At the Court at St. James's , the 28th Day of April 1721 .

Present

The Kings most Excellent Majesty in Council.

Cop: of his Maties. Order
Council touching
the discovery & Punishmt.
of Psons guilty of
fareness, immorality
debanchery,

His Majesty having received Information, which gives great Reason to
Suspect that there have lately been and till are, in and about the Cities
of London and Westminster , certain Scandalon's Clubs or Societies of
Young Persons who meat together, and in the most impious and
blasphemons Manner, insult the most Sacred Principles of our Holy
Religion, affront Almighty God himself, and corrupt the Minds and
Morals of one another; and being resolved to make use of all the
Authority committed to Him by Almighty God, to Punish Such
enormous Offenders, and to crush such shocking Impieties before
they Increase and draw down the Vengeance of God upon this
Nation: His Majesty has thought fit to command the Lord Chancellour
and his Lordship is hereby required to call together His Majesty's
Justices of the Peace of Middlesex and Westminster , and Strickly to
enjoyn them, in the most effectuall Manner that they, and every of them
do make the most diligent and Careful Enquiry and Search for the
Discovery of any thing of this and the like Sort, tending in any wise
to the Corruption of the Principles and Mannor's of Men and to lay
before his Lordship such Discoveries as from time to time may be
made, to the End that all proper Methods may taken for the alter
Suppression of all such detestable Practices. His Lordship is
further directed to urge them to the due Execution of their Office
in detecting and prosecuting with Vigour all Profaneness, Immorality,
and Debanchery, as they value the Blessing of Almighty God, as
they regard the Happiness of their Country, which cannot subsist
if things Sacred and Virtuous are trampled upon, and as they tender
His Majesty's Favour. to which they cannot recommend themselves
more effectually than by shewing the utmost zeal upon so important
an Occasion; to which End his Lordship is to acquaint them, that as
his Majesty for himself has nothing more at Heart than to
regard the Honour of God, so impiously Struck at, & is determined
to shew all Marks of Displeasure and Discouragement
to any who may lye ever under the Suspicion of such Practices;
so he shall always account it the greatest and most substantial
Service they can do to His Majesty or his Government, to
exert themselves in discovering any who are guilty of
such Impieties, that they may be openly Prosecuted and
punished with the utmost Severity and most publick Ignoming
which the Laws of the Land can inflict.

Edward Southwell< no role > .