HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
❧ By the King.  
¶ A Proclamation concerning Alehouses.  
WHereas for the suppressing of the great disorders daily used in Alehouses and Uictual-houses, many good and wholesome Laws and Orders have been devised, which have not taken such effect as We desired, because the same have not been so duly executed as they ought to be. We have therefore appointed certain Patentees to take knowledge thereof, and to compel the alehouse-keepers Licenced, to keep good Orders, by pressing them upon the penalties of their recognisances, taken to Our use; In the proceeding wherein We are also informed that the recognisances taken for that purpose, in most Counties of Our Realm (being the only Tie We have upon that Lawless kind of people) are either altogether defective, or not duly certified, so that these unruly persons still remain at liberty: And that there are divers of them that take authority to themselves to keep Alehouses, as though they were Licenced, and yet are not: Both which sorts we are desirous to draw into better Order, and to that purpose We have caused certain Articles of direction (bearing the Date hereof) to be published, which hereby We straightly Will and Command to be executed by such as the same shall any ways concern, and as they will give an account unto Us when We shall require it. And because We would not have Our Subjects that dwell in parts remote from Our City of London to be overtravelled hereabout, and all to be drawn hither to Our said City: We have given Order to the Pattentees, taking the allowance of Our Chief justice of the King's Bench, to appoint Committees from time to time, such as shallbe known to be of experience and integrity to prosecute in those more remote Counties, such forfeitures as shall grow due unto Us by the said recognisances.  
Given at Newmarket the nineteenth day of january in the sixteenth year of Our Reign of Great Britain, France and Ireland: Anno Dom. 1618.   

¶ By the King.  
¶ Articles of direction, touching Alehouses.  
FIrst, That the justices of Peace of every County, City, or Town Corporate within this Kingdom, and the Dominion of Wales, Do once every year in the Months of April and May, assemble themselves, either at a special Sessions, or such other meeting as they shall appoint for that purpose (respecting the ease and conveniency of the people of the Country) and there call before them or any two of them (whereof one to be of the Quorum) all such persons as do sell Ale or Beer by retail in any place (aswell within Liberty as without) within such County, City, or Town Corporate▪ and then and there taking true Certificate, and Information from men of Trust; who be persons of honest Conversation, and who not. And to give Licence to such persons, as they in their discretions shall think meet, to keep Common Alehouses, or Uictualling-houses, within the places where such persons dwell.  
THat in the Licensing of the said Uictualers, and alehouse-keepers the form of the recognisance, hereafter following, and the Condition thereunto annexed be used and none other.  

