WHEREAS by Our Letters Patents, bearing date the fifth day of March, in the second year of Our Reign, VVe were pleased to signifie Our Royal Pleasure, to all Our loving Subjects, on the behalf of the distressed French Protestants, in these words following; viz.

‘WHEREAS it is the highest Prerogative, and most desirable Advantage of Kings and Sovereign Princes, to have it in Their Power and VVill to do Acts of Publick Clemency and Beneficence; And since nothing makes Them more to resemble the Great God of Heaven, from whom only They derive Their Au­thority, than to imitate the Divine Goodness in the VVorks of Universal Mercy and Compassion: VVe being informed, that great Numbers of French Pro­testants have lately taken Refuge in this; and Our other Kingdoms, whereof divers being Persons of good Birth and Quality, having formerly lived in Plenty and Prosperity, are now reduced to extream VVants and Necessities; And many others that are bred up and well skilled in useful Crafts and Mysteries, are, by reason of their present Poverties and Distresses, utterly disabled, as yet, to exercise the same, either for the Support of themselves and their Families, or for the publick Benefit of this Our Kingdom: VVe have thought Our Selves obliged by the Laws of Christian Charity, and common Bonds of Humanity, to take their deplorable Condition into Our tender Care and Princely Compassion. And to this end VVe have resolved to receive into Our Gracious Prote­ction as many of them as shall live in entire Conformity and orderly Submission to Our Government. And belives other Testimonies of Our Royal Pity and Bounty towards them, VVe have condescended to Grant them these Our Letters Patents under Our Great Seal of England, to License and Authorise them to Ask and Receive the Alms and Charitable Contributions of all Our loving Subjects within Our Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed.’ VVhich Letters Patents so given and granted, were to continue in force one whole year from the date thereof, and no longer.

AND whereas since the expiration of the Term of the said Letters Patents, VVe have been informed, that although all the several Sums of Money which were Collected by Virtue thereof, have been faithfully expended and applyed to the Uses and Purposes within that Brief specified, and by that means a very conside­rable Number of those French Protestants have been put into a Condition of exercising the Arts and Mysteries they were skilled in, or otherwise providing for themselves and Families, without being any longer burthensom to any: Yet nevertheless a great many others, who are altogether uncapable of getting their own Livelyhood, are still under pressing Necessities, and as yet remain utterly unprovided for, (the Publick Stock of Charity upon which they subsisted now failing.) And not only so, but, as VVe are informed, great Numbers of distressed French Protestants have, since that time, come over into this Our Kingdom, and do still daily come over, so that, without the continuance of Our Royal Grace and Compassion, and the futher Supplies and Charitable Contributions of Our lo­ving Subjects, a great many of those miserable People must inevitably perish.

UPON these Considerations, and for the setting an Example to all Our Subjects of Kindness and Humanity to all Persons in Distress and Affliction, of what Perswasion soever, VVe have condescended to renew, and now again to grant, Our Letters Patents, under the Great Seal of England, to all these distressed French Protestants, without any distinction, in as full and ample manner as VVe did before; being very desirous that they should not only find all kind Reception here, but also that Benevolence and Charity which VVe doubt not all Our loving Subjects will, in a bountiful manner, contribute toward their present Relief and Comfort in this their Affliction.

KNOW YE THEREFORE, That of Our Especial Grace and Princely Compassion, VVe have Given and Granted, and by these Our Letters Patents under Our Great Seal of England, do Give and Grant unto the said distressed Protestants, and to their Agents, who shall be lawfully Authorized on their behalf, full Power, License and Authority, to Ask, Gather, Receive and Take (according to the Rules specified in these Presents) the Alms and Charitable Benevolence of all Our loving Subjects, not only Housholders, but Servants, Strangers and Others, within all and every the Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Towns Cor­porate, Priviledged Places, Parishes, Chapelries, Towns, Villages, Hamlets, and all other places whatsoever in Our Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed.

WHEREFORE VVe Require and Command all and singular the Archbishops and Bishops of all the Provinces and Diocesses within Our Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, (unto whose Paternal Care and Inspection VVe chiefly recommend the pursuit of these Our Letters Patents,) That they, and every of them, do give a particular Recommendation and Command to all the Parsons, Vicars and Curates of all and every the Parishes, and other places, as well within Liberties as without, within their respective Diocesses, for the Advancement of this so pious and charitable a VVork. And the said Parsons, Vicars and Curates, upon the first Lords-Day, or second at farthest, after that the true Copies of these Our Letters Patents shall be delivered to them, shall deliberately and affectionately publish and declare the Tenor of the same to all Our said loving Subjects; and earnestly persuade, exhort and stir them up, to contribute freely and chearfully towards the Relief of these distressed Christians, by such Motives and Inducements only as in these Our Letters Patents are contained. And the Churchwardens are also hereby required upon the VVeek-days next following the said Lords-Day, to go from House to House, to Ask and Receive from all the Parishioners, as well Masters, Mistresses and Servants, as others in their Families, their Christian and Charitable Contributions, and to take the Names in VVriting of all such as shall Contribute thereunto, and the Sum or Sums by them respectively given. And after such Collection made, they are, in the presence of the respective Inhabitants, on the next Lords-Day following, to subscribe the whole Sums upon the said Briefs, under their Hands, and also to enter them into Books of Accompts, for the said Parishes and Chapelries respectively, and the Places where, and the Times when, such Sums were Collected: And they are also to deliver the same to the said Parsons, Vicars and Curates respectively, and the said Parsons, Vicars and Curates are to send the said Moneys, to­gether with the said Briefs, unto their respective Archdeacons: Or if the Parish be exempt, to the Archdeacon within the compass of whose Archdeaconry the said Parish lies; And the said several Archdeacons into the Chamber of Our City of London, as herein after is declared and directed. And for the better performance of this so pious and charitable a VVork, the said Parsons, Vicars and Curates respectively are required (where conveniently they may) to accompany the Church­wardens in Asking and Receiving the Contributions, or procure some other of the chief of the Inhabitants in the said Parishes respectively to do the same.

