WHEREAS several persons of wicked and restless Spirits have industriously gone about to spread false News, and to promote malicious Slanders and Calumnies, with an intention to raise Divisions amongst His Majesties Good and Loyal Subjects of this Kingdom. And whereas We the Lord Deputy and Council, in order to suppress these unlawful and malici­ous practices, have by a late Proclamation forewarned, and strictly Commanded all His Ma­jesties Subjects, that they should not presume by writing or speaking, to utter or publish any such false News or Reports, thereby declaring that such as should offend therein, should be Prosecuted according to the utmost Rigor of the Law. And though We have caused the said Proclamation to be published in all the parts of this Kingdom, and so might have justly Expected a full Compliance thereunto from all His Majesties Subjects, yet such is the perverse humour and continuing malice of some restless spirits, that in contempt of Our said Proclamation, and of the known Laws of this Realm, they make it their constant practice by Writing & Speaking, to Publish and spread False News and Reports, and their Iniquity have so far prevailed upon them, that they have raised a most scandalous, impious, and false Calumny and Re­port, as if His Majesty's Protestant Subjects here were to be Massacred by His Majesties Roman Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom; Which Report was so Industriously improved, as that not only an Account thereof was sent into England and several there perswaded that a Massacre was actually [...] upon many of His Majesties Protestant Subjects; but that several persons in this City, either out of fear and apprehension, or out of some evil Design to disturb the Peace, have met and assembled together at an un­seasonable time of the night, in a riotous and warlike manner to the great Terror of His Majesties people; and of the other hand, several other persons endowed with the same spirit, have maliciously and scanda­lously given out, as if His Majesties Roman-Catholick Subjects here were to be killed and Massacred by His Majesties Protestant Subjects of this Realm. All which Contrivances are set on foot in this time of Invasion by Factious and Rebellious Spirits, with an intention to prejudice His Majesties Affairs by rai­sing and fomenting Animosities between His Majesties People.

We the Lord Deputy and Council in order to obviate the intended Designs of such malitious Contri­vances and unjust practices do hereby Recommend Earnestly to all His Majesties Subjects of this King­dom, of what perswasion soever they be in point of Religion, to rest assured of his Majesties Protection without the least apprehension: And that as the Government for the time past hath taken effectual care for preserving his Majesties Peace within his Realm in so for the time to come will take the like care to pre­serve and Protest all His Majesties Subjects within this Kingdom without any distinction, in their per­sons, Liberty and Properties while they continue steddy and firm in their Duty and Allegiance to His Majesty, And do further in His Majesties behalf conjure all His Majesties Subjects of this Kingdom, to lay aside all manner of Animosities and Jelousies and Cheerfully to Unite together in the defence of His Majesty and their Country against all Forreign Invasion, and to look upon the spreaders of those malitious reports to be Enemies to their King and Country, And we do further strictly Charge and com­mand all His Majesties Subjects of this Realm, that they presume not henceforth to meet at unseasonable times with fire Arms in great numbers, or in a tumultuous manner to the Terror of His Majesties People, as they shall answer the same at their peril, We being resolved to take such measurs for the preservation of the Peace of this Kingdom as shall be thought needful upon such occasion: And we do also strictly Com­mand that the said former Proclamation against the spreaders of false News and Reports be put in due Execution against all Offenders in that Kind according to the utmost Rigor of the Law, And we do here­by will and require all and every his Majesties Judges and Justices of the Peace, and all other his Ma­jesties Magistrats and Ministers in their several Stations, that they take special care to have the Laws put in due Execution against all such as have Offended or shall hereafter Offend in the matters aforesaid.