CR  
DIEV ET MON DROIT.  
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
❧ By the King.  
❧ A Proclamation for preventing of the abuses growing by the unordered Retailing of Tobacco.  
WHereas the Plant or Drugge called Tobacco scarce known to this Nation in former times, was in this Age first usually brought into this Realm in small quantity, as Medicine, and so used, and by diverse taken as Medicine, but in process of time, to satisfy the inordinate appetite of a great number of men and women it hath been brought in in great quantity, and taken for wantonness and excess, provoking them to drinking and other inconveniences, to the great impairing of their healths, and depraving of their manners, so that the care which His Majesty hath of his people hath enforced Him to think of some means for the preventing of the evil consequence of this immoderate use thereof. And albeit His Majesty's dearest father of blessed memory had given directions therein, as well by Proclamation as otherwise, yet those ways took not so good effect as was desired, for that therein was no restraint of the number of those that should sell Tobacco by retail, nor care taken of the quality of those that should make such sale, but Uictuallers, Taverners, Alehousekeepers, Tapsters, Chamberlains, Ostlers and others, of the meanest condition have promiscuously used to regrate the same as allurements to other naughtiness, keeping therein no Assize, to the prejudice of the rest of His Majesty's loving Subjects. For repressing therefore of all such excesses and for preventing of future inconvenience, Our Sovereign Lord the King, by the advice of the Lords and others of His Privy Council hath resolved to reduce the venting, selling and uttering of Tobacco into some good order, and that none but men of sufficiency, and such as shall bring certificate of their meetness, shall hereafter sell or utter any Tobacco by retail. And to that purpose His Majesty hath lately caused Letters from His Lords, and others of His Privy Council to be directed unto the justices of Peace of the several Counties of this Kingdom, and Dominion of Wales, and also unto the Majors, Bailiffs and other chief Officers of diverse Cities and Towns Corporate; Commanding them to certify in what Towns and places it may be fit to suffer selling and retailing of Tobacco, and how many in each place were fit to be licenced to use that Trade. In answer of which Letters, Certificates have been made from diverse of the justices of Peace, and from the Majors, Bailiffs, and other Magistrates of diverse Cities and Towns Corporate, who therein have acknowledged the abuses that daily arise by the ungoverned selling and retailing of Tobacco, expressing their desire of reformation.  
Whereupon His Majesty by like advice of his Counsel hath caused other Letters to be directed to the justices and conservators of the Peace in several Counties; thereby declaring in what Towns and places Tobacco shall be permitted to be sold or uttered by Retail, and hath Commanded the said justices and conservators of the Peace, to cause the names of those Towns and places specified in those Letters, to be written and affixed in public places where the Assizes and Sessions of the peace shall be kept, in those Counties, to the end that all His people may take notice that other places are not admitted or allowed for selling or uttering of Tobacco by Retail. And by Letters directed to the said Majors, Bailiffs, and other head Officers of Cities and Towns, His Majesty hath given notice unto them of the names of those that are permitted there to sell or deliver Tobacco in that manner, and hath Commanded them to give public notice in the said Cities and Towns, of the names of those persons that are so admitted to sell or deliver it.  
Now our said Sovereign Lord the King doth straightly prohibit all His people, that after the feast of Candlemas next coming after the date of these presents, none of them out of the said Cities or Towns so appointed as aforesaid, or within the said Cities, or Towns, no others but those named as aforesaid, and such as from time to time shall be permitted in like manner, do sell or deliver any Tobacco by Retail, and that none of them that are permitted or allowed in this behalf, keep any Tavern, Alehouse, or Uictualling, or otherwise sell any distilled or hot Waters, Wine, Ale, Beer, or Cider in their houses, so long as they shall be permitted to sell Tobacco by Retail: And for that the necessities of these times require it, His Majesty doth charge and command all His Subjects to obey these His Ordinances, under the pains to be inflicted upon contemners of the same, and of His Royal will and pleasure, being for the good of His people: All which His pleasure is shall be observed until He shall by His Proclamation, or Letters of His Privy Counsel make other public signification of His pleasure herein. And He doth charge and command all justices of Peace, and all Majors, Bailiffs, and head Officers of all His Cities and Towns within His said Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, and all those who are permitted to sell Tobacco by Retail, that they make diligent enquiry of all those that shall presume to do against this Command, and from time to time to make certificate of their names, and places of their residence, with the particular of their contempts, to the Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council.  
Given at the Court at Whitehall the thirteenth day of October, in the ninth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord CHARLES by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc. God save the King.   

¶ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent MAJESTY: and by the Assigns of john Bill. M.DC.XXXIII.