WHereas in default of the speedy, due, and effectual execution of the many good Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances heretofore made and published, against Vnlicen­sed, Seditious, and Scandalous Books and Pamphlets; divers evil-minded persons, and of malicious, insolent and restless Spirits, [Page 108] have assumed to themselves, and do continu­ally take upon them a licencious boldness, to Write, Print, Publish, and Disperse several Dangerous, Vnwarrantable, Seditious, Blasphemous, and Scandalous Pamphlets, Books and Papers, to the high Dishonor of Almighty God, the endangering of the Peace of this Commonwealth, the violation of all good Order and Government, and in manifest Contempt and Scorn of the Government and Laws of the Land; Which We having taken into Our Consideration, do hold Our selves obliged to provide Remedy to the aforesaid Evils: And therefore (having Confidence of the Care, Diligence, Discretion, and good Affection of you, John Barkstead Esq Lieute­nant of Our Tower of London, John Dethick Alderman of Our City of London, and George Foxcroft, to Vs, the present Government, and Peace and Welfare of this Commonwealth) We have thought fit, (as We hereby do) to intrust, and commit unto you, joyntly and se­verally, the Execution of these Orders and Directions, touching the Premises, with the several Powers and Authorities hereafter mentioned, as well for the punishment of such Offenders, as the timely preventing and sup­pressing of all Seditious, Blasphemous, and other Libellous Pamphlets, Books, and Papers whatsoever. And for your better and more effectual proceeding therein, Our Will and Pleasure is, And We do hereby Au­thorise, and straitly Charge and Command you carefully to observe these Orders, Rules, and Directions following:

• [Page 509]I. That without delay you diligently search and inquire concerning the Printing-houses, Presses, and Master-Printers, as well for the certain number of them, as also for the names of the Master-Printers, and of the names and number of Servants, Work-men, and Appren­tices, each Master Printer hath or shall here­after retain, and how many Presses each Ma­ster-Printer hath, within Our Cities of Lon­don, and Westminster, and Borrough of South­wark, or the Liberties, Suburbs, or the Pre­cincts thereof, and of what fame, quality, conversation, or condition every such Master-Printer is, and how he, and his Servants, and Work-men stand affected to the present Government; And that you make Certifi­cate of all the premises unto Vs, or Our Council within eight and twenty daies after your Receipt hereof.
• II. That you carefully inform your selves what person or persons (not having a lawful license in that bealf) do take upon them to print, or use, or put in practice, or cause to be used or put in practise the Art or Mystery of Print­ing, or do use or employ, by themselves or o­thers, any Printing-Press, Rolling-Press, or other Instrument for Printing, in any, and what place or part of this Common-wealth. And where any such shall be found, That [Page 110] you cause all their Printing-Letters and Ma­terials for Printing to be immediatly defaced, and the Offendors prosecuted, for recovery of the forfeitures, summes of money, and penalties by them incurred in this behalf, and cause them to be otherwise punished according to the Laws and Statutes of the Land in such cases made and provided.
• III. That you also inform your selves whether the Printers and other persons in Our City of London, and Liberties therof, or elsewhere, who keep Printing-Houses, or are owners of Printing-Presses, Rolling-Presses, or other Instruments for Printing, have entred into Bonds respectively with two sufficient sure­ties, according to the purport and direction of the Act of Parliament, Intituled, An Act a­gainst unlicensed and scandalous Books and Pamph­lets, and for better regulating of Printing; And in case they have entred into such Bonds ac­cordingly: Then whether they have, since that time offended; or shall hereafter offend in any of the premises or particulars mentio­ned in the said Act of Parliament: or broken the conditions of those respective Bonds, to the end, you may in like manner prosecute them, and their sureties in Our name for recovery of the penalties in the several obli­gations mentioned, and by them forfeited by the said conditions broken, and otherwise ac­cording to Law and their respective deme­rits.
• [Page 111] IV. That you take especial Care and see, That no person or persons presume to Print, Re­print, or Publish, or cause to be Printed, Re­printed, or Published, any Pamphlets, Books of News, Occurrences, or other such like Papers whatsoever, unless he, or they shall be hereafter thereunto lawfully Authorized by Command from Vs, or Our Council, or unless such Newes, Occurrences or such like Papers be Licenced by such as shall be ap­pointed thereto by Vs or Our Council. And whosoever shall offend in the premises, shall be proceeded against by you, according to the Laws established against unlicensed and scandalous Pamphlets for such their con­tempt and disobedience in the premisses.
