A Copy of a COMMISSION UNDER The Great seal OF IRELAND, Granted by the Right honourable Sir William Parsons Knight and baronet, and Sir John Borlase Knight, Lords Justices of that Kingdom: FOR Disarming all Papists in and about the City of Dublin, And restraining the access of any suspicious persons unto the said City, and for the preservation of the same in safety and good order.  
London, Printed for E. Husbands and J. Frank; October 6. 1642.   

CHARLES by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the Faith, &c. To our we●beloved Our Major of the City of Dublin for the time being, Sir William Anderson Knight, Sir Christopher Forster Knight, Sir William Usher Knight, Sir Philip Percival Knight, J●hn Bysse Esq Recorder of our City of Dublin, Richard Barry of Dublin Alderman, Charles Forster of Dublin Alderman, William Smith of Dublin Alderman, William Bladen of Dublin Alderman, William Plunket Esquire, captain Theodore Sc●out, Robert Savill sergeant at arms, Matthew Ford, Anthony Dopping, captain Philip Fernely, Robert Kenedy, John Woodcock, John Pew, Sankey Sulliard, Josua Carpenter, Brian Jones, Thomas Tallis, William Rowlls, Thomas Leigh, Thomaas Hill, William Scott, Daniel Forster, Richard Francis, Joseph H●ll, Daniel Adrian, Thomas Hooke, Frederick Panchart, captain Balthazar Creamer, John Wogan, Randall Becket, James Smith, John Fisher, Ralph Bryen, Richard Stone, Robert Davies, Ralph Wallis, Daniel Hutchison, Peter Wybrant, John Hill Merchant, John Norris, Thomas Haukins, Thomas Windall, Nathaniel Neve and Robert Scarborow greeting. WHEREAS We have taken into our Princely consideration the strange and unusual Concourse of Papists to our City of Dublin, and the Suburbs thereof, some of them not having formerly dwelled there. And others of them as welll Masters of Families as Servants, having formerly dwelled there, but withdrew themselves into the Country for a time since the present Rebellion began, and of late returned again to the said City and Suburbs, and there all of them now continue as Inhabitanas or Sojourners, not only to the needless and exceeding great burden of the Inhabitants, and disappointment of the soldiers, as welll in their lodging, as in the raising of the price of meat and other needful provisions, but also to the terror of many of Our good and loyal Subjects inhabiting in this City and Suburbs thereof, as welll in respect of the numbers of those Papists, as in the advantages observed to be daily thereby gained to the Rebels, as welll in frequent intelligences from Our said City as in Supplies of needful provisions from thence from time to time. AND forasmuch as in these times of open Rebellion, when the rebels appear in all parts of this Our Kingdom in open Arms, with Banners displayed against Us and Our royal Authority, We are necessitated to take some extraordinary way whereby to free Our said City and good Subjects therein from the fears & dangers threatened against Us and them, and against the peace & safety of this Our Kingdom, by that unlimited concourse of people flocking so dangerously to Our said City and Suburbs, and for reformation of sundry other abuses and disorders in Our said City of Dublin and the Suburbs thereof.  
KNOW ye therefore that We reposing special trust and confidence in your fidelity and circumspection, have nomin●ted, constituted and appointed, and by these presents do nominate, constitute and appoint you to be Our Commissioners. And do hereby give unto you or any two or more of you full power and authority from time to time, and as often as you or any two or more of you shall think fit to repair to all and every part of the said City and Suburbs, and there as well by Examination of Witnesses upon Oath, which oath and oaths We hereby authorise you or any two or more of you to administer, wh●n, and as often as you or any two or more of you shall from time to time think fit, as by all other lawful ways and means whatsoever to examine, search far, inquire and find out what Arms or Munion are or shall be remaining in any house, houses, or other place or places in the said City or Suburbs belonging to any Papists, or in the house or houses of Protestants, whose wives and children are Papists. And the same so found out, to inquire how when and where 〈◊〉 they came by them, and all other matters touching and concerning the same, which you or any two or more of you shall think fit.  
And it is Our pleasure, and We do accordingly require and authorise you or any two or more of you to seize upon, and take into your hands, or the hands of any two or more of you all the said Arms and Munition, as also all the Arms of what kind soever which you or any two or more of you shall find any Papist carrying about him either in his house or dwelling, or abroad in the streets, whether he or they be commorant in Town, or Traveller to or from the said City or Suburbs. Giving the party from whom the same shall be so taken, a note in writing under the hands of you or any two or more of you mentioning the particulars and quantity of Arms or Munition or both so to be taken from him, her, or them to Our use, and that thereupon you or any two or more of you cause the same to be delivered forthwith after you shall so seize the same into Our store of Arms and Munition at our castle of Dublin, taking the clerk of the store's hand for receipt thereof, which shall be a good discharge for you against your said note or notes formerly given.  
And We also require and authorise you or any two or more of you as welll by examination of witnesses upon Oath, as by all other lawful ways and means whatsoever to examine, search, inquire, and find out what titulary popish Archbishops, Bishops, vicars-general, Jesuits, Priests, or Friars, or other superstitious Orders of the popish pretended Clergy are or shall be in and about the said City or Suburbs. And them to apprehend & commit to prison there to remain until further direction from Us, or Our said Justices, or other Our chief governor▪ or governors and council of this Our kingdom.  
