C R  HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon surmounted by a crown  
BY THE KING.  
¶ A Proclamation touching the Excise laid by the Advice of the Lords and Commons of Parliament Assembled at Oxford.  
WHEREAS by the advice of the Lords and Commons of Parliament Assembled at Oxford, We have laid and set an Excise upon several wears and Commodities; And have awarded several Commissions under Our Great seal of England, for the Levying, Collecting, and Gathering of the said Excise, according to such Articles, Instructions, Rates and valves, as are contained, set down, and expressed, in Schedules annexed to Our said Commissions: which We have caused, or shall forthwith cause to be published in Print; Whereby the grounds and reasons of laying and settling of the said Excise, the employment of the moneys to be raised thereby for the present maintenance of Our Armies in the time of this Rebellion, and the Limitations and Provisions for qualifying, determining, and utter abolishing of the said Excise hereafter will fully appear. We have therefore thought fit to publish this Our Proclamation, and do hereby Order, appoint and Declare, That the payment of the said Excise, shall begin and be accounted, as well by Our Commissioners and Officers entrusted, as by all others concerned therein, from the Twenty sixth day of this instant month of April, in the Twentieth year of Our reign, to be Ordered and Collected in such manner, and to be employed for such purposes, and to have continuance for such time only, as is limited and expressed in Our said Commissions, and the Articles and Instructions annexed to them, and no otherwise. And We do hereby require all Our Subjects whatsoever, within the limits of Our said Commissions respectively, to conform themselves thereunto; Letting them hereby know, that whatsoever is mentioned or specified in Our said Commissions, or the Articles annexed to them, touching the qualifying, determining, or utter abolishing of the said Excise for future times, shall on Our part be inviolably observed. And We do hereby straitly Charge and Command all Officers, Commanders and Souldiers of Our Armies and Garrisons, and likewise all Majors, Sheriffes, bailiffs, Constables, and other Officers whatsoever, within their several and respective limits, to be aiding and assisting, as occasion shall require, to Our Commissions, and the Substitutes, Deputies and Ministers to be nominated or appoynted by them by virtue of Our said Commissions, in the levying, collecting, and gathering of the said excise, according to the Tenor of Our said Commissions and Instructions annexed, as they will answer the contrary at their perils.  
Given at Our Court at Oxford, the 24th 24th day of April, in the Twentieth year of Our reign. 
 GOD SAVE THE KING.   

¶ Printed at Oxford, by Leonard Lichfield, Printer to the University, 1644.