• V. And further, Our will and pleasure is, And more particularly We do hereby require, Au­thorise, and Command you, for the better execution of the premises, That you put in speedy and effectual execution in all things not hereby altered or otherwise directed, the Ordinance of the Lords and Commons As­sembled in Parliament, of Septem. 1647. In­tituled, An Ordinance against unlicensed or scan­dalous Pamphlets, and for the better Regulating of Printing, As also one other Ordinance of the Lords and Commons in Parliament, of the 14. of June 1643. for Regulating of Print­ing, and suppressing the great abuses and fre­quent disorders therein, and the Act of the Common-Council of Our City of London, [Page 512] bearing date the ninth of October, 1643. pro­hibiting all persons whatsoever from crying or putting to sale about the streets within the said City of London, and Liberties thereof, any Pamphlets, Books, or Papers whatso­ever, by way of hawking, and for punishment of the Offendours therein; And if any per­son or persons hath or have heretofore offen­ded, or hereafter shall offend in the premises, or shall abet and countenance the same, con­trary to the said Acts or Ordinances, or any other Act or Ordinance now in force, We do hereby Will, Authorise, and Command you, that immediately you repair to the place or places where they are or shall be abiding, aswel within Liberties as without, and to apprehend, and arrest, or cause to be arested the bodies of them, and every of them so of­rending, and their Complices and Abettors, and to cause them to be sent in safe and secure Custody unto Bride-well, And to cause all such corporal and pecuniary punishments to be speedily and impartially inflicted on such of the Offendors in the premises, and the pe­nalties duly levied for their several offences, as therein and thereby are mentioned and provided; And We will they shall not be thence discharged until they shall have made full payment and satisfaction, and received the said punishment accordingly. And the Governors of Bride-well, are hereby requi­red to see such Offendors as shall be sent to them punished according to the Law. And you are hereby also Authorised and requi­red from time to time to make diligent search in all places where you shall [Page 113] think meet for all Printing Presses, any way employed in Printing such scandalous, sedi­tious, and unlicensed Papers, Pamphlets, Books, or Ballads whatsoever, and to seise, and carry away such Printing-Presses and Letters, with the Nut, Spindle, and other Materials of every such irregular Printer, which you shall finde so mis-employed, unto the Stationers Hall in our said City of Lon­don, there to be defaced, and made unservice­able, according to the said Acts and Or­dinances of Parliament in that behalf: As also to make diligent search and inquiry in all suspected Printing-Houses, Ware-houses, Shops, and other places whatsoever, for such unlicensed Books, Papers, Sheet or Sheets of News whatsoever, as is herein before directed; And the same to detein and keep, to be disposed of as We or Our Coun­cil shall think fit; And in case of any opposi­tion or resistance in the premises; We hereby Authorise and require you, to break open all or any locks or doors, and to apprehend all and every person and persons whom you shall finde so opposing or resisting, to convent or cause to be brought before the Lord Mayor of Our City of London, or any other of Our Iu­stices of Peace to be examined and proceeded against according to the Law. And all Our Iustices of Peace, Mayors, Sheriffs, Bai­liffs, Constables, Head-Boroughs, and all and every other Our Officers, and Mini­sters of Iustice both Civil and Military, and other persons whatsoever, are hereby requi­red [Page 114] and commanded to be aiding, and assist­ing unto you, or your Deputies, in the exe­cution of the premisses, as they and every of them will answer the contrary at their utmost perils. And We do hereby give you full power and authority to assign, depute, and employ any fit and discreet persons un­der you by writing under your hands and seals, for the better execution of these Or­ders and Directions, and to reward prose­cutors (allowance whereof shall be made unto you by the Council) and do all and every such other thing and things as are meet and requisite to the effectual performance of this Our service, so much conducing to the pre­servation of the publique peace: For all which, these presents shall be a sufficient War­rant and discharge in this behalf.

Given at White-Hall the eight and twentieth day of August, 1655.