THe Queenes most excellent Maiestie, foreseeing the generall dearth growen of corne and other victuals, partly through the vnseasona­blenesse of the yeere past, whereby want hath growen more in some countries then in others, but most of all generallie through the co­uetousnesse and vncharitable greedinesse of such as be great corne­masters and engrossers of corne, vsing al the subtil meanes they can, to worke their owne present vnconscionable gaine against the rules of charitie, which her Maiestie of her princely care and loue towards her people, vtterly condemneth, and earnestly desireth to remedie, for the reliefe of the poorer sort. And therefore, her Maiestie with her princely care towards her peo­ple, hauing with the aduise of her Counsell had good consideration hereof, doth by this her Procla­mation, giue expresse commandement and charge vnto al such to whome it shall or may appertaine, that such good orders as her Maiestie hath commanded to be deuised for that purpose, and now also are sent to all partes of her Realme, bee diligently & effectually put in speedie execution: Signifying withall vnto all her good and louing subiects, that if any shalbe founde obstinate or negligent in the due execution, or otherwise in the obseruation thereof, that then vpon due enformation and proofe thereof made vnto her highnesse said Counsell, which she requireth not to be spared by any, hauing iust cause of complaint, for respect of any person, she hath giuen special commandement & order, that they shalbe speedily called to answere, and thereupon, according to the qualitie of their offences, shall receiue sharpe punishment, whereby others may take example to auoide the like contempt, negli­gence, or other defaults.

And although this Dearth hath insundry partes of the Realme first growen by the visitation of Almightie God, in the alteration of seasonable weather this last yeere, which neuerthelesse of his great mercy hath bin so extreme in this Realme, as in many other Countries adioyning, where the Dearth is by many occasions manifestly knowen to be farre greater then is in this Realme hi­therto, or by his goodnesse is like to be: Yet it is manifestly knowen the sayd Dearth to haue bene wilfully encreased in very many places of this Realme, not onely by and through the couetousnesse of many engrossers of Corne and Cornemasters, but also by vnlawfull transportation of Grayne, and lacke also of preseruation of store in time requisite. Her Highnes acknowledging this maner of Gods mercy and fauour in amore fauourable measure towards her Country and her people, then to other fo [...]rein partes neere adioyning, hath thought good and necessary, for a further remedie against the vncharitable couetousnesse of the Cornemasters, as cause shall require, to notifie, that if such as be the great Cornemasters & owners of Grayne, or of other necessarie victual for foode of the poore, shall not be willing, or doe not performe these orders, whereby the poorer sort may be relieued in the mar­kets at reasonable prices, or that it shall appeare that other needefull victuals shall by couetousnesse of any persons growe to excessiue prices, to the pinching of the poorer sort: Then her Highnesse doth hereby signefie, that she wil not onely seuerely punish the offendors for their cruel couetousnes & offen­tes against her orders, but will also for redresse of the excessiue prices of other needefull victuals, giue order that reasonable prices shall be set both on Corne and other victuals to be solde for the reliefe of her Maiesties poore Subiects, according both to her Prerogatiue Royal, and to the order of Iustice, as by speciall lawe of Parliament therefore made in the fiue and twentieth yeere of the raigne of her late Noble and deare Father King Henry the eight, is specially in such cases prouided.

Giuen at Greenewich the second day of Ianuary, 1586. In the nine and twentieth yeere of her High­nesse raigne.

God saue the Queene.