CR  
HONI SOIT x MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
BY THE KING.  
¶ A Proclamation for the removing of the Courts Kings-Bench and of the Exchequer, from Westminster to Oxford.  
WHEREAS the sole power of appointing the Place or Places in which Our Great Courts of justice shall be kept, and of removing them from one place to another, as urgent occasion shall move Us, by the laws of this kingdom is inherent in Our royal Person. And whereas it is of great importance to Our service in these times of difficulty and distraction, to have Our judges of Our said Courts to attend near unto Us, by whose advice We may the better proceed in all those Cases wherein the judgement and knowledge of the laws is required. And whereas more especially the Chancellor, or Lord Keeper of the Great seal of England, and the Judges of Our Court, called the Kings-Bench, were and are to follow the King; and Our Court of Exchequer, being the proper Court of Our Revenue, aught to attend Us as We shall appoint. And whereas Our Cities of London and Westminster have been, and yet are, the chief Causers, and Maintainers of this present Rebellion against Us And We taking into Our serious consideration, that while Our Courts of Kings-Bench, Common-Pleas, & of Our Exchequer are kept at Westminster, many of Our good and loyal Subjects might be compelled or enjoined, by process in Our name, to make their appearance there, which they could not do without hazard of Imprisonment, or other damage or violence from the fomentors of this Rebellion; and many might suffer prejudice by Verdicts and Judgements had and obtained against them by default or otherwise, when they could not with safety come to make their just defences: thereupon We did resolve to remove those Courts from Westminster to Our City of Oxford, whether other of Our Courts of justice have been and are already removed by Our former Proclamation. And to the end that there might not be any prejudice to any of Our Subjects, by discontinuance of their Suits in those Courts or otherwise, We did send Our several Writs of Adjournment, directed to Our judges of Our said Courts of Kings-Bench and Common-Pleas, and to Our Barons of Out Exchequer, thereby commanding and giving Warrant and authority to them respectively, to adjourn all Pleas and Prices depending before them, in and from the Two and Twentieth day of November last past, to the first return of Hillary term next, commonly called Octabis Hillarii, to be helden then at Our City of Oxford. But our Messenger sent with those Writs (as We have been informed) for no other cause but for doing his duty in carrying and delivering those Writs, was imprisoned, and in an unjust and illegal way Sentenced to die, and brought to a place of execution, and threatened to be Hanged, as at that time another of Our Messengers for no other cause then for doing his duty in the like kind, in carrying Our Proclamations to London, was then shamefully Hanged and murdered, (an Act so Barbarous as no former age can paraleli) and We have not yet received any certain and particular information touching the execution of those Writs. In pursuance therefore of Our former resolution of removing those Courts from Westminster to our City of Oxford, We do for the present by this Our Proclamation, authorized under Our Great seal of England, ordain and appoint, and by these presents publish and Declare Our Will and Pleasure to be, That Our said Courts of Kings-Bench and Exchequer, shall for the next Hillary term, at the usual and accustomed time for holding of the same, be holden and kept at Our said City of Oxford, and not at Westminster, and shall be continued and kept there during that whole term and afterwards at the several times and terms for holding and keeping of those Courts, until Our farther pleasure be known and published for removing them from Oxford. And We do hereby straightly charge and Command, all Our judges of Our said Court of Kings-Bench, and Our Barons of Our Exchequer, and all Officers, Protonotaries, clerks, 〈…〉