royal coat of arms By the King. A PROCLAMATION FOR A General FAST Throughout this Realm of England.  
CHARLES R.  
WHereas it hath pleased Almighty God, after many years of Health, and many great and miraculous Mercies afforded to this Kingdom, to visit the Cities of London and Westminster, and places adjacent with the Plague and Pestilence, which by the spreading thereof into several Parishes, & other the more remote parts of this Kingdom, seems to threaten a general and most dreadful Visitation: To the end therefore that Prayers and Supplications may every where be offered up unto Almighty God for the removal of this heavy judgement, and that some Solemn Days and Times may be set apart for the performance of these and other Religious Duties;  
His Majesty is pleased, by the Advice of His Privy Council, to Declare, and doth hereby publish and declare his Royal Will and Pleasure, That Wednesday next being the Twelfth day of this instant July, shall be observed and kept within the Cities of London and Westminster, and places adjacent, as a Day of Fasting and Humiliation; And Wednesday three Weeks after being the Second day of August, shall be observed and kept in like manner in all parts of this Realm; and so from thence forward every First Wednesday of every Month successively, until it shall please God to withdraw this Plague and grievous Sickness.  
And that the solemnisation of these days may be with such Order and Decency as is requisite, His Majesty by the Advice of His Reverend Bishops hath directed to be Composed, Printed and Published the Form of such Prayers as His Majesty thinks fit to be used in all Churches and Chapels at these public Meetings, and also upon Wednesdays in every Week; And hath given charge to His Bishops to disperse the same through the whole Kingdom. All which His Majesty doth expressly charge and command shall be reverently and devoutly performed by all His loving Subjects, as they will answer to God for the neglect of so great a Duty and Service, and upon pain of being proceeded against as wilful Breakers and Contemners of this His Royal Will and Command.  
And His Majesty doth further declare, That upon all and every the said Days of Fasting and Humiliation, there shall be a Collection made of the Alms and Charitable Benevolence of the several persons in the respective Churches and Chapels then Assembled: Which Collections shall be paid in to the Bishops of the several Dioceses wherein such Collection shall be made, or to such Persons as the Bishops shall appoint to receive the same.  
And the Bishops shall take care, That the Moneys so collected and paid in, be in the first place applied to the Relief of such places as shall be visited with the Plague within the Diocese wherein such Collections shall be made. And the Overplus, if any be, shall be paid in to the Bishop of London, or such as he shall appoint to receive the same, and be applied to the Poor who are sick and visited with the Plague in London or Westminster, or the parts adjacent.  
And lastly, His Majesty doth Command, That the respective Preachers on the said Fast-days do earnestly exhort the people in the several Parishes to a Free and Cheerful Contribution towards the Relief of their Christian Brethren, whom it hath pleased God to visit with Sickness.  
Given at Our Court at St. James' this Sixth day of July, in the Seventeenth year of Our Reign.  
God save the King.   

LONDON, Printed by John Bill and Christopher Barker, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, 1665.