Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1728. 493

    25th day of May in the 14th year of his Lordships the Lord      Lib. X.

    Proprietarys Dominion &c Annoq Dni 1728

                      Were Present

    His Excellency Benedict Leonard Calvert Governor

               John Hall Esqr    

               Colo Richard Tilghman      Members of his

   the honble  Philip Lee Esqr            Lordships honble

               Nicholas Lowe Esqr         Council

               Charles Calvert Esqr

      His Excellency is pleased to Acquaint this Board that the

    Fruits of the Earth have been very much destroyed by Great

    Numbers of Caterpillars which have Overspread this Province

    and that the people are Apprehensive of Greater Danger to

    Come whereupon it is the Opinion of this Board that a Gen

    eral Fast be proclaimed throughout this Province on the third

    Friday in June next as a means to Avert such an Impending

    Judgment which proclamation issued and is as follows             p. 203

    Maryland sst

      By his Excellency Benedict Leonard Calvert Governor and

    Commander in chief in and over the Province of Maryland

                A Proclamation for a fast

      Whereas the present Great Scarcity of Corn our necessary

    Subsistance the many late Losses of Hogs Cattle and other

    Stock and the numerous destroying Caterpillars which have

    infested our woods are such signal and Grievous distresses

    to the People of this Province that they may be justly deemed

    a Visitation from the Almighty God for our manifold Sins

    against him the Sence whereof should induce us to a publick

    and sincere humiliation of ourselves before the Great God to

    whom Vengeance belongeth that he may not suffer his whole

    displeasure to arise against us to the end therefore that so

    timely and necessary a duty may be the more unanimously

    perform'd throughout this province I have thought fit by

    and with the advice of his Ldshps Council of State to issue

    this my Proclamation & I do hereby strictly Charge and

    Command that the third Friday in June next be Observed as

    a day of General and publick fast and Humiliation through

    out this Province and I do Earnestly Invite and Require the

    Inhabitants of this province to be religiously and strictly Ob-

    servant of the same as they tender the favour of Almighty

    God & on pain of suffering such punishment as may be Justly      p. 204

    Inflicted for the Contempt or neglect of so necessary and

    Religious a duty and for the more solemn performance of the