[Fast Day in England.]

BY THE KING.

A PROCLAMATION

For a general Fast.

George R.

We, taking into Our most serious Consideration the just and necessary Measures of Force which We are obliged to use against Our Rebellious Subjects in Our Colonies and Provinces in North America; and putting Our Trust in Almighty God, that He will vouchsafe a special Blessing on Our Arms, both by Sea and Land, have resolved, and do, by and with the Advice of Our Privy Council, hereby command, That a Publick Fast and Humiliation be observed throughout that Part of Our Kingdom of Great Britain called England, Our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, upon Friday the Twenty-seventh Day of February next; that so both We and Our People may humble Ourselves before Almighty God, in order to obtain Pardon of Our Sins; and may, in the most devout and solemn Manner, send up Our Prayers and Supplications to the Divine Majesty for averting those heavy Judgements, which Our manifold Sins and Provocations have most justly deserved, and for imploring his Intervention and Blessing speedily to deliver Our loyal Subjects within Our Colonies and Provinces in North America from the Violence, Injustice, and Tyranny of those daring Rebels who have assumed to themselves the Exercise of Arbitrary Power, to open the Eyes of those who have been deluded by specious Falsehoods into Acts of Treason and Rebellion, to turn the Hearts of the Authors of these Calamities, and finally to restore Our People in those distracted Provinces and Colonies to the happy Condition of being free Subjects of a free State, under which heretofore they flourished so long and prospered so much: And We do strictly charge and command, That the said Publick Fast be reverently and devoutly observed by all Our loving Subjects in England, Our Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, as they tender the Favour of Almighty God, and would avoid his Wrath and Indignation; and upon Pain of such Punishment as We may justly inflict on all such as contemn and neglect the Performance of so religious a Duty. And for the better and more orderly solemnizing the same, We have given Directions to the Most Reverend the Archbishops, and the Right Reverend the Bishops of England, to compose a Form of Prayer suitable to this Occasion, to be used in all Churches, Chapels, and Places of Publick Worship; and to take Care the same be timely dispersed throughout their respective Dioceses.

Given at Our Court at St. James's, the Twenty-third Day of January, One thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight, in the Eighteenth Year of Our Reign.

God save the King. London: Printed by Charles Eyre and William Strahan, Printers to the King's most Excellent Majesty. MDCCLXXVIII.

1 p. folio. Copy in P. C. Entered on Patent Rolls, and in Crown Office Docquet Book, vol. 12, entered in Privy Council Register, III Geo., vol. 14, p. 458. Printed in "London Gazette," January 24, 1778. A proclamation with practically the same wording was issued by the Lord Lieutenant and Council of Ireland, January 31, 1775 (copy in Dublin P. R. O.), in consequence of an order of the Privy Council (Privy Council Register, III Geo., vol. 14, p. 461).