woodcut of England's coat of arms, 1609 
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   
JAMES, By the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc. To all and singular Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacon's, Deans, and their Officials, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and to all spiritual persons: And also to all justices of Peace, majors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, Churchwardens and Headboroughs: And to all Officers of Cities, boroughs, and Towns corporate: And to all other our Officers, Ministers, and Subjects whatsoever they be, aswell within Liberties, as without, to whom these presents shall come, greeting.  
WHEREAS we are credibly given to understand by a Certificate under the hands of our Right trusty and well-beloved Robert Lord Willoughby, sir Peregrine Bartie, sir William Armyne, and sir john Hatchet Knights, Henry Hale, and Thomas Butler Esquiors, justices of the Peace within our County of Lincoln: That our poor Subject Henry Thomson of Edenham in our said County Minister, hath always been a man of honest life and conversation, and very diligent and watchful in the place whereunto it pleased God to call him, who for the space of Twenty years and upwards very zealously and industriously preached the word of God unto the people, and proved a careful Pastor over the Flock committed to his charge, freely feeding them with that Spiritual food wherewith God had endued him, to their good, and his great comfort, but he is now fallen into great want and poverty by reason of many crosses, and losses, wherewith it hath pleased God to visit him, as with sickness, suretyship, and such like: but especially by reason of a lamentable and fearful Fire, happening on the Eight and twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord God 1610, which consumed and burnt in the night time his Barn (being twenty yards long, and one and twenty foot wide,) full of Corn, together also with a Stable thereunto adjoining, and many other necessaries, which Barn will not be repaired for a Hundred Pounds, besides the loss of all his Corn and other goods, to the utter undoing of our said poor Subject, who hath consumed that small remainder of his estate, in the time of his sickness, which hath continued ever since this lamentable accident, whereby he was not able to seek for any relief until this present, And now being destitute of all Spiritual promotion, is no way able to sustain his poor Wife, and Children, who live in great want, and hereafter are like to perish for want of things necessary, unless the charitable benevolence of our loving and well disposed Subjects be somewhat bountifully extended towards them in this their great extremity.  
KNOW ye therefore, that we (tendering the lamentable and distressed estate of our said poor Subject) Of our especial Grace & Princely compassion, have given and granted, and by these our Letters Patents do give and grant unto our said poor Subject Henry Thomson, & to his Deputy or deputies the bearer or bearers hereof, full ●…ower, licence, and authority to ask, gather, receive, & take the Alms and charitable benevolence of all our loving subjects whatsoever inhabiting within our Counties of Lincoln, Leicester, and Northampton, with our cities ●…f Lincoln and Peterborough: And in all other Cities, Towns corporate, privileged places, Parishes, Vil●…ages, and in all other places whatsoever within our said Counties, and not elsewhere, for and towards the new ●…lding of his said Barn, the recovery of his losses, and the relief and maintenance of himself, his poor Wife, ●…d Children.  
WHEREFORE we will and command you and every of you, that at such time and times as the said Henry Thomson, or his Deputy or Deputies the bearer or bearers hereof, shall come & repair to any your Churches, ●…happels, or other places to ask, and receive the gratuities and charitable benevolence of our said Subjects, ●…etly to permit and suffer them so to do, without any manner your lets or contradictions. And you the said Parsons, ●…ars, and Curates, for the better stirring up of a charitable devotion, deliberately to publish & declare the Tenor of ●…se our Letters Patents unto our said subjects, Exhorting and persuading them to extend their liberal contri●…tions in so good and charitable a deed. Any Statute, Law, Ordinance, or provision heretofore made to the con●…ry in any wise notwithstanding.  
IN witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patents for the space of One whole year next ●…er the date hereof to endure. Witness ourself at Westminster the Eleventh day of February, in the Tenth ●…e of our Reign of England, France, and Ireland; & of Scotland the Six and Fortieth.  
Steward,  
God save the King.   

Printed by Thomas Purfoot.