A copy of a commission under the Great Seale of Ireland, granted by the Right Honorable Sir William Parsons Knight and Barronet, and Sir John Borlase Knight, Lords Justices of that kingdom: for disarming all papists in and about the city of Dublin, and restraining the accesse of any suspitious persons unto the said city, and for the preservation of the same in safety and good order.

CHARLES by the grace of God King of En∣gland, Scotland, France and Ireland, defen∣der of the Faith, &c. To our we••beloved Our Major of the City of Dublin for the time be∣ing, Sir William Anderson Knight, Sir Christo∣pher Forster Knight, Sir William Vsher Knight, Sir Philip Percival Knight, J••hn Bysse Esq Recorder of our City of Dublin, Richard Barry of Dublin Alderman, Charles Forster of Dublin Alderman, William Smith of Dublin Alderman, Willi∣am Bladen of Dublin Alderman, William Plunket Esquire, Captaine Theodore Sc••out, Robert Savill Serjeant at Armes, Ma∣thew Ford, Anthony Dopping, Captaine Philip Fernely, Robert Ke∣nedy, John Woodcock, John Pue, Sankey Sulliard, Josua Carpenter, Brian Jones, Thomas Tallis, William Rowlls, Thomas Leigh, Tho∣maas Hill, William Scott, Daniel Forster, Richard Francis, Joseph H••ll, Daniel Adrian, Thomas Hooke, Frederick Panchart, Captaine Balthazar Creamer, John Wogan, Randall Becket, James Smith, John Fisher, Ralph Bryen, Richard Stone, Robert Davies, Ralph Wal∣lis, Daniel Hutchison, Peter Wybrant, John Hill Merchant, John Norris, Thomas Haukins, Thomas Windall, Nathaniel Neve and Robert Scarborow greeting. WHEREAS We have taken into our Princely consideration the strange and unusual Concourse of Papists to our City of Dublin, and the Suburbs thereof, some of them not having formerly dwelt there. And others of them aswel

Masters of Families as Servants, having formerly dwelt there, but withdrew themselves into the Country for a time since the present Rebellion began, and of late returned again to the said City and Suburbs, and there all of them now continue as Inhabitanas or Sojourners, not onely to the needlesse and ex∣ceeding great burden of the Inhabitants, and disappointment of the Souldiers, aswel in their lodging, as in the raysing of the price of meate and other needfull provisions, but also to the ter∣rour of many of Our good and loyal Subjects inhabiting in this City and Suburbs thereof, aswel in respect of the numbers of those Papists, as in the advantages observed to be dayly thereby gayned to the Rebels, aswel in frequent intelligences from Our sayd City as in Supplies of needfull provisions from thence from time to time. AND forasmuch as in these times of open Rebellion, when the Rebells appeare in all parts of this Our Kingdom in open Arms, with Banners displayed against Us and Our Royall Authority, We are necessitated to take some extra∣ordinary way whereby to free Our said City and good Subjects therin from the fears & dangers threatned against Us and them, and against the peace & safety of this Our Kingdom, by that un∣limitted concourse of people flocking so dangerously to Our sayd City and Suburbs, and for reformation of sundry other a∣buses and disorders in Our said City of Dublin and the Suburbs thereof.

KNOW yee therefore that We reposing speciall trust and confidence in your fidelity and circumspection, have nomin••ted, constituted and appointed, and by these presents doe nominate, constitute and appoint you to be Our Commissioners. And doe hereby give unto you or any two or more of you ful power and authority from time to time, and as often as you or any two or more of you shall think fit to repaire to all and every part of the said City and Suburbs, and there aswell by Examination of Witnesses upon Oath, which oath and oaths We hereby autho∣rize you or any two or more of you to administer, wh••n, and as often as you or any two or more of you shall from time to time

think fit, as by all other lawfull wayes and means whatsoever to examine, search far, inquire and finde out what Arms or Muni∣on are or shalbe remaining in any house, houses, or other place or places in the said City or Suburbs belonging to any Papists, or in the house or houses of Protestants, whose wives and chil∣dren are Papists. And the same so found out, to inquire how when and where 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they came by them, and all other matters touching and concerning the same, which you or any two or more of you shall think fit.

