WHereas the Lords and Commons in Par­liament assembled, have beene credibly informed that great Forces are now marching from Oxford towards the Counties of Bucks, Bedford, Heris, and Counties adjacent, to the great terrors, affrightment, and amazement of his Majesties good. Subjects, In­haviting in the Counties aforesaid, and having taken the same into their serious Consideration, doe for the prevention of all Incursions of enemies, avoyding of all Rapines and Plundrings, or other mischievous actions) order and ordaine, that there shall be aspeedy raysing of large & considerable sums of Money for the levying and paying of Forces, fortifying, of Townes, and buying of Armes, Ammanition, and whatsoever else may be requisite and necessary for the defence and safety of his Majesties good Subjects of the Countie of Herts, Which that it may be done with as much ease and indifferency to the good Subjects as the Exi­gency of the time will permit, for the intents and pur­poses aforesaid, The Lords and Commons doe ordain that there shall be rated, taxed, charged, and levied upon the severall Inhabitants of the county of Herts, the sum of 450 li. every weeke weekly, to be collected and gathered within the severall hundreds of the said county over and above the weekely sum already layd upon the said County, by Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament for the Lord Generalls Army, and for the better raysing of the said weekly sum of 450 li. for the use and uses of the County of Herts aforesaid, the said Lords and Commons doe further order and ordaine, [Page]that every person and persons as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall, and every Fraternity, Guild, Corpora­tion, mistery, brotherhood and Commonalty, corporate or not corporate, as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall, within the County of Herts, for the valew of every pound which every such persons, Fraternity, Guild, Corporation, mistery, brotherhood, or Commonalty, corporate or not corporate, hath of his or their owne, or that any other hath to his or their use or uses, as well in Coyne, in Plate, stock of Marchandize, any manner of Corne and graine, houshold stuffe, and of all other goods moveable, within the aforesaid County, & of al such sum & sums of mony as to them is or shall be owing, whereof he or they trust in his or their Con­science to be payd, except and out of the premises de­ducted such sums of money as he or they owe and is in his or their conscience intended truly to pay, And except also the Apparell of every such person, their Wives and children, belonging to their owne bodies (saving Iewels, Gold, Silver, Stones, Pearle) shall pay to­wards the said weekly sum of 450 li. and every Alien and stranger, as well denizens as others, and also eve­ry Popish Recusant convict or not convict, and all such as have not at all contributed to the Propositions of both Houses of Parliament for Arms, Mony, or Plate, shall pay towards the sum aforesaid, a proportion double to those of the like estates being no Aliens or Recusants, and hath contributed to the full upon the Propositions according to their Estates. And that e­very person within the said County, as well Ecclesi­asticall as Temporall, and every corporation, Frater­nity, Guild, mistery, brotherhood and commonalty, corporate or not corporate, as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall, for every estate that every such person or persons, and every corporation, Fraternity, Guild, [Page]mistery, brotherhood and commonalty, corporate or not corporate, or any other to his or their use in trust or otherwise hath in fee simple, fee taile for terme of life, tearme of yeeres, by execution, wardship or by Copy of Court Role, of and in any honours, Castles, Mannors, Lands, Tenements, Rents, services, tithes, oblations, obventions, annunities, Offices of profit, Fees, corrodies or other yearely profits or here­ditaments, as well within Antient demesne and other places priviledged as elsewhere, shall pay to and to­wards the said weekly sum, his and their proportio­nable part and portion of sum or sums of money as shall be imposed, charged, and set upon every the par­ticulars within the aforesaid County, according as the same shall be divided distributed, cared, or set upon each severall Towne, hamlet, Parish, or place where such person or persons is or shall be chargeably by this Ordinance and the true intent and meaning thereof, except and alwayes fore-prized from the charge and Assessement of the sum aforesaid, all Goods, Chattels, and Ornaments, belonging to any Churches or