WHereas Thomas Percy Gentleman, and some other his Confederates, persons knowen to be so vtterly corrupted with the su­perstition of the Romish Religion, as seduced with the blindnesse there­of, and being otherwise of lewde life, insolent disposition, and for the most part of desperate estate, haue beene discouered to haue contriued the most horrible treason that euer entred into the hearts of men, against our Per­son, our Children, the whole Nobilitie, Clergie, and Commons in Parlia­ment assembled, which howsoeuer cloaked with zeale of Superstitious Religion, aymed indeed at the Subuersion of the State, and to induce an horrible confusion of all things, In which they and all others of bankerupt and necessitous estate, might haue those of bet­ter abilitie for a pray to repaire their beggerly Fortunes, and haue proceeded so farre some of them in their deuilish Attempts, as to assemble in Troupes in our Counties of Warwicke and Worcester, where they haue broken vp a Stable, and taken out Horses of diuers Noblemen and Gentlemen, within our towne of Warwicke, And no doubt but doe proceede further in their purposes, seeking to raise some Rebellion in our Realme, and will with many fained and false Allegations seeke to se­duce diuers of our Subiects, especially with shew of Religion: Although wee are by good experi­ence so well perswaded of the Loyaltie of diuers of our Subiects (though not professing true Religi­on) that they doe as much abhorre this detestable conspiracie as our Selfe, and will bee ready to doe their best endeuours (though with expence of their blood) to suppresse all Attemptors against our safetie and the quiet of our State, and to discouer whomsoeuer they shall suspect to be of Rebellious or Traiterous disposition: Yet haue Wee thought good by this our open Declaration, to giue war­ning and aduertisement to all our Subiects whatsoeuer, of that horrible purpose of Percies and his complices, and to distinguish betweene all others, calling themselues Catholickes, and these detesta­ble Traitours: And therefore doe denounce and publish all the Persons hereunder named, Adhe­rents to Percy, to bee Traitours knowen, and that all others are in the same case, who shall in any wise either receiue, abbette, cherish, entertaine, or adhere vnto them, or not doe their best endeuours to apprehend and take them.

Wherefore wee will and command all our Lieutenants, Deputy lieutenants, Sheriffes, Iu­stices of Peace, Mayors, Bayliffes, Constables, and all other our Officers, Ministers and louing Subiects, to take knowledge thereof, and to doe their best duties herein, as they will answere the contrary at their vttermost perill: Not doubting, but that they all, without regard of their pretence of Religion, will with one heart and will, employ themselues for the suppressing, apprehending, detec­ting, and discouering of all sorts of persons any wayes likely to be priuie to a Treason so hatefull to God and men, and implying in it the vtter subuersion of this Realme, and dignitie thereof.

And where we doe heare that many doe spread abroad, that this Conspiracie was intended onely for matter of Religion, and that forreigne Princes our neighbours are interessed therein, which Ru­mors are diuulged by busie persons both to scandalize the Amitie wherein we stand with all Christi­an Princes and States, and to giue vnto lewde persons hope that they shall be backed in their enter­prises by great Potentates: Wee doe declare, that we cannot admitte so inhumane a thought, as to conceiue that any Prince, of what Religion soeuer, could giue eare to so Sauage and Barbarous an imagination: And that by such examinations as hitherto haue been taken, we find them all, and their ministers cleere from any suspicion of priuitie thereunto; whereof one infallible argument to vs is, that all the Ministers of forraine Princes, which are now here, made earnest sute to vs to be present in the place that day. And therefore we doe admonish and charge all our Subiects, that they shall not speake of any the Princes our neighbours, or their Ambassadours, otherwise then reuerently, vpon paine of our displeasure, and to bee punished as persons seeking the disturbance of the Peace, wherein we liue with our sayd neighbours.

Giuen at our Pallace of Westminster, the seuenth day of Nouember, in the third yeere of our reigne of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland.

God saue the King.