❧ Orders conceiued by the Lords of her Maiesties Priuie Counsell, and by her Highnesse speciall direction, commanded to be put in execution for the restraint of killing, and eating of Flesh this next Lent, and to be executed aswell by the Lord Maior within the City and Suburbes of London, and by the Officers of the Liberties and erempt places in and about the same, as by order to be prescribed by the Lords Lieutenants of all the Counties of the Realme, to the Iustices of Peace, Lords of Liberties, and Officers of Corporall townes.
FIrst, her Maiesties pleasure is, vpon her vnderstanding of the great disorders heretofore, and especially the last Lent, committed in killing and eating flesh in the time of Lent, especially in the Citie of London, and the liberties thereto adioyning, that the Statute made in the fift yeere of her Maiesties Reigne for the restraint thereof, be put in due execution by the way of Inquisition, and charge of Iuries, or by any other good meanes, both within the Citie and all other places requisite within the Realme, and this to be executed with more diligence then heretofore it hath bene.
2 And for the better knowledge of the trueth of these disorders, and redresse of the inconueniences, the sayd Iuries shall call before them, and send for any of the Seruants of any Inholders, Victuallers, Tauerners, and Keepers of Ordinarie Tables, and such other that vtter Victuals, to examine them vpon their corporall othes, what flesh is, or hath bene during the Lent season, dressed, killed, vttered or eaten in their houses, which if they shall refuse to doe, then they shal make knowen the same to the Alderman or his Deputie of that Ward, who shall commit to prison the sayd sernants, so refusing vpon their other to declare the trueth.
3 And because a great part of the disforder growbeth by the Butchers of the City of London, and also of the Countrey, that kill secretly and bring Flesh to the City: It is ordered that there shall be onely sire Butchers licensed by the Lord Maior within the City of London, and for the liberties thereof, viz. three in Eastcheape, and three in S. Nicholas Shambles, who shalbe of the poorer fort, and shall not pay any thing for their licenses, nor ioyne with them any partners.
4 That euery of the said Butchers so to be licensed within the City, bee stinted not to kill weekely aboue the number of wentie sheepe, twentie calues, and twentie lambes, and to vtter and sell the same in their open shops in such fort, as in open time they are accustomed to doe, and at such rates and prizes as shall be set downe by order of the Lord Maior of London for that Citie and the liberties thereof. And besides euery one of them shall keepe a perfect booke, what Flesh they kill euery day, and to what persons they sell and vtter the same, and be bound in a sufficient Bond with good Sureties to her Baiesties vse, to obserue these Orders in euery respert.
5 That there be licensed only to kill and vtter flesh in the Suburbs of the said City, as in the Counties of Middlesex and Surrey neere vnto London, onely ten Butchers to be licensed by the Iustices within the seueral limits, whereof two to be of the Quorum, that is, two without Temple Barre in the parish of S. Clement Danes, two without Smithfield Barres in the parish of S. Pulchers, or Clarketonwell, or one of them, one in whitecrosse streete, one in Norton Folgate, one in white Chappell, one in S. Katherines, two in Southwarke, and for the City of Westminster and the liberties thereof two Butchers to be licensed by the chiefe Officer of that liberty. And those to be as is before expressed for the sayd Citie and the liberties, of the poorer sort inhabiting in those places, and to be licensed without any money or other consideration to be giuen for the same, and to be bound in the like Bond and Conditions, and to obserue the like Orders in cuery respeet as those that are to be appointed for London, and the sayd Clerke of the Market, Officer and Iustice, there to see them, and to set the prizes of the victuals to be vttered in those parts.
6 That no person be permitted to kill or sell any flesh but to those that are licensed, nor in any other place as before is specified, vpon paine to forfeit the flesh to be giuen to the poore in the prisons, and to suffer imprisonment.
7 That the Constables, Churchwardens and other publique Officers be authorised in London, and the liberties thereof, by the L. Maior, and by the Iustices in the Counties of Middlesex and Surrey, and the forenamed Officers in westminster, to make search, and to see that the licensed Butchers, nor any other doe kill or vtter any flesh, nor doe any thing contrary to the Orders and her Maiesties Proclamation in that behalfe, and of they finde any to offend therein, that they be bound and ordered to present the same to the Iustices of the Peace, and the Officers of Westminster, who are to see the offenders duely punished and proceeded withall according to the law and their discretions.
8 Item, that euery Butcher licensed to kill for any priuate persons, doe not sell to any other.