Item, That Preaching be not lefte off for any other maner of Observaunces in the Churche, as Processions, or Exequies of the Deade.

Item, That at your Prechinge Time, ye diligentlie see that youre Parochians be present, and take hede therunto; and that none presume to be at Alehouse, Tavern, or els where, at the Preachinge-Time, but onelie at the Churche attentyfly hearing, as becometh good Christen People. And if any be disobedient, let them be first warned to amend; and afterward, if they amende not, detect them to their Ordinarye.

Item, That ye suffre no Night-Watches in your Churches or Chapells, neither Decking of Ymages with Gold, Silver, Clothes, Lights, or Herbs; nor the People knele to them, nor worship them, nor offre Candles, Otes, Cake-breed, Chese, Wolle, or any such other Thinges to them: But he shall instruct and teach them, how they ought and may use them; that is to say, only to beholde, or loke upon them, as one loketh upon a Boke; wherby Mens Mindes be stirred and kenled some times to Vertue and Constancy, in Faithe and Love towardes God, and sometimes to lament for their Sinnes or Offences. For otherwise there might be Peril of Ydolatrie, especially of ignorant Lay-People, if they either in Hert, or outward Gesture worship them, or give Honour to them, which ought onlie to be given to God, the Lorde of all Saintes.

Item, Ye shall instruct your Parochians, not to be envious aboute Workes invented by their own folishe Devocion; as to go about in idle Pylgrimage, and say with vain Confidence this Prayer, and that Prayer, with other Supersticious Observacions, in Fastings, Prayeng, and Kepinge of olde folysh Customs, which be not found commaunded or counseled, in any Parte of Holy Scripture. But ye shall instruct them, and exhorte them, to know and do all such Thinges, as be commaunded or commended in the Holy Scripture to be done; that is to say, to Know and Believe all the Articles of our Faithe, conteined in the Crede, to kepe inviolably the Tenne Commaundementes, to performe the Workes of Mercy, after every Mannes Power and Habilite, to be in Love and Charite eche with other, and one to beare with an other in his Weaknes or Infirmitie, and not to be vengeable for any Offence.

Item, That every Curate do at all times his best Diligence, to reduce such as be at Discord, to Peace, Love, and Charite, and one to forgive an other, how often so ever they be offended.

Item, That every Curate, not only in his Preaching, but

also at all other Times necessary, do perswade, exhorte, and warn the People, whatsoever they be, to beware of Swering, and Blasphemy of the Holy Name of God, or any Part of Christ's precious Body or Blode. And also to beware and abstaine from Cursing or Banning, Chidinge, Skoldinge, Bakbiting, Slaundering, Lyinge; and from Adultry, Fornicacion, Glotony, Dronkenship, Sorcere, Witchcrafte: And if they be notoriously fauty in any of these, then to detect them, that they may be corrected in Example of other.

ltem, That every Curat instruct his Parochians, and especially the Midwives, the essencial Maner and Forme how to Christen a Child in Time of Nede; commaunding the Women, when the Time of Byrthe draweth nere, to have a Vessel of clene Water redy for the same Purpose: Charging also the said Midwives, to beware that they cause not the Woman, being in Travaile, to make any folishe Vowe, to go in Pilgrimage to this Ymage, or that Ymage, after her Deliveraunce, but only to call on God for Helpe. Nor to use any Girdels, Purses, Mesures of our Lady, or such other Superstitious Things, to be occupied about the Woman while She laboureth, to make her beleve to have the better Spede by it.

Item, That none of you do magnifie and extol, praise, maintaine, or otherwise set forth, the superfluous Holidayes abrogated by the Kinge, with the Advise of his Ecclesiastical Convocacion.

And finally, Forasmoch as all Christen Men ought ernestly to coveit and desire their Soules Helthe, and the very Meane therof is to obtein the true Knowledge of God's Worde, which is the Fedyng of the Soul: I exhort, desier, and, asmoche as I may I require, that in every Honest Paryshe-Churche within my Diocesse of Sarum, either of theire Church-Boxe, or of Stockes given for Mainteining of Lightes before Ymages (with the which I dispence for this better Use), or els by waye of Collection among themselfes, there be ordeined and bought an Englishe Bible before Whitsondaye nexte, to be chained to a Deske in the Body of the Church; where he that is Letteryd may rede, and other Unlerned may hear, holsome Doctrine and Comfort to their Soules, and avoid Idelnes and other Inconveniences, whereunto the fraile Disposicion of Man is sone inclined.

Forasmoche as intollerable Supersticion, and also abhominable Ydolatrie, have no small Time ben used in this my Diocesse, by the Occasion of such Thinges as be set forth and commended unto the ignorant People, under the VOL. III, PART II. Q

Name of Holy Reliques, being in veray dede vaine Thinges, as I my self of certaine, which be alredie comen to myne Handes, have perfite Knowledge: Namely, of stinking Bootes, mucky Combes, ragged Rochettes, rotten Girdles, pyl'd Purses, great Bullocks Horns, Lockes of Heere, and filthy Ragges, Gobbetts of Woode, under the Name_of Parcells of the Holy Cross, and such Pelfrie, beyond Estimacion; over and besides the shamfull Abuse of such as peradventure be true Reliques in dede, whereof nevertheles certain Profe is none, but only that so they have bene taken, judged, and estemed, ye and so called without Monumentes had of them in any Autentyke Forme of Writing. Therefore in Remedy herof, I hertely praie you all and singular my said Brethren of the Clergie in my said Diocese: and nevertheless by thauctorite that I have under God and the Kynges Highnes, and in their Names I commaunde you, and everyche of you, that you send al suche your Relyques (as they be called) one and other unto me at myne House at Ramesbury, or other where, togyther with such Wrytings as ye have of the same, to thintent that I and my Counsel may explore and try them what they be, and those that be estemed and judged to be undoubtedly true Reliques, ye shal not fayle at convenable Tyme to have againe with certayne Instruction how they ought to be used; that is to say, as Memorials of them whose Reliques they be, in whom and by whom Almighty God did Worke all that ever they vertuously wrought; and therefore onely he ought in them all to be glorifyed, lauded, and praysed; so that he which rejoiceth may in the Lorde rejoyse; to whom be all Honour and Glorye, for ever and ever. Amen.

