❧ By the King.  
THe Kings majesty perceiving the great inconveniences, which daily do arise by the continual additions of a multitude of New buildings in the city of London and the Suburbs and confines thereof, and the filling& pestering of houses with Inmates and several dwellers( and those of the worse sort) almost in every several room, whereby both the people increasing to so great numbers, are not well to be governed by the wonted Officers and ordinary jurisdiction of the same, and likewise the prices of Victuals are by that means excessively enhanced, and the health of his loving Subiects, not onely those which inhabit in and about the said City, but also all others repairing thither from all parts,( in respect either of the usual resiance of his majesties Court thereabouts, or otherwise for ordinary Iustice) endangered( whereof the present Infection in and about this City, makes his majesty the more sensible) And moreover the other good towns and borrows of his kingdom by reason of so great receipt for people in and about the said City, are much unpeopled, and in their trading, and otherwise decayed, for remedy of which inconveniences, there haue been diuers politic and necessary Proclamations, as well in the time of the late queen Elizabeth of famous memory, as since his majesties most happy reign, published and devised: His majesty mindes to require account aswell of those that haue neglected the execution of them, as to punish the offenders against the same: And further by the deliberate aduise of his privy council hath determined, to take yet a more straight and severe course, for the avoiding of the like inconveniences hereafter. For although there be manifest cause of greater concourse of people to the said City, and by consequence, of habitation and receipt for them, by reason of the largeness of his Highnesse dominions, and the universal peace wherein his majesty lives and governs: yet notwithstanding his majesty( considering that the foundations already laid within the said City and Suburbs and confines of the same cannot but be sufficient for all that shall haue just cause to dwell or abide hereabouts) hath therefore resolved, that unless it be in some rare cases, and by special Licence, as hereafter in these Presents shall be prescribed, there shall be no more New buildings erected in or near the said City of London: and also that those that shal be erected vpon old Foundations, shal be such as shall both adorn and beautify his said City, and be less subject to danger of fire, and cause less waste of Timber( fitter to be reserved for the shipping of his realm) and likewise such as in regard of the charge of building, cannot be inhabited but by persons of some ability. And because the former Proclamations of this kind heretofore published are several, and in some points defective: therefore his majesty hath thought good( not intending thereby to dispense with former offenders) to make and publish one clear Proclamation digested into plain and distinct Articles, that the offenders hereafter may be without all colour of excuse, as they are already without all just defence. And therefore his majesty doth straitly charge and command all maner of persons, of what quality soever they be, duly to observe and fulfil, and all Officers and persons in Authority whom it may concern, duly, carefully, and diligently to see observed, fulfilled, and put in execution these Articles following.  
FIrst, that no maner of buildings, be they dwelling houses, Stables, Shops, stalls, or any other building whatsoever, be from henceforth erected, or attempted to be erected within the City of London, or the Suburbs therof, or within the distance of two miles, to be taken from any of the gates of the said City( except it be vpon the foundation of a former dwelling house, or in or vpon some inner court or yard of the same house:) And if any building contrary to this Article of his majesties prohibition shall happen to be begun, that the same be forthwith by the Iustices of Peace within that limit, or Alderman of the Ward, or any of them, stayed from any further proceeding. And as well such Builder, as the Workmen vpon such building to be committed to prison, and bound over to answer their contempt in the star Chamber, and the Timber, or other stuff employed or to be employed thereupon, to be sold by the said Iustices, or Aldermen, or any of them, to the relief of the poor of the Parish where the said building shall happen to bee. And in case through neglect, or oversight, any such building happen to be finished, or in part done before stay made thereof: that nevertheless the same may be and shall be by the said Iustices or Aldermen, or any of them at any time within seven yeeres after the finishing of the said building, pulled down, and the offenders punished, and the stuff and matter of the said building bestowed as is before expressed.  
ALso all new buildings that are already erected contrary to that which is prohibited by the former Article, concerning buildings to be erected hereafter, and are not at this present finished, shall be immediately pulled down, and the offenders and stuff ordered as is before expressed.  
