ORDERS OF HIS HIGHNESS The Lord Protector, Made and published by and with the Advice and Consent of His COUNCIL, FOR Putting in speedy and due Execution the Laws, Statutes and Ordinances, made and provided against Printing Unlicensed and Scandalous Books and Pamphlets, and for the further Regulating of PRINTING.   seal of the Commonwealth 
Published by His. Highness special Command.  
LONDON, Printed by HENRY HILLS and JOHN FIELD, Printers to His Highness, MDCLV.   

 seal of the Commonwealth  
Orders of His Highness the Lord Protector, made and published by and with the Advice and Consent of His Council, for putting in speedy and due Execution the Laws, Statutes and Ordinances, made and provided against Printing Unlicensed and Scandalous Books and Pamphlets, and for the further Regulating of Printing.  
WHereas in default of the speedy, due, and effectual execution of the many good Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances heretofore made and published, against unlicensed, Seditious, and Scandalous Books and Pamphlets; divers evil-minded persons, and of malicious, insolent and restless Spirits, have assumed to themselves, and do continually take upon them a licentious boldness, to Write, Print, Publish, and Disperse several Dangerous, unwarrantable, Seditious, Blasphemous, and Scandalous Pamphlets, Books and Papers, to the high Dishonour of Almighty God, the endangering of the Peace of this Commonwealth, the violation of all good Order and Government, and in manifest Contempt and Scorn of the Government and Laws of the Land; Which We having taken into Our Consideration, do hold Ourselves obliged to provide Remedy to the aforesaid Evils: And therefore (having Confidence of the Care, Diligence, Discretion, and good Affection of you, John Barkstead Esq Lieutenant of Our Tower of London, John Dethick Alderman of Our City of London, and George Foxcroft, to Us, the present Government, and Peace and Welfare of this Commonwealth) We have thought fit, (as We hereby do) to intrust, and commit unto you, jointly and severally, the Execution of these Orders and Directions, touching the Premises, with the several Powers and Authorities hereafter mentioned, as well for the punishment of such Offenders, as the timely preventing and suppressing of all Seditious, Blasphemous, and other Libellous Pamphlets, Books, and Papers whatsoever. And for your better and more effectual proceeding therein, Our Will and Pleasure is, And We do hereby Authorize, and straight Charge and Command you carefully to observe these Orders, Rules, and Directions following: 

I. That without delay you diligently search and inquire concerning the Printing-houses, Presses, and Master-Printers, as well for the certain number of them, as also for the names of the Master-Printers, and of the names and number of Servants, Workmen, and Apprentices, each Master Printer hath or shall hereafter retain, and how many Presses each Master-Printer hath, within Our Cities of London, and Westminster, and Borough of Southwark, or the Liberties, Suburbs, or the Precincts thereof, and of what fame, quality, conversation, or condition every such Master-Printer is, and how he, and his Servants, and Workmen stand affected to the present Government; And that you make Certificate of all the premises unto Us, or Our Council within eight and twenty days after your Receipt hereof.  
II. That you carefully inform yourselves what person or persons (not having a lawful licence in that bealf) do take upon them to print, or use, or put in practice, or cause to be used or put in practise the Art or Mystery of Printing, or do use or employ, by themselves or others, any Printing-Press, Rolling-Press, or other Instrument for Printing, in any, and what place or part of this Commonwealth. And where any such shall be found, That you cause all their Printing-Letters and Materials for Printing to be immediately defaced, and the Offenders prosecuted, for recovery of the forfeitures, sums of money, and penalties by them incurred in this behalf, and cause them to be otherwise punished according to the Laws and Statutes of the Land in such cases made and provided.  
III. That you also inform yourselves whether the Printers and other persons in Our City of London, and Liberties thereof, or elsewhere, who keep Printing-Houses, or are owners of Printing-Presses, Rolling-Presses, or other Instruments for Printing, have entered into Bonds respectively with two sufficient sureties, according to the purport and direction of the Act of Parliament, Entitled, An Act against unlicensed and scandalous Books and Pamphlets, and for better regulating of Printing; And in case they have entered into such Bonds accordingly: Then whether they have, since that time offended; or shall hereafter offend in any of the premises or particulars mentioned in the said Act of Parliament: or broken the conditions of those respective Bonds, to the end, you may in like manner prosecute them, and their sureties in Our name for recovery of the penalties in the several obligations mentioned, and by them forfeited by the said conditions broken, and otherwise according to Law and their respective demerits.  
