At the General Quarter-Sessions of the public Peace holden for the County of Hertford, on the Fourteenth and Sixteenth dayes of July, in the year of our Lord, One thousand six hundred fifty and six.  
Herts. ss.  
IT is Ordered by this Court, That whatsoever Officer shall, according to Law, apprehended any Rogues or Vagabonds, and deliver him, her or them to the Officer of the next Parish, to be conveyed to the place of his, her, or their birth or abode( as the case shall require) shall have two shillings paid unto him for every such Rogue or Vagabond, by such Officer to whom they shall be so delivered: And that every such Officer so paying the said two shillings, shall receive the like sum of two shillings, of and from the next Officer to whom the said Rogue or Vagabond shall be so delivered; and so from Officer to Officer, unto the last Officer of the place of the Confines of this County, such payment of two shillings shall be paid, upon the conveying and delivering over of every such Rogue or Vagabond. To which last Officer shall be allowed his disbursements therein, from the High-Constable of that Hundred or Division( or by Order of the next Sessions, at the determination of the time wherein he shall so serve in the said Office; He the said Constable or Officer producing unto the next Justice of the Peace, a Receipt under the hand of such Officer to whom he paid the same, upon delivery of such Rogues and Vagabonds; The said Receipt being allowed under the hand of the said Justice.) And in case any other person, not being an Officer, shall apprehended any Rogues or Vagrants, and bring him, her, or them to the Constable or Officer of the place where they were so apprehended, to be punished, and conveyed away; Such Constable and other Officer shall in like manner pay unto such persons the sum of two shillings, for every such Rogue or Vagabond. And every such Constable or Officer, upon the performance of his duty in the correction and conveyance of such Rogues or Vagrants as aforesaid, shall be in like manner reimbursed by the next Constables to whom the same shall be so conveyed: And that the last Constable or Officer upon the Confines of this County, shall be reimbursed by the High-Constables of that Hundred or Division as aforesaid; and they the said High-Constables to be reimbursed by Order of this Court. And it is by this Court declared, That a man, his wife and children, being taken begging together, are, and shall be accounted, deemed and taken, but as and for one Rogue: And that such Officer or person aforesaid, shall receive for them onely one two shillings: And it is intended, That such two shillings shall be paid unto any Officer or other person, for Rogues being taken begging within the said County wherein is their place of abode, if he shall carry them before some Justice of the Peace son the County; and after their conviction, shall carry them to the house of Correction, or otherwise to dispose of them, by order of some Justice or Justices. And in case any of the Officers aforesaid shall refuse or neglect to do their duties in this behalf; Then on complaint thereof to be made by such person or Officer who shall be grieved thereby, unto any Justice of the Peace of this County, the said Justice of Peace is desired to bind such persons in a recognisance, to appear at the next General-Sessions of the public Peace to be holden for this County; that such Officer so refusing or neglecting his duty, may be there proceeded against according to Law for his contempt therein. And it is further Ordered by this Court, That a convenient number of Copies of this Order be forthwith Printed; and that the Copies shall be soon afterwards sent to the Justices of the public Peace of each several Division of this County, by the Clerk of the Peace of the said County. And the said Justices are desired to call together the Constables, Headboroughs, and Churchwardens of the several Parishes within their respective Divisions, and to acquaint them with this Order, and to give the same in charge unto them for their observance thereof in all things accordingly. And to the end all Officers, Ministers, and others, who are herein concerned, may the better understand their duties, and know the penalties that they shall incur for their negligences therein, It is thought fit, That the said Justices of the Peace within their said Divisions, shall disperse abroad amongst the Constables and Head boroughs, a Paper signifying what persons are by the Laws and Statutes adjudged Rogues; with the Penalties imposed upon each of the said Officers, for his neglect in the not performance of their duties, that they may not pretend ignorance thereof, when they come to be punished for the same. And all Ministers of this County, are hereby desired to read this Order in their several Parishes, Churches or chapels, upon the next Lords-day after the receipt thereof, before the Morning-Sermon, that so it may be the more effectually executed. And that it may be understood what persons are and shall be deemed Rogues; Therefore this Court declareth, That the persons here-under mentioned( being above the age of seven years) are adjudged Rogues by the Laws of this Nation; That is to say,  
All persons calling themselves Scholars, going about begging; All Seafaring-men, pretending losses of their ships or goods on the Sea, going about the Country begging, having no Testimonials under the hand or hands of any Justice or Justices of the Peace, limiting the time for his journey expiring; All idle persons going about the Country, begging, or using any subtle craft, or unlawful Games, plays, or feigning themselves to have knowledge in physiognomy, palmistry, or other like crafty Sciences, pretending that they can tell Destinies, Fortunes, or such other fantastical Imaginations; All persons that be, or utter themselves to be Proctors, Procurors, Patent-gatherers, or Collectors for Gaols, Prisons, or Hospitals; All Fencers, Bear-wards, common Players of Interludes, and Minstrels, wandring abroad; All jugglers, Tinkers, peddlers, Petty Chapmen, wandring abroad, and Ballad-singers; All wandring persons and Common Labourers, being persons able in body, using loitering, and refusing to work for such reasonable wages as is taxed, or commonly given in such parts, where such persons do or shall happen to dwell or abide, not having living otherwise to maintain themselves; All persons delivered out of Gaols, that beg for their Fees, or otherwise do travail begging, pretending losses by fire, or otherwise; All persons, not being Felons, pretending themselves to be Egyptians, or wandring in the form, habit or attire of Counterfeit-Egyptians; And all such persons as wander up and down in the Country to sell Glasses, Are all and every of them adjudged, deemed and taken as Rogues and Vagabonds. And also all such other persons as are by the Laws of this Commonwealth declared to be Rogues.  

The Penalties by Law to be imposed upon such persons as shall neglect their duties in apprehending and passing of Rogues.  
1. That the Minister of the place where a Rogue is passed, shall Register the Testimonial, signifying the day and place of his punishment, in a Book to be kept for that purpose; upon pain of forfeiture of five shillings for every default.  
2. That if a Constable or Headborough be negligent in his duty herein, in apprehending and punishing of Rogues, he forfeits every default twenty shillings; and if he doth not convey them to the place of their birth or dwelling, as the case doth require, he forfeits five pounds.  
3. That if any man rescue or hinder the execution of the Law herein made, he doth forfeit five pounds, and is to be bound to his Good Behaviour.  
4. That every person that seeth or knoweth a Rogue to beg, and doth not convey him, or cause him to be conveyed to the next Constable or Headborough, doth for every such default forfeit ten shillings.  
5. That the Constables and Headboroughs having Warrants directed to them, for privy searches for Rogues, and neglecting to give an account in writing upon Oath, and under the hand of the Minister of the Parish( to the Justices of Peace at their next meeting, of such Rogues as they have passed and conveyed since the last meeting of the said Justices) is to incur what Fine the said Justices shall be pleased to set upon them, not exceeding forty shillings.   
By the Court. Examined by Edw. hid, Clerk of the Peace.