deaths proclamation  
Lord gave a prescript precept and law to man, through the pronouncing whereof, our majesty was first ordained, even at that present moment, when he spoke to Adam these words: Eating, thou shalt eat of every free in the garden, but as touching the tree of knowledge of good & evil, thou shalt not eat of it: else in what day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die the death. etc. And thus being conceived, our majesty remained, not long unborn, and brought forth, for the serpent our mother (having once deceived the woman, and the woman her husband was forthwith delivered to us, leaving to us, as of inheritance, a perpetual sting, to exanimate and devour the natural life of all earthly things, and so we continued, but as yet unperfect the space of two hundredth & twenty years, until wicked Kaym, compelled us to exercise and ratify our first force, and virtue upon his just and innocent brother, Abel, who through the violence of our deadly stroke, eftsoons, returned to a clod of earth, from which he descended not long before. And thus have we declared briefly the sum of our highness petegrie.  
Now concerning our inevitable might, and indignation, exercised sithence, upon each body living, it would require hundreds of years, to be by us particularly recited. But that you mortal men our subjects, might the better know, how feeble your predecessors have been to resist our strength we think it good, for our more honour, to remember a few examples, in the stead of a numbered. And least, ye might avaunt yourselves to be so much the nobler, because your first parent, Adam, was created before us, we beginning at him let you to wit, that even he also felt the intolerable point of this our thunderbolt. And sense his days, neither the just, nor the unjust, the good nor the bad, the righteous nor the unrighteous, the faithful nor the unfaithful, the humble nor the proud, the meek nor the stubborn, the mighty nor the weak: the stout nor the timorous: the wise nor the foolish: the wyll● nor the simple: the high nor the sow, the great nor the small, the fair nor the fowl: the swift nor the slow, the healthy nor the sick. Themperor, nor his peer, the king nor his counselour: the prince nor his subject: the bishop nor his chaplain: the lord nor his yeomen: the nobility nor the commons: The queen nor her maids: The lady nor her handmaids: the rich nor the poor, are, or ever were able to pluck their heads out of our universal yoke and collar. Neither man nor beast, fish nor fowl, serpent or worm, or any thing else, possessing the breath of life, in this our worldly kingdom, but they have or shall taste the deadly & inevitable shot of this our mighty dart, two only excepted, we mean Enoch and Elyas, who through the Omnipotents protection, have escaped our hands, to our no small heaviness. Hercules for all his might, nor Samson, for all his strength, could make against us no resistance. Hector the worthy, Croesus the rich, Cyrus the politic, Annibal the laborious, nor ambitious Alexander the great, whom the whole earth could not satisfy, were unable by any means to avoid from our dint. Sara the sober, Lucrece the chaste, Penelope the virtuous, Helen the beautiful, nor pleasant Lais, could move, persuade, or entice our severity, to spare them any one hour longer, than we had determined. Our majesty passeth not on pleasures, we regard not richesse, we set not by jewels: we esteem nothing precious: we fear not any threatenings, we move not for menaces, we spare not for pity: we relent not with mercy, we yield to no overthrow: no dolour troubleth us nor fact repenteth us: but as king over all, we use our prerogative without controlment: although we confess the same our prerogative was upon Ezechias for xu years by gods mercy restrained, and his life prolonged. We are that dreadful death, a prince of such majesty and notable power, that at our pleasure we do reap and cut down every creature, without any exception. We observe no time, no manners, nor years, no laws, nor no rights can with us bear sway: No region no island, no nation, no people, neither Indes nor Arabies, nor yet thantipodes, are free from our subjection. When it is our will and pleasure, our power spareth not the pope for his holiness, the Emperor for his majesty, the King for his highness, the Prince for his authority, the bishop for his clergy, the magistrates for their offices: the monks for their cloister: the priests, for their Orders: the judge for his justice: the lawyer for his pleading: the catchpoll for his mace: the landlord for his rents, the merchant for his richesse: the farmor for his goods: the grazier for his cattal: the poor for their poverty: the master for his pre-eminence: the servant for his diligence: the freeman for his liberty: nor the prisoner or captive for his bonds anguish or distress. Whosoever overcometh, who so ever vanquissheth: who so ever overrunnethe: who so ever breaketh down: whosoever destroyeth, who so ever by fortune or manhood atchieveth to the high chair of honour, yet do what he can, in the spite of his beard, we will have the last victory. The young lusty gallant flourishing in the best prime of his years healthy or wealthy, substantial and rich, beautiful & amorous, flowing in