this her maiesties commaundement may be dulye kepte and obeyed.
Yeuen at our Palayce of Westminster the xvi. daye of Maye, the first yeare of oure Raygne.
xi.
[1559, June. Lord Robert Dudley to the Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord President of the North, printed from Heralds College Talbot MS. E. f. 29, in Collier, i. 168; also in Lodge, i. 376.]
My good Lorde,
Where my servauntes, bringers hereof unto you, be suche as ar plaiers of interludes; and for the same have the Licence of diverse of my Lords here, under ther seales and handis, to plaie in diverse shieres within the realme under there aucthorities, as maie amplie appere unto your L. by the same licence. I have thought emong the rest by my Lettres to beseche your good L. conformitie to them like wise, that they maie have your hand and seale to ther licence for the like libertye in Yorke shiere; being honest men, and suche as shall plaie none other matters (I trust); but tollerable and convenient; whereof some of them have bene herde here alredie before diverse of my Lordis: for whome I shall have good cause to thank your L. and to remaine your L. to the best that shall lie in my litle power. And thus I take my leave of your good L. From Westm., the of June, 1559.
Your good L. assured,
R. Duddley.
To the right Honourable & my verie good Lorde, the Erle of Shrewsburie.
xii.
[1559, c. 13 June. Extract from Injunctions given by the Queen's Majesty
concerning both the Clergy and Laity of this Realm, printed by Pollard, S. F.
13; in full in Gee, 46, and E. Cardwell, Documentary Annals of the Church
of England (ed. 1844), i. 210.]
Li. Item, because there is a great abuse in the printers of bookes,
which for couetousness cheefely, regard not what they print, so they
may haue gaine, whereby ariseth great disorder by publication of
vnfruitefull, vaine, and infamous bookes and papers, the Queenes
maiestie straitlye chargeth and commaundeth, that no manner of
person shall print any manner of booke or paper, of what sort, nature
or in what language soeuer it be, excepte the same be firste licensed
by her maiestie, by expresse wordes in writing, or by six of her priuie
counsel: or be perused and licensed by the Archbishops of Canterburie
and Yorke, the Bishop of London, the Chauncelors of both
Vniuersities, the Bishop being Ordinarye and the Archdeacon also of
the place, where any such shal be printed or by two of them, wherof
the Ordinarie of the place to be alwayes one. And that the names
of such as shall allowe the same to bee added in the end of euery
such worke, for a testimonie of the alowance thereof. And because
many pamphlets, playes and ballads, bee oftentimes printed, wherein