Chap­pels which have been ordained and used in any Chur­ches and Chappells for the service of Almighty God, & except yearely wages due to servants for their yearely service, and the said summe so charged shall by autho­rity of this Ordinance be taxed, sessed, and rated in every hundred, Citie, Towne Hamlet, Parish, and e­very other place within the said County before the 20. of April in the yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred forty and three, and the first payment of the said weekely summe so assessed by this Ordinance, shall be made at or before the first day of May 1643. And the said weekely payment to continue weekely for three moneths next ensuing from the first day of May, unlesse the Armies pretended to be the Kings, shall bee [Page]disbanded in the meane time, and for the better expe­diting of the said service, in leavying, assessing, and collecting the said weekely sum of foure humdred and fifty Pounds; bee it further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons, That the Lord Viscount Cramborne, Robert Cicill Esqu [...]re, Sir John Gerrard, Sir John Read Knights and Baronets, Sir Thomas Da­cres, Sir William Litton, Sir John Wittew [...]ong, K ^ts. Richard Jennings, William Le [...]man, William Pievst­ley, Cravely Norton, Esquires, Edward Atkins, Ser­geant at Law, John King Doctor in Physick, Henry Meau [...]is senior, Ralph Fteeman, Iohn Heydon, Alex­ander Wilde, Richard Porter, Adam Washington, Gabriel Barber, Iohn Robotham, Toby Combes, Iohn Pemberton, William Beaman, of▪ Redborne, Litton Fairclough, Iohn Scrogs, Thomas Sadler, of St. Al­banes, for the time being, the Maior of Hertford for the time being, Iohn Marsh, Isaac Puller, Thomas Meade, Ralph Pemberton, Iohn Thewer, William Catter of Offeley, Gentleman, or any two or more of them shall bee appointed and Ordained Com­mittees for the Leavying, Assessing, and Collecting of the aforesaid sum of 450 li. to the uses and purpo­ses already exprest in this Ordinance. And for the bet­ter raysing of the foresaid weekely sum, the said Com­mittees shall agree to divide and sever themselves in­to such hundreds, places, and divisions, within the said County as to them shall seeme meet and expedi­ent▪ and afterwards the said Committees orany two of them respectively shall direct their Warrants to such number of persons as they shall thinke fit within their sevecall and respective Divisions, to appeare before them or before any two of them, and upon their appearance the said respective Com­mittees [Page]or any two of them shall nominate and ap­point such persons as they shall thinke fit, within their respective divisions; which said persons so nomina­ted, or any two of them, shall have power to assesse any person or persons, fraternity, Guild, Corporation, mi­stery, brotherhood, Commonalty Corporate, or not Corporate, chargeable by this Ordinance; to the weekely rate and proportion in this Ordinance menti­oned: and the said Committees or any two of them shall have full power and authority within the said County in their severall divisions, to nominate col­lectors for the money so assessed and rated as afore­said, accorduig to this Ordinance, which said col­lectors shall collect the said Money so assessed▪ and pay the same to such Treasurers, as shall be appoin­ted by the said Committee, or any five of them; and if any person or persons, fraternity, Guild, Corporation, Mistery, Brotherhood, Commonalty, corporate or not corporate chargeable by this Ordinance, shall refuse to pay the sum or summes upon him or them assessed by [...] Ordinance, or shall not pay the same up­pon [...] the place of [...], or where, such assessement shall be made, it shall be lawfull to and for the respective Collectors, or any of them, to leavy all or any such summe of summes so assessed by way of [...], and sale of the goods of the Person or Per­sons so assessed, where ever the same shall be found, and to breake open any house, chest, trunke, bote, [...] any other thing where any such goods are, and if any person so [...]; or other shall make resistance, it shall be lawful to and for the said respective Collectors or any of them, as they see tause, to ca [...] to their assist­ance, by the power of the superiour Officers of the Forces of the said County, any of the Trained Bands or Companies of [...]eetes or other Forces of, or [Page]within the said County, place, or places where such resistance shall be made, or any other Person or Per­sons whatsoever, dwelling in or neere the place, and the severall Officers, Commanders, and Soutdiers of the same, or other the Persons so to be