THe kynge our moste dradde soueraigne lorde , hauynge always in his moste blessed remembrance , as well the cure and charge of his dignite royall , as also the present astate of this his realme , and his subiectes of the same , considereth , that in all places thorowe out this his realme of Englande , vacabundes and beggars , haue of longe tyme encreased and daily dothe encrease in great and excessiue nombres , by the occasyon of ydelnes , mother and roote of all vices : wherby haue insurged and spronge , and dayly insurgeth and springeth contynuall theftes , mourdres , and other sundry haynous offences and great enormities to the high displeasure of god , the inquietation and damage of his true & faithfull subiectes , and to the disturbance of the hoole common weale of this his sayd realme : And where as many and sundry good lawes statutes and ordinaunces haue ben before this tyme deuised and made , as well by his hyghnes as also by diuers his moste noble progenitours kynges of Englande , for the moste necessary and due reformation of the premysses : yet that not withstandynge , the sayde nombres of vacabundes and beggars , be not seen in any parte , to be mynyshed / but dayly to be augmented and encreased in to great rowtes and companyes . Whiche his grace euidently perceyueth to happen , for as moche as his sayde lawes , statutes , and ordinances be not from tyme to tyme put in effectuell execution , accordynge to his gracis expectacion , pleasure , and commandement : His highnes therfore wyllynge to declare to all his subiectes , his moste godly and vertuous purpose , and perseuerance in the persecution correction and reformation of that moste damnable vyce of ydelnes , chiefe subuerter and confounder of commune weales , Eftsones wylleth and straytely commandeth all Iustices of the peas , maires , sheryffes , constables , bursholders , tethynge men , and other his mynysters , as they wyll auoyde his hygh indignation and displeasure , that if they or any of them , shall after two dayes nexte ensuynge after this proclamation publisshed . happen to fynde any vacabunde or myghty beggar ( be it man or woman ) out of the hundred where he or she was borne , or out of the towne or place , where he or she last dwelled in , and continued by the space of thre yeres nexte before , and that vpon knowledge of the sayde proclamation , he or she hath not demaunded a Byllet , to conuey them selfe to the sayde hundred or owellynge place , and so be in theyr iourney thetherwarde , within the sayd two daies , that than the sayde Iustices and minysters and euery of them , shall cause the sayde vacabundes and beggars and euery of them , to be stripped naked , from the priuey partes of theyr bodies vpwarde ( men and women of great age or seke , and women with childe onely excepte ) and beinge so naked , to be bounden , and sharpely beaten and skourged . And after that they be so beaten in fourme afore said , that there be deliuered to them and euery of them so whypped or skourged , a sedule or byllet , the forme wherof appereth in the ende of this present proclamation : And that the sayde sedule or byllet be signed with the hande of the Iustice of peas , mayre , sheriffe , constable , bursholder , tethinge man , or other minister , by whose commandement the sayd vacabunde or beggar was whipped or skourged . And in case that any of them can not write , than the same byllet to be signed , by one of the best and most substantiall inhabitantes nexte adioynynge . And if it happen the person beaten in forme aforesaid , to be eftsones founden in the sayd place , as a vacabunde or beggar , that than he or she to be taken and eftsones beaten & skourged as is afore said : And so from tyme to tyme , and as often as they shall happen to be taken out of the place to them lymitted , for theyr abode by the statute . ¶ More ouer , if any of the sayd vagabundes or myghty beggars , whipped in forme aforsayd , do after the sayd whippinge , make their abode in any place longer than a dyner tyme , or the space of one night , vntyll they be comme to the sayd place of their habitacion appoynted beinge nat veryly seke or hurte ) that than they shal be eftsones whypped , and ordered as is before written . Semblably if any vagabunde or mighty beggar beinge taken , wyll affirme that he was late whypped , and can not shewe forthe a cedule or byllet signed , as before is mencioned / he shall , not withstandynge his said affirmacion , be stripped naked and seen by the Iustice , or some of the ministers before named . And if it may euidently appere vnto them by the tokens on his body , that he hath ben al redy skourged or beaten , they shall than suffer hym to departe without other harme , with a byllet signed by them , mencionynge where , and at what tyme he was beaten . And if they fynde no tokens or signes of skourgynge or beatinge on his body , than they to se hym to be whypped or skourged , and further ordered as is before written . And more ouer , the kyngis highnes commandeth al Iustices of the peace , mayres , sheriffes , constables , bursholders , tethyngmen , and other his sayd ministers , that al vayne pitie and other excuses layde aparte , they endeuour them selfes with all their power , study , and diligence , to put this his sayd ordinance in effectuell execucion , without any delay . And also that they endeuour them selfes to kepe theyr marches and serches , accordynge to the lawes and statutes of this realme , and accordynge to the instructions before this tyme made and diuised by his highnes and his honorable counsayle , and by his grace to them sent , to be put in due execution : As they wyll answere to his highnes at theyr vttermoste peryls .