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C R  
HONI SOIT x MAL Y PENSE  BY THE KING.  
A Proclamation for a general Fast to he held throughout this kingdom on the second Friday in every month.  
When a general Fast was first propounded unto us, in contemplation of the miseries of Our kingdom of Ireland, We readily gave Our Consent unto it, and in Our Court, and in Our Person have duly observed it, as a Religious duty, fit to be exercised in a time of common Calamity. But when we have seen what ill use hath been made of those public meetings under the pretence of Religion, in Pulpits, and Prayers and Sermons of many seditious Lecturers to stir up and continue the Rebellion raised against us within this kingdom; And that those who first moved and seemed to affect the relief of Our distressed Subjects of Ireland, have deserted the care thereof, and diverted the means ordained for the support and preservation of that kingdom, to the destruction of us and of this kingdom of England: we have thought it fit to Command that such an hypocritical Fast, to the dishonour of God, and the slander of true Religion be no longer continued and countenanced by Our Authority, which hath been too long continued already, to such false and traitorous ends. And yet we being desirous (as by Our duty to Almighty God we are bound) by all possible means to express Our own Humiliation, and the Humiliation of Our People, for Our own sins, and the sins of this Nation, (as we have great cause) are resolved to continue a Monthly Fast, but not on the day formerly appointed and so much abused by those who are in Rebellion against us, by using it as a principal Engine to their own designs. We do therefore hereby Command, that from henceforth no Fasts, or public Meetings under that name be held on the last Wednesday of the Moneth in any part of this Our kingdom of England, as for many months it hath been, nor upon any other day, then as hereby is appointed by us, which we are well assured, none of Our Subjects may or aught to do without, much less against Our Command: but instead thereof we do expressly Charge and Command, That in all Churches and chapels in all parts of this Our kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales, there be a solemn Fast held, and Religiously observed on the second Friday in every month, with public Prayers to God, and Preaching in all places where it may be had, when and where we may all both Prince and People as one man, earnestly pour out Our Prayers to God, for the diverting of his heavy judgements from us, for the continuing of his Gracious Protection over us and this Nation, for the avoiding of all malicious practices against us, and the settling and establishing of a happy Peace amongst us. And to the end that with one heart and voice we may perform so Religious an Exercise, we have caused devout forms of Prayers to be Composed and Printed, and intend to disperse them into all the parts of this Our kingdom, and do Command that they be used in all Churches and chapels at the solemn and public meetings. And if thus we shall heartily and unfeignedly apply ourselves to Our good God and Gracious Father, whom we have offended, and praise him for his many and even miraculous deliverances past, we may with Comfort and Confidence hope that he will in mercy look upon us, and be reconciled unto us.  
Given at Our Court at Oxford this fifth day of October, in the nineteenth year of Our reign.  
God save the KING.   

OXFORD, Printed by Leonard Lichfield, Printer to the university. 1643.