WHereas diuers good Lawes and Statutes, haue heretofore, with great care and prouidence been made and enacted for the due obseruati­on of Lent, and other dayes appointed for Fish dayes, aswel for the spa­ring and increase of Flesh victuall, as for the maintenance of the Na­uie & Shipping of this Realme, by the encouragement of Fishermen to goe to the Seas for the taking of Fish; which Lawes, and politique Constitutions, haue from time to time been seconded and quickened by sundry Proclamations, and other Actes and Ordinances of State in the times of Our Royall Predecessors; And whereas, notwithstand­ing so many good prouisions heretofore had and made in that kinde, We haue obserued, that the inordinate liberty vsually taken by all sorts of people, to kil, dresse and eate Flesh in the Lent season, and on other dayes and times prohibited, is become so inueterate an euill, that it will require more then ordinary care to suppresse the same.

Wee therefore, much affecting the reformation of so great & growing an euill, which is so great an enemy to the plenty of this Our Kingdome, Haue thought fit thus timely, (the better to take away all pretences of excuse) to expresse Our selfe and Our Royall Commandement in this behalfe: Whereof without future declaration of Our pleasure in this kinde, Wee shall expect, and doe require from all Our Subiects, that due notice be taken, and that a strict and continued obe­dience and conformity be yeelded thereunto, both for the present, and in all succeding times.

And therefore Wee doe straitly charge and command all and euery person and persons what­soeuer, to whom it may appertaine, carefully to prouide and see, that these Orders following may be duely obserued and put in execution, vpon paine of Our high displeasure, and such penalties, as by the Lawes of this Our Realme may be inflicted vpon the Offenders, for their contempt or neglect of Vs and Our Lawes, whereof Wee shall shew Our Selfe most sensible.

And first, whereas we find, that the chiefest cause of these disorders hath growen from the Li­cences that haue been granted to Butchers, to kill and vtter Flesh contrary to Law, And that by Our Lawes, no Maior, Iustice of Peace, or other person of what degree or quality soeuer, can grant any Licence in this kinde; And that the Lords and others of Our Priuy Councell, doe by Our direction forbeare to grant the same, or giue way thereunto; Our will and pleasure is, vpon the penalties prouided by Law, and such further punishment to be inflicted vpon the offenders, as shall be thought meete, that no such Licence shall bee granted for the killing or vttering of Flesh; And, that no Butcher, or other person whatsoeuer, doe by colour thereof, kill, vtter, or put to sale any Flesh contrary to the Lawes established and prouided in that behalfe.

And for the auoiding of such inconueniences hereafter, Our will & pleasure is, That the Lord Maior of Our Citie of London, and euery other Officer and Iustice of Peace, shall call before them, and send for any of the seruants of any Inholders, Victualers, Cooks, Alehousekeepers, Tauer­ners, and keepers of Ordinary tables, & such others that vtter Victuals, & to examine them vpon their corporall Oathes, what Flesh is, or hath been during the Lent season, or other daies prohi­bited by the Law, dressed, killed, vttered, oreaten in their houses, which if they shall refuse to doe, then to commit to prison the said seruants so refusing vpon their Oathes to declare the trueth.

That the Lord Maior shall also yeerely before Lent, or at the beginning thereof cause all In­holders, keepers of Ordinary tables, Victuallers, Alehouse-keepers, & Tauerners within the Ci­tie and Liberties thereof, to appeare before him, or such persons as he shall appoint meet for that purpose; And shal take Recognizances with sufficient Sureties of euery of them in good summes of money, (viz.) One hundred pounds of the Principal, and their Sureties thirty pounds apiece, to Our vse, not to dresse any Flesh in their houses in the Lent time, or at other times prohibited, for any respect, nor suffer it to be eaten contrary to Law. The like Recognizance with Sureties, shal be taken of the like parties vpon like penalties, by the Iustices of peace of Our City of Westminster, and the Liberties thereof, & euery of the said Recognizances to be certified into Our Exchequer.

And for the Butchers, and others that come with Victuall or Flesh out of the Countrey into the Citie, Our pleasure is, That the Lord Maior shall cause certaine persons to watch at the Gates and other like places in the Suburbs, where Flesh may be brought, to view & search, and to intercept the same: And if any of those watchmen shall be found negligent and corrupt in his Charge, then he to be committed to prison during the whole Lent.

And to the end that Fishermen may imploy themselues to Sea with better incouragement then heretofore, and that the Fishmongers may furnish themselues with such store from time to time hereafter, as shall be expedient, aswell for the prouision of the City, as for selling the same at reasonable Rates; We will that they take notice of this Our Commandement, & constant reso­lution for obseruance of Lent, & Fish-dayes, both now and hereafter, as by Law is required.

And furthermore, as Wee thinke it fit, that euery man should be a rule of order and abstinence in his owne house, aswell in respect of the publique, as of his priuate ease and benefit: So We straitly charge and command all Inholders, keepers of Ordinary tables, Victuallers, Alchouse-keepers, and Tauerners, not to make any Supper for any person or persons whatsoeuer, vpon Friday nights, either in Lent or out of Lent; nor to suffer any meate to be then dressed, vttered, sold or ea­ten in their houses, vpon paine of such punishment, as is due to those that shall contemne Our Royall pleasure and Commandement.

