ALthough we haue had proba­ble cause to haue thought, that now towards the end of xxxiij. yeeres, being the time wherein almighty God, hath continually preserued vs in a peaceable possession of our kingdomes, the former vio­lence and rigour of the malice of our enemies (spe­cially of the King of Spaine) woulde after his con­tinuance in seeking to trouble our estate, without any iust cause so many yeeres, haue waxed faint and decayed in him, and all others depending on him, and bene altered into some peaceable humor, meete to haue disposed him to liue in concord with vs, and other Christian Princes his neighbors, and by such good means to establish an vniuersal peace in Chri­stendome nowe by his warres onely, and no other­wise disturbed: yet to the contrary wee finde it, by [Page 2]his present mightie actions, so great as hee neuer before this time attempted the like. Whereby it so pleaseth the Almightie God of Hostes, (as wee are perswaded) to suffer the ruine or correction of such as will not be content to liue in peace with their owne: And to that ende, to permit the saide King now in this his declined yeeres meetest for peace, and when he ought to be satisfied, without seeking of more kingdomes, by violence and armes (seeing hee possesseth at this day, more Crownes, King­domes and Countries, and more earthly wealth then any of his progenitours, or any other Prince Christian euer had) nowe to beginue a most vniust and a dangerous warre for al Christendome against the present French King. As in like manner appea­red he meant two yeares past to haue doone the like against vs, by inuading of our Kingdomes, in the very time of a treatie of peace with vs. Whereof God gaue him and his whole army a iust cause of repentance.

1 And therefore seeing wee doe now manifestly vnderstand, that he hath of late (to fortifie these his strange violent attempts with some newe coulour) procured a Milanois a vassaile of his owne to bee ex­alted into the Papacie of Rome, and hath seduced him, without consent of the College of Cardinals to exhaust the treasures of the Church, and there­with to leuie forces in Italie (which had no sounde of warre in it these many yeeres) and in many other places, to be guyded by his Nephewe, and sent to inuade France, a kingdome that hath bene alwayes a maintainer of that Church in al their oppressions. And for that this warre, so generally, and mightily [Page 3]against France, concerneth our estate very greatly, and cannot but be directly very daungerous to our dominions: And that it is also knowen to vs, that by sundry meanes, besides the preparation of other great forces for the Seas, against our Crowne and Dominions, the same bee greater for this yeere to come, then euer hee had before. And for furthe­rance thereof, hath also lately by coulour of this his peculiar Popes authoritie, which he hath now hanging at his girdle, practised with certaine prin­cipall seditious heades, being vnnaturall Subiects of our Kingdome (but yet very base of birth) to ga­ther together with great labours vpon his charges, a multitude of dissolute yong men, who haue part­ly for lacke of liuing, partly for crimes committed, become Fugitiues, Rebelles, and Traitours, and for whome there are in Rome, and Spaine, and other places certaine receptacles made to liue in, and there to bee instructed in Schoole pointes of fedition, and from thence to bee secretely and by stealth conueyed into our Dominions, with ample authoritie from Rome, to mooue, stirre vp, and perswade as many of our Subiectes, as they dare deale withall, to renounce their naturall allegeance due to vs and our Crowne, and vpon hope by a Spanish Inuasion to bee enriched and endowed with the Possessions and Dignities of our other good Subiectes: For which purpose they do binde our Subiects (with whom they practise) by Othes, yea by Sacramentes to forsweare their naturall al­leageance to vs, and yeelde their obedience wyth all their powers to this King of Spaine and to assiste his forces. And for the more forcible attraction of [Page 4]these vnnaturall people (being weake of vnderstan­ding) to this their bend, these Seedemen of treason bring certaine Bulles from the Pope, some of In­dulgences pretending to promise Heauen to such as will yeelde: and some of cursinges, threatning damnation and Hell, to such as shall not yeelde to their perswasions. And though these manner of Popish attempts, haue bene of long time vsed, yet in some sort also they haue bene impeached, by di­rect execution of Lawes against such Traitours for meere treasons, and not for any pointes of Religi­on, as their fautours woulde coulour falsely their actions, which are most manifestly seene and heard at their arraignements, howe they are neither exe­cuted, condemned, nor endited, but for high Treasons, affirming, that amongest other things, they will take parte wyth anie armie sent by the Pope against vs and our Realme. And of this that none doe suffer death for matter of Religi­on, there is manifest proofe, in that a number of men of wealth in our Realme professing contra­ry Religion, are knowen not to bee impeached for the same, eyther in their liues, landes, or goods, or in their liberties, but onely by payment of a pecuniary summe, as a penaltie for the time that they doe refuse to come to Church, which is a most manifest course to falsifie the slaunderous speeches and Libelles of the Fugitiues abroade. Yet now it is certainely vnderstoode, that these heades of these dennes and receptacles, which are by the traitours called Seminaries, and Colledges of Iesuits, haue very lately assured the King of Spaine, that though heretofore he had no good successe with his great [Page 5]forces, against our Realme, yet if now he will once againe renewe his warre this next yeere, there shall bee found ready secretly within our Dominions, many thousands (as they make their accompt for their purpose) of able people that will bee ready to assist such power as he shall set on land, and by their vaunting, they doe tempt the King hereto, who o­therwise ought in wisedome, and by his late expe­rience conceiue no hope of any safe landing here: shewing to him in Spaine, by the speciall informa­tion of a Schooleman named Parsons, arrogating to himselfe the name of the King Catholikes Con­fessour, and to the Pope at Rome, by an other Scholler called Allen, now for his treasons honou­red with a Cardinalles Hatte, certayne skroles or beadrolles of names, of men dwelling in sundry partes of our Countries, as they haue imagined them, but specially in the maritimes, with assu­rance, that these their Seedmen named Seminaries, Priestes, and Iesuites are in the sundry partes of the Realme, secretly harboured, hauing a great part of them beene sent within these x. or xii. moneths, and shall bee ready to continue their reconciled people in their lewde constancie to serue their pur­pose both with their forces, and with their trayte­rous enterprises when the Spanish power shall be ready to land, vpon which their impudent asserti­ons to the Pope, and to the king of Spaine (though they knowe a great part thereof to bee false) they haue nowe very lately aduertised into diuers partes by their secret messengers, whereof some are also very lately taken, and haue confessed the same, that the King vpon their informations and requestes [Page 6]hath promised to imploy all his forces that he can, by sea this next yeere, to attempt once againe the inuasion of this Realme: Wherewith because some of his wisest Counsellers doubt that hee shall not preuaile, therefore hee is otherwise perswaded, that if that his purpose shall not take place here, yet the same may bee well employed against France or the Lowe Countries, or against some parte of Scotland, into which Realme there hath also some number of the like broode beene lately sent.

