A Proclamation, set forth by the kings majesty, with the aduise of his highnes most honourable counsel, for the reformation of vagabonds, tellers of news sowers of seditious rumours, players, and printers without licence, & diuers other disordered persons, the .xxviii. day of April. in the .v. year of his highnes most prosperous reign.  
THe kings most excellent majesty, our natural sovereign lord, certainly knowing and understanding by the good aduise and information of the lords and others of his privy counsel, that by the setting forth of Goddes holy word, and th establishment of a pure and sincere religion, conformable to goddes institution, and the usage of the holy catholic church, with th administration of Iustice, and th observation of the laws and statutes of this realm indifferently amongs al his subiectes, he should not onely discharge his duty to god, but also give an occasion of perfect quietness, humble obedience, charitable concord, great felicity and wealth, to al his people, every man in his degree: And vpon trust to se th effects and fruit of the same, having caused goddes word to be truly and sincerely taught and preached, and a godly order for the administration of the Sacramentes, and other convenient and decent orders, to be set forth in the church, Is most sorry, and earnestly from the bottom of his heart doth lament, and so done all his counsellors, to hear and se many of his subiectes to abuse daily by their vicious livings and corrupt conversations, that most precious Iuell the word of god, and by their licentious behauiors, lewd and seditious talks, boldly and presumpteously without fear either of goddes plague, or the sword of their Prince, to break continually the laws and statutes of the realm, to dispute of his majesties affairs, to sow, spread abroad, and tel from man to man, false lies, tales, rumors, and seditious devises, against his majesty, his counsaillors, Magistrates, and Iustices: The seed and root whereof, as they first had beginning and sprung of the corrupt nature, and ill disposition of naughty men( which therefore without short amendment, must and shal be first scourged with the rod of the prince, & afterward by most dreadful condemnation at goddes hand) So the great fault for the continuance of the people in evil, hath proceeded for want of execution of the good laws and Statutes of the realm, and especially the statutes made against vagaboundes, unlawful games, tellers of news, inventors of tales and rumors, unlawful assemblies, riotes, rowtes, huntinges, fishinges, shooting in handgonnes and crossbows, keeping of ale houses, eating of flesh on fishedaies, regrators, forestallers, breakers of th order of religion and sundry other like statutes, should undoubtedly not only haue caused each man, to haue lived in quiet, and to haue applied himself according to his vocation and degree: but also been causers of great wealth and felicity in this realm. No prince in the world is more loath to use thextremitie of correction vpon his subiectes, then is his majesty, nor no counsellors more unwilling to aduise his majesty thereunto, then his highnes counsellors be, but if the subiectes do grow into such a contempt of their prince, of his laws, and of his ministers, as they care not to use al such ways as may be daungerous to their sovereign lord and his estate, and desperately and obstinately in thende, to cast themselves into utter ruin and destruction: In this case his majesty will severely, and sharply look vpon, correct and ponishe, these offenders, thereby to presetue his estate, and to save the rest of the membres of his politic body, which be his faithful loving and obedient subiectes. And yet before his majesty procede so far forth, he will use a fatherly fashion, and gentely admonish and give warning ere his majesty fall to chastising. wherefore his highnes on goddes behalf, most heartily doth require, and nevertheless, by his royal power and princely authority, straightly chargeth and commandeth all and every his subiectes, of what estate, degree, or condition soever he be, to dread and fear god and his plagues, to convert and amend their manners, and to live according to the profession of christen men, to love his majesty, and to fear his sword, to observe his highnes laws ▪ Statutes and Proclamations, to live every man within the compass of his degree, contented with his vocation, every man to apply himself to live obediently, quietly, without murmur, grudging, sowing of sedition, spreading of tales, and rumors, and without doing or saying of any manner of thing( as nere as God will give them grace) that may touch the dignity of his majesty, his counsel, his magistrates or ministers, or be hurtful to his neighbour, or in any wise contrary to his majesties laws, statutes, or proclamations, whereby his majesty shal the rather be moved to study, devise, and put in ure, by the good aduise of his counsel, al good ways and means, that may reduce again this realm, unto that prospetite, estimation, and wealth, which by sundry occasions in process of time hath and is decayed, a thing that his majesty and counsel do most desire, and doubt not, with some convenient time to bring to pass, if the nawghtines of some evil hartes give not cause of let and empechement