WHereas at Our accesse vnto the Imperial Crowne of this Realme, Wee found the Treasures thereof exhausted, the Reuenue of Our Lands much diminished, and yet a great masse of Debts lying vpon Us, & a dayly charge, which in an ordinary course must be borne for the support of Our Honour, and a more then extraordinary charge for the necessary defence of Our Kingdomes, Wee being imbarked in a Warre at Our first comming to the Crowne: And when Wee entred into a serious consideration of the seuerall parts of Our Reuenue, Wee found them much too short to maintaine Our ordinary Expences, much lesse the extraordinary, which are neuerthelesse vnauoidable. To the end therfore, that Wee might be fully and truely informed of the present state of Our Reuenue in euery part thereof, and of the burthen which lyeth vpon it, and so bee better enabled, for the future, to dispose and settle the same in such an order, as that Wee might with more comfort mannage Our Estate, Wee thought it fit to make choyce of some Persons of qualitie and experience, to bee Our Commissioners for Our Reuenue, and they to take into their especiall care and considerations, by what iust and honourable meanes, Wee might retrench all vndue or vnnecessary Charges, issuing out of Our Reuenue, or Coffers, and how to aduance and improoue such parts thereof, as might admitte of an improouement; which Our Commissioners hauing returned to Us an Accompt of their paines from time to time in this Our Seruice, Wee finde by them that the casuall profits of Our Lands, either by Fines for Lea­ses, or Copy-hold Estates, Herriots, Reliefes, or therwise, haue, Communibus annis, yeelded to Us, or Our Crowne, in diuers yeeres past, but a small Summe, nor is like to doe in many yeeres yet to come; And yet out of the same there are issuing diuers Annuall Fees and Payments, amoun­ting in the whole to a great yeerely value.

[Page] Wee therefore, by the aduice of Our sayd Commissioners, intending to reduce Our Reuenue to a more certaintie, and to improoue our yeerely Rents in those places where it may conueni­ently admitte of such improouement, to abate Our vnnecessary charge issuing thereout, and yet to raise a present Summe of Money towards the defraying of those great expences, which for the publique defence of Our people and Kingdomes Wee cannot auoid, and for the supply where­of, Wee are resolued to spare nothing which lyeth in Our power, and for the satisfying of those iust debts, which dayly crie in Our eares, haue resolued, and by these Presents doe declare and publish Our Resolution to all Our louing Subiects whom it may concerne, That We wil grant in Fee-Farme, all, or any of Our Honours, Manours, Lands, Tenements, Woods, & other Here­ditaments, both in the Suruey of Our Exchequer, and of Our Duchy of Lancaster, aswell such as are held by Copie, as by Lease, Custodie, or otherwise, & aswell such as are yet in the hands of Our Commissioners when We were Prince, as other our Lands in Mortgage, (which We pur­pose forthwith to redeeme) those Manors & Lands onely excepted, which are parcell of Our Du­chie of Cornewall. And to this end We purpose forthwith to nominate certaine persons vnder Our Great Seale of England, to bee Our Commissioners, to whom Wee will giue full power and au­thoritie, for Us, and in Our Name, to treate and conclude with any persons, for any parts there­of, aswell Quillets and Parcels, as entire Manours, at, and for such increase of Rents, or Fine, or both, as they in their good discretions shall thinke fit, and agree vpon: And We haue thought good thus to publish Our Pleasure and Resolution herein, that the present Tenants of Our Lands, and all other Our louing Subiects may take notice thereof, and may know whither, and to whom to make their repaire for this purpose; To which ende Wee will appoint Our sayd Commissioners to attend this Our Seruice on the twentieth day of September next, and so from time to time thence forward, at the Chamber, commonly called the Painted Chamber, in Our Palace at Westminster, whither Our pleasure is, that all such of Our Subiects, as shall bee desirous to purchase any of Our said Lands in Fee-Farme, as aforesaid, shall resort to make their agreements accordingly. And because this Our Resolution may take that effect which Wee de­sire and expect, Our Will and Command is, that from hencefoorth, vntill Our further Pleasure bee knowen herein, no Estate or Lease by Copie or otherwise, bee renewed, granted, or altered by any, but by Oursayd Commissioners onely.

Giuen at Our Court at Nonesuch, the thirteenth day of August, in the second yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland.

God saue the King.