WHereas the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in Parliament Assembled, having taken into their serious Consideration the Bloudy and Traiterous Designs of Popish Recusants against His Majesties Sacred Person and Government, and the Protestant Religion, have (for preven­tion thereof) most humbly besought His Majesty to issue forth His Royal Proclamation, to the effect, and for the purposes hereafter mentioned: The Kings most Excellent Majesty hath been Graciously pleased readily to condescend thereunto; And doth by this His Royal Proclamation straitly Charge and Command all persons being Popish Recusants, or so reputed, that they do on or before the Seventh day of November next ensuing (under pain of His Majesties highest Dis­pleasure, and of the severest Execution of the Laws against them) depart and retire themselves and their Families from His Majesties Royal Palaces of Whitehall, Somerset House, and St. James, the Cities of London and Westminster, and from all other Places within Ten miles distance of the same: And that no Person being a Popish Recusant, or so reputed, do presume at any time hereafter to repair or return to His Majesties said Palaces, or any of them, or to the said Cities, or either of them, or within Ten miles of the same.

Provided, That nothing before contained, shall extend to such Housholders dwelling within the said Cities, or either of them, or in any Place within Ten miles of the same, who being Traders; exercising some Trade or Manual Occupation, have been there settled for the space of Twelve Months last past, in Houses of their Own, and have not an Habitation else­where, and who shall give in their Names, and the Names of all other Persons in their Families, to the two next Justices of the Peace. And His Majesty doth strictly Charge and Command, That immediately after the said Seventh day of Novem­ber, the Constables, Church-wardens, and other Parish Officers within the said Cities, and either of them, and within Ten miles of the same, do go from House to House in their several Parishes, Hamlets, Constabularies, and Divisions respective­ly, and there take an Account of the Names and Surnames of all such Persons as are Popish Recusants, or reputed so to be, as well Housholders as Lodgers, or Servants, and to carry a List of their Names to the two next Justices of the Peace, who are hereby Required and Enjoyned to send for them, and every of them, and to tender to them and every of them, the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and to commit to Prison till the next succeeding Sessions of the Peace, all such Persons as shall refuse the said Oaths, and at the said next Sessions to proceed against them according to Law: His Majesty hereby giving the said Justices to understand, That the better to enable them to tender the said Oaths, His Majesty hath Commanded respective Commissions to be issued under His Great Seal of England, to the Justices of Peace within the said Cities of London and Westminster, and the Places within Ten miles of the same, to Authorize and Require them, or any two of them respectively, to administer the said Oaths accordingly.

Given at Our Court at Whitehall, the Thirtieth day of October, 1678. in the Thirtieth year of Our Reign.

GOD Save the KING.