to the same, whereunto, if any shal be so unhappy as to give themselves, his majesty will with the sharp sword of his princely power, so sharply chastise and correct them, as may be to the fearful example of all other. And for the better aduoiding of al such inconveniences, his majesty straightly chargeth and commandeth, all Iustices, Mayors, Shirifes, bailiffs, Constables, headboroughs, Tithing men, and al other Officers and ministers of what estate, degree, or condition soever they be, from henceforth, to look to their offices, and earnestly, truly, and uprightly, to execute and se executed, al his majesties laws, Statutes and proclamations, which be within the compass of their offices, and specially the statutes above rehearsed, and others of like kind and quality, And for because that within the city of London, ther is at this present a great number of idle persons & masterless men, which seek rather by idleness, & mischief to live by other mens labours & industries, thē to travail by any pains taking, to live like good and obedient membres of the common wealth: His majesty straightly chargeth and commandeth all maner of vagaboundes, and masterless men, vpon the pains, not only all ready appointed by the laws and Statutes made for such maner of men. But also vpon such pains as his majesty may and will ordain, to be inflicted vpon them, by his prerogative royal, to depart al such out of the city of London, and the suburbs of the same, within .iiii. dayes after the making of this proclamation home to the place either where they were born, or where they haue dwelled last three yeres within the realm, going at the least vii●. miles a day( if they haue so far to go from London) and passing not above .ii. or iii. or iiii. at the most in a company, and not to abide above one night in a place, till they come home( e●cept cause of sickness, the same cause to be allowed by a Iustice of the peace, dwelling next to the place where he or they shal fortune to be sick) And that al vagabonds, and masterless men in al other places, within this realm, shall also within iiii. dayes after the making of this proclamation, in the next market town, where they shal fortune to be, depart likewise to the place where they were born, or last dwelled three yeres within the realm, without longer tar●eng by the way or going mo in company together, or fewer miles, in a day, then aforesaid: And vpon like pains as is aforesaid for them which depart from London.  
And furthermore, his majesty straightly chargeth and commandeth, that no man be so hardy either to devise any tale, rumour or talk, touching his majesty, his counsel, Magistrates, Iustices, officers, or ministers, nor hearing any such tale, rumour, or talk, to tel, report, or speak, the same again to any other person or persons, then to either one of his counsel or to a Iustice of peace, and there withall to show also, of whom he had the same, to thintent that the same person, from whom the tale or rumour cometh, may be punished for the devising of it, if he devised it, or for the telling of it, to any other person, then by this proclamation is appointed.  
And forbicause diuers Printers, Bokeselers, and players of interludes, without consideration or regard to the quiet of the realm, do print, sel, and play, whatsoever any light and fantastical head listeth to invent and devise, whereby many inconveniences hath, and daily doth arise and follow, among the kings majesties loving and faithful subiectes: His highnes therfore straightly chargeth and commandeth that from henceforth, no printer or other person do print nor sel, within this realm or any other his maiestis dominions, any matter in thenglish tongue, nor they nor any other person, do sel, or otherwise dispose abroad any matter, printed in any forreyn dominion in thenglishe tongue, unless the same be first allowed by his majesty, or his privy counsel in writing signed with his majesties most gracious hand or the hands of six of his said privy counsel, vpon pain of Imprisonment, without bail or mayneprice, and further fine at his majesties pleasor. Nor that any common players or other persons, vpon like pains, do play in thenglish tongue, any maner interlude, play, or matter, without they haue special licence to show for the same in writing under his majesties sign, or signed by .vi. of his highnes privy counsel willing & straightly charging & commanding al Iustices, Mayors, Shirifes, bailiffs, Constables, & other officers and ministers, diligently to inquire for, and search out al maner offenders, within the limits and compass of their commissions, and specially al such as shal offend against any the points or branches expressly setforth in this proclamation, and to punish the same without remission: Willing likewise, and also strayghtely charging and commanding, al his good, true, loving and faithful Subiectes to be aiding, helping, and assisting, to all and every officer, in thexecution of their charges, as they tender the favor of his majesty, and the preservation of the common wealth, as they will answer to his majesty, for the contrary at their uttermost peril.  
God save the King.   

richardus GRAFTON typographus Regius excudebat.  
M.D.LI.   

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