HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE 
E R   royal blazon or coat of arms  
ELIZABETH by the grace of God queen of England, france, and Ireland, defemder of the faith. &c. To all and singular Archbyshops, Byshops, deans, Archdeacons, & other Officials persons vicars, Curates, Ministers, and to all other spiritual persons whatsoever they be, and also to all & singular Iustices of peace, Maiors, sheriffs, bailiffs, Constables, headboroughs, Churchwardens, Tythyngmen, and all other our Officers ministers & subiectes, to whom these presentes shal come, greetyng. whereas we vpon humble suit made unto us by diuers of our nobility, and many others of great credite, & specially at the most humble desire and zealous suit of the Maior & Citizens of our city of Bathe, haue given licence to new build and erect one Church, vpon the foundations of the late Abbey Church of the late dissolved Monastery of Bathe, for the receiving of such of the nobility, and other our subiectes as resort or shall from time to time haue occasions to resort to that city, there to haue convenient place to hear Sermons, and other divine service, which cannot conveniently be in any other Church within our said city, for the smalenes of the rooms & buildings of the same. And heretofore for lack of convenient rooms in the now Churches within our said city, the Sermons haue ben made in the open market place there, being not meet nor convenient for such purpose, which greater Church cannot be of new builded and finished without greater sums of money thē the Citizens there be able to bear or sustain. And albeit they show themselves very zealous, and do employ great travails and charges therein, yet are they not able to finish the same, therfore haue made their further humble suit unto us to licence them and their assigns & deputies to receive the gratuities of our subiectes within this our realm of England and Wales for the finishyng of the said Church.  
Know you therfore that we acceptyng very well of this zealous intent & good meaning of the said Maior & Citizens & tendryng their aid and help to wards the new buildyng of the said Church, & also towards the enlargyng & betteryng of an Hospital within that city of Bathe called S. jones, there erected for the relief and comfort of certain sick & diseased poor persons that resort thether, from diuers partes of this our realm are pleased & contented, and by these presentes for us our heirs and successors do give licence & free liberty unto the said Maior & Citizens of our said city of Bathe & their assign or assigns, deputy or deputies bearers of this our licence & grant or the duplicate, or true copy hereof during the space of vij. yeares, next coming to ask gather receive & take the gratuity, gift, alms, and devotion, of all and every or any our loving subiectes dwellers within this our realm of England & Wales, as well within the liberties as without for the buildyng & erecting of the said Church and Hospital.  
Wherefore we will and command you the said Parsons, Vicars, and Curates, & all other aforesaid that you and every of you at such time and times, as the said Maior and Citizens or any of their assign or assigns deputy or deputies, or any of them bearers or bearer hereof or the duplicate hereof, shall repair unto your Churches and other places to ask and gather the gratuities, gifts, alms, and devotion of our loving subiectes or any of them, that ye permit and suffer the said Maior and Citizens & their assign or assigns deputy or deputies so to do, without your let or interruption and to declare the tenor and effect of these our letters patents unto our loving subiectes exhorting them to extend to so honourable a work their gratuities and charitable gifts and alms, redoundyng greatly to the glory of almighty God, and the great renown of this our realm, and the ease and commodity of our loving subiectes.  
And we further straitly charge and command all and every high Constable of the handmaides headboroughs and other Constables, Churchwardens, and Tythyngmen that vpon the open reading of these our letters patents or the duplicate or true copy therof in any Church or other open place or places what soever, to collect and gather all the gifts and deuotions of all our loving subiectes, where soever the same shalbe red or declared and what sum or sums, soever shal be so levied and received to be delivered to the use of the said Maior and Citizens for the purpose aforesaid, and cause the same sums to be endorced vpon these presentes or the duplicate or true copy hereof, to the intent it may plainly appear what hath been collected towards the erectyng of the said Church and hospital, within this our realm of England and Wales.  
In witness whereof we haue caused these our letters to be made patents, witness ourself at Westminster the xiij. day of april, the xv. year of our reign. per breue de privato Sigillo. Dupl. Powle.  
God save the queen.   

¶ Imprinted at London by John day.