good, all to meet together, confer what they have done, and agree for their parts, what shall stand.

IX. As any one company hath dispatched any one book in this manner, they shall send it to the rest to be considered of seriously and judiciously; for his majesty is 5 very careful in this point.

X. If any company upon the review of the book so sent, doubt or differ upon any place, to send them word thereof, note the place, and withal send the reasons; to which if they consent not, the difference to be com- 10 pounded at the general meeting, which is to be of the chief persons of each company, at the end of the work.

XI. When any place of special obscurity is doubted of, letters to be directed by authority to send to any learned man in the land for his judgment of such a place.

15

XII. Letters to be sent from every bishop to the rest of his clergy, admonishing them of this translation in hand, and to move and charge as many as be skilful in the tongues, and have taken pains in that kind, to send his particular observations to the company either at West- 20 minster, Cambridge, or Oxford.

XIII. The directors in each company to be the dean of Westminster and Chester for that place, and the king's professors in the Hebrew or Greek in either university. These translations to Tindall,

be used when they

agree better with the text than the bishop's

Bible; videlicet

Matthew's,
Coverdales,

Whitchurch's,
Geneva.

25

XV. Besides the said directors before mentioned, three 30 or four of the most ancient and grave divines in either of the universities, not employed in translating, to be assigned by the vice-chancellor, upon conference with the rest of the heads, to be overseers of the translations as well Hebrew as Greek, for the better observation of the 35 fourth rule above specified.

10

Archiepisc. Cant.

RIC. BANCROFT 6.

CXXV.

Anno Christi
1610.

Reg. Angliæ
JACOB. I. 8.

A proclamation for the due execution of all former laws against recusants, giving them a day to repair to their own dwellings, and not afterwards to come to the court, or within ten miles of London without special license; and for disarming them as the law requireth. And withal that all priests and Jesuits shall depart the land by a day, no more to return into the realm; and for the ministering of the oath of allegiance according to the law.

THOUGH the principal care that a religious and wise

king ought to have, should be for the maintenance and propagation by all godly, lawful, and honest means, of the true catholic and Christian religion, and to that 5 effect as he must plant good seed with the one hand, so to displant and root out with the other, as far as he can, the cockle and tares of heresy, that do ordinarily grow up amongst the Lord's wheat; yet hath our nature been ever so inclined to clemency, especially we have ever

A proclamation] The king had been much embarrassed in his plans respecting the Romanists, not only by the active measures adopted by the court of Rome, but still more by the bold and independent proceedings of the house of commons. His plans respecting the Romanists were expressed in his Apology for the Oath of Allegiance, in 15 which he asserted that "whatever was the just and merciful government of queen Elizabeth over the papists, his government had far exceeded hers in mercy and clemency," and "that it could not be proved that any papist had been put to death since he came to the crown for cause of conscience." (Works, pp. 253, 254). The new 20 oath of allegiance had been enacted immediately after the plot of November, 1605, and having been studiously framed, owing to the king's interference, (see Works, p. 292,) for the purpose of confining

been so loath to shed blood in any case that might have any relation to conscience (though but of a deceived and disguised conscience) as notwithstanding the care and zeal that we have ever carried for the maintenance and propagation of this our ancient and true catholic religion, 5 which we profess, yet hath our said natural clemency ever withholden us from putting the law to that due execution against popish priests and recusants, which their evil deserts at divers times towards us, and their insolent and proud carriage, especially of late, did justly r deserve at our hands.

