Tal and the Knights Citizens and Burgeffes, Vol. XI.
and Commiffioners for Shires and Burgs of
the House of Commons, are Difcharged from
their Meeting on Thursday the faid Thirteenth
Day of this Inftant January. And we being
refolved to meet our People, and have their
Advice in Parliament, Do hereby make known
to all our Loving Subjects, That we will speedily
Call a New Parliament.

Given at our Court at St. James's the
Fifth Day of January, 1714. In the
First Year of our Reign.

At the fame Time, the King order'd a Pro

clamation to be publish'd, for the Encou- Proclamation ragement of Piety and Virtue, and for the for EncouragPreventing and Punishing of Vice, Pro- ing Piety and Virtue, &c. phaneness and Immorality, as follows: GEORGE R.

WE

E moft Seriously and Religionfly Confidering, That it is an indifpenfible Duty on us, to be Careful, above all other things to preferve and advance the Honour and Service of Almighty God, and to difcourage and fupprefs all Vice, Prophaneness, Debauchery and Immorality which are fo highly Difpleafing to God, fo great a Reproach to our Religion and Government, and (by means of the frequent ill Examples of the Practices thereof) have fo Fatal a Tendency to the Corruption of many of our Loving Subjects otherwife Religiously and Virtuously Difpofed, and which (if not timely Remedied) may justly draw down the Divine Vengeance on us and our Kingdoms: We also humbly Acknowledging, That we cannot expect the Bleffing and Goodness of Almighty God (by whom Kings Reign, and on which we entirely rely) to make our Reign Happy and Profperous

Vol. XI. Profperous to our Self and our People, with out a Religious Obfervance of God's Holy Laws: To the Intent therefore that Religion, Piety and Good Manners may (according to our moft hearty Defire) Flourish and Increase under our Administration and Government, we have thought fit by the Advice of our Privy Council to iffue this our Royal Proclamation, and do hereby declare our Royal Purpofe and Refolution to Difcountenance and Punish all manner of Vice, Prophaneness and Immorality in all Perfons of whatsoever Degree or Quality within this our Realm, and particularly in fuch as are imployed near our Royal Perfon; and that for the greater Encouragement of Religion and Morality, we will upon all Occafions, diftinguish Perfons of Piety and Virtue by Marks of our Royal Favour. And we do expect and require that all Perfons of Honour, or in Place of Authority, will give good Example by their own Virtue and Piety, and to their utmost contribute to the Discountenancing Perfons of Diffolute and Debauched Lives, that they being, by that means, reduced to Shame and Contempt for their Loofe and Evil Actions and Behaviour, may be thereby allo Enforced the fooner to reform their ill Habits and Practices, and that the visible Difpleafure of Good Men towards them, may (as far as is poffible) Supply what the Laws (probably) cannot altogether prevent. And we do hereby Strictly enjoin and prohibit all our Loving Subjects, of what Degree or Quality foever, from Playing on the Lord's Day at Dice, Cards, or any other Game whatsoever, either in Publick or Private Houses, or other Place or Places whatfoever; and do hereby Require and Com

mand

P

mand them and every of them Decently and Vol. IX. Reverently to attend the Worship of God on every Lord's Day, on pain of our higheft Difpleafure, and of being proceeded against with the utmost Rigour that may be by Law. And for the more effectual Reforming of all fuch Perfons who by Reafon of their diffolute Lives and Converfations, are a Scandal to our Kingdom, Our further Pleafure is and we do hereby ftrictly Charge and Command all our Fudges, Mayors, Sheriffs, Juftices of the Peace and all other our Officers and Minifters both Ecclefiaftical and Civil, and all other our Subjects, whom it may concern, to be very vigilant and ftrict in the Discovery and the effectual Profecution and Punishment of all Perfons who shall be Guilty of exceffive Drinking, Blafphemy, Prophane Swearing and Curfing, Lewdness, Prophanation of the Lord's Day, or other Diffolute, Immoral, or Disorderly PraEtices; and that they take Care alfo Effectually to Supprefs all Publick Gaming Houfes and Places, and other Lewd and Diferderly Honfes, and to put in Execution the Statute made in the Nine and Twentieth Year of the Reign of the late King Charles the Second, intituled, An Act for the better Obfervation of the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, and alfo an Act of Parliament made in the Ninth Year of the Reign of the late King. William the Third, intituled, An Act for the more effectual Suppreffing of Blafphemy and Prophaneness, and all other Laws now in Force for the Punishing and Suppreffing any of the Vices aforesaid, and also to fupprefs and prevent all Gaming what foever in Publick or Private Houfes on the Lord's Day, and B likewife