called, are hereby required to be aiding and assisting to the said respective Collectors in the premises, as they will an­swer the contrary therof, and be it further Ordained that every person to be rated and taxed as aforesaid, if he have an estate either in Lands, Tenements, Here­ditaments, rents, annunities, Fees, offices, goods or chattelis, in severall places in the said County, then to be rated in the said severall places, according to such his said estate in the said places, and the summe on him set to be there levyed accordingly; And be it also Or­dained that al Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments of all and every person and persons whatsoever, of what degree or quality soever, or in whose possession soever the same are, shall be rated, charged, and char­geable for and to wards the raysing and payment of the said weekely summe of money set and charged by this Ordinance, Yet neverthelesse with this Limi­tation and provision that if the Land be set or let to or neere the yearely valew thereof in the possession of any Tenant for life, lives, or yeares, or at will, such person or persons to whom the rent thereof belongeth to be solely chargeable therewith, but if the same be let at any easie or small rent or undervalue then the summe taxed to be apportioned betweene the party or parties to whom the rent belongeth, and the Tenant or occu­pier of the lands, Tenements & heredistaments as the taxers shall thinke meete, and if they or any of them shall doe any Injury the same to be rectified by the said Committees or any two of them within their seve­rall limits and divisions according to their discretion

And if any such Tenant or Occupier of Lands, Tene­ments or hereditaments, shall, or may be charged with any sum of money, contrary to the true mient and meaning of this Ordinance, That it shall and may be lawfull to and for such Tenant or Occupier to stop and detaine the same from and out of his Rent due for the same Land, or to take his lawfull remedy (against such) person or persons to whom the said Rent is or shall be due or belonging, who ought by the true meaning of this Ordinance to be charg­ed with) by action of debt, wherein no Wager of Law, protection or es [...]ome shall be allowed, and for all manner of debts whatsoever, or sum or sums of money due or owing to any person or persons, by any person or persons within the said County, the person or persons to w [...]om such debts shall be due, to be charged for the same, during his abode, and residence in the said County.

And be it Ordained that no person, being or calling him­selfe household servant, or waiting servant to the Kings Majesty, or other Lord or Lady, Master or Mistris be ex­cused from the Taxed of the said payment when he shall be set and taxed in the hundreds, Hamlets, Pari [...]es, and other places of the said County. And if any person that ought to be set and Taxed to the said payment, by his crime or craft, or any words or sayings, or otherw [...]se, happen to escape from the said payments to ben [...] set, and Taxed according to the true meaning of this Ordinance, and that procced by presentment, examination, information, or other wayes be­fore the said Committées or any two of them, then every such person shall be charged upon the knowledge and proofe thereof; At the treble value of so much as he should might, or ought to have beene set or taxed at, by vertue of this Or­dinance, and the same to be levied, gathered, and paid out of his Goods and Chattells, Lands and Tenements, to­wards [Page 8]the said payment, in such manner as is herein limi­ted for others, which refuse to pay: and if no distresse bée found of the goods, or other things of such person or persons, bodies corporate, or other chargable by this Ordinance, as shall not pay the wéekly rate as aforesaid; then the said Col­lectors shall have power to enquire of any sum or sums of money due, or to be due to the persons so assessed as afore­said, from any person or persons, for any Rents, Tythes, Goods or Debts, or other thing or cause whatsoever, and to compound for any of the said Rents, Tythes, Goods, Debts, due to the persō so assessed respectively as aforesaid, with any person or persons, by whom the said Rents, Tithes, Goods, Debts, or other things due unto the said person respectively as aforesaid; As also to give full discharge for the money, by them so received upon composition or otherwise, which discharge shall be good and effectuall to all intents and pur­poses. And be it further Ordained that if any person, or per­sons shal finde [...], themselves aggrieved, that he or