their Diuision, the names and surnames of euery able man, from sixteene yeares olde to threescore; the said Iustices being already dealt withall, and desired to enroll them, and returne their names, as aforesaid, vnto some of the Deputy-Lieutenants next adioyning.
- 11. LAstly, That the Sheriffe of the Countie doe send these Orders to all the High Constables within his Countie, and that the High Constables doe send one of them into euery Parish within their Hundred, and that euery petty Constable cause the same to be published amongst all the Inhabitants of euery Parish, and that euery Inhabitant who stands chared with Armes, either Horse or Foote, bee particularly made acquainted with these Orders.
¶ Imprinted at London by Bonham Norton, and Iohn Bill, Printers to the Kings most Excellent MAIESTIE. 1626.