❧ By the queen.  
THe queens majesty understanding of the common wandring abroad of a great multitude of her people, whereof the most part pretend, that they haue served in the warres of late on the other side of the Seas, though in truth it is known, that very many of them, either haue not served at all, or haue not been licensed to depart from the places of their service, as they ought to haue been, but haue run away from their service, and therefore they are justly to be punished, and not to be relieved: some others are such as haue indeed served, and fallen into sickness, and therefore licensed to depart towards their Countries, from whence they were levied, and do deserve relief, To the intent all her majesties Officers of Iustice in every place, where these sorts of people shall resort, may know, what her majesties most gracious pleasure is, for the usage of the said persons, both to punish the offenders, and to relieve the sick soldiers, and such as haue truly served, and are licensed to depart to their countries: She commandeth that such discretion be used betwixt the unlawful vagrant persons, and the soldiers now lawfully dismissed from their services, that all such vagrant persons, as neither haue been brought to sickness nor lameness by the said late service, and that shall not be able to show sufficient passport for their dismission, shall be taken and apprehended, wheresoever they may be found, as persons vagabonds, and so to be punished. And if any of them shall allege, that they haue been in her majesties pay on the other side the Seas, and cannot show sufficient passport from the Lord general, or some of the principal Officers of the army, then to be taken and committed to prison, and to be indicted as felons, and to suffer for the same, as soldiers being in her majesties pay, that haue run away, and left the service traitorously. And for the rest that haue served as soldiers, and can show their lawful passports, they ought to be relieved by some charitable means, to conduct them into their country, with commendation of public Letters from the Iustices of the Peace where they shall be found, to all other Ministers both spiritual and temporal, both to grant them reasonable relief and aid for their passage, and to bee particularly relieved by the Parishes or Hundreds, from whence they were levied during the time of their infirmities and sickness, as in conscience they ought, and so to be placed with their former Masters, as by her majesties late directions to the Counties hath been ordered and appoynted: And nevertheless, with special pains to be added to the same Letters of commendations of passports, that if they shall bee found to wander abroad out of the ordinary ways mentioned in their passports, that then, they are to be punished as vagabonds.  
And her majesty letteth it to be known, that order is given by her, that her treasurer of warres hath and shal make payment( in every Port where any such shall arrive coming with lawful passport) of such sums of money, as shall be convenient to conduct them to the places from which they were levied. And that all Officers of Ports shall be allowed by the said treasurer any such sums of money, as by them shall be paid to any such lawful souldiers. And furthermore, for the repressing of the great number of mighty & able vagrant persons now wandring abroad under pretence of begging as souldiers, although in dead they are known to commit open robberies vpon her majesties poor subiects and trauaillers by the way: Her majesty straightly chargeth all her lieutenants of every county within the realm( having sufficient warrant by their Commission to execute Martiall Law vpon such offenders against the public peace and state of the realm) to appoint some special persons within their jurisdictions to travell within the Counties as Prouost-Marshals, and to give directions to the Iustices of the Peace to assist the Prouost-Marshall, for the apprehension of all such notable offenders, and to commit them to prison, and thereupon to be executed, as by the laws of the realm they ●hall deserve.  
given at our Mannor of Richmond, the fift day of november and in the three and thirtieth year of our reign.  
God save the queen.   

❧ Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Printer to the queens most excellent majesty. 1591.   

