[210tl 22 July 1571—22 July 1572. ^B'»'\k^%Toy.

[ This page is entirely blank in the Original. ][The following Proclamation was issued at a most anxious time for the English government. The Rebellion In the

North under tlie Karls of NiiRTHrMBEKi.AND and \VEsT.vioiiEi.AND-~which had lasted from the Uth November to about the2l8t Deceml)er 156!1 -had been followed by JoH.s Fklto.n's hanging the Papal Bull of Excomniutiication on the gate of thaliishop of London's palace in Paul's Churchyard on the 25th May 1.WO (for which act Kelton himself was suteequentlyhanged kc. before the Bishoji's gate): and there had now been newly detected the Conspiracy in Norfolk, under JohnThroomorton, which undaunted by the grievous failure of the Sortheni attempt—had been planned to commence onMidsummer's Day at Ilarlestnn fair. So that there was no knowing as to where these conspiracies would end, or how manjmore ' simple folk ' wovUd die through fhem ; the victims of the Uondsh propagandism. In this Notification, we seem tosee the Privy Council striving to sound the darkest doptlia of treason, and we can hereby realize the perjjetual strain ontlieir minds, to Ix; erer on the watch for such relxilUous explosions as those they had lately witnessed. Most certainly wasthis a fierce hand-to-hanc! fight between the Crown and State of Kngland and the priest-king of Rome and his abettors.

In it open force (especially moral force) did at length vanquish - as it evor will in this country—secret treachery ; though,as Mr Froude has sliewn, the acti»j Protestant section carrying on the Government were less than one half of the nation.

This Proclamation also bears testinsony to the activity of the Romanist presses, both at home and on the Continent : andlikewise shows us what a deadly thing the mere possession of one of the books or tracts produced by them was

; at a timein which Sir George Bowes, as he him.5elf told John Stow, executed rebels in every market town between New-castle and Wethorby, that is, over a district 60 miles in length by 40 miles in breadth. .

1 SI proclamation inaSxc against ssctrittous awJr traiitcvotm

l$ooU($> '&i\\t% iwxti Mtvittnacs [on the Ist Snlo 1370][HE Queenes Maiestie being of late certeiily infourined of the trayterous boklnes of certen

wicked and seditious persons, that euuyiiii; and inaHcing the good vuiuersall quiet of this

her llealnie and subiectes, do by secrete niauer coutiiue and scatter certain infamous scrolles

and billes in some partes of her Reiihne, and into some other pai-tes bring in trayterous

bookes and Bulles, as it \vere from Home, tlierliy with vntruthes and falsehodes, yeawitli diuers monstrous absm'dities to the slaunder of tlie NobiUtie and Counsell of this

Reahiie, and not sparyng also in the same to vtter hygh Treasons agaynst the estate and Royal diguitie

of her Maiestie, to ingender in the lieades of the simple ignorauut multitude, a mislykyng or niurmuryngagaynst the quiet gouernemeut of the Realrae, and namely in malitious depi'auyng of such actions as are

and haue ben by good counsel prouidently deuised, necessarily attempted, and wel atcheeued by herMaiesties order, for defence not only of her Maiestie, but of the very hole body and people of the

Realme from the open fucie of Rebelles, and intended inuasions by outwarde enemies : liatli hereuponthought good and neces.sary to warne al her her good faithfull subiectes, that if any such tiajlieroas or

lewde and slanderous billes or bookes, in writing or in i)riiit, shall any wyse come to the handes of anyperson that can or may by readyng of any part of the same, finde the same to be of suche lewde qualities

agaynst her Maiestie, or the Nobilitie of the Uealme, or any of lior Cjuusell, or tending to the slaunder

of any other publike estate and officer : that immedia'tly without shewyug or report or speechetherof to any person, he shall bring and deliuer it to the liaudes of the Lieuetenaunt of the same Shire,

or to his Deputie. Or if in case the same Lieuetenaunt or his Deputie shalbe so farre of, as the finder for

pouertie or other necessary impediment cannot speedily resort to them therwith : Then the sayde fyndershall without makyug any other ])riuie tliereto, bring it to tlie ne.xt lustice of peace, or head Officer that

