“Item. You shall not enforce any woman being with child, by any pain or by any ungodly ways or means, to give you any more for your pains or labour in bringing her to bed, than they would otherwise do.
“Item. You shall not consent, agree, give, or keep counsel, that any woman be delivered secretly of that which she goeth with, but in the presence of two or three lights ready.
“Item. You shall be secret, and not open any matter appertaining to your office, in the presence of any man, unless necessity, or great urgent cause do constrain you so to do.
“Item. If any child be dead born you yourself shall see it buried in such secret place, as neither hog, or dog, nor any other beast may come unto it; and in such sort done, as it be not found or perceived, as much as you may: and that you shall not suffer any such child to be cast into the jaques or any other inconvenient place.
“Item. If you shall know any midwife using or doing any thing contrary to any of the premises, or in any otherwise than shall be seemly or convenient, you shall forthwith detect, open, or shew the same to me or my Chancellor for the time being.
“Item. You shall use yourself in honest behaviour unto the woman, being lawfully admitted to the room and office of Midwife, in all things accordingly.
“Item. That you shall truly present to myself or my Chancellor, all such women as you shall know from time to time to occupy and exercise the room of a midwife within my aforesaid diocese and jurisdiction of —— without any licence and admission.
“Item. You shall not make or assign any deputy or deputies, to exercise or occupy under you in your absence the office or room of a Midwife, but such as you shall perfectly know to be of right honest and discreet behaviour; and also apt, able, and having sufficient knowledge and experience to exercise the said room and office.
“Item. You shall not be privy, or consent, that any priest or other party shall in your absence, or in your company, or of your knowledge or sufferance, baptize any child by any mass, latin service, or prayers, than such as are appointed by the laws of the Church of England; neither shall you consent that any child born by any woman who shall be delivered by you shall be carried away without being baptized in the parish by the ordinary minister where the said child is born, unless it be in case of necessity baptized privately according to the Book of Common Prayer: but you shall forthwith, upon understanding thereof, either give knowledge to me the said Bishop, or my Chancellor for the time being.
“All which articles and charge you shall faithfully observe and keep: So help you God, and by the contents of this book.”