〈◇〉 〈◇〉 against breaking or defacing of monuments of antiquity, being set up in Churches or other public places for memory, and not for superstition.  
THe queens majesty understanding, that by the means of sundry people, partly ignorant, partly malicious or covetous: there hath ben of late yeres spoyled and broken, certain ancient monuments, some of metal, some of ston, which were erected up as well in Churches, as in other public places within this Realm, only to show a memory to the posterity of the persons there buried, or that had ben benefactors to the buildings, or dotations of the same Churches or public places, and not to nourish any kind of superstition: By which means, not only the Churches and places remain at this present day spoyled, broken, and ruinated, to thoffence of all noble and gentle heartes, and thextinguyshyng of the honourable and good memory of sundry virtuous and noble persons deceased: But also the true understanding of diuers families in this realm( who haue descended of the blood of the same persons deceased) is thereby so darkened, as the true course of their inheritance may be hereafter interrupted, contrary to Iustice, besides many other offences that hereof do ensue, to the slander of such as either gave or had charge in times paste onely to deface monuments of Idolatry, and false feigned Images in Churches and abbeys. And therefore, although it be very hard to recover things broken and spoyled: yet both to provide that no such barbarous disorder be hereafter used, and to repair asmuch of the said monuments as conveniently may be: Her majesty chargeth and commandeth all maner of persons, hereafter to forbear the breaking or defacyng of any parcel of any monument, or tomb, or grave, or other inscription and memory of any person deceased, being in any maner of place, or to break any Image of kings, Princes, or noble estates of this realm, or of any other that haue ben in times past erected and set up, for the only memory of them to their posterity in common Churches, and not for any religious honour: or to break down or deface any Image in glass windows in any Church, without consent of the Ordinary: vpon pain, that whosoever shall herein be found to offend, to be committed to the next Gayle, & there to remain without bail or mainprize, unto the next coming of the Iustices, for the delivery of the said Gayle, and then to be further punished by fine or imprisonment( besides the restitution or reedification of the thing broken) as to the said Iustices shall seem meet, using therein thaduise of Thordinarye, and yf need shal be, thaduise also of her majesties counsel in her star chamber.  
And for such as be already spoyled in any church or chapel now standing: Her majesty chargeth and commandeth all Archbyshops, Byshops, and other Ordinaries, or Ecclesiastical persons, which haue authority to visit the same Churches or chapels, to inquire by presentments of the Curates, Churchwardens, and certain of the paryshyoners, what maner of spoils haue ben made, sithence the beginning of her majesties reign, of such monuments, and by whom, and yf the persons be living, howe able they be to repair and to re-edify the same, and thereupon to convent the same persons, and to enjoin them under pain of excommunication, to repair the same by a convenient day, or otherwise as the cause shall further require, to notify the same to her majesties counsel in the star chamber at Westminster. And yf any such shal be found and convicted therof, not able to repair the same: that then they be enjoined to do open penance two or three times in the Church, as to the quality of the crime and party belongeth, under like pain of excommunication. And yf the party that offended be dead, and thexecutours of the will left, having sufficient in their hands vnadministred, and thoffence notorious, the Ordinary of the place shal also enjoin them to repair or re-edify the same, vpon like or any other convenient pain to be devised by the said Ordinary. And when thoffendour can not be presented, yf it be in any Cathedrall or Collegiat Church, which hath any revenue belonging to it, that is not particularly allotted to the sustentation of any person certain, or otherwise: but that it may remain in ●●●cretion of the governor thereof, to bestow the same vpon any other chartable dede, as mending of hyghwayes, or such like: Her majesty enjoineth and straightly chargeth the gouernours and companies of every such church, to employ such parcels of the said sums of money( as any wise may be spared) vpon the speedy repair or reedification of any such monuments so defaced or spoyled, as agreeable to thoriginall, as the same conveniently may be.  
And where the covetousness of certain persons is such, that as patrons of Churches, or owners of the personages impropriated, or by some other colour or pretence, they do persuade with the person and parishioners to take or throw down the Belles of Churches and chapels, and the lead of the same, converting the same to their private gain, and to the spoils of the said places, and make such like alterations, as thereby they seek a slanderous desolacion of the places of prayer: Her majesty( to whom in the right of the crown by thordinaunce of Almighty God, and by the laws of this realm, the defence and protection of the church of this realm belongeth) doth expressly forbid any maner of person, to take away any Belles or led of any church or chapel, now used, or that ought to be used with public and divine service, or otherwise deface any such church or chapel, under pain of imprisonment during her majesties pleasure, and such further fine for the contempt, as shal be thought meet.  
And her majesty chargeth all Byshops and Ordinaries to inquire of all such contempts done from the beginning of her majesties reign, and to enjoin the persons offending, to repair the same within a convenient time. And of their doings in this behalf, to certify her majesties pryuye counsel, or the counsel in the star chamber at Westminster, that order may be taken herein.  
given at Windsor the .xix. of September, the second year of her majesties reign.  
God save the queen.   

❧ Imprinted at London in Powles churchyard, by richard jug and John Cawood, Printers to the queens majesty.  
Cum privilegio Regiae Maiestatis.