❧ A declaration of the Queenes Maiesties will and commaundement, to haue certaine Lawes and orders put in execution against the excesse of Apparell, notified by her commandement in the Starrechamber the xiij. of Februarie in the xxx. yeere of her reigne.
THE Queenes Maiestie hath considered into what extremities agreat number of her Subiects are fallen by the vnordinate excesse in apparell, contrary both to the good lawes of the Realme, and to her Maiesties former admonitions by her Proclamations, and to the confusion of degrees of all estates, amongst whome diuersitie of apparell hath bene alwayes a speciall and laudable marke, and finally to the impouerishing of the Realme, by dayly bringing into the same of superfluitie of forreine and vnnecessarie commodities, not able to be answered with the naturall marchandise of the Realme, as in all former times wel gouerned hath bene vsed, and in all other kingdoms and countries is politiquely obserued. For these and many other weightie considerations, her Maiestie vpon speciall care of the weale and good gouernment of her kingdome, hath with the aduise of her Counsel, thought it meete and most necessary at this time, to notifie in the latter ende of this Terme of Hillary in her high Court of the Starre chamber, at an assemblie of diuers Lords and others of her priuie Counsell, and all the Iustices of her Courtes at Westminster, and in the open hearing of a great number of the Iustices of the Peace of all the parts of her Realme, and of a multitude of other of her Subiects, that her earnest meaning is, without delay to haue [...] speedie reformation of this great intollerable abuse, growen to an vnmeasurable disorder, and the same to bee done by due execution of certaine parts of her Lawes remayning in force, in such sort as may best bee agreeable to the present time: And to that ende, for the best example of all others that can bee, hath alreadie for her owne most honourable Housholde charged and authorised the Lorde Steward of her Housholde, now present at this assemblie, for all persons vnder his charge, and to the Lorde Chamberlaine or Vicechamberlaine for all persons [...]nder their rule, to obserue such parts of her saide Lawes, and some necessary orders against excesse of apparel, [...] are hereafter particularly expressed to be duely obserued: which to doe effectually the said Lord Steward for the housholde, and the Vicechamberlayne in the absence of the Lord Chamberlayne haue vndertaken to see executed. And at the same time also, her Maiesties pleasure was declared in her said Starrechamber, by the Lord Chancellor of England (as so commanded by her Maiestie) that all the Iustices of Assises of the Realme, who were then there present, shoulde in their next Circuite through her whole Realme giue knowledge thereof in their open Sessions, & to charge all Iustices of peace, that in their quarter Sessions, and in any other their assemblies, and also all Maiors, and Officers of Townes Corporate, & all Officers of Liberties in their Courts, should see to the speedy execution thereof, after conuenient time to be limitted for a reasonable warning, by the said Iustices of Assise, for the due execution and punishment of the offenders, so as no subiect of the Realme shal [...]aue cause by ignorance to continue in their offence. The like commandement also was there in that assemblie giuen by the said Lord Chancelor to all the Heads, Auncients & Principals of houses of Court and Chancerie, where the aforesaide excesse was noted to be more largely of late yeeres spread amongst the youth there, then in any other place of England, to see also to the speedie reformation thereof. The like commaundement also was [...]here remembred to haue bene of late giuen by her Maiesties owne mouth to the Maior of London, and the Aldermen of the same, being before her Maiestie in her Presence chamber at her Court. So as it may wel appeare [...]ow earnestly her Maiestie is resolued to haue this notable disorder and excesse speedily & earnestly reformed for [...]he benefit of her Realme. At the same assembly also was concluded y t in the two Vniuersities of Cambridge and Oxford, where this infection was seene to haue made entrie amongst the youth, there should be by the direction [...]f the Lords the Chancelours of the same, a streight order for repressing of the said disordered excesse of Apparell. [...]nd though her Maiestie might by iustice of her lawes, make great profite by the execution of the same lawes [...]maining in force against the said excesse, by leuying the great penalties due to her by execution of the same, [...]nd that also some part of the same lawes, being made diuers yeeres past, by the alteration of time, may seeme insome part hard to be exactly and duely obserued in all parts: Therefore hir Maiesties meaning was there declared at this time to be to make some proofe of the execution onely of some parts of the same lawes, agreeable for the time heereafter expressed, without charging her subiects with the great forfeitures alreadie due to her Maiestie, except it shall be against such persons as she shall be prouoked by finding them disobedient and vnwilling to obey and obserue the speciall clauses and articles hereafter following.
Certaine clauses taken out of the Statute made for reformation of excesse of Apparell, the xxiiij. yeere of the reigne of king Henrie the eight.
FIrst, it is ordered, that no man vnder the degree of a Marquesse, Earle, and their children, or vnder the degree of a Baron, vnlesse he be a knight of the order of the garter, shall weare in any part of his apparell, any wollen cloth made out of any of the Queenes Maiesties dominions, except in Bonnettes onely.
Item that no man vnder the degree of a Barons sonne, or a knight, except he may expend two hundred poundes by yeere, for terme of life, ouer all charges, shall weare any maner of Veluet in his Gowne, Coate, or other his vppermost garment: nor any maner of embrodery, or pricking with golde, siluer, or silke, in any part of his apparell, or on thapparell of his Horse or Mule.
