THe Kings most Excellent Maiestie, affecting nothing more then the good of his louing Subiects in generall, and hauing beene very credibly informed of the great abuses and wrongs daily commit­ted in mingling amongst coales, commonly called Newcastle coales, much blacke Earth, Dirt, Slate, and other bad stuffe not fit to burne or serue for firing, and so mingled are brought and vttered within the Realme of England, and thereby for the most part the same Newcastle coales are made vnmerchantable, to the great hurt and preiudice of the buyers thereof, as well Noble-men, Knights, Gentlemen, and other his Maiesties louing Subiects, who partly for the preseruation of woods, and partly for the scarcitie of woods, doe for the most part burne of the same.

Hath beene graciously pleased by his Highnesse Letters Patents, vnder his Maiesties great Seale of England, bearing date the sixe and twentieth day of February, in the thir­teenth yeere of his Maiesties raigne of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the nine and fortieth, to prohibit and suppresse such wrongs and abuses as aforesaid: And to appoint the foresaid Surueyor to be Surueyor of the said coales, who, or his Deputie, or Deputies, are to be attending and attendant in and about the searching, viewing, seeing, and suruey­ing of the said coales: And are appointed to informe and complaine against such as shall of­fend in such mingling or vttering of vnmerchantable coales, as aforesaid: And to haue a Seale of office, vnder which to certifie what coales, and of what sort of goodnesse of coales, any Master, Owner, or Shipper, doe or shall take in, fraight, or lade into their Ships or Barkes at the places abouesaid, to be brought to the Citie of London, or otherwise to bee spent within this Realme of England, to the end that the buyers of the same coales may the better know and be informed of the goodnesse or badnesse of them.

And therefore if any person, or persons, shall at any time, or times hereafter, haue any cause or causes of complaint against any Master, Owner, Shipper, or others, for bringing, vttering, or selling vnto them such vnmerchantable coales as aforesaid: Let him or them so grieued, repaire vnto Andrew Boyde Esquier, his Maiesties Surueyor in that behalfe ap­pointed, or vnto his Deputie or Deputies, at his Offices hereunder mentioned, and there in writing (without any charge to such as shall so complaine) leaue his or their cause or causes of complaint touching the premises, & speedie information, according to the prouision of the said Letters Patents, shall be made & giuen against such as doe or shall offend against the same Letters Patents: As his Maiesties most gracious pleasure is therein signified.

The Offices for receiuing of such complaints concerning the abuses aboue­said, The one that is for the Citie of London is kept at Dowgate: And the other Office is kept in the Towne of Newcastle vpon Tyne.

God saue the King.