pleasures, arrayed with nature's lineaments, and swimming in all earthly benedictions, we can intumulate and incloase in a moment, within a filthy sepulchre, where his dead carcase shall remain, to be devoured by worms, and his soul transported to an unknown place. No wall, no tower, no bulwark, no dyche, no door, no lock, no force, or fortress, no dungeon, depth or defence, can keep us out, but our majesty will use our inestimable power over all men, in every place. Neither have we respect of nobility or ignobility, of youth, or of age: but as soon take we the child, as the aged, the babe unborn, as the ancient horehead: the strong as the impotent: for we do account our highness, and so in deed we are lord wholly of the temporal world, devouring all living creatures, like as our brother Time wasteth and consumeth in process of years, all other earthly things. Our majesty smileth in our conceit many times when we call to remembrance, what innumerable people, the tyranny of kings, the cruelty of princes, the extremity of magistrates, the partiality of officers, with the rigour of the laws have sent here before, & daily do send to our mansion, and dwelling place, yea every one that either wars or the sword doth confound, fire consume, waters drown or overflow, famine devour, sickness exhaust, age take away, or time doth bury: they all we say, land at our haven, to us they come, one time or an other. We are that only port, whereat, will they, or nill they, they must once make their arrival. And of this thing, above all other our highness is most able to boast, that our majesty sendeth all men thither, whence they never or seldom, make their return, to tell any tales again. And that you our subjects may the better understand, that we are no less, but a mighty & terrible prince, the same doth and may evidently appear by our servants & ministers, which are almost inexpugnable, as perils and dangers, quarrels, malicious conspiracies, battles, murders, poisons, ruins sicknesses, edge-tools, guns, gins, snares, deceits, and innumerable other such like, of all sorts, by the which men do suffer either hurt perdition or other damage. What man is there living under the stars, that would not heartily laugh if he were but a while in our place or throne, to see both kings and magistrates upon light displeasures, or for small offences, violently to force our cruel sting, to take away the lives of their servants or subjects, when as they themselves cannot obtain at our hands, for their own lives, any sure patent for so little time, as half an hours space: Yea and our majesty oft times for our pleasure, doth not suffer them to live many minutes, after the bitter & heavy death of their said silly underlings. And in this one point also, our highness high preminence much surmounteth all the rest: that although our fatal vigour is common over all men, yet the day and time of our coming and approach is so uncertain, that every one except a few in numbered) as Moses, Aaron, Ezechias, simeon. etc. or ever they be aware of us, or yet do look for our coming, are daily with our mace suddenly arrested and entrapped. It is a wonder to see how all people lead their life without any remembrance of our majesty: & more marvel to behold their greedy desire of worldly things: From the fruition whereof, we take them utterly away or ever they can or have thoroughly enjoyed any small part or portion of the same. Where the ambitious doth continually gape so for honour & promotion, as though they were immortal, our majesty untwineth the thread of his life in less than the twinaling of an eye by reason whereof, forthwith his honour fleeth away, & nothing there remaineth but a vile clod of dung and clay. Who seeth not the proud man, so despising all men, as though he should shortly be exalted into the third heavens, where we, in a moment, overthrow his great glory, send him to lucifer, his great grand master, in the depth of the hells? Who noteth not, the lecherons and glutton, so pampering his belly, and seeking to satisfy his lusts, as though he were a cormorant insatiable: where we many times send him suddenly on message to our brother Pluto, to suffer worthily with him most terrible pains. Ye see manifestly the rich and the covetous, so scraping, and hoarding, the worlds wicked muck, as though they went about, here to stablish their dwelling endless: Where we in a sudden, leave their dead carcases to worms: & yield over their souls to be perpetually tormented with horrible devils. And for the most part, we do steal upon all men, at such unset stevens or unware times, as we do apprehend some sleeping, some drinking, some eating, some dancing, some singing, some weeping, some sorrowing, some laughing, some wowing, some marrying, some bargaining, some buying, some selling, some traveling, some resting, some riding, some sailing, some hunting, some learning, some teaching, some defrawding, some polling, some building, some overthrowing, some catching, some spending, some at noon days, some at night, some in the morning, and some in the evening, and some at midnight It is a world to behold, how ingrate our coming is to all people, except it be to a very few: we mean such, as are either overwhelmed with great cares, sorrows, grievous torments