By the Mayor.  
WHereas divers rude and disordered Youngmen, Apprentices and others, do now of late presume and take to themselves a Liberty (beyond what hath ever been in former times) to throw about Squibs and Fireworks in the Streets and Public Passages of this City, and especially in Places and at Times of greatest Resort; whereby great and intolerable Mischiefs are continually done, proceeding sometimes even to Murder itself, (as is too too evident by a late sad Example) and very many Persons, especially Women and Children are terrified and affrighted, not daring to adventure themselves in the Streets for fear of such rude and barbarous Usage, which is no where else to be parallelled in the whole World; and almost all Persons of Quality (upon whom the Trade of this City does very much depend) being so frequently assaulted in their Coaches in that rude manner, are driven and kept out from the City, to secure themselves from those dangers. Which disordered Practices, although they have been constantly disowned and prohibited by the Authority of this City, yet nothing hitherto hath been sufficient to prevent them, to the great Dishonour of the Magistracy of this City, the great Prejudice and Hindrance of the Trade thereof, and the Scandal of this once renowned City in all civilised parts of the World. The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of this City doth therefore think it fitting, and necessary, and highly incumbent upon him to take all possible care to obviate and prevent so rude and disordered a Practice, and he doth hereby straight charge and command, that all Persons do for the future altogether forbear to throw about any Squibs, Firebrands or Fireworks at any time, or upon any occasion, in any the Streets or Public Passages of this City: And that all Masters of Families within the same be very diligent and careful, and use their utmost endeavours to keep in and restrain their Children and Servants from doing the same: In default whereof his Lordship is resolved, and he doth hereby publish and declare, that he will certainly inflict the utmost and severest Punishment, with all possible rigour, upon all such who shall hereafter be found to transgress herein. And wherever any person shall be so apprehended, besides their personal Punishment, their Parents or Masters for neglecting the Government, and their Remissness to contribute their Endeavours to the Weal and Public Benefit of this City in the restraint of such Rudeness and Abuses, shall also have marks of his Lordship's Displeasure inflicted on them. Given this third day of November, 1674. and in the six and twentieth year of His Majesty's Reign.  
God save the King.   

Printed by Andrew Clark, Printer to the Honourable City of LONDON. 1674.