But not that their evil behaviour at home, manifested first by the priests' treason immediately after our entry into this kingdom, and next at the horrible powder treason, the unnatural cruelty whereof is never to be 15 forgotten, joined to this horrible and lamentable accident abroad, we mean the devilish and unnatural murder of the late French king our dearest brother, hath so stirred up the hearts of our loving people represented by the houses and body of parliament, as both the houses thereof 20 have joined in making an humble petition to us to be more wakeful than heretofore we have been, upon the courses and steps of the papists: and to this effect, that

it to the profession of civil and temporal obedience, had been willingly taken by the Romanists, until they were prohibited by two successive 25 bulls of pope Paul V., and by the earnest exhortations of cardinal Bellarmine. (Wilk. Conc. vol. iv. pp. 430, 431.) But the king's greatest embarrassment arose from the conduct of the house of commons. This body, now conscious of its power, and always opposed to the claims of prerogative, had continually expressed its desire for 30 greater moderation towards the Puritans and severity towards the Romanists; and though reminded by the king of the supremacy of his power, and the relation that it bore to Divine authority, persisted in representing to him the grievances of the nation, and more especially in remonstrating against the court of high commission. But in 35 the year 1610 the general feeling of hostility against the Romanists,

we would be pleased to put in due execution hereafter without any longer conveniency the good and wholesome laws of this realm made against them, the most part whereof were made before our entry into this kingdom, 5 and so were we at our coronation sworn to the maintenance of them: we have just reason according to their humble desire, to be more careful than heretofore we have been in seeing our said laws put in due execution. For since in this case, our conscience, in regard to reliro gion; our honour, in regard there is nothing craved, but the execution of our laws; our safety, and not only of us but of all our posterity, in regard to the papists' bloody doctrine, that make martyrs and saints of such as kill their own kings, the anointed of God; so as we now see 15 to our horror their detestable doctrine, so oft put in practice, and so that butcherly theoric and practic so linked together, that a sinful or wicked man can by no means so well redeem his soul from eternal damnation, as by murdering a king that is either an heretic by their 20 interpretation, or a fautor of heretics: these three motives we say, so justly grounded upon conscience, honour, and safety, together that the motion hereof hath moved from our people, cannot but stir up that princely and provident care in us, which every religious, just,

25 which had been increased by the two popish conspiracies of the reign (No. CXVIII. and Wilk. Conc. vol. iv. p. 424), was exasperated and made ungovernable by the murder of king Henry IV. of France. The murder was committed by Ravaillac on the 3rd of May, and gave occasion to the petition from the two houses of parliament, which is 30 noticed in this proclamation. The law itself was already sufficiently stringent against the Romanists; but the king was not like-minded; and the parliament, having sat from the commencement of the reign, was dissolved at the close of the year without any feeling of regret on the part of the sovereign, who complained that they had not only 35 encroached upon his privileges, but had " perilled his health and wounded his reputation." Collier, vol. ii. p. 694. Neal, Purit. vol. i. p. 442. Kennet, vol. ii. p. 643. Hallam, vol. i. pp. 356. 440.

and wise king ought to have upon such respects and considerations.

And therefore being informed, that at this time especially, there is a greater resort made of recusants to this our city of London, than hath been at any time hereto- 5 fore, notwithstanding that by the laws of our realm they ought all to be confined, and remain within five miles of their dwelling-places; it is our express will and pleasure to discharge, like as by these presents we do discharge, all by-past licenses granted unto them for their repairing 10 hither. And although this time of parliament, and the creation of our eldest sona be so unfit and dangerous a time for their abode here, as hereupon our parliament hath humbly moved us, that they might all be sent home and discharged this city, before the creation of our said 15 dearest son; yet have we thought good to retain so much of our accustomable clemency, weighing so little any of their malicious plots, or the hazard thereof during that time in comparison of our said clemency, as in consideration of such important business as they may have con- 20 cerning their particular estates in the next term, we are contented to give them time until the last day of June, which is after the end of the next term; betwixt and which time, they are to repair again to their own dwelling-houses and places of confining, according to the law, 25 not presuming at any time hereafter, to repair to this our city and chamber of London, or to our court, or to the court of our dearest wife the queen, or of the prince our dear son wheresoever, or within ten miles of London, without special license had thereunto, under pain of the 30 severe execution of our laws upon the contravenors, and of highest contempt against our authority joined thereunto.

a the creation of our eldest son] Prince Henry was created Prince of Wales two days after the date of this proclamation in the 16th year of 35 his age. Camden in Kennet, vol. ii. p. 643.