CR  
HONI ◆ SOIT ◆ QVI ◆ MAL ◆ Y ◆ PENSE  
DIEV ◆ ET ◆ MON ◆ DROIT   royal blazon or coat of arms  
By the King. A PROCLAMATION Prohibiting the keeping of Bartholomew Fair, and Sturbridge Fair.  
CHARLES R.  
THe King's most Excellent Majesty, out of His Princely and Christian care of His loving Subjects, that no good means of Providence may be neglected to stay the further spreading of the great Infection of the Plague, doth find it necessary to prevent all occasions of public Concourse of His people for the present, till it shall please Almighty God of his goodness to cease the violence of the Contagion, which is very far dispersed into many parts of this Kingdom already: And therefore remembering that there are at hand Two Fairs of special note, unto which there is usually extraordinary resort out of all parts of the Kingdom; the one kept in Smithfield and Saint Bartholomews the Great, near the City of London, called Bartholomew Fair; and the other near Cambridge, called Sturbridge Fair; the holding whereof at the usual times, would in all likelihood be the occasion of further Danger and Infection to other parts of the Land, which yet, by God's mercy, stands clear and free; Hath, with the Advice of His Privy Council, thought good by this open Declaration of His Pleasure and necessary Commandment, not only to admonish and require all His loving Subjects to forbear to resort for this time to either of the said two Fairs kept in Smithfield or Saint Bartholomew the Great, and at Sturbridge aforesaid, or within the Liberties of the University and Town of Cambridge, or to any other Fairs within Fifty miles of the said City of London; but also to enjoin the Lords of the said Fairs, and others Interessed in them, or any of them, That they all forbear to hold the said Fairs, or any thing appertaining to them at the times accustomed, or at any other time, till by God's goodness and mercy the Infection of the Plague shall cease, or be so much diminished, that His Majesty shall give Order for holding them, upon pain of such punishment, as for a Contempt so much concerning the universal safety of His people, they shall be adjudged to deserve; which they must expect to be inflicted with all severity. And to that purpose doth hereby further Charge and Enjoin under like Penalty, all Citizens and Inhabitants of the said City of London, that none of them shall repair to any Fairs held within any part of this Kingdom, until it shall please God to cease the Infection now reigning amongst them: His Majesty's intention being, and so hereby declaring Himself, That no Lord of any Fairs, or others Interessed in the Profits thereof, shall by this necessary and temporary restraint receive any prejudice in the Right of his or their Fairs, or Liberties thereunto belonging; Any thing before mentioned notwithstanding.  
Given at Our Court at Salisbury the Seventh day of August, 1665. 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.