And it is Our pleasure, and We doe accordingly require and authorize you or any two or more of you to seize upon, and take into your hands, or the hands of any two or more of you all the said Arms and Munition, as also al the Arms of what kind soever which you or any two or more of you shal finde any Papist car∣rying about him either in his house or dwelling, or abroad in the streets, whether he or they be commorant in Town, or Traveller to or from the said City or Suburbs. Giving the party from whom the same shall bee so taken, a note in writing under the hands of you or any two or more of you mentioning the parti∣culars and quantity of Arms or Munition or both so to be taken from him, her, or them to Our use, and that thereupon you or any two or more of you cause the same to be delivered forthwith af∣ter you shal so seize the same into Our store of Arms and Muni∣tion at our castle of Dublin, taking the clark of the store's hand for receipt thereof, which shall be a good discharge for you a∣gainst your said note or notes formerly given.

And We also require and authorize you or any two or more of you aswel by examination of witnesses upon Oath, as by all other lawful waies and means whatsoever to examine, search, in∣quire, and finde out what titulary popish Archbishops, Bishops, Vicars-generall, Jesuits, Priests, or Friars, or other superstitious Orders of the popish pretended Clergy are or shall be in and a∣bout the said City or Suburbs. And them to apprehend & com∣mit to prison there to remaine until further direction from Us, or Our said Justices, or other Our chiefe Governour▪ or Gover∣nours and Councell of this Our Kingdome.

And in like manner to examine, search, inquire and finde out, what men and women that are Papists, and what Papists chil∣dren of what quality or degree soever he or they be, have come to the sayd City or Suburbs to reside, sojourne, or any way to continue therein since Easter last? Where they now lodge, and since their coming to Town have lodged either in the houses of Papists or Protestants? What their names and sirnames are, and of what sept or kindred they be? Whence they came? What occasions called them thither? What now deteynes them there? And all other matters concerning their being there, Which you or any two or more of you shall thinke fit. And then that you or any two or more of you do comand so many of them as you or a∣ny two or more of you shal think fit to depart from the said City and Suburbs within so many hours, as to you or any two or more of you shalbe thought fit, and not to returne back to the said Ci∣ty or Suhurbs without special licence from Us, or Our Justices, or other chiefe Governour or Governours of this our Kingdom for the time being; And to enjoyne all those in whose house or houses either Papists or Protestants such person or persons so to be commanded away doe, or shall lodge, so journe or live, that they or any of them presume not thereafter to entertaine them, or any of them into his or their house or houses, as they will an∣swer their so doing at their extreame perill.

And We doe also require you or any two or more of you to cause two Books to be made up, and in one of them to cause to be inserted in writing, the names, strnames, and qualities of all men and women ordinarily Town-dwellers in Our sayd City or Suburbs aswel Masters of Families as Servants that are Pa∣pists. And in the other Booke to cause to be inserted the names, sirnames, and qualities of all men and women whom you shall so command to depart from this City and Suburbs. And in ano∣ther part of that Book to insert the names, sirnames and quali∣ties of all such men and women that are Papists whom you ad∣mit to stay, and expressing at their nams for what time their stay is admitted; that so you may upon a new search (wherein Wee require you to be diligent and frequent) finde out whether or

no they have exceeded the time limited for their stay.

We do also require and authorize you or any two or more of you to charge and command all person or persons whatsoever in the said City and Subburbs in whose houses any such person or persons formerly lodged, soiourned or lived, and to publish and declare to all others whom it may concern that in case any of the said persons so to be cōmanded away shall return again at any time to the said City or Suburbs, or any other men or wo∣men whatsoever that are Papists, and not resident continually in the said City and Suburbs, without any late intermission since the first of October last shall hereafter come to the said City or Suburbs; that then the person or persons to whose house or houses, he, she, or they so returning, shall return or come, do from time to time, and as often as any such shall happen within two hours after the receipt or entertainment into his, her, or their house or houses of any such person or persons return un∣der his, her, or their hands unto two or more of you the names, sirnames, qualities and conditions of all and every such person and persons so received, lodged, or entertained.