and extreme pains, or else to such as remain in execrable captivity, servitude, or bondage: To all other sorts, we are as welcome as water into the ship. Lord what a revel and disturbance we make, where as we come once in place. If our majesty take our progress to the noble man magistrate, or wealthy rich man, than may ye see verified the saying of Syrake, which saith: Oh Death how bitter is the remembrance of thee, to a man that seeketh rest and comfort in his substance and riches? for he is so unprovided for our coming, what with the love of the world, the love of his richesse, offices, & possessions, the love or affection to his dear wife, children, houses, gardens, and pleasures: & what with the heavy trouble and worm of conscience: the bitter remembrance of his former life evilly spent: the recompense and restoring of evil gotten goods: besides that his extreme fear, painful sickness, and anguish: that if the most merciful grace of the Father almighty, be not present, he taketh Despair for his chiefest refuge: and in the time of this his passing, (through our arrest) his wife crieth out, his children weep, his servants bewail, & his friends lament: that there appeareth nothing but sorrow and heaviness on every side. Further, his eyes by us once shut and closed, there is by and by no small ado and ruffle in his house, his children will to law for their patrimony, his executors for his goods, his wife for her portion and dowry: the servants for their part, with such thundering threatenings, cruel words and countenances one to an other each body pilfering and patching, scambling and snatching stealing and catching, as our highness believeth that in our said Brother Pluto's kingdom, there is not the like tragedies. After like manner, when our majesty repaireth to the cottage of the poor man or needy, forthwith he is no less vexed, calling to mind his manifold and most heinous offences, the doubtful place and unknown judge, whether and before whom he must presently go, to make answer for all his crimes, curses, sins, and unpaciencie, with other evil deeds by him committed, in the time of his life. Besides this, to leave his poor wife, and children fatherless, in penury and comfortless, is no small corsie to his poor heart in that last hour: they lamenting, crying, and most bitterly cursing our highness for so bereaving them of their chief and only defence of poor living.  
Thus where soever our majesty is, or abideth, there is nothing else heard nor seen but deep sighs, loud scrikyngs, woeful wring of hands, and heavy salt tears: For we are named to be Lord of lamentation, king of all sorrows, governor of miseries, & the ground of all kind of grievous calamities, yea, what infelicity is there with tongue, to be spoken or heart to be thought, but our majesty sometimes put them in ure and exercise?  
If our highness come ones to a conflict or battle, as we are never absent, we do warrant you, from any such, though there were a hundredth of them, in sundry places, at one moment of time, them forthwith there may men see of all sorts of miseries and mischiefs heaps and abundance. Some are sent to us fighting, some fleeing, some assailing, some yielding: some come to us headless some overthrown, some cloven to the teeth, some thrust through the heart, some riven in pieces by gun-shot, some stricken down, some trodden under foot, some gasping for breath: some most profoundly yelling and groaning. So that by their most hideous clamours, dolorous sighings, and dreadful shouts, it is right well known, seen, and perceived, and they thoroughly feel, that our said highness is amongst them, as a blood thirsty god, to receive the bloody sacrifices of their woeful lives. And thus from time to time, hath thinexplicable power & might of our majesty flourished since the first killing of just Abel, hitherto, and shall so continue, until the utter consummation of heaven and earth by fire. For these therefore and sundry other considerations, it becometh all you our subjects, of force and necessity, to fear our inestimable indignation & displeasure.  
Now also we will let you partly to understand with what sincerity we do minister our justice: for seeing that true equity and justice consisteth in equal indifferency to be distributed to all men alike without any favour or respect, then dare and may our majesty boldly challenge, that there is none juster then we. For who can, or ever could reprove us of partiality, seeing we execute our force as well against the prince as the abject, upon the rich, as the poor, extinguishing the life of each living creature, under one our law, order or decree & first constitution. If gifts could have bribed us, possessions have satisfied us, requests overcome us, or pleasures have wo● us, then are we assured, we should shortly have proved the wealthiest the rycheste and the happiest under the son. But our highness never spared any that ever remained within the compass of our dominion or jurisdiction, sense the worlds first creation, hitherunto, No not that Innocent and mighty prince, JESUS, the dear beloved son and heir of our omnipotent Father: but even he also felt and sustained the might of our violence, through the faithful diligence of Satan's trusty ministers, the wicked jews.  
