By The KING. A PROCLAMATION To Restraine the Spreadinge of False News, And Licentious talkinge of matters of state and governement by [Manuscript Broadsheet]. Charles; II,; King of England [1630 - 1685].  - 1672

[London?], 1672. Stained, four closed tears, small hole in center & some edge rash to right side, with a loss of ~ 20 letters, though not the sense thereof. Binder's (?) stab holes at top. Scribal (?) pinhole lower left. A Good copy of this fragile survivor.. Broadsheet. Recto with mss proclamation text; verso docketed, "A true coppy of The Kings proclamation." 15-1/2" x 12-1/4" [39.3 cm x 31 cm].

Coffee houses in 17th C. Britain were a prominent location for the discussion & transmission of news, local and national, or possibly, in the view of some, even seditious utterings, including the hatching of conspiracies and/or treason. Herein, Charles takes issue with "licentious talking" "both publick and private, to censure and defame the Proceedings of State, by speaking evil of things they understand not..." "And because all bold and irreverant Speeches touching matters of this high nature are punishable ... His Majesty doth further Declare, That he will proceed with all Severity, against all manner of persons who shall use any bold or unlawful Speeches of this nature, or be present at any Coffee-house, or other publick or private meeting where such Speeches are used...."The proclamation issued in print by Bill & Barker [Wing C3581; Steele 3570], but during this era the scribal tradition was still flourishing, with separates such as this example freely circulating, often in the maligned coffee-houses [cf. Love. Culture & Commerce of Texts. Scribal Publication in Seventeenth-Century England, pp. 9-22].The mss text duplicates that of the printed version, with the exception of the expected spelling variations, however, the printer's imprint is omitted from this mss copy.Rare in the trade.