IAMES, By the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, & Ireland, De • nder of the Faith, &c. To all and ſinguler Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Archdeacons, Deanes, and their Officials: Parſons, Vicars, Curats, and to all ſpirituall perſons: And alſo to al Iuſtices of Peace, Maiors, Sheriffes, Bayliffes, Conſtables, Churchwardens, & Headboroughes: And to all Officers of Citties, Boroughes, and Townes corporate: And to all other our Officers, Miniſters, and Subiects whatſoeuer they bee, aſwell within Liberties, as without, to whom theſe preſents ſhall come, greeting.

WHEREAS wee are credibly certified by a Certificate vnder the hands of our truſ • y and welbeloued Subiects Sir Fulke Grevill Knight, Chancellor of our Exchequer, Sir Thomas Leigh, ſir Edward Deuereux, and ſir Thomas Holt Knights & Baronets, ſir Edward Greuill, ſir Clement Fiſher, ſir Clement Throgmorton, ſir Richard Verney, ſir Thomas Lucy, ſir Henry Dymocke, ſir William Someruill, ſir Thomas Bea •• on, and ſir Henry Rainsford Knights, Thomas Spencer, Edward Boughton, Bartholomew Hales, Iohn Repington, William Combe, and William Barnes Eſquiors, Iuſtices of the Peace within our Counties of Warwicke & Glouceſter: That vpon Saterday the Nynth day of Iuly in the yeare of our Lord God, One Thouſand Sixe Hundred and Fourteene, there happened a ſodaine and te •• ible Fire within our Towne of Stratford vpon Avon within our County of Warwicke, which within the ſpace of leſſe then two howres conſumed & burnt Fifty & Fower dwelling houſes, many of them being very faire houſes, beſides Barnes, Stables, & other howſes of Office, together alſo with great ſtore of Corne, Hay, Straw, Wood, & Timber therin, Amounting in all to the value of Eight Thowſand Pounds & vpwards The force of which Fier was ſo great (the wind ſitting ful vpon the Towne) that it diſperſed into ſo many places thereof, whereby the whole Towne was in very great danger to haue beene vtterly conſumed and burnt; by reaſon whereof, and of two ſeuerall Fiers happening in the ſaid Towne within theſe Twenty yeares, to the loſſe of Twenty Thouſand Pounds more, not onely our ſaid poore Subiects who haue now ſuſtained this great loſſe, are vtterly vndoone and like to periſh, but alſo the reſt of the Towne is in great hazard to be ouerthrowne & vndoone, the Inhabitants there beeing no waies able to relieue their diſtreſſed neighbors in this their great want & miſery. AND wheras the ſaid Towne hath béen a great Market Towne whereunto great recourſe of people was made, by reaſon of the w • kely Market, Faires, and other frequent meetings, which were there holden and appointed, and now being thus ruinated & decayed, it is in great hazard to beé vtterly ouerthrowne, if either the reſort thither be neglected, or courſe of trauellers diuerted, which for want of ſpéedy reparation may bee occaſioned. And foraſmuch as our ſayd diſtreſſed Subiects the Inhabitants of the ſaid Towne are very ready & willing to the vttermoſt of their powers to réedifie & new build the ſay Towne againe, Yet finding the performance therof far beyond their abilty, they haue made their humble ſuite vnto vs, that we would be pleaſed to prouide ſome conuenient meanes that the ſaid Towne may be againe réedified & repayred aſwell for the reliefe of the diſtreſſed people within the ſame, as alſo for the reſtoring and continuing of the ſayd Market, and haue humbly beſought Vs to commend the ſame good & laudable déed and the charitable furtherance thereof, to the beneuolence of all our louing Subiects, not doubting but that all good and wel-diſpoſed Chriſtians will for common charity and loue to their Country, and the rather for our Commendation heerof, be ready with all willingnes to extend their charitable reliefe towards the comfort of ſo many diſtreſſed people and the ſpeedy performing of ſo good and charitable a worke.

KNOWE yee therefore, that wee (tendering the lamentable eſtate and leſſes of our ſayd diſtreſſed Inhabitants, together with the humble ſuit of all our foreſaid Iuſtices made vnto Vs on their behalfes) Of our eſpeciall Grace and Princely compaſſion, haue giuen & granted, and by theſe our • etters Patents doe giue and graunt vnto our foreſaid truſty & welbeloued Subiects, Sir Richard Verney, ſir Henry Rainsford Knights, Bartholomew Hales Eſquior, and the Bayliffe & Burgeſſes of the ſayd Towne of Stratford vpon Avon, and to their Deputie & Deputies, the bearer or bearers hereof, full power, licence and authority, to aske, gather receiue, & take the Almes & charitable beneuolence of all our louing Subiects whatſoeuer Inhabiting within our Counties of Kent, Surr • y, Suſſex, Southampton, Wiltes, Devon, Dorſet, Somerſet, & Cornwal, with our Citti • e of Canterbury, Rocheſter, & the Cinque Ports, and in our Citties of Chicheſter, & Wincheſter, with the Iſle of Wight, and Towne of Southampton, & in our Citties of Salisburie, Exeter, Briſtow, Bath, & Wels, with our Towne & County of Poole in our County of Dorſet: And in all other Cities, Townes Corporate, priuiledged places, Pariſhes, Villages, and in all other places whatſoeuer within our ſaid Counties, and not elſe where, for & towards the new building, reedifying & erecting of the ſaid Towne of Stratford vpon Avon, & the reliefe of al ſuch our poore diſtreſſed ſubiects, their Wiues & Children, as haue ſuſtained loſſe & decay by the miſfortune of the ſaid Fire.

WHEREFORE wee wil & command you, and euery of you, that at ſuch time and times as the ſayd Sir Richard Verney, ſir Henry Rainsford, Bartholomew Hales, the Bayliffe & Burgeſſes aforeſaid or any of them, or their Deputie or Deputies, the bearer or bearers héerof, ſhall come & repaire to any your Churches, Chappels, or other places to aske, and receiue the gratuities & charitable beneuolence of our ſaid Subiects, quietly to permit & ſuffer them ſo to do, without any manner your lets, or contradictions. And you the ſaid Parſons, Vicars, and Curats, for the better ſtirring by of a charitable deuotion, deliberately to publiſh and declare the Tenor of theſe our Letters Patents vnto our ſaid Subiects, Exhorting and perſwading them to extend their liberall contributions in ſo good & charitable a deede. And you the Churchwardens of euery Pariſh where ſuch Collection is to bee made (as aforeſaid) to collect and gather the Almes and charitable beneuolence of all our louing Subiects, And what ſhall bée by you ſo gathered, to endorſe on the Backe-ſide heerof, and deliuer the ſame to the bearer or bearers heereof, when as therevnto you ſhall be required. Any Statute, Lawe, Ordinance, or prouiſion héertofore made to the contrary in any wiſe notwithſtanding.

IN witneſſe wherof, wée haue cauſed theſe our Letters to be made Patents for the ſpace of One whole yeare next after the date héerof to endure. Witneſſe our ſelfe at Weſtminſter the Eleauenth day of May, in the Fourteenth yeere of our R •• gne of England, Fraunce, and Ireland • and of Scotland, the Nyne and Fortieth.