Thus have we partly advertised all you mortal creatures, our subjects, of the terror of our invincible puissance, and the righteous severity of our justice. And now shall we briefly signify unto you what innumerable benefyttes all persons, of each estate condition and degree, do daily receive by our authority. And first, for thobserving of order, we will begin with you Emperors and Empresses, you Kings and Queens, you princes and princesses, and all such, superior magistrates, being our chief and principal subjects: If our power were not, we say, ye, of all other should live in most cares and fearfulness. For we of our clemency, take away your traitors, prostrate your enemies, rid you of your rebels, and extinguish your adversaries, restoring your bodies to surety, your realms to tranquillity, your people to peace, and abundance of all things: where as if the vigour of our majesty were not, they would abandon you from your sceptures and diadems, bereave you of your estates: cast you into most grievous thraldom and miseries. Also what gracious good turns do all common wealths, and all sorts of people sustain by our favourable friendship and magnificence? Which way could the landlord enjoy his lands, rents and possessions: the merchant his goods and his merchandise: the husbandman his corn & his cattle: the craftsman the profit of his faculty and science: the labourer his hire or his wages, if our power were not? What matrons unravished, what wives undefiled, what maids & virgins undefloured should there be throughout the whole earth, if we were not a righteous reward to th'offenders: What wealthy men spoiled, what good men wronged, what poor-men oppressed, what wicked men exalted, what honest men abjected, what travaylours murdered: what just men betrayed, what officers killed and resisted should there be, if we were not a terrible scourge to the wicked? What religion, what law what equity, what faith, what justice, what truth, what innocency, what chastity, what wedlock, what honesty, what Obedience, should be found or seen in any place, if we were not the gulf that swallow all transgressors? Nay, what wrong, what injury, what disobedience, what manslaughter, what theft, what treason, what conspiracies, what lying in wait, what bloudshede, what oppression, what extortion, what rape, what incest, what fornication, what adultery, what witchcraft, what sorceries, what heresies, blasphemies and most detestable Iniquities would abound and overflow in every place, if our grace were not the rooter out of malefactors.  
No country, no realm, no city, no town, no village, no hamlet, nor any man's habitation could stand or continue any time uncorrupted defaced, or utterly destroyed, if it were not our pleasure to shorten the lives of evil and wicked men, and to cut of the pernicious, unfruitful, and rotten membres of all inhabited regions. Through the bountyfulle and benevolent goodness of our majesty, Religion is established in his due honour and reverence: the Governors obeyed in the ministration of their laws: the godly are cherished: the meek are supported: those that are virtuous are esteemed: the just are preferred: the honest commended: and all public good ordres and statutes conserved. Who can then deny, the premises duly weighed, but that our highness invincible power is to all mortal men, a thing most necessary: as without the which, the whole earth would in short time he so replenished with iniquity, that even hell itself (as we think) would be the better of the twain. Moreover, this inconvenience we conject would have been, and come to pass, if we had suffered all nations and people to have remained still on line, from the beginning of the world, until this present day: that ten such earths as this is: would not have sufficed to have fed and preserved them with necessary sustenance. And now for the declaration of our sundry other benefits, who seeth not, how the nearer our majesty doth approach to the faithful, the hartlier they do rejoice: and when we come, they embrace us cheerfully: to the poor & oppressed our presence is joyous: to the captive comfortable: to the tormented, happy: to the patient in his extremity of sickness, wished for: and to innumerable others very acceptable. And that our subject job right well knew, when he cried: Wherefore is the light given to him that is in misery, and life unto them that have heavy hearts, which long for death: and though it come not, would dig it out of high places, which also would be exceeding glad and rejoice, if they could find their grave any where. Yea and our subject Syrak reporteth no less of our majesty, saying Oh Death, how acceptable and good is your judgement unto the needful, & to him whose strength faileth, or that is now in his last age, or that is full of care or fearfulness, unto him also that is in despair, or that hath no hope or patience? Thus you see well how the coming of our highness is grateful to an infinite multitude. Furthermore, since that now it evidently appeareth, the whole world to be almost drowned in filthiness, and shameless manners, flowing in deceits, and surmounting in oppression: where neither faith, piety, peace, justice, rest, or quietness remaineth. Where most horrible crimes rule over all: where the brother intendeth the bane of his brother: where the son oft thirsteth till we fetch his father: where the woman oft longeth till we strike her husband: where the man