they, is, or are over-rated; such person or persons at any time be­fore distresse taken, of his, or their Goods, except it be such per­sons as have not at all contributed to the propositions of both Houses of Parliament, and these shall pay their tax or rate, so that it doth not exceed the twentieth part of their E­states, yet never the lesse no man shall be taxed, or leavied, at, or above the sum of ten pounds by the week) may complain to the Committée, who have executed this Ordinance, which said Committée or any two of them shall have power upon examination to relieve such person or persons as they shall see cause; And for the better encouragement of the Collectors in this said Service, It is Ordained that three pence in the pound shall be allowed for every sum of money which shall be collected, and paid to such Treasurers and Receivers as shall be nominated by the Committee or any [Page 9]five of them; Two pence whereof shall be allowed to the Collectors, and the residue to such other persons as shallbe imployed in the said service, according to the discretion of the Committee, or any two of them. And to the end that all the moneys may be duely collected. Be it ordayned that the severall assessors within the said County shall within one weeke next after their assessements made, returne their said severall Assessements unto the Committees aforesaid, who, or any two of them are hereby required within ten dayes after the returne of such severall Assessements, to de­liver a Copy thereof, subscribed with their or any two of their hands, to the severall Collectors within their said di­visions or limits, and also within the like ten dayes to send an other Copy thereof to the Treasurers appointed, to the end, the said Treasurers may thereby know what they are to receive of every Parish, or place within the said County. And if any assessors or collectors shal refuse the said Service, or prove negligent or faulty therein, the said Com­mittee, or any two of them, shall have power to commit such Assessors, or Collectors to prison, or to set such a fine upon him or them as they shall thinke fit, not exceeding the sum of twenty pounds upon the Assessors, or the sum of five pounds upon the Collectors, The same to be levied by distresse, and sale of such Offenders Goods, to the uses herein mentioned in such sort as is herein be­fore appointed for such as refuse to pay the rates asses­sed upon him and them. And shall also certifie the said Of­fence to the Lords and Commons in Parliament, and shall have power to nominate other Assessors and Collect­ors: And if any person or persons so Assessed, and Rated, as aforesaid shall conceale, or convey away his ur their Goods, so that no distresse can be taken, or that the said sum or sums, so Assessed upon him or them, cannot be had, or le­vied by any of the wayes, or mean [...]s in the Ordinance men­tioned, [Page 10]Then the said Collectors shall respectively certifie the same, in case bee he under the degrée of a Peere of the Realme, to the Committee of the Commons House of Parliament for examinations, which said Committée shall hereby have power to send for such person and persons as Delinquents, and to commit him or them to such place, or places within this Kingdome, and for so long time, as the Committée for examinations shal think fit.

And it is Ordained that all and every the Assessors, and Collectors, aforesaid and all that shall assist them in the premisles, shall be protected by both Houses of Parlia­ment from all damage that may come to them, or any of them by this Service; and shall further receive such Al­lowances for their charges, and obedience in execution of this Ordinance, as shall be thought fit upon examination by the Committée of the said County, or any three of them.

And further, it is Ordered that the Treasurers appoint­ted by the said Committee for the County in the manner aforesaid, shall keepe a Register Booke of the severall sums re [...]erved and paid out by them, that so they may give a good account (of the receipts and disbursements of all the sums of money collected in the said County, by vertue of this Ordinance) unto the Committée of the County, when thereunto they shall be required by the Parliament.

And lastly it is Ordained, that the Treasurers of the County, as before appointed shall issue out no sum or sums of Money, which by vertue of this Ordinance is brought into their hands, to any person or persons, or for any the foresaid use or uses, but as they shall receive Or­der under the Committées hands appointed by this Ordi­dance for the County of Hereford or any thrée of them.