Item that no man vnder the foresaid estates and degree, sauing such as may dispend in yerely reuenues, as is aforesayde, one hundred poundes, aboue all charges, shall weare any Satten, Damaske, Silke Chamblet, or Taffata in his Gowne, Coate, or other his vppermost apparel or garment: nor any Veluet, sauing in sleeuelesse Iackettes, Doblettes, Coyffes, Partelettes, and Purses.
Item, that no man vnder the sayde degrees, sauing the sonne and heyre apparant of a man that may dispend three hundred markes by yere, aboue all charges, and such other men as may dispend in yeerely reuenue, as is aforesayde, fourtie poundes ouer all charges, shall weare in his Gowne, or any other his vppermost apparell, Chamblet, or Silke: nor in any other part of his apparell any silke, sauing Satten, Damaske, Tafftata, or Sarsenet in his Doblets: and Sarsenet, Chamblet, or Taffata, in the lyning of his Gownes, or Veluet in his sleeuelesse Coates, Iackets, Ierkins, Coyffes, Cappes, Purses, or Partelets. The colours of Scarlet, Crymsin or Blewe, alwayes excepted.
Item, that no man vnder the said degrees, sauing such gentlemen as may dispend in yerely reuenues, as is aforesaid, twentie poundes aboue all charges, shall weare any maner of silke in any apparell of his body, or of his Horse, or Mule, except it be Satten, Taffata, Sarsenet, or Damaske in his Doblet, or Coyffe: and Chamblet in his sleeuelesse Iackets: or poynts, laces, or garters, made in England or Wales.
Item, that no person vnder the same degrees, sauing such as may dispend fiue poundes by yeere, as is aforesaid, aboue all charges, shall weare any silke in his Doblettes or Iackettes: nor any thing made out of the Realme, sauing Chamblet in their Doblettes and Iackettes.
Item that no Seruing man, nor other Yeoman taking wages, nor such other as may not dispende of freeholde fourtie shillings by yere, as is aforesaid, shall weare any Shert, or Shert band, vnder or vpper Cappe, Bonet, or Hat garnished, mixt, made, or wrought with silke, golde, or siluer: nor shall weare any Bonet, or Shert band, made out of the Realme of England or Wales.
Item, no Husbandman shall weare in his Doblette, any other thing then that which is wrought within this Realme, Fustian and Canuasse onely except.
Item, no Seruing man in Husbandry, or Iourneyman in handycraftes, taking wages, shall weare in his Doblet, any other thing then Fustian, Canuas, Leather, or Wollen cloth.
¶ Item, if any man shal vse or weare any Apparel or other thing, contrary to y e tenour of the Articles before remembred, then he so offending, shall forfaite the Apparel and thing so worne, wherewith soeuer it be garnished, or the value thereof, and also iii. s.iiii. d. in the name of a fine, for euery day that he shall so weare the same, contrary to the tenour hereof.
❧ Certaine other clauses of the Statutes, made in the first and second yere of King Philip and Queene Mary, necessary also to be obserued, to auoyde the excesse of apparell.
FIrst, that no Englishman, sauing the sonne and heyre apparant of a Knight, or such as may of yeerely reuenues during life, expend twentie poundes aboue all charges, or be worth in goods two hundreth poundes, shall weare any maner of silke, in or vpon his Hatte, Bonnet, Nightcap, Gyrdle, Scabberd, Hose, Shooes, or Spurlethers, vpon payne of three moneths imprisonment, and fine of x.li. for euery dayes wearing, contrary to the tenour of this Act.
Item, that if any person or persons, of any estate or degree, knowing any seruaunt of his or theirs to offende, contrary to the Article last before remembred, do not put the same seruaunt out of his or their seruice, but shall keepe in his or their seruice the same offendour or offendours, by the space of xiiii. dayes next after such knowledge had: or so put out, retayne him againe within one yeere next after such offence, the same person so retayning or keeping in seruice any such offender, shall forfayte one hundreth poundes.
Prouided alwayes, that all and euery person and persons, which by any statute lawe, remaining in force, is licenced or appoynted to weare any maner of thing, contrary to the tenour and meaning of any of the Articles before remembred, or any part of them, shall and may weare the same to him licenced or appointed to weare, as is aforesayde: Any thing in these Articles to the contrary notwithstanding.
❧ Certaine other orders meete in this time to be obserued for reformation of the excesse in certaine kinde of Apparell.
FIrst, it is further ordered, that no man vnder the degree of a Barons sonne, except that hee be of the order of the Garter, or of the Priuie Counsell, or that may dispend fiue hundred markes by yeere, for terme of life in possession, aboue all charges, shall vse any embroderies or passemayns of Golde or Siluer: nor shall weare any maner of silke neatherstocks of hosen, nor of any other thing, made out of the Queenes Maiesties Dominions.
Item, it is further ordered, that all the articles before remembred, shalbe put in execution in all points, by all maner of officers, according to the Statutes, lawes, and proclamations heretofore made and set forth, concerning the same. And for such as shall contemne any of the orders before mencioned, being deuised by her Maiesties commandement, the offendors to be attached, and committed to prison, and to be there continued and punished, as appertaineth to such as shall wilfully breake her Maiesties commaundement in causes concerning the publike weale of the Realme.
It is not meant for any thing aboue expressed, but that the seruants of Noblemen and gentlemen may weare such liuerie coates, as their masters shall allowe them, with their Badges or other ornamentes of any veluet or silke, to be laide, or added to their saide liuerie coates.
God saue the Queene.
❧ Imprinted at London by the deputies of Christopher Barker, printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie.
13. Febr. Anno 1587.
Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis.