HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT  royal blazon of the House of Stuart  
¶ By the King. ¶ A Proclamation for suppressing insolent abuses committed by base people against persons of quality, aswell Strangers as others, in the Streets of the City and Suburbs of London, with the parts adjacent.  
AS We have ever esteemed it a happiness to meet with any occasion, that might justly move Us to take notice of the careful and discreet Government of such as were trusted in high places of Authority and Magistracy under Us, In which cases (as the world can well bear Us witness) We have ever been ready to express the gladness of Our heart, by Our gracious thankfulness unto them in one kind or other: So on the other side, do We hold it as necessary a duty belonging unto Us, to whom God hath committed the chief and sovereign care of all, not only sharply to reprove where We find supine and unexcusable negligence, but when through improvidence, and weakness of Government, the mischief grows strong and pernicious, to take the Reformation into our own supreme power, unless otherwise We find a speedy amendment. Our City of London, the Prime and chief City of all others within Our Realms and Dominions, the place that We, and Our Predecessors in this Kingdom, have always thought worthiest to be honoured with the Residence of our Persons, and of Our supreme Courts of justice, and which Ourself in particular have ever since Our coming unto the Crown, favoured and therished by all the means We might, to testify Our Princely and extraordinary affection towards them, whereof We shall never repent Us, having found in them a like retribution of Love and duty towards Us; Yet must we needs say, to Our grief, that in so famous a City as that is, and wherein of all others, if any where, civility and humanity is to be expected, there is as just cause at this time to charge their chief Magistrates for negligent suffering, as to condemn the inferior and base sort of people for acting many Insolences of rude & savage barbarism, which daily are committed in the Streets, not only towards Ambassadors and public Ministers of foreign Princes and States, whose persons ought to be sacred and privileged, by the Laws of God and Nations, from all violence or wrong, but even towards other Strangers also, to whom all courteous respect and hospitality is due, and generally to the whole Nobility and Gentry of our own Realms, both men and women, having occasion at any time to abide, or repair unto this City, insomuch as the Complaints hereof do continually come unto Our ears, and make Us ashamed, that notwithstanding the often and strait Commandments that We have laid heretofore upon the Lord Maior & Aldermen, for suppressing this wicked and devilish humour of those base people by severity of justice & punishment, the same doth nevertheless continue more and more in a higher degree, to the great scandal of Our Government, both at home and abroad, and to the dishonour of our Nation. Being therefore resolved to endure these Insolences no longer, We have now thought fit to declare unto the world the true sense and feeling We have of Our own Honour, which cannot but suffer much, if by Our longer sufferance the subordinate Magistrates & Governors, to whom the ordinary Reformation of these Abuses doth appertain, neglect their duties; And do for that cause hereby straightly charge and command the Mayor and Aldermen of Our said City of London, as they will answer the same hereafter unto Us, upon pain of Our highest displeasure, and such further peril as may ensue thereupon, that they do presently enter into some serious consultation and conference amongst themselves, how these Affronts to Strangers, and others Our own Subjects may be carefully prevented hereafter, that no such lewd person shall dare, either by word or deed, to offer any injury or violence, directly or indirectly, or so much as, by his gesture or countenance, to scoff at, or abuse any Stranger, especially Ambassadors and public Ministers, their Servants and Followers, or other Noblemen and Gentlemen, Ladies or Gentlewomen, Our own Subjects or others, but to behave themselves towards them with all respect and courtesy, meeting them in the Streets or elsewhere soever.  
And although We hold it not so proper for us to prescribe a particular way unto the said Mayor and Aldermen, how this may be effected with that good success, which We may well expect, if they be vigilant & diligent, as becomes them, who should best understand the means how to deal with those inferior members of their own Body; yet hereof let them be assured, that if it fall out any such abuses be committed again, & come to Our knowledge, We will not only exact a strict account of the same from the whole City, but even from that particular Alderman in whose Ward it shall happen to be done, & he not punish it according to the fault; who if he perform his duty in time, by admonishing all householders and other within his Ward, to be watchful over such offences when they happen, needs not to plead ignorance of the fact, nor in this case will We take it for a sufficient excuse: As, on the other side, We do hereby also expressly & straightly charge and command all Householders, Citizens, and Inhabitants within Our said City, not only themselves to abstain from all such violences and injuries, as before are mentioned, but in case any rude and audacious person shall, notwithstanding so many warnings given heretofore, and examples of justice lately executed upon some, presume nevertheless to commit the like offence again; That then they do with their uttermost power and endeavour apprehend such Offender or Offenders, if the Constable or immediate Officer be not at that instant present, or at hand, and if he be, then to assist him the best they may, for putting the said Offenders into the hands of justice: And this upon peril of Our high indignation, and of such severe punishment, as may be inflicted upon any person that shall look on, and be known through his wilful negligence to suffer the Malefactor to escape, now that We have declared Our Royal pleasure so expressly on that behalf. And as We have hitherto applied this charge particularly unto the City of London and the Liberties thereof, because there these insolences have been for the most part committed, for any thing We have heard: Yet lest the same boldness and impudency may spread to the other parts and skirts bordering upon the City, or the Country's adjoining thereunto, where the worse sort of people may be alike corrupted by example of those others within the City: We do hereby impose the like strict charge and commandment upon all justices of Peace, Sheriffs, Constables, and other Our Officers; As also upon all Lords of leets and Liberties, and other Inhabitants whatsoever, within the neighbouring parts of the Counties of Middlesex and Surrey, near unto the City of London, that they take the like care presently within their several jurisdictions and places of authority, or habitation respectively, to contain the people within the bounds of their duty towards Us, and of respect and civility unto all such persons and Strangers especially, as are before mentioned, and have heretofore had just cause to be grieved at such barbarous usage, as they will answer for their neglect and want of due care on that behalf, if any complaint come unto Us of that nature hereafter.  
Given at Our Palace of Westminster the eighth day of April, in the nineteenth year of Our Reign of Great Britain, France and Ireland. 
 God save the King.   

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