on, there is manifest proof in that a number of men of wealth in our realm professing contrary religion, are known not to be impeached for the same, either in their lives, lands, or goods, or in their liberties, but onely by payment of a pecuniary sum, as a penalty for the time that they do refuse to come to Church, which is a most manifest course to falsify the slanderous speeches and libels of the fugitives abroad. Yet now it is certainly understood, that these heads of these dens & receptacles, which are by the traitors called Seminaries, and Colleges of jesuits, haue very lately assured the King of spain, that though heretofore he had no good success with his great forces, against our realm, yet if now he will once again renew his war this next year, there shall be found ready secretly within our Dominions, many thousands as they make their account for their purpose; of able people that will be ready to assist such power as he shall set on land, and by their vain vaunting, they do tempt the King hereto, who otherwise ought in wisdom, & by his late experience conceive no hope of any safe landing here: showing to him in spain, by the special information of a Scholeman name Parsons, arrogating to himself the name of the King catholics confessor, and to the Pope at Rome, by another scholar called Allen, now for his treasons, honoured with a Cardinalles hat, certain skrolles or beadrolles of names, of men dwelling in sundry partes of our Countries, as they haue imagined them, but specially in the maritimes, with assurance, that these their Seedmen name Seminaries, Priests, & Iesuites are in the sundry parts of the realm secretly harboured, having a great part of them been sent within these x. or xii. moneths, and shall be ready to continue their reconciled people in their lewd constancy to serve their purpose both with their forces, and with other traitorous enterprises when the Spanish power shall be ready to land, vpon which their impudent assertions to the Pope, and to the King of spain( though they know a great part thereof to be false) they haue now very lately advertised into diuers partes by their secret messengers, whereof some are also very lately taken, and haue confessed the same, that the King vpon their informations and requests hath promised to employ all his forces that he can, by sea this next year, to attempt once again the invasion of this realm: Wherewith because some of his wisest counsellors doubt that he shall not prevail, therefore he is otherwise persuaded, that if that his purpose shall not take place here, yet the same may be well employed against France or the low Countries, or against some part of Scotland, into which realm there hath also some number of the like brood been lately sent.  
2 Wherefore considering that these the intentions of the King of spain, are to us in this sort made very manifest, And although we doubt not, but almighty God, the defender of all just causes, will( as alway hitherto he hath) make the same boyde: Yet it is our duty as being the supreme governor under his almighty hand, to use al such just & reasonable means as are given to us, and therewith to concur or rather attend vpon his most gracious savour by the help of our faithful subiects, both to increase our forces to the uttermost of their powers, and by execution of laws, and by all other politic ordinances to impeach the foresaid practices of these seditions and treasons.  
3 And before al other things, we do first require of the Ecclesiastical state, that the like diligence be used by the godly Ministers of the Church, by their diligent teaching & example of life, to retain our people steadfastly in the profession of the gospel, and in their duties to almighty God and us, as it is seen a few capital heads of treasons are continually occupied with their Seminaries, in withdrawing of a multitude of ignorants to their enchantments.  
4 And secondly, for having of sufficient forces in readiness by Sea, we hope by Gods goodness, and with the help of our good Subiects, to haue as great, or greater strength on the Seas then at any time we haue had, to withstand these puffed vaunts from spain: And for our forces by land, our trust is, that seeing we haue distributed our whole realm into several charges of Lieutenancies, that they by themselves where they may be personally present, & otherwise by their Deputies, & assistants of other our Ministers, will now after the general Musters which haue been by our special order lately taken, consider of all things requisite to perform, and make perfect all defects that shall appear necessary, to make all the bands both of horsemen and footmen fully furnished with armor, weapons, and munition, and with all other things requisite for their conduction to the places of service, and there also to continue as time shall require to defend their country. And so we do most earnestly require and charge all maner of our Subiects, with their hands, purses, and advises, yea all and every person of every estate, with their prayers to God, to move him to assist this so natural, honourable, and profitable a service being only for defence of their natural country, their wives, families, children, lands, goods, liberties, and their posterities against ravening strangers, wilful destroyers of their native country and monstrous traitors.  
5 And lastly, to withstand & provide speedy remedy against the other fraudulent attempts of the Seminaries, Iesuites, and Traitors, without the which( as it appeareth) the forces should not be now used, the same being wrought onely by falsehood, by hypocrisy, and by vnderminings of our good Subiects under a false colour and face of holiness, to make breaths in mens and womens consciences, and so to train them to their Treasons, and that with such a secrecy by the harbouring of the said traitorous messengers in obscure places, as without very diligent and continual search to be made, and severe orders executed, the same will remain and spread itself as a secret infection of treasons in the bowels of our realm, most dangerous, yea, most reproachful to be suffered in any well ordered common weal: Therefore we haue determined by aduise of our counsel, to haue speedily certain Commissioners, men of honesty, fidelity, and good reputation to be appointed in every Shire, city, and Port towns within our realm, to inquire by all good means what persons are by their behaviours or otherwise worthy to be suspected to be any such persons, as haue been sent, or that are employed in any such persuading of our people or of any residing within our realm to treason, or to move any to relinquish their allegiance to us, or to aclowledge any kind of obedience to the Pope, or to the King of spain, and also of all other persons that haue been thereto induced, and that haue thereto yielded. And further to proceed in the execution of such their Commission as they shall be more particularly directed by instructions annexed to their said Commission.  