can reatie : who being infourmed therof, shal examine the fynder of the maner and other circimistaunces,

to his discretion necessary, how the .same was founde : And thereupon shall seale it vp close, with theexamination of the fyndei', if any person be tliereby chargeable, and shall sonde it immediatly to herMaiestie, and her Counsell, without geuyng knowledge of the contentes thereof to any other maner [of]

jierson : And shall also vpou the examination of the fynder, do his vttermost by his owne aiicthoritie, or byaduertising to any other hauyng aucthoritie in the same Shire or libertie, or otherwyse, to cause to beapprehended all the persons charged or suspected as aucthours, or any wyse participantes of thesayd slaunderous and seditious billes, bookes, or scrolles, to the intent the same i)ersons so charged or

suspected may be further tryed and ordered, with such seueritie as their desertes shall require.

And furthermore, if any maner of writing or scrolles shal happen in any suspitious maner to come to thehandes of any perse m, the same l)eyng not able by readyng to disceme what the same is. not knowyns'who the person is by whom he shall attayne to it : The sayde person so beyng igiioraunt of readyng, siiall

foorthwith shewe the same to some honest di.screte Otlicei', nearest to the place, that can reade it. Whofyndyng it to be any wyse seditious or .slaunderous, shall foorthwith caiy it and the brynger also, anddeliuer them both in lyke maner to the Lieuetenaunt of the Shire, or other OtHcer, in lyke maner as if hehad ben the first fyndei- therof hyni selfe.

And if any person can by any uieanes discouer who are the aucthours or writers, counsellers, or

couueyei's of any sucli trayteious or slaunderous bylles, bookes, or writinges, that alredy hath ben or

shalbe hereafter dis])erse(l ; the same so doyng in such sort as it may come to the knowledge of her

Maiastie, or her Counsell, shalbe st) largely rewarded, as duiyug his or their lyues they shall haueiust cause to thinke them selues well vsed. And if he haue ben any wy.se a partener in the same faulte,

and yet wyll discouer the principal aucthours or ofl'endors therin : he .shall not onely be fauourably

l>ardoned tor his concealement or offence, but shall also be so well rewarded, as he shall neuer hauecause to repent of his discouei-ie. And if cause shall so ie<piire, both such discouerers shalbe preserued

from the note of blame of accusing, as farre foorth as may be any wayes deuised.

And contrarywise, if any person after the jiublication hereof, shalbe proued to haue found or ben madepriuie to any suche slaunderous Bookes, or Writinges, and not to haue vsed them as afore is prescribed ;

(Continued on opposite page.)

I. 452

[ H."T7y. i^se«»- 22 Julj 1571—22 July 1572. '

211 ]

[ This page is entirely blank in the Original. ]Or that any person, other then suche Officers as are in inaner afore expressed and appoynted to receauesuche scrolles of the fynders, shalbe made priuie thereto by the Fynders, or by any otlier person, andshall not disclose their knowledge in maner aboue expressed, as yf they had ben the fyrst fynders : HerMaiestie willeth it to be vnderstand, that all suche persons so concealing the same, shall vpon proofetherof, be attached and committed closely to the nexte Gaole, as concealers and mayneteyners of seditionand tiimultes, and shall not be bayled nor deliuered, without expresse coniniaundement or knowledge ofthe Lieuetenauntes of the Shires, or the Queenes Maiestie, or her priuie Couusell.

And for the suppressing of these kindes of seedes of Treason and Sedition : Her Maiestie chargeth allher Lieuetenauntes and Officers, to whom the execution hereof may any wise appertayne, to be ready,careful], and diligent to the apprehending of these kinde of wicked sowers of sedition, and to the straightexamination of all persons that may be any wise suspected by their disordered hues or speeches, or by anyother probable meanes, to be parteners hereto, or otherwise sowers of seditious Tales, with such seueritieas the same requireth : For so is it scene very necessary at this time. Wherein appeareth a raalitious,hidden, and cankred purpose of some wycked number of lewde people, that haue an inwarde and greedydesyre to styrre vp tuinultes and vprores, and violently to burst a sunder the bandes of the publike peacewhiche the Realme enioyeth, whereby they and theyr like confederates miglit make spoyle and hauooke ofall the good Subiectes of the Realme, and as Traytours make tlieir gayue by conspiring and confederatingwith forreyn enemies, to the hazard, or at the least to the great charges of the Realme, to be necessarilysusteyned for the defence of the same, agaynste suche attemptes, evther at home, or from abrode.

