THe continuall new Buildings, and addition and increaſe of Buildings in and neere about the City of London is growen to that exceſſe, and doeth draw together ſuch an ouerflow of people, ſpecially of the meaner ſort, as can hardly be either ſed and ſuſteined, or preſerued in health or gouerned, which doth not onely threaten, but hath already bred & brought forth at diuers times dearth of Victuals, infection of Plague, and minifold diſorders, which his Maieſtie in his Royall wiſedome before this time foreſeeing, hath ſince his happy comming to the Crowne, by two ſeueral Proclamations, The one in the ſecond yeere of his highneſſe Raigne concerning building with Bricke, the other in the fift yere of his Raigne cōcerning building vpon New foundations, (wherein neuertheleſſe the former ordinance touching Bricke buildings is continued) ſought to giue remedy and prouiſion for the ſame; But ſuch hath bene & is the couetous deſire of gaine & priuate benefit ariſing of ſuch Buildings, ioyned with a neglect of Iuſtices & Officers in executing his Maieſties ſaid Proclamations, as many perſons haue preſumed & aduentured to offend againſt them, both to the continuance and increaſe of the former euils and inconueniences, and to the maniſeſt ill example of contempt and diſobedience in a caſe ſo notorious, and in the view of the whole kingdome: His Maieſtie neuertheleſſe not forgetting (though vpon ſo iuſt cauſe of indignation) his accuſtomed clemencie, hath thought good to make a difference between the offenders and their caſes, and for ſuch as haue offended in not building with Bricke, in as much as the offenders were in great multitude, and might haue ſome colour of neceſſity, or pretended impoſſibility, though vniuſtly, as themſelues muſt needs confeſſe, if they looke abroad, & ſee what is done in other well polliced Cities of Europe, His highneſſe gaue order that after ſome exemplar cenſure of a few Offenders by ſentence in the Star-chamber, the reſidue ſhould be admitted to compoſition, according to his Maieſties Commiſſion of grace for that purpoſe granted, wherein his Maieſties expreſſe pleaſure was, That the Fines ſhould be ſo milde and moderate as might make the Offenders themſelues ſenſible of his Maieſties Ienitie & gracious diſpoſition, and might make all others perceiue, That it was not his Maieſties profit that was ſought, but onely the repreſſing of the inconuenience, and the preſeruing of the authority of his Maieſties Royall commandements for the publique good, from contempt. But for the ſecond for of offenders, which haue erected new foundations where no Buildings were before, which had no maner of circumſtance to extenuate their offence, but many to aggrauate the ſame, being againſt a Proclamation ſo lately publiſhed, and ſo ſtraitly penned, & immediatly after a ſeucre ſentence in the Star-chamber, his Maieſtie hath directed that all ſuch Offenders, (the number of which cannot be many being within the compaſſe of one yere) ſhalbe proceeded within in the Star-chamber. But as his Maieſtie doth not thinke fit to admit at all to grace that kind of Offenders, ſo his Highneſſe doth publiſh and declare, That for the other point of Bricke building, no man do hereafter expect any the like fauour of Compoſition, as his Maieſtie was pleaſed onely at this time for the auoyding of rigor and extremitie to grant & extend: But his Maieſties wil and pleaſure is, That his ſaid ordinance be hereafter ſtraitly obſerued, and mainteined, and the offenders againſt the ſame with all ſeueritie puniſhed. And to the end to remoue & take away all colour of pretended neceſſity in that point, His Maieſtie is graciouſly pleaſed that his former Proclamations be explained & qualified in maner and forme following, That is to ſay, That if any perſon that ſhall hereafter erect any building vpon ad old foundation within the precincts limitted in the Proclamation publiſhed in the fift yeere of his Highneſſe raigne, ſhal make it appeare, That either the quantitie of the ground whereupon the old Foundation ſtandeth, is of too ſmal a proportion to receiue a Bricke building, or that the houſe is ſituate in ſo obſcure or meane a Lane of Alley, as is not fit for ſuch a Building, or that the trade of ſuch perſon as intendeth ſuch building, is the trade of a retayling ſhopkeeper, & of ſuch a nature as his ſhop and building cannot with any conuenience be built with Bricke, and thereupon ſhall obtaine certificate vnder the hands of the Lord Maior, the Recorder, and the Alderman of the Ward, if the building be within the City or the Liberties thereof, and vnder the hands of two Iuſtices of the Peace, whereof one to be of the Quorum, if it be out of the City and Liberties, And ſhall further vpon the ſaid Certificate, procure a Licence vnder the hands of any foure of his Maieſties Priuie Councell, whereof the Lord Chancellour, Lord Treaſourer, Lord priuie Scale, and Chancellour of the Exchequer for the time being, to be two in allowance of the ſame, That in ſuch caſe ſuch perſon ſo building, ſhall not be deemed and taken for an offender againſt his Maieſties Proclamations, any thing in the ſaid Proclamations, or either of them to the contrary hereof in any wiſe notwithſtanding.