Item, That the Bell called the Pardon, or Ave Bell, whiche of longe Tyme hathe been used to be tolled Three Tymes after, or before Divine Service, be not hereafter in any Parte of my Diocesse any more tollyd.

I exhorte, desire, require, and also (as ferre as I maye) commaunde you all and every of you to provide you Copies of these Injunctions, and firmely to observe and performe them, and every of them, as ferre as they concerne you, and that for your Welthe and my Discharge to God and the Kynge, of whom I have min Auctorite in this Behalf.

GOD SAVE THE KYNGE.

Imprinted at London in Fletestrete, at the Sygne of the Sonne, by John Byddell, and are to Sell at the Close Yate in Salisbury.

LX.

The Petition of Gresham, Lord-Mayor of London, to the King, for the City Hospitals.

(Cotton Libr. Cleop. E. 4, P. 222.)

MOST redowted, puysant, and noble Prince. My most dradd, beloved, and naturall Soveraigne Lorde, I your poore humble, and most obedient Servaint, daily considering, aud ever more and more perceivyng by your Vertuous Begynninge, and Charitable Proceedings in all your Causes, your Persone, and Majestie Royall, to be the Elected and Chosen Vessel of God, by whom not only the very and true Worde of God, is, and shall be sett forth, and according to the trewgh and verytie of the same; But also to be he whom God hath constituted and ordeyned, both to redresse and reforme all Crimes, Offences, and Enormities, beyng repugnant to his Doctrine, or to the Detryment of the Common Welth, and Hurt of the Poor People beyng your Natural Subjects: and farther to forsee, and vigilantly to provide for the Charitable Reformation of the same. Which thynk hath, and yet doth encourage me, and also my bounden Dewtie obligeth me, in especiall beyng most unworthy your Levetenant, and Mayer of your Cytie Royall of London, to enforme and advertise your most Gracious Highnes of one Thing in especiall, for the Ayde and Comfort of the Poor, Syke, Blynde, Aged, and Impotent Persones beyng not able to help themselffs, nor haviug no place certen where they may be refreshed, or lodged at, tyll they be holpen and cured of their Diseases and Sicknes. So it is most Gracious Lorde, that nere, and withyn the Cytie of London, be iij Hospitalls, or Spytells, commonly called Seynt Georges Spytell, Seynt Barthilmewes Spytell, and Seynt Thomas Spytell, and the New Abbey of Tower-Hill, founded of Good Devotion by Auncient Fathers, and endowed with great Possessions and Rents, only for the Releffe, Comforte, and Helping of the Poor, and Impetent People, not beyng able to help themselffes, and not to the Mayntenance of Chanons, Priests, and Monks, to live in Pleasure, nothing regarding the Miserable People liyng in every Street, offendyng every clene Persone passyng by the Way, with theyre fylthy and nasty Savours. Wherefore may it please your Merciful Goodness enclyned to Pytie and Compassion, for the Reliffe of Christs very Images, created to his own Similitude, to Order by your High Authorite, as Supreme Head of this Church of England, or otherwise by your Sage Discrecion,

that your Mayor of your Cytie of London, and his Brethren the Aldermen for the Tyme being, shall and may from henceforth, have the Order, Disposicion, Rule, and Governaunce, both of all the Lands, Tenements, and Revenewes Apperteynyng and belongyn to the said Hospitalls, Governours of theym, and of the Ministers which be, or shall be withyn any of them: And then your Grace shall facilie perceyve, that where now a small Number of Chanons, Preests, and Monkes, be founde for theyr own Profitt only, and not for the Common Utilitie of the Realme, a great Number of Poore, Needy, Syke, and Indugent Persones shall be refreshed, maynteyned, and comforted, and also healed and cured of their Infirmities, frankly and freely by Physicions, Surgeons, and Potycaries, which shall have Stipende and Salarie only for that Purpose; so that all Impotent Persons not able to labour shall be releved, and all Sturdy Beggars not willing to labour shall be punished. For the which doyng, your Grace shall not alonely merit highly towards God, but shew your selffe to be more Charitable to the Poor, then your Noble Progenitor Kyng Edgar, Foundour of so many Monasteries: Or Kyng Henry the Thyrde, Renewer of Westmynster: Or Kyng Edwarde the Thirde, Foundor of the New Abbey: Or Kyng Henry the Fifte, Foundor of Syon and Shene; but also shall have the Name of Conservator, Protectour, and Defendour of the Poor People, with their contynuall Prayer for your Health, Welthe, and Prosperitie long to endure.

Your Humble, and most
Obedient Servant,

RYCHARD GRESHAM.

LXI.

A Part of a Proclamation, chiefly concerning Becket. (Cott. Libr. Titus, B. 1.)

AND whereas his most Royall Majestie, heretofore most prudently considering, as well the great and manifold Supersticions and Abuses which have crept in the Harte and Stomake of many his true Simple and Unlerned Subjects, for lack of the sincere and true Application, and the Declaring of the true Meaning and Understanding of Holy Scriptures, Sacrament, Rites and Ceremonies; as also the sondry Strifes and Contentions, which have and may growe amonges many of his saide Loving Subjecrs, for Lacke of the very perfect Knowledge of the true Entent