❧ By the Queene.
A Proclamation against vagarant Souldiers and others.

THE Queenes most excellent Maiesty being giuen to vnderstand, that what through the remisnesse and negligence of the Iustices of peace, and other the inferior officers, and the contempt of vagarant and ill disposed persons, and others pretending to haue serued her Highnesse in the warres, there hath not followed that due execution of the proclamantion lately made concerning such persons, as was by her Highnesse expected: Her Maiesty therfore, hearing of the great outrages that haue bene, and are daily committed by Soul­diers, Mariners, and others that pretend to haue serued as Souldiers, vpon her High­nesse good and louing subiects, hath thought meet to authorise & appoint as well the Pro­uost marshall of the seuerall Counties, as also the Right marshall of her Highnes owne [...]holde, to proceed to the punishment of such vagarant and ill disposed persons as shalbe found to offend against this [...]t Proclamation now published, by marshall Law. And although her Maiesty might in due course of pollicy cause the said Marshall, & other the Prouost marshals aboue mentioned, to proceed out of hand to the punishment of the trans­ [...]ss [...]rs of the late Proclamation, vrged by theyr outrages to take that course: yet her Highnesse of her gracious & prince­ [...] disposition hath thought meete, that the said persons shall receiue before the execution thereof, a second admonition. And therefore hath ordered, and doth heereby signifie, that all Souldiers, Mariners, Maisterlesse men, and other vaga­rant persons whatsoeuer, shall within two dayes after the publishing of this proclamation, repaire to the next Corporate [...], or Iustice of the peace (where they shalbe at the time of the publishing of the said proclamation) and shall require of them a Pasport to repayre into their Countrey. And in case that after the two dayes expyred after publication of this Pro­clamation, any of the said persons shall be found without his Pasport, or shall not according to the tenour of his or their [...]asport repayre to the place where such person was borne or last resident, according to the statute in that behalfe ordai­ned: that then the said party shall be apprehended and executed by the said Knight marshall or Prouost marshall, and that within the Counties, or Cities where the said person shall be so apprehended, according to such direction as shall be giuen by warrant from her Maiesty, in that behalfe to be made. And her Maiesty commandeth that the Maiors, and other principall officers Corporate townes, and the Iustice of peace in the seuerall Counties, shall vpon the repayre vnto them of any the said Souldiers, Mariners, vagarant persons, and Masterlesse men, deliuer vnto them Pasports contei­ning a limitation of time for their repaire of ye place where they were borne or last resident, according to the said statute, al­ [...]ing vnto those that shalbe found sound of theyr limmes, after the rate of xii. miles by the day agreeable to the distance of the place vnto which they shalbe so directed, with permission to require the beneuolence of good people for their reliefe by the way. And to others that are impotent or maimed, such a rate of miles by the day, as by the said Maiors & Iustices in theyr discretion shalbe thought meet, & that within theyr Pasports, the notable Townes & thorowfares for theyr passings be expressed, from which if they swarue, then such persons to be punished according to the purport of this Proclamation.

And wheras her Maiestie is also giuen to vnderstand, that heretofore the masters of such persons as haue bene prested [...] her highnesse seruice, haue refused vpon the returne of the sayd persons, to receiue them into their seruice, being able to serue: whereby diuers of the saide persons haue bene enforced for lacke of reliefe, being not set a worke, to goe vp and [...]ne begging, contrary to the Lawes and statutes of this realme: Her Maiesties pleasure is, that the sayde Maiors, principall Officers of corporate townes, and Iustices shall take order that the sayd masters, with whome the sayd persons haue last serued, shall receiue them againe into their seruice, and vpon refusall thereof, commit them to prison, or other­wise punish them, as in their discretions shalbe thought meete. And her highnesse further pleasure and expresse comman­dement is, that the sayd Maiors, and principall Officers in Corporate Townes, & the sayd Iustices in the seuerall coun­ties, shall take order, that such as are impotent persons, repayring to the places and parishes of their last residencie, shall receiue some weekly reliefe eyther in the sayde parish, or for want of abilitie in that parish, then by some contribution of the parishes adioyning, as by the statute is prouided. And that in case any of the said maiors, officers in Corporate townes, [...] Iustices of peace of the seuerall Counties, shall deale remissely in the execution of this present proclamation, as hereto­fore they haue done in the execution of other like proclamations: Her highnesse pleasure is, that the sayde persons so offen­ding, shable called before the Lords and other of the Maiesties priuie Counsell in the Starrechamber, and that then vp­on information to be giuen by her Maiesties Atturney generall, or other her learned Counsell for the time being, of their defaults in this behalfe, the sayde offences being duely prooued, they by order of that Court shall not onely be punished by [...]ine and imprisonment, but also disinhabled euer afterwards to beare any publique offices within this Realme.

Giuen at our Manour of Richmond, the xiii. day of Nouember. In the one and thirtieth yeere of our raigne.

God saue the Queene.

❧ Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queenes most exellent Maiestie. Anno 1589.

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