Geuen at her Maiesties manor of Otelande the fyrst day of July. 1570. in the twelfth yere of herMaiesties raigne. God sane the Queene.

Y^ Imprinted at London in Powles Clmrchyarde,by Richarde lugge and J^okn Caioood, Printers to fhe Queenes Maiestie.

Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis. ]

[The following Proclamation i.s a necLar.ation of the Queen's thankfulness to God and her loving trust in her people ;

with a general warning to her ' simple folk ' lest they should be beguiled iii future.

B^ the iBttteene*>-^ % jJvoirlamattou atjaMUist mai»tttci>ncv!5 of dctrtttou$

))cr$on$> anSJ of tvaotcvotm tjooftcs antr tudttngcs^^jHE Queenes Maiestie consydering with her selfe, howe it hath pleased ahnightie God at this

present to conserue her Realme in an vniuersall good peace, and her subiectes in a constantobedience vnto her Maiestie, notwithstandyng the suntby secrete malitious sollicitations ofcertayne fugitiues and rebelles, beyng Hed, and nowe remaynyng out of the Realme, bytheir seditious mes.sages and false reportes sent into the same, tendyng to prouoke others tobe paitakers of their malitious treasons : Can not but first geue the due thankes and prayse

therof to almi^htie God, and therwith connnende both the loyaltie of her good subiectes for theirobedience, and allowe of this their vniuersall constaucie in the coiiseruation of them selues together withinthe baude of common peace. And furthermore also to geue admonition and warnyng, siiecially to thesimple sort of her good louyng subiectes, that they be no wyse abused with the wicked practises of tlie

sayd fugitiues and rebelles, by any their adherentes secretly remayning or repayring into the Realme, andwandring in comers, mouyng good subiectes to be disobedient to the lawes, and scattering false rumoisand newes, both by speache, and by bookes and wrytinges, onely of intent to breake tlie common peace ofthe same, and tfi procure more partners with them in their treasons and rebellions. And therfore herjMaiestie chargeth and conmiauncleth all maner [of] her good subiectes, to be eaniestly ware hereof, and toemploy their vttermo.st diligence in the ajiprehention of such .secret perswadors of disobedience, andhreakyng of lawes, and of the sowers and stin-ers of sedition, and specially of such as do or shall bringinto this Realme aiiy seditious bookes, wrytinges, or such lyke trayterous deuises agaynst the lawes orgouernment of the Realme, or any wyse preiudicial to the royal states of her Maiestie. And if anyslialbe founde wyllingly to ayde or comfort any such seditious persons in their sayd malitious attemptes, orshal receaue and keiie, or conceale any inaner of such seditious bookes, wrytinges or bulles, in print orwritten, and shal not presently discouer the said persons, and procure them to be apprehended, nor causethe .said kynde of writinges to be spedyly jiresented to the superiour officers, as hath ben by Proclamationlately la.st ordered and deuised : her Maiestie geueth it to vnderstande, that then al and euery such persons(( offending after this admonition, shalbe taken, reputed, and punisheil, as aliettors and maynteynors ofthe principall Traytors that were auctliors of the same : Meanyng in this behalfe, consydering this playneadmoniti^in, not to be hereafter luoued to snare the execution of such ott'endors, vpon jiretence or allega-tion of simplicitie or ignorance, to excuse tlicir defautes.

Geuen at our honour of Hampton Court the. xiiii. of Nouember. 1570. the twelfth yere of ourraigne. God naue the Queeiie /

y-^ Imprinted at Ijondon in Powles Clnu-ehyardehij Richarde lugge and lohn Cawood Printers to the Queenes Maiestie.

Cum priuilegio Regiie Maiestatis,

The above arc reprinted from the GreuviUe Collection of ProdohtutitMif, pp. ia:i, n4, and 1;J7, in the IJritish MuBeum.]

I. 453