Right trustie and right welbeloued Cosen wee greete you well the Abuses and neglectes in the trayned bandes of the seuerall Counties are by Connivance and want of due Care growne so Customary as the direccions of the state for reformacion are Commonly received as matters of forme only and soe slighted sic executed as the wished and necessary effectes are not att all produced, but since soe essentiall a parte of the strength and saftie of the Kingdome Consistes in those bandes and in haueing them well Chosen well armed and well disiplined and that neither the serious recommendacions from vs nor the eminent dangers of these times cann serue for sufficient admonicions wee are resolued to take a strict accompt our selfe of the performance of each mans dutye in that soe important service which wee haue thought meete thus expreslye to intimate that any future defaultes may bee the lesse excusable and our sence and severe punishing of them be more iustified and not to bee repined att. Our will and pleasure therefore is that you call cause a generall Moster to bee taken att some Convenient time for the Country this Somer of all the trayned bandes horse and foote vnder your Leiuteanencye and that now att last all the defectes bee really supplyed wherein you may not conceiue that wee impose an imposibilitye or any great matter of difficultye vpon you or your deputye Leiuteanant since that which is required from you is that you make an equall impartiall and indifferent charge according to the value of every mans Land and meanes within your Leiuteanancye whether the Owner bee resident or not for findinge horse or Foote. That then you see the horse and armes soe Charged and sufficient menne to Ride the horses and weare and vse the armes being accordingly furnished and when you find any Refractorye that then you Certifie the same his name and default to our Privye Councell without Connivance or particularitye. Where if a Course bee not taken to bring him to Conformitye and the discharge of his dutye the fault shall lye vpon us and you and your deputies shalbee blameles To giue you anye particuler direccions how to proceed in this service were needles the best that canne bee conceiued haueing beene sent and often reiterated vnto you Only wee will putt you in minde of one thing touching the Choise of the personns of the menne which is neither new nor of Ordi­63nary Consequence that those that are to bee enrolled in the Trayned Listes bee of the gentrye: Freeholders and good Farmers or their sonns that are like to bee resident in the Councell Country and ready to serve with the armes they beare and are trayned in all the Musters and that the meaner sort of people and servantes whose residence cannott bee expected to bee Constant bee avoyded as much as may bee att least where any servant is inrolled it shall not bee in his Maisters power to Chainge or putt him awaye without the Licence of you or some of your deputy Leiutenaunts because of such Changes the benifitt of trayning and teaching the vse of armes is vtterly lost when you haue taken their Musters and performed their owne direccions you are to retorne to vs or our privye Councell a perfect Certificate of the true estate of all the Trayned bandes within your Leiuteanancy not as hath beene to vsuall only by transcribeing a Coppy of a former Certificate without the obserueing of the present defectes or reparacions but such as you will Answere vpon your faieth and dutye and shall giue vs a true representacion of the true estate of those forces in all respectes. The resolucion which wee haue hereby intimated vnto you not to bee any longer satisfied with formalities but require realtie and effectes you will certenly find strictly contained in the accompt wee will take of this service and therefore wee will expect a full performance on your parte as you tender our pleasure and the publique safty. Giuen vnder our Signett att our Castle of Windsor 21th of Septem: Anno RRegis 4to. 1628