A Coppy of certain Inſtructions which Was ſent to the Deputy Lieutenants, Sheriffes, Majors, Bailiffes, Juſtices of the Peace, Headboroughs, and petty Conſtables, &c. for the puniſhing of divers miſdemea­nours, and the diligent ſearching of all Recuſants houſes, for Ammunition, or other warilke Inſtruments in this time of imminent danger; with divers other particulars, as followeth.

• 1. FIrſt, whereas you are appointed to heare end, and determine betweene partie and partie, that you doe equall right betweene poore and rich, the particu­lars are left unto your ſelves as they happen in your Precincts, but ſince you are commanded to heare, end, and determine the Cauſes of the people, that you ſo heare and Order, that they may have no cauſe to complaine, ei­ther for deniall, or delay of Juſtice.
• Secondly, whereas you are appointed to heare the tri­alls of offendors, wee will ſay little, for that the part of Juſtice moveth in a frame; and if all Officers under you did their parts, ſo ſhall ye walke in ſo ſtreight a path, that you would find it very hard to tread awry. Therefore you had need to heede them narrowly, leaſt they pervert Juſtice, looke to the corruptions of Sheriffes, and their Deputies, the partialitie of Jurors, the bearing and ſiding with men of countenance, and power in the Countrie; when you meete with any ſuch proceedings, you ought to be ſevere and exemplarie againſt them, otherwiſe Juſtice and Truth ſhall be over-borne, however in your own per­ſons you beare your ſelves with never ſo much uptight­neſſe.
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• 3. Thirdly, that you afford as much time as may bee for the finall determination of theſe buſineſſes that are moſt generall, and moſt concerne the generall and pub­lique good of this Kingdome, you are to account them as the neighbour matters of the Law, and therefore you are to take them into your prime and chiefe cure and cogita­tion.
  • 1. Now amongſt theſe things I ſhall commend unto you (in that firſt place) the preſenting and convicting of Recuſants, for as it concerneth Religion, ſo it hath relati­on to His Majeſties profits, which are two great motives, to which you may adde a third, becauſe the King hath ma­ny yeares ſince aſſigned thoſe forfeitures to the politique defence.
  • 2. The ſecond thing you are required, that you make a ſtrict inquiry of Incloſures, a crying ſinne, which bar­reth God of his honour, and the King of His ſubjects, you have already given in charge to enquire, but to little effect, becauſe they are commonly done by the greateſt perſons, that keepeth the Iurors under and in awe, and that is the cauſe there is no more preſented and brought in queſtion, howſoever you, charge and inquiry touching this point, have not taken effect worthy our care, and your paines; ne­vertheleſſe we will you not to ceaſe, but enquire on ſtill, for it is our reſolution againſt all oppoſition, to make all men ſee that we have a cure of this over-ſpreading evill.

  • 3. The third thing that we mention unto you, is the re­ctifying & reforming the abuſe of Ale houſes, and Tipling houſes, that none be enabled, to ſet up, or eitherto continue without licence, There are a kind of people that doe take upon them Licenſes, Recognizances, or Lawes, or what you will, and who have been a great deale the worſe,5 becauſe they ſee great a multitude tollerated that have no Licenſe. And therefore we charge and command that none be permitted, unleſſe they be licenſed, and thoſe but few, and in fit places.

    We ſee that by falſhood of meaſure and unjuſt prizes have drawne more from the gueſt then out of the Ale and Beere of the Sizes of Holland, we meane, that the Cuſtome of Sizes of Ale and Beere in Holland, doe not mount to ſo much as the cozenage of Ale in England, we leave this to your care, that they ſwarme not by default of Juſtice.

  • 4. The fourth thing we commend unto you, is the pu­niſhment of Vacabonds and Wanderers, which the Law hath appointed hands enough to do this worke, the Con­ſtable, Headborow, tithing-men, & the reſt of the Inferior Officers, and the Watchmen, who may do all with a par­ticular Warrant from the Iuſtices of the Peace, and the Iuſtices of the Peace are bound to call to account and pu­niſh them for their neglect, if this were done as it ought to be, we are aſſured that thoſe looſe people that wander up and downe would quickly be gone, and the Lawes bet­ter obſerved for many yeeres after.
  • 5. The fifth thing, That the Houſe of Correction had need be looked unto, and that the Houſe of Correction be placed neere unto the Goale, and not idle perſons, but the priſoners of the Goale might be made to eat the labour of their owne hands, as it hath been formerly, which we deſire may be effected as ſoone may be.
  • 6. The ſixth thing you are to looke unto, is the binding forth of Apprentices, thoſe whom the Parents are not able to maintain them, ſometimes the Maſter refuſeth them, and thoſe that bind them are negligent, but all theſe muſt be over-ruled, and made to ſmart for their oppoſition.
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  • 7. We have but one thing more to give you in charge; and it is a thing of great weight and importance. It con­cerneth the Honour of His Majeſty, and His Kingdome, and the ſafety of both, Chriſtendome is full of Warre, and there is nothing but rumors of warre, if the warres abroad do make us ſtand upon our guard, how much care ought we to have to prevent a civill War at home, which is now preſent, occaſioned through the Prelaticall and-Popiſh Clergy amongſt us; therefore in theſe doubt­full times, it is neceſſary that the land forces of the King­dome ſhould be ſet in order and readineſſe, and a Fleet at Sea to prevent forraigne invaſions, The dominion of the Sea, as it is an ancient and undoubted right of the Crown of England, ſo it is the ſecurity of the Land, for it is im­pregnable, ſo long as the Sea is well guarded, Therfore out of all queſtion, it is a thing of abſolute neceſſity, that the guard of the Sea be exactly looked unto, And thoſe Sub­jects, whoſe mindes are moſt fixed upon the Honour of the King and Countrey, will with no patience indure to thinke of it. That this Dominion of the Sea which is ſo great an honour, ſhould be either loſt or diminiſhed; be­ſides the ſafeties ſake, the Dominion of the Sea is to be kept, and the Sea guarded, Therefore We have found it expedient to ſet to Sea, that Fleete that is now upon the ſea, and that it is but reaſonable; that we ſhould all putour helping hands to ſecure both Sea & Land, by a powerfull reſiſtance, that forraigne Nations may ſee that England is both ableand ready to keepe it ſelfe, and all its mights.

This is the ſubſtance of all that We deſire might bee looked into; There are many things elſe that concern the publique, but your judgements are well knowne in them, ſo we will trouble you no further, but leave them to your grave conſiderations.