6 And furthermore, because it is certainly known & proved by common experience, vpon the apprehension of sundry of the said traitorous persons sent into the realm, that they do come into the same by secret creeks, and landing places, disguised, both in their names and persons. Some in apparel, as Souldiers, Mariners, or Merchants, pretending that they haue been heretofore taken prisoners, and put into Gallies, and delivered. Some come in as gentlemen with contrary names, in comely apparel, as though they had travailed into foreign countreys for knowledge: And generally all, or the most part, as soon as they are crept in, are clothed like gentlemen in apparel, and many as gallants, yea in all colours, and with feathers, and such like disguising themselves, and many of them in their behaviour as Russians, far off to be thought, or suspected to be Friers, Priests, jesuits, or Popish schollers. And of these many do attempt to resort into the universities and houses of Law from whence in former times they departed: many into services of Noble men, Ladies and gentlemen, with such like fraudulent devises to cover themselves from all apprehension, or suspicion: and yet in process of time, they do at length so insinuate themselves to get themselves credite with hypocrisies, as they insect both the Masters and Families, and consequently adventure also yea secretly to use their offices of priesthood and reconcilements: Whereby al such as do retain them are worthy to be suspected, and may be charged by law to their great danger.  
7 For avoiding whereof, and either to discover these venomous vipers, or to chase them away out of the realm from the infecting of many more, we do order and straightly charge and command all maner of persons of what degree soever they be without any exception, spiritual, or temporal, Nobleman, Gentleman, Lord, Lady, Master or mistress, or owner whatsoever of any house, family, lodging, yea the very Officers of our own household, and Gouernours of any societies, to make a present due and particular Inquisition of all maner of persons that haue been admitted, or suffered to haue usual resort, diet, lodging, residence in their houses, or in any place by their appointment, at any time within the space of one whole year now past, and ended at Michaelmas last: Or that from thenceforth haue, or shalbe admitted, or suffered so to resort, eat, lodge, reside or attend: And by such Inquisition and examination, to be duly and particularly informed of what condition and country any such person is, and by what kind of means he hath heretofore lived, and where he hath spent his time for the space of one whole year before. And likewise to know whether he hath used, & doth use to repair to the Church at usual times to divine service, according to the laws of the realm. And to cause those Inquisitions, with their answers to be put into writing particularly, and the same to keep in a maner of a Register or calendar to be shewed when they shalbe demanded, that vpon cause of suspicion of any such person, the same may be further tried by the Commissioners of those places, whether the same persons so examined be loyal subiects or no. And if any such shal be found unwilling to answer to such Inquisition, or shall be found by his doubtful answer not likely to be an obedient subject, the same person shall bee stayed by the householder, or him that ought to haue examined him and shall be sent to any of the Commissioners above mentioned next adjoining. And if any person having government or commandement over any such seruant, or resiant, shall be found not to haue performed the points of the foresaid Inquisition as is above limited, the same shall bee called to appear before the said Commissioners, or before our privy counsel, if the quality of the person shall so require, and shall be further used and ordered for such default, as the said Commissioners, or our Counsel shal haue just cause to deal with such a person. And finally, we do admonish and straitly charge and command all persons that haue had any intelligence, with any such so sent or come from beyond the seas to such purposes, to detect them to the Commissioners in that behalf to bee assigned as aforesaid, within xx. dayes after the publication hereof, in the Shire, town, or city, or Port, within the precincts of the same Commission, vpon pain that the offenders therein, shal be punished as abettors & maintainers of traytors. Wherein we are resolutely determined to suffer no favor to be used for any respect of any persons, qualities, or degrees, nor shal allow, or suffer to be allowed any excuse of negligence for not detection, or for not due examination of the qualities of such dangerous persons according to the order hereafore prescribed, being no wise contrary, but agreeable to the most ancient laws, and good usages of our realm, devised for the good order of all maner of Subiects in every precinct of any Leete to be forthcomming to answer for their behaviour towards the dignity of our crown, and the common peace of our realm.  
given at our Mannor of Richmond the xviii. of October, 1591. in this xxxiii. year of our reign.  
God save the queen.   

❧ Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Printer to the queens most execellent majesty.