2 Wherefore considering that these the intenti­ons of the King of Spaine, are to vs in this sort made very manifest, And although we doubt not, but almightie God, the defender of all iust causes, will (as alway hitherto hee hath) make the same voyde: Yet it is our duetie as being the supreme Gouernor vnder his Almightie hand, to vse all such iust and reasonable meanes as are giuen to vs, and therewith to concurre or rather attend vpon his most gra­cious fauour by the helpe of our faythfull Sub­iectes, both to encrease our forces to the vtter­most of their powers, and by execution of Lawes, and by all other politike ordinaunces to impeach the foresayde practises of these seditions and trea­sons.

3 And before all other things, wee doe first re­quire of the Ecclesiasticall state, that the like dili­gence bee vsed by the godly Ministers of the Church, by their diligent teaching and example of life, to retaine our people stedfastly in the profession of the Gospell, and in their dueties to almightie God and vs, as it is seene a fewe Capitall heades of [Page 7]treasons are continually occupyed with their Se­minaries, in withdrawing of a multitude of igno­rants to their enchantments.

4 And secondly, for hauing of sufficient forces in readinesse by Sea, we hope by Gods goodnesse, and with the helpe of our good Subiects, to haue as great, or greater strength on the Seas then at any time we haue had, to withstand these puffed vaunts from Spaine: And for our forces by land, our trust is, that seeing we haue distributed our whole realme into seuerall charges of Lieutenancies, that they by themselues where they may bee personally present, and otherwise by their deputies and assistants of o­ther our Ministers, will now after the generall Mu­sters which haue ben by our speciall order lately ta­ken, consider of all things requisite to performe, and make perfect all defects that shall appeare ne­cessarie, to make all the bandes both of horsemen and footemen fully furnished with armour, wea­pons, and munition, and with all other things requi­site for their conduction to the places of seruice, & there also to continue as time shall require to de­fend their Countrey. And so we doe most earnest­ly require and charge all manner of our Subiectes, with their hands, purses, and aduises, yea all and eue­ry person of euery estate, with their prayers to God, to moue him to assist this so naturall, honourable, and profitable a seruice being onely for defence of their naturall countrey, their wiues, families, chil­dren, lands, goods, liberties, and their posterities a­gainst rauening strangers, wilfull destroyers of their Natiue countrey and monstrous traytours.

5 And lastly, to withstand and prouide speedy [Page 8]remedy against other fraudulent attempts of the Se­minaries, Iesuits, & Traitors, without the which (as it appeareth) the forces should not be now vsed, the same being wrought onely by falsehoode, by hypo­crisie, and by vnderminings of our good Subiectes vnder a false colour and face of holinesse, to make breaches in mens and womens consciences, and so to traine them to their treasons, and that with such a secrecie by the harboring of the saide traiterous messengers in obscure places, as without very dili­gent and continuall search to be made, and seuere orders executed, the same will remaine and spred it selfe as a secret infection of treasons in the bowels of our Realme, most dangerous, yea, most reprochfull to be suffered in any well ordered common weale: Therefore wee haue determined by aduise of our Counsel, to haue speedily certaine Commissioners, men of honesty, fidelitie, and good reputation to be appointed in euery Shire, Citie, and Port townes within our realm, to inquire by al good means what persons are by their behauiours or otherwise wor­thy to be suspected to be any such persons, as haue bene sent, or that are imployed in any such perswa­ding of our people or of any residing within our realm to treason, or to moue any to relinquish their allegeance to vs, or to acknowledge any kind of o­bedience to the Pope or to the King of Spaine, and also of other persons that haue bene thereto indu­ced, and that haue thereto yeelded. And further to proceede in the execution of such their Commis­sion as they shall bee more particularlie directed by instructions annexed to their saide Commissi­on.