ALl such new buildings as aforesaid, which haue been erected at any time within five yeeres before the date of this Proclamation, shall not in any wise be pulled down: but nevertheless, if they be at this present void of a Tenant, they shall not be inhabited nor let to any, unless the owners shal be content that the Churchwardens and Minister by allowance of two or more of the Iustices of Peace of that division, or Alderman of the Ward shall dispose of them to some of the poor of the Parishes that are destitute of houses, or for the good and behoof of the said poor, and at and under such rents as they shall allow: and in case any such building be already demised, that then such house bee not let again, either in reversion, or vpon the expiration of the former estates, but in such sort and order as is before expressed.  
ANd if any house shall be let contrary to this Article, as well the taker as the Leassor to be deemed an offendor, and to be committed to prison, and bound over to answer the same in the Starrechamber.  
provided nevertheless, that if any person shall erect, or hath erected for the enlargement of his dwelling house, any building joining to the same, he shall not be taken or held to be an offendor against this Proclamation, so as the precinct of ground within the said addition or enlargement, amount not to any more then a third part of the precinct of ground within the old foundation, and that it be used with the former for one onely habitation.  
ALl Sheds and Shops which haue been builded or set up within the limits aforesaid at any time within five yeeres last past, shall be forthwith pulled down, and the stuff of them ordered as is before directed touching other Buildings to be pulled down: And no Cellars erected within this five yeeres last past, to be used for lodgings, or tippling or victualling houses.  
NO new buildings shal be hereafter erected vpon the foundation of any former dwelling house, or within the precincts thereof, within the city or Limits aforesaid, except the forefront of the same, and all the utter walls and windows thereof shal be wholly made of brick and ston, or one of them; and the forefront also thereof shal be made in that uniform sort and order, which shall be prescribed by the Alderman of the Ward within the city and the Liberties thereof, and by two or more Iustices of Peace within the Suburbs and other Precinct aforesaid, for the better beautifying of the street where the said Building shall be erected, vpon pain that every person offending against this Article, shalbe fined and imprisoned for the same by order of the Court of Starrechamber.  
ALl new Buildings that for the time already passed haue been built since the first day of March in the second year of his majesties reign, and haue not their forefronts and walls of brick as aforesaid, contrary to his majesties Proclamation in that behalf at that time published, shalbe certified by the Iustices or Aldermen unto his majesties learned council, that there may be a present proceeding against the offenders in that behalf.  
ANd forasmuch as the dividing of Houses into several Tenements and habitations, and the letting of part of houses and Chambers to Inmates and Vndersitters, is no less inconvenient then excessive building, as well in regard of surcharge of people, specially of the worse sort, as for breeding and spreading of Infection, besides other inconveniences proper to this abuse, His majesty doth further charge and straightly command, that these Articles following be also duly observed and obeied.  
FIrst, that no person within the city or Limits aforesaid, do divide any dwelling house by Lease, sufferance or otherwise, into any more Tenements or dwellings then are at this present used within the same.  
THat no person do hereafter receive into any House any Inmates or Vndersitters, or any more families then one.  
THat no man that shall erect a new house vpon or within the Precincts of an old foundation, shall divide the same into more Tenements or several dwellings, then were used in the said former houses.  
ANd for the more certain execution of every Article of this his majesties Proclamation, His majesty further commandeth, that the Alderman in every Ward, and the Iustices of Peace within the Limits aforesaid, do make diligent view, perambulation, and inquiry of every of the said offences, and them to certify to his majesties learned counsel once in the beginning of every term, that there may be a strict and severe proceeding therein, as appertains. And such Iustices or Aldermen which shall be found negligent or remiss in the execution of these Articles, his majesty will haue censured and punished as contemners of his royal commandement, and to be removed from being Iustice of Peace, as unworthy so to be.  
given at Royston the twelfth day of October, in the fifth year of our reign of great britain, France and Ireland. 
 God save the King.   

¶ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent majesty. ANNO DOM. 1607.