royal blazon or coat of arms By the King. A PROCLAMATION Inhibiting all Persons after the Four and twentieth day of June next to use the Trade of a Pedlar or Petty Chapman, unless they be Licenced according to a Course lately taken by Us in that behalf.  
JAMES R.  
WHereas by an Act of Parliament made in the Nine and thirtieth year of the Reign of the late Queéns Elizabeth; Entitled, [An Act for Punishing of Rogues, Vagabonds, and Sturdy Beggars] It is amongst other things Enacted, That all Pedlars, and Petty Chapmen wand'ring abroad, should be taken, Adjudged and Deemed Rogues, Vagabonds and Sturdy Beggars, and be Punished as by the said Act is Directed; which Statute was in the Seventh year of the Reign of the late King James Confirmed and Enacted to be put in due Execution: And whereas the Trade of a Pedlar, or Petty Chapman hath heretofore been used for the Benefit and Ease of Our Loving Subjects dwelling remote from Cities and Market Towns, and for that cause the Industrious and well disposed Petty Chapman, as well before the said Statute as since, hath been in some sort permitted to Travel and use his Trade; And whereas under colour of using the said Trade, many Rogues and Idle Wand'ring Persons carrying about Trifles in the Habit of Pedlars, or Petty Chapmen, so misbehave themselves, as they are indeed no other but Rebels, Sturdy Beggars or Thiefs, and many of them being of no Religion, Carry abroad and Disperse without Inspection, Schismatical and Scandalous Books and Libels, not only, to the prejudice of Us, and the Government in general, but to the wrong of many of Our Subjects in particular: Whereupon We in Our Princely Care desiring Redress and Reformation of all Abuses in this kind; And yet that the Industrious and Honest Pedlar or Petty Chapman may be Tolerated and Encouraged to Travel in his Uocation; And finding no better way to effect the same, then by Licensing such as should be known to be of Good and Honest Conversation, have by Our Letters Patents bearing Date the Nine and twentieth day of April now last passed, Continued the Office for that purpose formerly Erected, and Appointed the same to be kept in some convenient Place within Our City of London, and in any other Two or more Cities or Towns Corporate within this Our Realm of England, or the Principalty of Wales, for the Licensing of Pedlars or Petty Chapmen; and by Our said Letters Patents made certain of Our Loving Subjects (of whose Care and Fidelity We have taken notice) Our Officers in Order to the Licensing the said Pedlars and Petty Chapmen, and thereby given unto them, their Deputies and Assigns, Power and Authority to Approve and Allow of such Person and Persons to use the said Trade of a Pedlar or Petty Chapman, as shall bring Testimony under the Hands and Seals of the Minister and Churchwardens of the Parish where he or they shall Inhabit, Testifying the Loyalty, Honesty and Abode of such Person or Persons, and of his or their fitness to be Licenced to use the said Trade, and shall become Bound unto Us, Our Heirs and Successors in the Penal Sum of Forty pounds to be and continue of good Behaviour towards Us, Our Heirs and Successors, and all Our Liege People, and to Lodge only in Inns or Alehouses, and not to Travel on Sundays, and that thereupon there shall be Licences Drawn and Engrossed for the said Pedlars, or Petty Chapmen, and be Sealed under the Seal of that Office, and Confirmed unto them under Our Great Seal, to continue during Our Pleasure. And because many of the former Abuses will not be clean taken away, nor the intended good of Our Loving Subjects fully perfected, without the suppressing of such Dissolute and Obstinate Uagrants as shall use the said Trade without Licence; And for that the said Pedlars and Petty Chapmen of the better sort have not yet had Public Notice of the said Letters Patents, nor taken Licences accordingly, for that no time was appointed for their Application in that behalf; We therefore do hereby straight Charge and Command, That no Person or Persons whatsoever, other than such as shall be Licenced by force of, and according to the true meaning of Our said Letters Patents, do attempt or presume to Wander, Travel, or Go abroad as or in the Habit of a Pedlar, or Petty Chapman, to Buy, Sell or Utter any manner of Wares or Commodities whatsoever, in any Place or Places whatsoever within this Our Realm of England, or Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick upon Tweed, or in any part of them, or any of them, from and after the Four and twentieth day of June next after the Date of this Our Proclamation, upon the Pains and Penalties in the said Statutes mentioned and expressed. And We do hereby likewise strictly Charge and Command all and singular Our Justices of Assize, Justices of Peace, Mayor, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, and all other Our Officers, to take notice of this Our Pleasure, and of the said Letters Patents, and to be from time to time in all things Aiding and Assisting unto Our said Officers, their Assigns and Deputies, in the due Execution thereof, and to take care that the said Statutes, and the Pains and Penalties therein contained, be duly Executed upon the Contemners or Neglecters of this Our Royal Commandment; as they tender Our Pleasure, and will answer the contrary at their Perils.  
Given at Our Court at Whitehall the Seventh day of May 1686. In the Second Year of Our Reign.  
GOD SAVE THE KING.   

LONDON, Printed by Charles Bill, Henry Hills, and Thomas Newcomb, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, 1686.