<div1 type="SM_OCpage" id="LMSMOC40000OC400000249"> <xptr type="pageFacsimile" doc="LMSMOC400000249"></xptr>
<p n="775">At the Court at <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMOC40000_geo532">St. James's</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_geo532" type="placeName" value="St. James's"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_geo532" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, the <rs type="date" id="LMSMOC40000_date88">28th Day of April 1721</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000OC400000249" type="after" value="17210428"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000OC400000249" type="before" value="17210428"></interp>
.</p>
<p n="776">Present</p>
<p n="777">The Kings most Excellent Majesty in Council.</p>
<p n="778"> <note type="authorial" place="margin">Cop: of his Maties. Order<lb></lb>
Council touching<lb></lb>
the discovery & Punishmt.<lb></lb>
of Psons guilty of<lb></lb>
fareness, immorality<lb></lb>
debanchery,</note>
His Majesty having received Information, which gives great Reason to<lb></lb>
Suspect that there have lately been and till are, in and about the Cities<lb></lb>
of London and <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMOC40000_geo533">Westminster</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_geo533" type="placeName" value="Westminster"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_geo533" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, certain Scandalon's Clubs or Societies of<lb></lb>
Young Persons who meat together, and in the most impious and<lb></lb>
blasphemons Manner, insult the most Sacred Principles of our Holy<lb></lb>
Religion, affront Almighty God himself, and corrupt the Minds and<lb></lb>
Morals of one another; and being resolved to make use of all the<lb></lb>
Authority committed to Him by Almighty God, to Punish Such<lb></lb>
enormous Offenders, and to crush such shocking Impieties before<lb></lb>
they Increase and draw down the Vengeance of God upon this<lb></lb>
Nation: His Majesty has thought fit to command the Lord Chancellour<lb></lb>
and his Lordship is hereby required to call together His Majesty's<lb></lb>
Justices of the Peace of <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMOC40000_geo534">Middlesex</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_geo534" type="placeName" value="Middlesex"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_geo534" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
and <rs type="placeName" id="LMSMOC40000_geo535">Westminster</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_geo535" type="placeName" value="Westminster"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_geo535" type="type" value="undefined"></interp>
, and Strickly to<lb></lb>
enjoyn them, in the most effectuall Manner that they, and every of them<lb></lb>
do make the most diligent and Careful Enquiry and Search for the<lb></lb>
Discovery of any thing of this and the like Sort, tending in any wise<lb></lb>
to the Corruption of the Principles and Mannor's of Men and to lay<lb></lb>
before his Lordship such Discoveries as from time to time may be<lb></lb>
made, to the End that all proper Methods may taken for the alter<lb></lb>
Suppression of all such detestable Practices. His Lordship is<lb></lb>
further directed to urge them to the due Execution of their Office<lb></lb>
in detecting and prosecuting with Vigour all Profaneness, Immorality,<lb></lb>
and Debanchery, as they value the Blessing of Almighty God, as<lb></lb>
they regard the Happiness of their Country, which cannot subsist<lb></lb>
if things Sacred and Virtuous are trampled upon, and as they tender<lb></lb>
His Majesty's Favour. to which they cannot recommend themselves<lb></lb>
more effectually than by shewing the utmost zeal upon so important<lb></lb>
an Occasion; to which End his Lordship is to acquaint them, that as<lb></lb>
his Majesty for himself has nothing more at Heart than to<lb></lb>
regard the Honour of God, so impiously Struck at, & is determined<lb></lb>
to shew all Marks of Displeasure and Discouragement<lb></lb>
to any who may lye ever under the Suspicion of such Practices;<lb></lb>
so he shall always account it the greatest and most substantial<lb></lb>
Service they can do to His Majesty or his Government, to<lb></lb>
exert themselves in discovering any who are guilty of<lb></lb>
such Impieties, that they may be openly Prosecuted and<lb></lb>
punished with the utmost Severity and most publick Ignoming<lb></lb>
which the Laws of the Land can inflict.</p>
<p n="779"> <rs type="persName" id="LMSMOC40000_n779-1">Edward Southwell</rs>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_n779-1" type="given" value="Edward"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_n779-1" type="surname" value="Southwell"></interp>
<interp inst="LMSMOC40000_n779-1" type="gender" value="male"></interp>
.</p>
</div1>

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