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, Archbeacons, 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 Head boroughes: And to all Officers of Cities, Boroughes, and Towns corporate: And to all other our Officers, Ministers, and Subjects whatsoever they be, aswell within liberties, as without, to whom these presents shall some, greeting:  
WHEREAS we are very credibly given to understand, by a Certificate under the hands of our trusty and welbe loved Subject's Sir john Tasburgh, and Sir Anthony Drury Knights, Anthony Hobart, Owen Shepheard, john Smith, and jeffery Warde Esquires, justices of the Peace within our County of Norfolk, That our poor distressed Subject Thomas Peeke of the Town of Lodden, in our fore said County Husbandman, hath heretofore boene a man of good estate and account, and one that all his life time lived in good sort and reputation amongst his neighbours, but so it is that he is now fallen into great want and poverty, by reason of a sudden and fearful Fire happing on the Eight and twentieth day of March last passed, in the night time (through the negligence of a lewd and idle Servant) which consumed and burnt down to the ground his dwelling House, and other houses of office▪ household stuff, Corn of diverse kinds, provision of household and other Commodities, and some Writings of great moment, amounting in all the whole loss to the value of Three hundred pounds, to the utter undoing of our said poor Subject, who was heretofore a Farmer of about a hundred pound a year, and able to maintain his charge of Wife, Children and family in good credit and fashion and to give relief unto others: but so miserable is his estate now, that he is not able to help himself, but being liable to rebuild his said House again, is likely to continue the rest of his days in great misery, unless some charitable course be forthwith taken for his relief herein, whose miserable and poor estate we much pity, and have thought good upon the humble request of all our foresaid justices made unto Us in his behalf, to commend the same unto the charitable consideration of all our loving and weldisposed Subjects within certain Counties hereafter mentioned, not doubting but that all good Christians well weighing the premises, will be ready and willing as feeling members one of another's misery, to extend their charitable contributions towards his relief and Comfort of their poor distressed Brother, in this his great necessity.  
KNOW ye therefore, 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 Thomas Peeke, 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, In habiting within our Counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex Hertford, Kent, Middles●x, Cambridge and Surrey, with our City of Norwich, and in our Cities of Canterbury, Rochester, and the Cinque Portes, with our City of Westminster, and Borough of Southwark, with our University of Cambridge, and Isle of Ely, And in all other Cities, 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 loss, and the relief and maintenance of himself, and his poor Wife and Chidrens.  
WHEREFORE we will and Command you and every of you, that at such time and times, as the said Thomas Peeke, or his Deputy or Deputies, the bearer or bearers hereof, shall come & repair unto any your Churches, Chapels, or other places, to ask 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 Sabaoth day, when as the same shall be tendered unto you. Exhorting and persuading them to extend their liberal coutributions 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, aswell Strangers as others: and what shall be 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 shallbe 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 other person, whereby men's charity goeth not the right may, 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 Thomas Peeke, 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. Any 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 after the date hereof to endure.  
Witness ourself at Westminster the Thirteenth day of February, in the Eighteenth year of our Reign of England, France, and Ireland: And of Scotland the Four and Fiftieth. 1610. ❀ Steward. ❀ God save the King▪   

Printed By Roger Wood, and Thomas Symcocke.   

April, 20. Anno Dom. 1621.  
Cum Privilegio.