❧ By the Queene.
¶ The Queenes Maiesties Proclamation for staying of all vnlawfull assemblies in and about the Citie of London, and for Orders to punish the same.
THe Queenes Maiestie being infourmed of sundry great disorders committed in and about her Citie of London, by vnlawfull great assemblies of multitudes of a popular sort of base condition, whereof some are Prentises and seruants to Artificers, and to such like as are not able or not disposed to rule their seruants as they ought to doe, And some attempting to rescue out of the handes of publique Officers such as haue bene lawfully arrested, whereby her Maiesties peace hath bene of late notably violated and broken, to the dishonour of her Maiesties gouernment, and chiefly for lacke of due correction in time of such manifest offenders by the Officers of her Citie and others in the places round and about her Citie: For reformation whereof, her Maiestie hath had conference with her Counsell, of the most ready meanes both for punishment of such offences already committed, and for stay of the like. And to that purpose doeth most straitly charge all her Officers both in the Citie, and in places neere to the Citie, in the Counties of Middlesex, Kent, Surrey and Essex, that haue authoritie to preserue the Peace, and to punish the offenders of the Peace, That they do more diligently, to the best of their powers, see to the suppression of all offenders against the Peace, And especially of all vnlawfull assemblies, vpon paine to be not onely remooued from their Offices, but to be also punished as persons maintayning or rather comforting such offenders. And because these late vnlawful assemblies and rowtes are compounded of sundry sorts of base people, some knowen Prentises, such as are of base Manual occupation, and some others wandring idle persons of condition of Rogues and vagabonds, and some colouring their wandring by the name of Souldiers returned from the warres: Therefore her Maiestie hath for better direction to her Officers of Iustice, and for the inquisition and knowledge of all such kinde of persons, so either vnlawflully gathering themselues in companies or wandring about like Vagabonds, without any knowen maner of honest liuing, notified her pleasure to her Counsell, to prescribe certaine Orders to be published in and about the saide Citie, which she will haue straitly obserued. And for that purpose meaneth to haue a Prouost Marshall with sufficient authoritie to apprehend all such as shall not be readily reformed & corrected by the ordinary Officers of Iustice, and them without delay to execute vpon the gallowes, by order of Martiall lawe. And these her Maiesties commandements, She willeth to be duely obserued, vpon paine of her indignation.
Giuen at her Maiesties Mannour of Greenewich the fourth day of Iuly 1595. in the seuen and thirtieth yeere of her Highnesse raigne.
God saue the Queene.