AND Our futher VVill and Pleasure is, and VVe do hereby, for the better Advancement of these Our pious Intentions, VVill, Require and Command the Bishops, and all other Dignitaries of the Church, That they make their Contributions distinctly to be returned in the several Provinces to the respective Arch­bishops of the same. And also that all Our loving Subjects of this Kingdom, of what Dignity, Degree or Quality soever, may manifest their Zeal in so good a VVork, VVe do Recommend it to all Heads and Governors of Colleges and Halls in both Our Universities, and also to the Iudges and Officers of all and every Our respective Courts at Westminster, and the Professors of the Law, both Common and Civil, and to all Students of the several Inns of Court and Chan­cery, by their several Bodies and Societies, That they, and every of them, will Contribute their free and charitable Benevolence herein.

AND LASTLY, Our VVill and Pleasure is, That the Churchwardens of every Parish, where these Our Letters Patents shall be read, do Collect the Charity of each Parishioner in manner aforesaid, and do pay the same within ten days unto the Parson, Vicar or Curate of their respective Parishes, which said Parson, Vicar or Curate, shall, within ten days next after the Receipt of the said Money, make return thereof, together with the printed Briefs, to his respective Arch­deacon as aforesaid: And where there is no Incumbent, the Collector or Collectors shall pay the said Money to the respective Archdeacon: And that the Archdea­cons of the several Archdeaconries do likewise return the said Collections within twenty days next following into the Chamber of Our City of London: From whence VVe do hereby Authorise, Nominate and Appoint the most Reverend Father in God, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord of High Chancelor of Eng­land, the Lord President of Our Council, the Lord Privy Seal, the Duke of Ormond, the Duke of Beaufort, the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Huntington, the Earl of Peterborough, the Earl of Bridgwater, the Earl of Craven, the Earl of Berkley, the Earl of Nottingham, the Earl of Middleton, the Lord Vicount Fauconberge, the Right Reverend Fathers in God the Bishop of Durham, the Bishop of Winchester, the Bishop of Ely, the Bishop of Glocester, the Bishop of Rochester, and the Bishop of Peterborough; the Lord Preston, the Lord Dartmouth, the Lord Godolphin, the Chancelor of the Exchequer, the Lord Chief Iustice Wright, the Lord Chief Iustice Her­bert, the Lord Chief Baron Atkyns, Sir Job Charleton, Our Attorney General, and Our Sollicitor General, the Lord Mayor of London for the time being, Sir William Turner, Sir William Prichard, Sir Robert Geffery, Sir John Holt, Sir William Gostling, Sir Peter Vandeput, Sir John Mathews, Sir John Tate Recorder, Sir Jonathan Raymond, Sir Thomas Kensey, Sir William Ashurst, Sir John Bauden, Sir John Isles, Sir Bartholomew Shore, Sir Basil Firebrace, Sir John Parsons, Sir Thomas Fitch, John Jeffreys Esq Charles Duncombe Esq Alderman Kiffin, Alderman St. Amand, the Dean of St. Pauls, the Dean of Canterbury, the Dean of Norwich, the Dean of Pe­terborough, the Dean of Windsor, the Dean of Worcester, the Dean of St. Asaph, Dr. Jeffreys, Dr. Tenison, Dr. Sherlock, Dr. Scott, Dr. Dove, Dr. Cave, Dr. Horden, Sir Thomas Exton, Dr. Raines, Dr. Edisbury, Samuel Pepys, William Bridgman, and William Blaithwaite Esquires, and Thomas Firman Gent. and they, or any five or more of them, are to dispose and distribute the Money which shall be Collected by Virtue hereof, in such manner as may best answer those Ends for which these Letters Patents were intended. AND VVe do hereby Direct and Command, That the said several Archdeacons shall and do make Returns unto the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, of what Sums they have received, at the time when they shall pay the same into the Chamber of Our City of London: And that their respective Accompts be stared in VVords at length, and not in Figures only, and subscribed with their own Hands; Any Law, Statute, Act, Ordinance or Provision heretofore made to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding. IN WITNESS whereof, VVe have caused these Our Letters to be made Patents, and to continue for one whole Year from the Date hereof, and no longer. WITNESS Our Self at Westminster, the One and thirtieth day of January, in the third Year of Our Reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.