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<DATE>2007-11-02</DATE>
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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B071014.apex.</ITEM>
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<STC T="W">C7138</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">43663261</BIBNO>
<VID>172008</VID>
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<DIV1 TYPE="proclamation">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 4 -->
<HEAD TYPE="illustration"><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>blazon or coat of arms</FIGDESC>
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<HEAD>&leaf; By the Protector. A PROCLAMATION Commanding a &s;peedy and due Execution of the Lavvs made again&s;t the abominable &s;ins of Drunkenne&s;s, profane Swearing and Cur&s;ing, Adultery, Fornication, and other acts of uncleanne&s;&s;e; For ob&s;erving the As&s;ize of Bread, Ale, and Fewel; and touching Weights, and Mea&s;ures; For &s;etting the Poor on Work, and providing for the impotent and aged poor, and puni&s;hing Rogues and Vagabonds, ta|king Accounts of Church-Wardens and Over&s;eers of the Poor; and again&s;t di&s;turbing of publick Preachers, and profanation of the Lords day.</HEAD>
<P>_WHereas many good and whole&s;ome Laws have been made and provided for the good Government of the people of this Commonwealth, and for the &s;uppre&s;|&s;ing and preventing of many &s;ins, di&s;orders, abu&s;es and deceipts, tending to the di&s;honour of God, the &s;candal of Religion, and the prejudice and great wrong of the People. But for want of zeal and care in the Officers and Mi|ni&s;ters of Iu&s;tice, to who&s;e Tru&s;t the execution thereof hath been committed, there hath not been that due ob&s;ervation of tho&s;e Laws, and the puni&s;hment inflicted upon the Offenders, as is thereby provided, by rea&s;on whereof &s;uch ill di&s;po&s;ed per&s;ons have been hardned in their evil waies, and others the more bold and encourag+ed to commit the like offences in hope of impunity: Hi Highne&s;s the Lord Protector de&s;iring (ac+cording to the Tru&s;t repo&s;ed in Him for the publique Weal of the&s;e Nations) to u&s;e His utmo&s;t Power, That the Laws be duly executed, Iu&s;tice admini&s;tred, Abu&s;es puni&s;hed, and the good and welfare of the People by all good ways and means procured and pre&s;erved, Hath by the Ad|vice of His Council, thought fit to Recommend the &s;ame unto the Iudges, and other Officers and Mini&s;ters of Iu&s;tice, unto whom the due execution of the Law and Iu&s;tice is committed; And doth therefore hereby Will and Require all the Iu&s;tices of A&s;&s;izes in their &s;everal Circuits, to give in Charge, and to take e&s;pecial Care, that the Laws be duly executed, and particularly &s;uch Laws as are in force, for the better &s;uppre&s;&s;ing and preventing the abominable Sins of Drun|kenne&s;s, Prophane Swearing and Cur&s;ing, Adultery, Fornication, and the like Vncleanne&s;s; the Laws and Statutes made touching the A&s;&s;ize of Bread and Ale, the A&s;&s;ize of Fewel, touch|ing Weights and Mea&s;ures, for Setting the Poor on work, the Providing for &s;uch as by rea&s;on of age or impotency are not able to maintain them&s;elves; for puni&s;hment of Rogues, Vagabonds calling them&s;elves <HI>Egyptians,</HI> and other Vagabonds or &s;turdy Beggers, and preventing the increa&s;e of them, and duly taking Accompts of Churchwardens and Over&s;eers of the Poor, for puni&s;h|ment of &s;uch as &s;hall di&s;turb publique Preachers and Mini&s;ters in their publique Exerci&s;es, and &s;uch as &s;hall prophane the Lords-Day: And His Highne&s;s, by the Advice of His Council, Doth &s;traitly Charge and Command all Majors, Iu&s;tices of the Peace, Bayliffs, Con&s;tables, and all other Officers who are any way Intru&s;ted with the execution of any of the Laws and Admini|&s;tration of Iu&s;tice, to u&s;e their utmo&s;t Care, Diligence and Endeavor within their Counties, Cities, Towns, Liberties and Precincts, That all and every the Laws whereby they are im|powered, or with the Execution whereof they are Intru&s;ted, and more e&s;pecially &s;uch as concern the &s;everal Matters afore&s;aid, be duly and vigorou&s;ly put in Execution, and the Offenders again&s;t the &s;ame effectually pro&s;ecuted and puni&s;hed, according to the &s;aid Laws. And His Highne&s;s doth, by the Advice of His &s;aid Council, al&s;o Require and Enjoyn all the People of this Common|wealth, to be aiding and a&s;&s;i&s;ting in Di&s;covering of the Offenders, and bringing them to condign puni&s;hment, as they tender the Glory of God, their own good, and the good and welfare of this Commonwealth, which cannot be pre&s;erved and &s;upported without the due Ob&s;ervation of the Laws, and the Execution of Iu&s;tice for the Terror of evil doers, that others may &s;ee it, and fear, and not dare to do the like. And His Highne&s;s doth further Charge and Require His Iudges in their &s;everal Circuits to take an exact Accompt how the&s;e things have been, and &s;hall be from time to time ob&s;erved, and what the &s;ucce&s;s thereof &s;hall be; from whom His Highne&s;s will expect to be truly informed at their Return out of their Circuits.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Given at <HI>White-Hall</HI> <DATE>the Ninth day of <HI>Augu&s;t,</HI> in the Year of Our Lord, One thou&s;and &s;ix hundred fifty and five.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
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<P>Publi&s;hed by His Highne&s;s &s;pecial Command.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed by <HI>Henry Hills</HI> and <HI>Iohn Field,</HI> Printers to His Highne&s;s. 1655.</P>
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