as much hungereth till we catch his wife: wheremoste men scrapeth, coveteth and hoardeth: where each man speaketh fair, and worketh the contrary: where chastity is contemned, and matrimony polluted: where hunger, thirst, sickness, impotency, neediness, nakedness, poverty, imprisonment, and so many dangers and continual labours do assail men on all sides: where all kind of miseries do so compass all manner of creatures, that none or very few in numbered, in all their lives, can live one whole day out of some vexation or trouble. Now what wise man is there then that setting apart all affections, and rightly pondering the manifold cares, perils, griefs, and sorrows wherewith man's life is environed on every side, doth not worthily judge our majesties coming, to be daily wished for: yea, and those creatures to be three times blessed, that soonest arriveth at our sure landing place. Such is the benevolence of our highness, that we fynyshe all pains, we lose all bonds, we drive away fear, and exclude all doubts. Yea, and like as men before (their concepti-and nativity) knew no lack, no heaviness, no penury, no oppression, no distress, unquietness or trouble: no more shall the good feel any the like being once passed our narrow and straight passage. And as our majesty supposeth in our conceit, who so hath once escaped the terror of our violence, he standeth by and by safe on the shore, and deriding laughing at the folly of others his successors, which had rather be still tumbled and tossed with the stormy tempest is and horrible surges, in the cruel & troublesome seas of worldly miseries, than to prepare themselves readily to pass through us into quietness. Thus have we sufficiently opened & proved to all you our loving subjects, the force of our highness, the justice of our majesty, & the benevolent clemency of our gracious goodness, that (regarding your most bounden duties of allegiance) ye might the rather in consideration thereof, fear and obey us, worthily esteem us, and humbly thank us.  
FINALLY forasmuch as our majesty doth well ponder and perceive our own highness (in this latter age of the world) which draweth fast to his appointed end and consummation, to be well near grown to the latter time of our years: and considering also that our might, force, and violence (by reason of our short continuance hereafter, is now far more extreme to all people, than it was at the beginning, when Adam, as ye read, lived viii hundredth years. Noah ix hundredth and xu years, and Abraham Clxxu. years, where as we do not suffer you our subjects now adays ye see, and most of this time, to live passing fifty or lx years, or at the uttermost respiting very few till they may attain to the numbered of lxx or full lxxx  
Further, for that we thoroughly perceive, that since our first creation at the fall of man, when he was banished out of that pleasant garden of Edom, there was never age of all the six ages past, that ever did flow or abound in all kind of iniquity and abomination, as this last age doth, which walloweth all together in sin and wickedness, and is grown to such mischief, that if it should long endure, men would scant believe, there were either God, heaven, or hell, after this mortal life: but that by our separation of the life from the carcase, both body & soul were utterly extinct: yea and all hope of resurrection frustrate. We therefore of our majesties mere motion, special grace and benevolence, wishing the safeguard of all, and the destruction of none, if it might be, do presently publish and declare unto you, & every of you, our loving subjects, throughout our hole earthly dominions this our general pleasure, precept, and last commandment (being the only ground, weightiest cause, and pithyest matter, ment, intended and expressed in this our Proclamation) that we in the name of our own Supreme majesty and highness, do generally will and require you, and nevertheless in the behalf of the father omnypotente, our eternal sovereign do straightly charge, and command you, and every of you, of what sex, age, state, degree, or condition soever ye be, or hereafter shallbe, immediately upon the receipt, sight, hearing, notice or publication of these presents all delays and excuses set apart, with asmuch convenient speed and diligence as is possible, every one of you, prepare yourselves willingly to leave this vain world, and to forego the vanities, enticements, and deceaptefull pleasures of this frail and transitory light, making you ready and meet, to attend and wait on our majesties person, where and when so ever ye shall by our authority be suddenly summoned, cited, or called: that at our unknown coming: ye may be thorough our highness areste found glad, and pressed to pass into an other much better life, replenished with all stable joys and tranquillity. Further, exhorting all you our loving subjects in the mean time, to fall to repentance for your former evil lives, to cry heartily to the almighty, to grant you his mercy, to sacrifice to him your humble prayers, even from the bottom of your sorry and contrite hearts: to obey his commandments: to seek only his praise and honour in all your deeds: to relieve your poor brethren with part of your goods: And to conclude, to live christianly, to deal justly, and to pass your time virtuously, that being once passed us, ye may enter into the glorious kingdom of God the Father's dear son, and our half brother, jesus.  
