WHereas diuers bookes made or translated by certayne the Queenes Maiesties subiects, for the more part remayning on the other side of the sea, without lawfull licence, contay­ning sundry matters repugnaunt to trueth, derogatorie to the soueraigne estate of her Maiestie, and stirring and nou­rishing sedition in this Realme, are commonly in secret sort here dispearsed by malicious persons among sundry her Maiesties subiects, to thintent to drawe them to errour, and withdraw them sediciously from their dueties and al­legiance due to her Maiestie, as their onely soueraigne. For redresse hereof, like as of late tyme some mylde example hath ben made in the starre chaumber at Westminster, in correc­tion of certayne persons found faultie in the secret dispearūng, buying, & allowing of sun­dry of the sayde seditious bookes: So her Maiestie meaning of her clemencie, neither to haue any aduantage taken for things herein already past, nor any her honest and quiet sub­iectes to be entangled with the like hereafter for lacke of admonition in due tyme: willeth and earnestly chargeth all manner of persons, to forbeare vtterly from the vse or dealing with any such seditious bookes, made or translated by any person, contayning matter de­rogatorie to the Soueraigne estate of her Maiestie, or impugning the orders and rites esta­blished by the lawe for Christian religion and deuine seruice within this Realme, or other­wyse stirring and nourishing matter tending to sedition: and that such as alredy haue a­ny of the sayde bookes, shall present, or cause to be presented the sayde bookes, within twentie and eyght dayes after the publishing of this proclamation, to the byshop of the di­ocesse, or ordinarie of the place, and to receaue of him a testimoniall of the tyme of the deli­uery thereof: and without expresse licence in wryting of the sayde byshop or ordinary, or some archbyshop, or other byshop of the Realme, not to kepe or reade any seditious bookes, vpon paine of her Maiesties grieuous indignation, and to be punished seuerely, as the qua­litte and circumstaunces of the offence shall require and deserue.

Gyuen at her Maiesties pallaice of Westminster, the first day of March. 1568. the eleuenth yeere of her Maiesties raigne.

God saue the Queene.