And forasmuch as vpon further aduice and consideration had, that the restraint of killing and dressing of Flesh is no sufficient remedy for the mischiefe, vnlesse there be better care also taken to suppresse the vnlawfull and inordinate eating of Flesh in the time of Lent, and on other daies and times prohibited, wherwith Our Subiects haue accustomed themselue, rather for delicacie then for necessity; It is therefore Our Royall will and pleasure, and accordingly We doe hereby strait­ly prohibit and forbid all Our Subiects, of what degree or quality soeuer within this Realme, to eate any maner of Flesh in y ^e time of Lent, or on other daies now vsually obserued as Fish-daies, without aspeciall Licence first obtained from the Bishop of the Diocesse, or such other as by the Law haue power to giue Licence in that behalfe, and according to Our Lawes in that case proui­ded, (which We will and command shall be sparingly granted, and in cases of necessity onely) vpon paine of Our high displeasure, and to bee proceeded against by Our Attourney generall in Our Court of Star-Chamber as contemners of our Royall Commandement, and vpon such further penalties, as by the Lawes and Statutes of Our Realme may bee inflicted on those that shall wilfully offend in this kinde.

And as these Orders are to be executed in Our City of London, and places neere to the same, so it is Our expresse pleasure and Commandement, That Our Iustices of Peace in all Shires with­in thier Rule, & all other Maiors, Bailifes, and chiefe Officers in Towns Corporate, or in any Li­berties within their Precincts, shal cause the same to be obserued and performed in like maner; and that no maner of Toleration, Fauour, or Conniuencie be vsed by any Iustice of Peace, or other Officer, contrary to the true meaning of this Our Proclamation, as both they that shall presume wittingly so to tolerate the offence, as also the party himselfe offending, will answere the same at their vttermost perils: Our Commandement being, That Our Lawes in this case shalbe here­after seuerely executed vpon all Offenders whatsoeuer:

Further charging and commanding the Lord Maior of Our City of London, the Iustices of Assise in their seuerall Circuits, the Maiors and the chiefe Officers of all other Cities & Townes corporate, Iustices of Peace, Lords of Liberties, and all other Officers and ministers within the seuerall Counties of this Our Realme, that they and euery of them fully obey this Our plea­sure, and cause and compel the same to be obeyed and executed by others, as they will answere the contrary at their vttermost perils.

And for the due execution of the prenusses in all other the Counties of this Our Realme, aswel as in Our Cities of London and Westminster, We doe hereby straitly charge and command all Our [Page]Iustices of Peace within the same Counties, aswell within Liberties as without, That yeerely, and euery yeere hereafter before Lent, they cause to come and appeare before them, all Inholders, Cookes, Tauerners, Alehouse-keepers, Butchers, & others Vicinallers whatsoeuer, & to require and take of them to Our vse, seuerall Recognizances, with Sureties, for obseruation of the pre­misses, (viz.) The Principals in ten Pounds, and their two Sureties in fiue pounds apiece: And if they shall refuse or neglect to enter into such Recognizances, then the said Iustices shall suppresse such persons so refusing, from victualling any more, and shall also cause them forthwith to become bound by Recognizance with Sureties to Our vse, (viz.) The Principals in twenty pounds, and their two Sureties in ten pounds apiece, not to victuall, or sell Beere or Ale from thencefoorth; which if they shall refuse to doe, then the said Iustices to commit to prison all such persons so re­fusing to enter into such Recognizances, vntill they shall submit themselues, and become bound, as aforesaid. And further, for all such Inholders, Cookes, Tauerners, Alehouse keepers, But­chers and other Victuallers, as shall not appeare before the said Iustices, as aforesaid, That they may immediatly send forth their warrants, or grant Processe against them, and euery of them so making default, to appeare and answere their contempt at the next general Sessions of the Peace.

And further, for the more due punishment of Inholders, keepers of Ordinary tables, Cookes, Butchers, Victuallers, Alehouse-keepers, Tauerners, and such like, who shall forfeit their Recog­nizances by killing or dressing of Flesh, or suffering it to be eaten in their houses in the Lent time, and other Fish-dayes; And to the end that the same may be as well taken in due forme of Law, as duely certified into Our Exchequer, We doe will and require all Iustices of Peace, aswell within Liberties as without, That at such times as they shall meere within their seuerall Diuisions, for the taking of such Recognizances, that they giue notice to the Clerkes of the Peace, or their de­puties, to attend them for that purpose. Of whom we will require a strict accompt for the Legall taking and returning of the same Recognizan [...]es into Our sayd Exchequer: The said Clerkes of the Peace and their Deputies, taking for the making and certifying of the same Recognizances of all Inkeepers, Tauerners, Cookes, and Butchers, the Fee of two shillings sixe pence, and of all Alehouse keepers the Fee of twelue pence, as is limited to be taken by the Clerke of the Peace for Our County of Middlesex for euery such Recognizance, and no more.

And lastly, for that the Fishmongers (vpon the obseruation of the aforesaid Orders) may per­haps take occasion thereby, to inhance the prices, aswel of Fresh, as of Sea-Fish, We doe therefore hereby further charge and command all Fishmongers whatsoeuer, That they sell and vtter their Fish at moderate and vsuall rates and prices; And that all Iustices of Peace, Maiors, Bailiffes, and other our Officers, as well within Liberties as without, to whom it shall appertaine, shall from time to time take such order with the said Fishmongers, that Our Subiects be not grieued by any such enhancement or increase of prices vpon Fish, vpon paine of Our high displeasure, and such further punishment as may be inflicted vpon them by Our Lawes.

Giuen at Our Court at White-Hall, the fourteenth day of Ianuary, in the first yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland.

God saue the King.