WHEREAS by our Letters Patents bearing date the seauen and Twentieth day of March, in the Sixteenth yeare of our Raigne of England, &c. vpon a Certificate vnder the handes of our trusty and welbelo­ued Subiects Sir Edmond Bowyer, Sir Nicholas Carew, Sir Thomas Grimes, Sir Thomas Muschampe, Sir Francis Clarke, Sir George Paule, and Sir Iohn Howland Knights, Iustices of the Peace within our County of Surrey, wee did giue and grant vnto our poore distressed Subiect Abraham Lambart of Woodside us the Parish of Croydon in our foresaid County, full power, licence and Authority, to aske, gather, receiue and take the Almes & charitable beneuolence of all our louing Sobiects within our County of Surrey and certaine other Counties, for and in respect of his great losses su­stained by Fire amounting to the value of Three hundred pounds, to the vtter vndoing of our said poore Subiect, his Wife and sixe small Children, which Letters Patents are now determined and out of Date. Now forasmuch as it hath since appeared vnto vs by the humble supplication and petition of our said poore Subiect Abraham Lambart being also confirmed by Affidauit, that our said poore Subiect by rea­son of the hurt and lamenesse which happened vnto him by the said Fire, whereby be could not trauell himselfe about his Collection, as al­so by the negligence & deceipt of such as he put in trust he receiued little benefit by the said collection (as wée graciously intended he should) whereby he is fallen into greater misery then before, being impotent and not able to labour for his liuing, nor to sustaine his charge of Wife and Children, and also much indebted and behind hand, and in dayly danger of imprisonment, in consideration whereof he hath most humbly besought vs that wee would be further pleased to renew our said Letters Patents for some other places, for him to séeke some re­liefe to preserue him and his from perishing, whose miserable & poore estate we much pitty▪ & haue thought good to commend the same vnto the charitable consideration of all our louing and weldisposed Subiects within certaine Counties hereafter mentioned, not doubting but that all good Christians well weighing the vncertainty of mans estate through these ineuitable accidents, will be ready and willing as feeling members one of anothers misery, to extend their charitable contributions towards the reliefe and Comfort of their distressed bro­ther in this his great necessity, none knowing how soone nor whose chance may next happen into the like Calamity.

KNOW yee therefore, that of Our especiall Grace and Princely compassion, Wee haue giuen & granted, and by these our Letters Patents doe giue and grant, vnto our said poore Subiect Abraham Lambart, and to his Deputy & Deputies, the bearers or bearers hereof, full power, licence, and Authority, to aske, gather, receiue and take the Almes and charitable beneuolence of all our louing Subiects whatsoeuer, Inhabiting within our Counties of Oxford, Buckingham, Hartford, Essex, Cambridge, Lincolne, Northampton, and War­wicke, with our Citty and Vniuersity of Oxford, and in our Citties of Lincolne, Peterborough and Couentrey, with our Vniuersity of Cambridge, and Isle of Ely, And in all other Citties, Townes Corporate, Priuiledged places, Parishes, Villages, and in all other places whatsoeuer within our said Counties and not else where, for and towards the spéedy reliefe and maintenance of our said po0re Subiect his Wife and Children.

WHEREFORE Wée will and Command you and euery of you, that at such time and times as the said Abraham Lambart, or his Deputy or Deputies, the bearer or bearers hereof, shall come and repaire to any your Churches, Chappels, or other places, to aske and receiue the gratuities & charitable benenolence of our said Subiects, quietly to permit & suffer them so to doe, without any manner your lets or contradictions. And you the said Parsons, Vicars, & Curats, for the better stirring vp of a charitable deuotion, deliberately to pub­lish and declare the Tenor of these our Letters Patents vnto our said Subiects vpon some Sabaoth day, when as the same shall be ten­dered vnto you. Exhorting and perswading them to extend their liberall contributions in so good and charitable a déede. And you the Churchwardens of euery Parish, where such Collection is to be made (as aforesaid) to Collect & gather the Almes and charitable bene­uolence of all our louing Subiects, aswell Strangers as others, And what shal be by you so gathered, to deliuer it to the bearer or bearers of these our Letters Patents, and to no other person, when as thereunto you shall be required. And lastly, whereas we are informed of the great abuse which is now crept in amongst these poore people, who sell their Lycences vnto some other person, whereby mens charity goeth not the right way but vnto such as deserue it least. That from henceforth our will and pleasure is, that if it may appeare vnto [...] or any of you that the said Abraham Lambart hath contracted any bargain, or made or shall make sale of these our Letters Patents, where­by the benefit should passe from him to any other person, That thereupon these our Letters Patents shall be voide and of none effect. Any Statute, Law, Ordinance, or Prouision heretofore made to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

IN witnesse whereof, Wée haue caused these our Letters to be made Patents for the space of One whole yere next after the date hereof to endure.