iv That you take especial Care and see, That no person or persons presume to Print, Reprint, or Publish, or cause to be Printed, Reprinted, or Published, any Pamphlets, Books of News, Occurrences, or other such like Papers whatsoever, unless he, or they shall be hereafter thereunto lawfully Authorized by Command from Us, or Our Council, or unless such News, Occurrences or such like Papers be Licenced by such as shall be appointed thereto by Us or Our Council. And whosoever shall offend in the premises, shall be proceeded against by you, according to the Laws established against unlicensed and scandalous Pamphlets for such their contempt and disobedience in the premises.  
V And further, Our will and pleasure is, And more particularly We do hereby require, Authorize, and Command you, for the better execution of the premises, That you put in speedy and effectual execution in all things not hereby altered or otherwise directed, the Ordinance of the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, of Septem. 1647. Entitled, An Ordinance against unlicensed or scandalous Pamphlets, and for the better Regulating of Printing, As also one other Ordinance of the Lords and Commons in Parliament, of the 14. of June 1643. for Regulating of Printing, and suppressing the great abuses and frequent disorders therein, and the Act of the Common-Council of Our City of London, bearing date the ninth of October, 1643. prohibiting all persons whatsoever from crying or putting to sale about the streets within the said City of London, and Liberties thereof, any Pamphlets, Books, or Papers whatsoever, by way of hawking, and for punishment of the Offenders therein; And if any person or persons hath or have heretofore offended, or hereafter shall offend in the premises, or shall abet and countenance the same, contrary to the said Acts or Ordinances, or any other Act or Ordinance now in force, We do hereby Will, Authorize, and Command you, that immediately you repair to the place or places where they are or shall be abiding, aswel within Liberties as without, and to apprehend, and arrest, or cause to be arrested the bodies of them, and every of them so ofrending, and their Complices and Abettors, and to cause them to be sent in safe and secure Custody unto Bridewell, And to cause all such corporal and pecuniary punishments to be speedily and impartially inflicted on such of the Offenders in the premises, and the penalties duly levied for their several offences, as therein and thereby are mentioned and provided; And We will they shall not be thence discharged until they shall have made full payment and satisfaction, and received the said punishment accordingly. And the Governors of Bridewell, are hereby required to see such Offenders as shall be sent to them punished according to the Law. And you are hereby also Authorised and required from time to time to make diligent search in all places where you shall think meet for all Printing Presses, any way employed in Printing such scandalous, seditious, and unlicensed Papers, Pamphlets, Books, or Ballads whatsoever, and to seize, and carry away such Printing-Presses and Letters, with the Nut, Spindle, and other Materials of every such irregular Printer, which you shall find so mis-employed, unto the Stationer's Hall in our said City of London, there to be defaced, and made unserviceable, according to the said Acts and Ordinances of Parliament in that behalf: As also to make diligent search and inquiry in all suspected Printing-Houses, Warehouses, Shops, and other places whatsoever, for such unlicensed Books, Papers, Sheet or Sheets of News whatsoever, as is herein before directed; And the same to detain and keep, to be disposed of as We or Our Council shall think fit; And in case of any opposition or resistance in the premises; We hereby Authorize and require you, to break open all or any locks or doors, and to apprehend all and every person and persons whom you shall find so opposing or resisting, to convent or cause to be brought before the Lord Mayor of Our City of London, or any other of Our justices of Peace to be examined and proceeded against according to the Law. And all Our justices of Peace, Mayor, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, Head-Boroughs, and all and every other Our Officers, and Ministers of justice both Civil and Military, and other persons whatsoever, are hereby required and commanded to be aiding, and assisting unto you, or your Deputies, in the execution of the premises, as they and every of them will answer the contrary at their utmost perils. And We do hereby give you full power and authority to assign, depute, and employ any fit and discreet persons under you by writing under your hands and seals, for the better execution of these Orders and Directions, and to reward prosecutors (allowance whereof shall be made unto you by the Council) and do all and every such other thing and things as are meet and requisite to the effectual performance of this Our service, so much conducing to the preservation of the public peace: For all which, these presents shall be a sufficient Warrant and discharge in this behalf.    
Given at White-Hall the eight and twentieth day of August, 1655.