Vol. IX. likewife that they take effectual Care to prevent all Perfons keeping Taverns, Chocolate Houfes, Coffee Houses, or other Publick Houses whatfoever, from Selling Wine, Chocolate, Coffee, Ale, Beer, or other Liquors, or receiving or permitting Guests to be and remain in fuch their Houfes in the Time of Divine Service on the Lord's Day, as they will answer it to Almighty God and upon pain of our Highest Difpleafure. And for the more effectual Proceeding herein, we do hereby direct and command all our Fudges of Affize and Juftices of the Peace, to give fritt Charges at their respective Affizes and Seffions, for the due Profecution and Punishment of all Perfons that fhall prefume to Offend in any the kinds aforefaid, and alfo of all Perfons that contrary to their Duty, fhall be Remifs or Negligent in putting the faid Laws in Execution, and that they do, at their respective Affizes and Quarter-Seffions of the Peace, caufe this our Proclamation to be publickly read in Open Court immediately before the Charge is given. And we do hereby further charge and command every Minifter in his refective Parish Church or Chappel, to read or caufe to be read this our Proclamation, at leaft Four Times in every Year, immediately after Divine Service, and to incite and ftir up their respective Auditories to the Practice of Piety and Virtue, and the avoiding of all Immorality and Prophanenefs. And to the End that all Vice and Debauchery may be prevented, and Religion and Virtue practifed by all Officers, Private Soldiers, Mariners, and others, who are Imployed in our Service by Sea or Land. We do hereby Atrictly charge and command all our Comman

1

ders

ders and Officers whatsoever, That they do take Vol. IX.
Care to avoid all Propbaneness, Debauchery,
and other Immoralities, and that by their own
Good and Virtuous Lives and Converfations,
they do fet Good Examples to all fuch as are
under their Care and Authority, and likewife
take Care of and Infpect the Behavioir of all
fuch as are under them, and Punish all those
who fhall be Guilty of any the Offences afore-
faid, as they will be Answerable for the Ill
Confequences of their Neglect herein.

Given at our Court at St. James, the
Fifth Day of January, 1714, and in the
First Year of our Reign.

Charles Earl of Orrery, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Somerset, took the Oaths appointed to be taken instead of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy.

Lord Lieutenant fworn.

Wharton

Two Days after, it was declared, Jan. 7th. That his Majefty had been pleafed to The Earl of direct Letters Patents to pass the Seals, made a Marfor creating the Right Honourable Thomas quis. Earl of Wharton, Keeper of his Majefty's Privy Seal, a Marquefs of Great Britain, by the Name, Stile and Title of Marquefs of Wharton in the County of Westmorland, and of Malmesbury in the County of Wilts; and alfo for creating his Lordship Baron, Earl and Marquefs of the Kingdom of Ireland, by the Name, Stile and Title of Baron of Trim in the County of Meath, Earl of Rathfarnum, in the County of Dublin, and Marquefs of Catherlogh in the County of Catherlogh. As alfo, That his Majefty had been pleafed to confer the Honour of Knighthood on Matthew Kirwood, Efq, And to appoint Daniel Harvey, Kirwood,

B 2

Matthew

Efq; Ef knighted.