Memorandum, Quod Anno Regni Dom. nostri JACOBI, Dei gratia Regis Angliae, Franciae, & Hiberniae fidei defensor. etc. & Scotiae Coram justiciarijs dicti Dom. Regis ad pacem in Comitat. praedict. conseruand. etc. manuceperunt pro Victular. viz. uterque manucaptor. praedict. sub poena quinque librar. & praedict. assumpsit pro seipso sub poena x. li. Quas Concesserunt, etc. Sub Conditione sequent.  
THe Condition of this recognisance is such, that whereas the above bounden is admitted and allowed by the said justices to keep a Common Alehouse, and Victualling-house, until the first of April next ensuing the date hereof, and no longer, in the house wherein he now dwelleth, at in the said County of and not elsewhere in the said County. If therefore the said shall not, during the time aforesaid, permit or suffer, or have any playing at Dice, Cards, Tables, Quoits, Loggats, Bowls, or any other unlawful Game or Games in his House, Yard, Garden, or Backside; Nor shall suffer to be or remain in his house any person or persons (not being his ordinary household servant) upon any Sabbath day, or Holy day, during the time of Divine Service or Sermon: Nor shall suffer any person to lodge or stay in his house above one day and one night, but such whose true Name and Surname he shall deliver to some one of the Constables, or in his absence to some of the Officers of the same Parish the next day following, unless they be such person or persons as he or she very well knoweth, and will answer for his or their forthcoming▪ nor suffer any person to remain in his or her house, Tippling or drinking, contrary to the Law; nor yet to be there Tippling or drinking after nine of the clock in the night time, nor buy or take to pawn any stolen goods; nor willingly harbour in his said House, or in his Barns, Stables or otherwhere, any Rogues, Vagabonds, Sturdy beggars, Masterless men, or other notorious offenders whatsoever: Nor suffer any person or persons to sell or utter any Beer or Ale, or other victual by Deputation, or by colour of his or her Licence. And also if he shall keep the true assize and measure in his Pots, Bread, and otherwise, in his uttering of his Ale, Beer and Bread; and the same Beer and Ale to sell by scaled measure, and according to the assize, and not otherwise. And shall not utter or sell any strong Beer or strong Ale above the penny the quart, and small Beer or small Ale above a halfpenny the quart, and so after the same rates. And also shall not utter nor willingly suffer to be uttered, drunk, taken, and tippled any Tobacco within his said House, Shop, Cellar, or other place thereunto belonging, that then, etc.   
That every Alehouse-keeper and Uictualler so to be Licenced, do enter into recognisance with two able sureties to be bound in five pounds a piece, & the principal ten pound at the least for the performance of the Condition of the said recognisance, which shall endure but for one whole year, and then to determine, unless it shall seem fit to the justices of Peace to renew ●he same again by taking a new recognisance of the same Condition: And whatsoever Date the recognisance shall have, it is to endure but until the said Months of April and May, or one of them.  
That the Clerks of the Peace, Town Clerks, or their Deputies respectively be called to attend the justices of Peace at such their meetings or assemblies, and that they do there take the recognisances aforesaid of every Uictualler or Alehouse-keeper Licenced, and do duly enter them amongst the Records of the Sessions of the Peace in their charge, whereby his Majesty may be duly answered of the forfeitures that shallbe made of the parties so bound.  
That the Clerks of the Peace and Towne-clerkes aforesaid, or their Deputies shall within some convenient time after the taking of the said recognisances, fair engross the recognisance and Condition in Parchment, which they shall keep as the Original, and send a true Copy of the said recognisance examined with the said Original, to every Alehouse-keeper allowed, whereby he may the better inform himself what he and his sureties are bound to observe.  
That the Clerks of the Peace, and Towne-clerkes or their deputies do write out and bring with them to every Sessions of the Peace, or other meeting of the justices, a Register Book containing the true names, surnames and places where every Alehouse-keeper or Uictualler that is Licenced doth dwell, to the end it may appear to the justices of the Peace who be Licenced, and by whom, and who be not, and what other alterations have been from time to time for the placing of men of honest and good conversation, and displacing others of ill behaviour.  
That the Clerks of the Peace and Town clerks, and their Deputies may take of every Alehouse-keeper for their fee, for performing of the services aforesaid at the time of the acknowledgement of the said recognisances, the fee of eighteen pence and no more, over and above the fee of twelve pence allowed for the justices clerks by the Statute, which shallbe paid to the said justices clerks.  
That in case the Alehouse-keeper not knowing of the justices meeting, or being hindered by sickness or other such like impediment shall fail of admittance at the general or public assemblies, and shall notwithstanding be admitted or Licenced by two justices of the Peace (whereof one to be of the Quorum) The recognisance with condition fair engrossed in Parchment in the form prescribed as aforesaid shall forthwith or at the next Sessions at the furthest be returned to the clerks of the Peace, or the Towne-clerkes respectively under the hands of the justices, before whom such recognisance was taken, together also with the said Fee of eighteen pence for the entering, registering, making and delivering of a copy under his hand to the Alehouse-keeper as aforesaid.  
That none be Licenced or allowed to keep an Alehouse that hath not one convenient lodging at least in his or their houses, for the lodging of any passenger or traveler, and to have always in her or their houses good and wholesome small Beer or Ale of two quarts for a penny, for the relief of the labourer, travailer or others that call for the same.  
That the justices of Peace within their several Precincts, do not permit or suffer any unlicensed Alehouse-keeper, or Uictualer, to sell Beer or Ale, but that they proceed against them, by all due and lawful means whatsoever: And that they be very careful, from time to time, to cause the Brewers to be proceeded against, in their general and Quarter Sessions, for delivering Beer, or Ale, to such vnlicenced persons, according to the Statute in that case provided.  
That the Clerks of the Peace, and Towne-Clerkes respectively do once every year, in Trinity Term, make and bring in a Brief, of all such recognisances, as shall be taken within every County, City, and Town corporate, into the Office of the Patentees (appointed by them for that purpose) to the end all concealments of recognisances, taken in that behalf, may be discovered; and the benefit accrueing unto his Majesty, by such as wilfully break the same, may be more duly prosecuted: Of which, that his Highness be not defrauded, Order is given to the Patentees that with the allowance of the chief justice of the King's Bench, there be appointed Committees in every County, for the recovery thereof, from time to time.  
That the justices of Assize in their Circuits, and justices of Peace, at their general Sessions of the Peace, do from time to time, inquire of the due execution of these presents, and of all other abuses, disorders, and misdemeanours whatsoever, committed, or suffered, against the provisions aforesaid, and the true meaning of them.  
Given at Newmarket the nineteenth day of january, in the sixteenth year of Our Reign of Great Britain, France and Ireland. 1618. God save the King.   

❧ Imprinted at London by Bonham Norton and john Bill, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. ANNO. M.DC.XVIII.