THe Kings most Excellent Maiestie, affecting nothing more then the good of his losting Subiects in generall, and hauing beene very cre­dibly enformed of the great abuses & 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 doe bring and vtter the same into this Realme, and thereby for the most part doe make good coales vnmerchantable, to the great hurt and preiudice of the buyers therof, which are very many: whom for the preseruation of woods, many Noble-men, Knights and Gentry of this Realme (besides others of his Maiesties Subiects) doe burne of the same coales.

Hath beene graciously pleased by his Highnesse Letters Patents, vnder his Maiesties great Seale of England, bearing date the sixe and twentie day of February, in the thir­teenth yeere of his Maiesties raigne of England, France and Ireland, and of Scotland the nine and fortieth, to prohibite and suppresse such wrongs and abuses, as aforesayd: And to appoynt a Surueyor of the said coales, who, or his Deputie or Deputies are to bee at­tending and attendant in and about the searching, viewing, seeing and surueying of the said coales; And are appointed to enforme and complaine against such as shall offend in such mingling 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 boates at the places abouesayd, to bee brought to the City of London, or otherwise to be spent within this Realme of England, To the end that the buyers of the said coales may the better know or bee enformed of the goodnesse or badnesse of them.

And also, if any person or persons, shall at any time or times heereafter haue any cause or causes of complaint against any Master, Owner, Shipper, or others, for selling vnto them such vnmerchantable coales, as aforesaid: Let him or them repaire vnto Andrew Boyde Esqui­er, his Maiesties Surueyor in that behalfe appointed, or vnto his Deputie or Deputies, & there in writing leaue his or their cause or causes of complaint touching the premises, & speedy Information, according to the prouision of the said Letters Patents, shall be made and giuen against such as doe or shall offend against the same Letters Patents: As his Maiesties most gracious pleasure is therein signified.

The Office is kept at the Towne of Newcastle vpon Tyne.

God saue the King.