¶ A Proclamation, set forth by the kings majesty, with thassent of his detest uncle, Edward Duke of Somerset, governor of his most royal person, and of his realms, dominions and subiectes Protector, and others of his most honourable counsel, touching tale talers and seditious runagates.  
THe kings most excellent majesty hath certain knowledge given as well to his own majesty, as to his most dere uncle Edwarde duke of Somerset, governor of his person, and Protector of all his realms, dominions and subiectes, and to the rest of his highnes counsel, that in diuers his majesties Counties of this his realm, there be dispersed and severed abroad, sundry light, lewd, idle, seditious, busy, and disordered persons, whereof the most part haue neither place to inhabit in, neither seeketh any stay to live by, but having been either comdempned of felonies and prison breakers, run from the warres, and sea rovers, departed from the kings garrisons and loiterers, whereby they become desperate persons, and now enploy and labour themselves, running & postyng from place to place, county to county, town to town, by day to day, to stir up rumors, raise up tales, imagyn news, whereby they seek to stir, gather together and assemble, the kings true subiectes of simplicity and ignorance deceived, and by that pretence, such lewd ruffyans, tale tellers, and unruly vagabonds, become ryngleders and masters of the kings people, seeking to spoil, rob, and ravine, where and whom they list or may, and so to live, wax rich, and feed of other mennes labours, money & food, they themselves neither willing to serve where they might, neither abiding when they be well entertained: And being thus in several places of this his realm, at the last not able long to continue together with their assemblies, according to their mischiuous purposes, the same assemblies being in substance, of such the kings poor subiectes, as though by ignorance and enticementes of those foresaid tale tellers they offend, yet shortly by the goodness of God acknowledge their faults, and return themselves to their dueties, most sorrowfully repent, receiving for the same, the kings majesties great mercy by his pardon, & by the reason of the quiet order, the falling, cessyng & appealyng of such assemblies, the said runagates, tale tellers, & seditious persons, fail and lack their purposes & mischievous intents, so that they accustomyng their evil nature and escapyng from the places of their first attempts, haue & do daily resort to new places, and so from place to place, shear to shear, never quietyng wolf, but devising slanderous tales, and diuulgyng to the people such kind of news, as they think may most briefly move them to uproars and tumults, and for the further deceit also, pretend to them they seek to redress the commen wealth: Therfore his majesty by thaduise of his said dear uncle the lord Protector and the rest of his majesties preuie counsel, to the aduoidyng of the great inconveniences. which of the sufferance hereof daily doth ensue, and to admonish his good subiectes, which hitherto haue not felt the peril of these poisoned evil people, most straitly chargeth and commandeth all maner and every his Iustices, sheriffs, Constables, bailiffs, headboroughs and all other his majesties ministers and officers whatsoever they be, to be most diligent, and from time to time, to be in their charge attendant, and therein also to take some good especial politic order for the apprehension and attachyng of all maner of such persons whatsoever they be, which either as vagabonds, waifaryng men, straglars, or otherwise, in what maner soever he be, shal bring any tale to any place, or invent or tel any news, or conceal and keep close longer then he may convenient, the bringer, inventor, or teller, which tale or news so brought, invented or told, shall, doth, or may cause, any unlawful assembly of people, or any tumult and uproar, or shal sound slanderous to the kings majesty his crown, the lord Protector and other of his counsel, or any otherwise shall move the people unlawfully to remedy or redress their own causes, and griefs by force & without lawe, which office belongeth onely to the kings majesty and to the magistrates under him, and therein daily, his majesties said dere uncle and counsel, most studiously travaileth. And the same lewd person or persons so apprehended, to be brought unto the kings majesty or his said uncle and counsel, or to any one of his said counsal, for every the which so brought, The kings majesty assureth his officer and minister, the bringer of him not onely his costs and charges fully to be payed: But also to haue his majesties most hearty and effectual thankes. And if any other the kings majesties loving subiectes, shall at any time know certainly any such tale carrier, or rumour runner, news spredder, or sedition sour, and of him so inform and give knowledge to any of the kings majesties officers or ministers, so that the same evil person, either might or is taken and apprehended by the same officer and by force of the said information, then likewise the same informer. knowledge giver, accuser, and utterer, shall haue of the kings majesties reward, for every such malefactor by him disclosed and apprehended in maner as is abovesaid xx. crowns, besides like hearty thankes from his majesty. given at Richmount the viii. of july, the third year of the reign of the kings excellent majesty Edward the. VI.  
God save the king.   

Excusum Londini. in edibus Richardi Graftoni Regij impressoris. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.