Fail ye not this to do, as ye intend, not only to avoid ours but also his terrible indignation for doing the contrary, and also incur in the latter dreadefulle day, the heavy bitter, and most woeful dominion of our cruelle successor, Death eternal.  
Where, we assure you, remaineth nothing, but most horrible pains, inexplicable torments, miserable sorrows, endless displeasure, ineffable terror, and gnashing of teeth, with fire and brimstone perpetually bourning, and durable for ever.  
¶ Given at our majesties invisible honour and palace imperial, Situate in the Airy Region, the last day of june, in the year since our highness first creation, according to the writing of the hebrews, five thousand .v. hundred, and eighteen.  
FINIS.   

Here followeth five precepts of pure and honest life.  
first, To fear, praise, and honour almighty God, the eternal creature of heaven and earth, and all things therein contained, with an humble and faithful mind, that is not defiled or contaminated with fleshly lust, worldly desires or wicked affections, is the chief and most principal point of perfect virtue or unspotted life.  
The next and second is, That a man warily take heed to his talk, speech, or tongue: That he never speak either blasphemy of God, slander of his neighbour, or any wicked lies, or untruth.  
And for his better instruction, let man have always these three times appointed for communication in his remembrance: Not to speak but when a question is asked of him, or when no necessity constraineth him to demand a question: or to inform or instruct any parson in knowledge, virtue, or honest manners to the party's edification, to whom he speaketh. In these three only prescribed times, Speech is better than silence: In all other times it is better to hold a man's tongue then to speak, for silence is the handmaid to wisdom and prudence.  
The third rule or precept is, To be lowly and gentle of behaviour and manners, that is, To salute every man gladly, to presume before none, to contemn or despise no person (be their estate and condition never so mean, poor, or simple)  
And this rule is so profitable to the society of man's life, that it will not only procure, and continue a good name to him, who so useth it, but also to bring to pass, that he shall have each man to be his friend, and none to be his enemy.  
The fourth rule to be learned is, To abandon and utterly eschew all bodily lust, vain pleasures, play, and idleness, the nourisher of vices. And to foresee, that those bats and enticements be with vigilancy wholly abjected & repulsed. For who seeth not in fleshly lust and delights, three continual evils, that is to say, The exhausting or consuming of the lively vigour and powers, as well of the body, as of the mind: The hastening also of riveled age, with the shortening of man's life. And the heavy and most woeful biting or gnawing of that helly scorpion repentance. Now in pleasures and play what is there following, but extreme folly, waste and loss of that precious treasure Time, and in the end (for the most part) misery, poverty, and despair.  
And as for idleness, is not only of all these evils above rehearsed, but also of a thousand mischiefs more, the very patron, lady, and mistress, and the ready patheway to Pluto his infernal dwelling place.  
The fifth rule or point to be learned, is, Daily with diligence and attention to apply thyself to some virtuous and godly exercise, that is to say: Thou must addict thy mind to the study and learning of some serious and laudable science,, or knowledge, which may either presently be a lantern to thy life and behaviour, or now and hereafter profitable to the maintenance and lawful honest augmentation of thy living and substance: letting no day escape without doing some beneficial exercise, that at the visitation of sickness or age, thou be not oppressed with misery and indigence, for the lack of human necessaries, which will then overwhealme thee with intolerable calamities.  
¶ Thus endeth these five precepts of virtuous and honest life, wourthye to be marked, and followed.   

❧ Perused and allowed according to the queens majesties injunctions.   

Henry Sutton dwelling in Pater noster row at the sign of the black Boy.  
The .8. day of january. Anno. M.D.LXI.  
 printer's or publisher's device