We likewise require and authorize you or any two or more of you in like manner to examine what Victualls, Cloaths, Arms, Munition, or other provisions whatsoever have been carryed; or shall be carryed out of the said Citie or Suburbs for the relief of the Rebells, and by whom, and who were furtherers and privy thereunto, and what Towns-men, or their Servants that are Papists, have been since Easter last, ad∣mitted into any Horse Troop or Foot company or Ward in Our pay? And by whom? And in whose Troop, Compa∣ny, or Ward so admitted? And what Arms of any kind have, are, or shall be sold by any Souldier Horse-man or Foot-man to any Towns-man, or other Inhabitant in the said Citie and Suburbs? And where the said Arms now are? And what Masters or Mistresses of Families or Servants that are Papists that formerly resided in the said Citie & Suburbs, have between the three and twentieth of October and the first of Aprill last

withdrawn themselves into the Country, and having continu∣ed there a while, returned again to live in the said City and Suburbs? And if upon examination you or any two or more of you shall find them, or any of them, to have been with the Rebells, to cause all such to be apprehended and committed to prison, and to certifie their names under the hands of you or any two or more of you to our Justices, or other Our chief Governour or Governours, and Councell of this Our King∣dom. And what else shall appear unto you concerning them.

AND We also require and authorize you or any twelve or more of you, to view all thatched Houses and Cabins in and about the said City and Suburbs, and to give six dayes warning to the possessors of such of the said thatched houses and Cabines, as you or any twelve or more of you shall finde to be dangerous to the safety of the said City and suburbs, and therefore ought necessarily to be removed or pulled down, to remove or pull them down; wherein if they faile, then and in such case you or any twelve or more of you are to cause such of the thatched houses and Cabines to be removed and pulled down, as you or twelve or more of you shall finde not to have been pulled down by the possessors within the said six dayes according to the said warning given.

AND in case you or any two or more of you shall finde any person or persons disobedient to your commands in and concerning the Execution of the premises, or any part thereof. We do in such case authorize you or any two or more of you to commit to prison such person or persons, when, and as often as there shall be just cause, and afterwards to release such person or persons, when you or any two or more of you shrll think fit. And for the better and more full and due performance of these services, It is Our pleasure, and we do hereby authorize you or any two or more of you as aforesaid to administer from time to time an Oath or Oaths to any person or persons, witnesses tou∣ching or concerning all or any the points, Clauses, Articles, Au∣thorities or Commands in these presents above mentioned. And

that you Our Commissioners do divide your selves in and throughout the said City & suburbs into severall limits, streets and parishes; and so to proceed in the execution of the premises either altogether or severally as you shall finde cause. And that you be frequent at least weekly, or oftner if you find cause in the searches, examinations, and other services by these presents com∣mitted to your trust.

AND we require all Maiors, Sherriffs, Justices of the peace, and all other our Officers, Ministers, and loving subjects whom it may concern, and particularly all Colonells, Commanders, of∣ficers and souldiers of our Army to be unto you or any two or more of you alwayes aiding, helping and assisting in the due ex∣ecution of the premises from time to time, as there may be occa∣sion. And we require you from time to time to give an account of your proceedings to our Justices, or other Our chief Gover∣nour or Governours of this Our Kingdom for the time being. And this Our Commission is to continue in force during Our pleasure. Witnesses Our right trusty and welbeloved Coun∣cellors, Sir William Parsons Knight and Baronet, and Sir John Borelase Knight, Our Justices of Our said Realm of Ireland.

At Dubin the ninth day of September in the eighteenth yeer of Our Raign.

Carleton & Exham,

FINIS.