THE spreading of the Infection in our Citie of London, and in the places next about it, doeth giue vs iust cause to be as prouident as a carefull Prince can bee, to take away all occasion of increasing the same. And if such directions as We gaue, and our Councell, at our first approching to the Citie, had bene obeyed, it is like that (with Gods fauour) the Sickenesse had neither growen to that height, nor spread so farre as now it is. But that hauing bene o­mitted by the negligence of such whom it most concerned to haue had it performed, The same care of our peoples welfare, mooueth vs as much as we may, to prouide for the time to come. And forasmuch as there are at hand two notable Faires, vn­to which there is vsually extraordinary resort out of all parts of the Kingdome, one in Smithfield neere our City of London, commonly called Bartlemew Faire, and the other neere Cambridge commonly called Sturbridge Faire, which if they should be held at the vsual times, would in all likelyhood be the occasion both of the increase, and of dispersing of the Contagion into all the parts of our Realme: We haue thought good by open declaration of our pleasure, not onely to admonish, and to require all our louing Subiects, to forbeare to resort at this time to any of the said two Faires, of Bartlemew neere London, and of Sturbridge, but also to enioyne to the Lords of the said Faires, and others interessed therein, and of al other Faires within fiftie miles of our City of London, that they shall not holde the saide Faires, nor any thing appertayning to them, at the times accustomed, nor any time till they shall be licensed by Vs, vpon paine of such punishment, as for a contempt so much concerning the vniuersall safetie of our people, they shalbe adiudged to deserue, Which they shall be assured that Wee will cause to be inflicted vpon them with all seueritie. For such is our desire to preuent an vni­uersall Contagion among our people, which this Infection threatneth, as We will not spare any one who shalbe cause of dispersing such an euil among them. And we do further charge and enioyne vnder like penaltie, to all Citizens and inhabitants of our City of London, that none of them shall repaire to any Faires held within any part of this Realme, vntill it shall please God to cease the Infection now reigning amongst them.

Giuen at our Honour of Hampton Court the viij. day of August, in the first yeere of our Reigne of England, France and Ireland, and of Scotland, the seuen and thirtieth.

God saue the King.