I R  DIEV ET MON DROIT HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms  
JAMES By the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc. To all and singular Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacon's, Deans, and their Officials, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and to all spiritual persons. And also to all justices of Peace, Mayor, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables. Churchwardens and Headboroughes: And to all Officers of Cities, Boroughes, and Towns corporate: And to all other our Officers, Ministers, and Subjects whatsoever they be, as well within Liberties, as without, to whom these presents shall come, greeting:  
WHEREAS we are credibly given to understand, by a Certificate under the hands of our right trusty and well-beloved Cousin Robert Earl of Warwick, and William Lord Peter, William Towse Sergeant at Law, Robert Milan Doctor of Divinity, William Ayloffe, Robert Sandford, Thomas Fanshaw, and William Beriffe Esquiors, justices of the Peace within our County of Essex, That our poor distressed Subject Henry Kent of Copford in our foresaid County Inholder, hath always been a man of honest life and conversation very painful and industrious to hue, and ready and willing upon all occasions according to his ability to contribute to wards the relief of others necessities, but he is now fallen into great want and poverty, by reason of a sudden and lamentable Fire happening on the Tenth day of May last past, which consumed and burnt a great Malting-house of his, being the principal means and only stay of his living, with all the houses, utensils and implements thereunto belonging, together also with a great quantity of Malt and Barley mounting in the whole loss to the value of Two hundred pounds and upwards, To the utter undoing of our said poor Subject who before this untimely accident lived well and gave relief unto others, but hath little or small means now left to help himself being much behind hand & indebted, whereby great misery is like to fall upon him, his poor Wife and Children, unless some charitable course be forthwith taken for their relief herein, whose poor estate we have thought good upon the humble suit of our foresaid Lords and justices made unto us on their behalves, to commend the same unto the charitable consideration of all our loving and well disposed Subjects within certain Counties hereafter mentioned, not doubting but that all good Christians well weighing the uncertainty of man's estate through these inevitable accidents, will be ready and willing as feeling members one of another's misery to extend their liberal Contributions towards the relief and comfort of their distressed brother in this his great necessity, none knowing how soon nor whose chance may next happen into the like Calamity.  
KNOW ye therefore, that of Our especial Grace and Princely compassion, We have given and granted, and by these our Letters Patents do give and grant, unto our said poor Subject Henry Kent, and to his Deputy and Deputies, the bearer or bearers hereof, full power, licence, and Authority, to ask, gather, receive and take the Alms, and charitable benevolence of all our loving Subjects whatsoever, Inhabiting within our Counties of Middlesex, Kent, Essex, Cambridge, Suffolk, and Norfolk, with our Cities of Canterbuty, Rochester, and the Cinque Ports, with our City of Norwich, our University of Cambridge & Isle of Ely, And in all Towns Corporate, Privileged places, Parishes▪ Villages, and in all other places whatsoever within our said Counties and not else where, for and towards the recovery of his said losses, and the relief and maintenance of himself his poor Wife and Children.  
WHEREFORE We will and Command you and every of you, that at such time and times as the said Henry Kent, or his Deputy or Deputies, the bearer or bearers hereof, shall come and repair to any your Churches, Chapels, or other places, to äske, and receive, the gratuities and charitable benevolence of our said Subjects, quietly to permit, and suffer them so to do, without any manner your lets, or contradictions. And you the said Parsons, Vicars, and Curates, for the better stirring up of a Charitable devotion, deliberately to publish and declare the Tenor of these our Letters Patents, unto our said Subjects, upon some Sabbath day, when as the same shall be tendered unto you, Exhorting and persuading them to extend their liberal contributions in so good and charitable a deed. And you the Churchwardens of every Parish, where such Collection is to be made (as aforesaid) to Collect and gather the Alms and charitable benevolence of all our loving Subjects, as well Strangers as others, and what shall been by you so gathered to deliver it to the bearer or bearers of these our Letters Patents and to no other person▪ when as thereunto you shall be required. And lastly, whereas we are informed of the great abuse which is now crept in amongst these poor people, who sell their Licences unto some other person, whereby men's charity goeth not the right way but unto such as deserve it least: That from henceforth our will and pleasure is, that if it may appear unto you or any of you, that the said Henry Kent have contracted any bargain, or made, or shall make sale of these our Letters Patents, whereby the benefit should pass from him to any other person, That thereupon these our Letters Patents shall be void and of none effect, And Statute, Law, Ordinance, or Provision heretofore made to the contrary, in any wise notwithstanding.  
IN witness whereof, We have caused these our Letters to be made Patents for the space of One whole year next offer the date hereof to endure.  
Witness ourself at Westminster, the twelfth day of December, in the Eighteenth year of our Reign of England, France, and Ireland: And of Scotland the Four and Fiftieth. 1620. ❀ Steward ❀ God save the King▪   

Printed by Roger Wood, and Thomas Symcocke.   

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