THe Queenes Maiestie beyng infourmed, that in a late rebellion attemp­ted by Leonard Dacres in Cumberlande, within the west Mardenry vp­pon the frontiers of Scotland, the great number of her subiectes that came to hym, were abused and falsely allured to ayde him, partly for de­fence of his possession which he had gotten of certaine houses whervnto he pretended title, though against the order of the lawes of the Realme, and partly to withstand certaine incursions that he vntruely pretended, shoulde be shortly made into those borders by the outlawes of Scotland, and the Rebelles lately fled out of Englande: And nowe sence the sayde Leonarde Dacres contrary to his false perswasions, hath manifestly declared him selfe by his trayto­rous actes, to haue assembled this power only to make a newe rebellion against her Maiestie and the crowne of this Realme: The multitude of her sayd poore subiectes which were by such false and tray­torous deuices allured to come to him in force and armes, without knowledge of his traytorous inten­tes, haue most lamentably acknowledged and confessed their errors, and with clamors and outcryinges haue accursed the sayde Leonarde Dacres, as a most wicked and pernitious traytor, making most piti­full intercessions, by meanes of her Maiesties right trusty and welbeloued cosyn the Lorde of Hunsdon, gouernour of the towne of Barwicke, and Lorde warden of the east marches towarde Scotlande, that they might be receaued to her Maiesties mercie, and haue their pardons, with full intent to be hereaf­ter during their liues, more carefull how to be abused, in like maner to assemble and arme themselues vpon prouocation of any priuate subiect, hauyng no office nor auctoritie vnder her Maiestie, as in deede the sayde Leonarde Dacres had none. Herevpon her Maiestie beyng specially mooued by the informa­tion of her sayde cosyn the Lord of Hunsoon, and also of the Lorde Scroope her warden vpon the same west borders, aswell of the abuse and errors of her sayde subiectes, as of their repentanuce (amongst whom, to her Maiesties great comfort, no gentleman of blood and estimation hath ben as yet founde to haue offended) hath ben pleased to extende her mercie in this sort following. That it shalbe lefull for all her sayd subiectes, which in this rebellion were in company with the sayde Leonarde Dacres, or any wyse attendyng or assysting hym the xix. and xx. of the last moneth of February, to returne to their habitations and dwellyng places, and immediatly assoone as they may, to geue knowledge to the Lord Warden of the sayde west marches, or to the Sheriffe of any of the shyres where their habitations were before their offences, or to such inferior officers as they shall appoint for that purpose. And there vpon her Maiestie wylleth and commaundeth, that no maner of officer or other person, shall molest them in their persons, goods, chattelles, or landes, for their assystyng and aydyng of the sayde Leonard Dacres in his sayde treason: so as euery such person after notice geuen to the sayde Lorde warden, Sheryffe, or their ministers, shall by the direction of them, submit them selues to such orders as by them shalbe noti­fied, for recognition of their offences: and so consequently euery of them shall haue and enioy theyr full pardons from her Maiestie, whensoeuer they shall sue for the same in the Chauncery.

Prouided alwayes that this her Maiesties pardon shall not extende by any construction to the sayde Leonarde Dacres, nor any of his brethren, nor to any that dyd before offende in the late rebellion with the two Earles of Northumberlande & Westmerlande, nor to any Iustices of Peace, Constables, Ryues, Bayliffes of Cownes, or lande Seriantes: nor to any that at the publication of this Proclamation shalbe in pryson deteyned for this rebellion: nor to any persons that shall be by the Lorde warden of the west borders, thought for their wylfull and contemptuous behauiour in this rebellion, or for lacke of their due repentaunce vnworthy of this mercy: so as the names of the sayde persons so to be thought vn­worthy, be in wrytyng set vp to be read & openly seene at the market crosse of Carlile, or other market townes in the sayde Mardenry, the day of the publication hereof.

And because the vnworthynesse of the sayde traytour Leonard Dacres, may in some part the more appeare to suche as be ignoraunt thereof, her Maiestie is content it be vnderstande, that as the hath ben by the goodnesse of her nature abused by the two late Earles of Northumberlande and Westmer­lande, so was she euen in the beginning of the saide Earles rebellion contented, vpon sute made by the sayde Leonarde Dacres (notwithstandyng she had heard that he had ben the sommer before secretlye conuersant with the sayde Earles) to admit him at Windsor to her presence: where being priuately with her selfe, he made offers of his seruice agaynst the sayde Earles, beyng then proclaymed traytors, and most earnestly requested her Maiestie therein to commit trust to hym, as to a most faithfull subiect and seruaunt, vsing many kind of speaches, not without assuraunces by othes to prouoke her Maiestie not onlye to offer hym her fauour, but to commit to hym charge to repayre into the place where he nowe committed this treason, and there to ioyne with her warden in seruice against the sayde rebelles. According whereunto he departed in all haste, and as hath ben since discouered to her Maiestie, dyd then immediatly in his iourney comming neere the rebels, renewe his former conspiracies by secret comfor­ting the sayde rebels, with promises of ayde of men and money, vsing for more credite the names of princes Ambassadours: and after that conspired with them by letters and messages, vnder colour of gathering of force for seruice of her Maiestie, to haue traytorouslye destroyed the lorde Scroope in the feelde, & to haue taken the citie and castle of Carlile, & there to haue murdered the byshop. And not beyng able to compasse the same as he desyred, seeing the two Earles forced to flee the Realme, he sent messages and letters of his owne hand (which are extant to be seene) to certayne in Scotlande, requiring fa­uour to be shewed to the sayd Earles, and promising (assoone as he coulde finde tyme) to shew him selfe an open freende to them, & so did he manifestly & traitorously perfourme the same, by fortifiyng the castle of Nawarde with men, munition, and vittaile, by assemblyng the Queenes Maiesties subiectes with firing of Beacons, and in the ende finding his power increased with a great number of Scottes, did en­ter into the playne feelde, against the Queenes Maiesties power vnder the conduct of the lorde of Huns­don, which when he woulde haue vanquished (as he certainely accompted that he myght by reason of his great numbers) he was forced like a traitor to flee, and all his owne power vanquished by the iu­stice of Almightie God, assistyng her Maiesties Wardens of her East & Middle marches, being in num­ber farre inferiors, but in the goodnes of the cause farre superiors, and of them through Gods goodnes very few hurt: whereof it is good for all persons to take example, and to beware howe they shall follow the lewd perswasions of any other in causes vniust against their soueraigne Lady, beyng by Almightie God (as is manifestly seene) ordeyned to be the superior and vanquisher of all wicked persons, and their attemptes.

Gyuen at the Queenes Maiesties honor of Hampton court the fourth day of Marche. 1569. in the twelfth yere of her Maiesties reigne.

God saue the Queene.