And in like manner to examine, search, inquire and find out, what men and women that are Papists, and what Papists children of what quality or degree soever he or they be, have come to the said City or Suburbs to reside, sojourn, or any way to continue therein since Easter last? Where they now lodge, and since their coming to Town have lodged either in the houses of Papists or Protestants? What their names and surnames are, and of what sept or kindred they be? Whence they came? What occasions called them thither? What now deteynes them there? And all other matters concerning their being there, Which you or any two or more of you shall think fit. And then that you or any two or more of you do command so many of them as you or any two or more of you shall think fit to depart from the said City and Suburbs within so many hours, as to you or any two or more of you shall be thought fit, and not to return back to the said City or Suhurbs without special licence from Us, or Our Justices, or other chief governor or governors of this our Kingdom for the time being; And to enjoin all those in whose house or houses either Papists or Protestants such person or persons so to be commanded away do, or shall lodge, so journey or live, that they or any of them presume not thereafter to entertain them, or any of them into his or their house or houses, as they will answer their so doing at their extreme peril.  
And We do also require you or any two or more of you to cause two Books to be made up, and in one of them to cause to be inserted in writing, the names, strnames, and qualities of all men and women ordinarily Town-dwellers in Our said City or Suburbs as welll Masters of Families as Servants that are Papists. And in the other book to cause to be inserted the names, surnames, and qualities of all men and women whom you shall so command to depart from this City and Suburbs. And in another part of that Book to insert the names, surnames and qualities of all such men and women that are Papists whom you admit to stay, and expressing at their names for what time their stay is admitted; that so you may upon a new search (wherein we require you to be diligent and frequent) find out whether or no they have exceeded the time limited for their stay.  
We do also require and authorise you or any two or more of you to charge and command all person or persons whatsoever in the said City and suburbs in whose houses any such person or persons formerly lodged, sojourned or lived, and to publish and declare to all others whom it may concern that in case any of the said persons so to be commanded away shall return again at any time to the said City or Suburbs, or any other men or women whatsoever that are Papists, and not resident continually in the said City and Suburbs, without any late intermission since the first of October last shall hereafter come to the said City or Suburbs; that then the person or persons to whose house or houses, he, she, or they so returning, shall return or come, do from time to time, and as often as any such shall happen within two hours after the receipt or entertainment into his, her, or their house or houses of any such person or persons return under his, her, or their hands unto two or more of you the names, surnames, qualities and conditions of all and every such person and persons so received, lodged, or entertained.  
We likewise require and authorise you or any two or more of you in like manner to examine what victuals, clothes, Arms, Munition, or other provisions whatsoever have been carried; or shall be carried out of the said city or Suburbs for the relief of the rebels, and by whom, and who were furtherers and privy thereunto, and what townsmen, or their Servants that are Papists, have been since Easter last, admitted into any Horse Troop or Foot company or Ward in Our pay? And by whom? And in whose Troop, Company, or Ward so admitted? And what Arms of any kind have, are, or shall be sold by any soldier horseman or footman to any Towns-man, or other Inhabitant in the said city and Suburbs? And where the said Arms now are? And what Masters or Mistresses of Families or Servants that are Papists that formerly resided in the said city & Suburbs, have between the three and twentieth of October and the first of April last withdrawn themselves into the Country, and having continued there a while, returned again to live in the said City and Suburbs? And if upon examination you or any two or more of you shall find them, or any of them, to have been with the rebels, to cause all such to be apprehended and committed to prison, and to certify their names under the hands of you or any two or more of you to our Justices, or other Our chief governor or governors, and council of this Our Kingdom. And what else shall appear unto you concerning them.  
AND We also require and authorise you or any twelve or more of you, to view all thatched Houses and Cabins in and about the said City and Suburbs, and to give six days warning to the possessors of such of the said thatched houses and cabins, as you or any twelve or more of you shall find to be dangerous to the safety of the said City and suburbs, and therefore ought necessarily to be removed or pulled down, to remove or pull them down; wherein if they fail, then and in such case you or any twelve or more of you are to cause such of the thatched houses and cabins to be removed and pulled down, as you or twelve or more of you shall find not to have been pulled down by the possessors within the said six days according to the said warning given.  
AND in case you or any two or more of you shall find any person or persons disobedient to your commands in and concerning the Execution of the premises, or any part thereof. We do in such case authorize you or any two or more of you to commit to prison such person or persons, when, and as often as there shall be just cause, and afterwards to release such person or persons, when you or any two or more of you shrll think fit. And for the better and more full and due performance of these services, It is Our pleasure, and we do hereby authorise you or any two or more of you as aforesaid to administer from time to time an Oath or Oaths to any person or persons, witnesses touching or concerning all or any the points, Clauses, Articles, Authorities or Commands in these presents above mentioned. And that you Our Commissioners do divide yourselves in and throughout the said City & suburbs into several limits, streets and parishes; and so to proceed in the execution of the premises either altogether or severally as you shall find cause. And that you be frequent at least weekly, or oftener if you find cause in the searches, examinations, and other services by these presents committed to your trust.  
AND we require all majors, Sherriffs, Justices of the peace, and all other our Officers, Ministers, and loving subjects whom it may concern, and particularly all colonels, Commanders, officers and soldiers of our Army to be unto you or any two or more of you always aiding, helping and assisting in the due execution of the premises from time to time, as there may be occasion. And we require you from time to time to give an account of your proceedings to our Justices, or other Our chief governor or governors of this Our Kingdom for the time being. And this Our Commission is to continue in force during Our pleasure. Witnesses Our right trusty and well-beloved councillors, Sir William Parsons Knight and Baronet, and Sir John Borelase Knight, Our Justices of Our said Realm of Ireland.  
At Dubin the ninth day of September in the eighteenth year of Our reign. Carleton & Exham,  
FINIS.