6 And furthermore, because it is certainelie knowen and prooued by common experience, vp­on the apprehension of sundry of the sayde traite­rous persons sent into the Realme, that they doe come into the same by secret Creekes, and landing places, disguised, both in their names and persons: Some in apparell, as Souldiers, Mariners, or Mer­chants, pretending that they haue bene heretofore taken prisoners, and put into Gallies, and deliuered: Some come in as gentlemen with contrary names, in comely apparell, as though they had trauelled in­to forreine Countries for knowledge: And general­ly all, or the most part, as soone as they are crept in, are cloathed like Gentlemen in apparell, and many as gallants, yea in all colours, and wyth feathers, and such like disguising themselues, and many of them in their behauiour as Ruffians, farre off to be thought, or suspected to be Friars, Priestes, Iesuits, or Popish Schollers. And of these many do attempt to resorte into the Vniuersities and houses of Lawe from whence in former times they departed: ma­ny into seruices of Noble men, Ladies and Gentle­men, with such like fraudulent deuises to couer themselues from all apprehension, or suspicion: and yet in processe of time, they doe at length so insinuate themselues to get themselues credite wyth hypocrisies, as they infect both the Ma­sters and Families, and consequentlie aduen­ture also, yea secretly to vse their offices of Priest­hoode and reconcilements: Whereby all such as doe retaine them are woorthie to bee suspected, and may bee charged by Lawe to their great dan­ger.

7 For auoyding whereof, and eyther to disco­uer these venemous Vipers, or to chase them awaie out of the realme from the infecting of many more, We do order and straightly charge and command all maner of persons of what degree soeuer they bee without any exception, Spirituall, or Temporall, Nobleman, Gentleman, Lorde, Lady, Master or Mistresse, or owner whatsoeuer of any house, fami­lie, lodging, yea the very Officers of our owne hou­sholde, and Gouernours of any societies, to make a present, due, and particular Inquisition of all ma­ner of persons that haue bene admitted, or suffered to haue vsual resort, diet, lodging, residence in their houses, or in any place by their appointment, at any time within the space of one whole yeere now past, and ended at Michaelmas last: Or that from thence­foorth haue, or shall be admitted, or suffered so to resort, eate, lodge, reside or attend: And by such In­quisition and examination, to bee duely and parti­cularly informed of what condition and Countrey any such persō is, & by what kind of means he hath heretofore liued, & where he hath spēt his time for the space of one whole yeere before. And likewise to know whether he hath vsed, & doth vse to repaire to the Church at vsuall times to diuine seruice, ac­cording to the Lawes of the realme. And to cause those Inquisitions, with their answeres to be put in­to writing particularly, and the same to keepe in a maner of a Register or Kalender to be shewed when they shall be demaunded, that vpon cause of suspi­tion of any such person, the same may bee further tried by the Commissioners of those places, whe­ther the same persons so examined bee loyall Sub­iectes [Page 11]or no. And if any such shall be found vnwil­ling to answere to such Inquisition, or shal be found by his doubtful answere not likely to be an obedient Subiect, the same person shal be stayed by the hous­holder, or him that ought to haue examined him, and shal be sent to any of the Commissioners aboue mentioned next adioyning. And if any person ha­uing gouernement or commaundement ouer anie such seruaunt, or resiant, shall be founde not to haue performed the pointes of the foresaide Inquisition as is aboue limitted, the same shall be called to ap­peare before the saide Commissioners, or before our priuie Counsell, if the qualitie of the person shall so require, and shall be further vsed and orde­red for such default, as the saide Commissioners, or our Counsel shal haue iust cause to deale with such a person. And finally, wee doe admonishe and straightly charge and commaund all persons that haue had anie intelligence, with any such so sent or come from beyond the Seas to such purposes, to detect them to the Commissioners in that behalfe to bee assigned as aforesaide, within twentie dayes after the publication hereof, in the Shire, Towne, or Citie, or Porte, wythin the precinctes of the same Commission, vpon paine that the offenders therein, shall be punished as abettours and main­teiners of traytours. Wherein wee are resolutely determined to suffer no fauour to bee vsed for anie respect of any persons, qualities, or degrees, nor shall allowe, or suffer to be allowed any excuse of negligence for not detection, or for not due exa­minatiō of the qualities of such dangerous persons according to the order here afore prescribed, being [Page 12]no wise contrary, but agreeable to the most ancient laws and good vsages of our Realme, deuised for the good order of al maner of subiects in euery precinct of any Leete to be foorthcomming to answere for their behauior towards the dignitie of our Crowne, and the common peace of our Realme.

Giuen at our Mannour of Richmond the xviii. day of October, 1591. in this xxxiii. yeere of our raigne.

God saue the Queene.