WHereas the true workmanship of Manufactures in euery Nation doth preserue not onely the worth, but also the esteeme thereof, to the great auaile and profit of that Nation. And whereas the Woollen Cloathes of this Kingdome being well and perfectly made, Dyed and dressed, are in great reputation in Forreine Nations, and are a great ad­dition to the wealth of this Kingdome, and the false and deceitfull Dy­ing thereof, doth much detract from their estimation. And whereas Madder which is a Dying Stuffe of principall vse for laying the ground of many seuerall colours, is brought from Forreine parts into this Realme, the deceitfull mixture whereof with Sand and other­wise, doth not onely deceiue the Buyer, but doth also fret the Cloth, and make the Colours defectiue. Wee therefore vpon mature aduice and deliberation by Our Letters Patents Sealed with Our Great Seale of England, bearing date at Westminster the twelfth day of Ianuary, in the third yeere of Our Reigne for the causes therein expressed, and to preuent and suppresse the said deceipt and abuse, Did ordaine and appoint George Bedford Gen­tleman (who by his industry and experience had found out a perfect way for the discouerie and re­formation of that abuse) to be Our Officer by himselfe, or his Deputies instructed by him, to search all Madder which should from thenceforth be imported before the same should bee put to Sale, and to discouer the vndue mixtures of such imported Madder, and by conuenient Markes and Descriptions by him to be inuented to distinguish the same, that so neither the Buyer should be cousened, nor the Dyer who should vse the same be abused.

Neuerthelesse, We finde that some ill disposed persons importing Madder, contemning Our Royall commandement in a case so much tending to the publique good, haue hitherto opposed Our said Officer in the execution of the trust committed vnto him, whereby the abuses aforesaid doe continue, and will increase dayly, if the same be not preuented. We therefore minding the re­formation of these deceipts, and being well satisfied of the abilitie of Our said Officer to performe that seruice wherewith we haue trusted him, for that vpon publique tryall made at the common Hall of the Company of Dyers of Our Citie of London, he hath made it appeare in the presence of some of the Officers and Ministers of Our Custome-house in Our Port of London, and of the best experienced Dyers, that hee is able and ready exactly to performe his duety, Haue thought it fit in a case of this nature, by this Our Royall Proclamation, to notifie and publish Our Royal [Page]will and pleasure, touching the searching and trying of all Madder imported, and to be impor­ted before the same be put to Sale. And Wee doe hereby signifie and declare to all whom it doth or may concerne, That the said George Bedford is the Officer or person whom We haue authorized and appointed for the present execution of that seruice, by himselfe, or his sufficient Deputies, according to Our said Letters Patents, to him granted as aforesaid: And that Wee shall expect and doe require from all Our louing Subiects, that due notice be taken thereof, and that a strict and continued obedience and conformitie bee yeelded hereunto. And for the better performing Our Royall will and pleasure herein; We doe straitly charge and command all and euery per­son and persons whatsoeuer, whom it may concerne, carefully to prouide and see Our Royall will and pleasure obserued in the Orders and Rules hereafter following, as they tender Our pleasure, and would auoid the contrary at their vttermost perill.

First therefore Our Royall will and pleasure is, That all and euery the Masters of Ships or other vessell wherein Madder shall bee imported, shall from henceforth expresse and set downe in the entry of his Ship and lading thereof euery parcell of goods in his Ship, that hee or they shall know, or beleeue to bee Madder by that name, and no otherwise, and shall affirme the same vpon his Oath, as is vsed touching Entries of Goods with Our Customers, and shall likewise giue a true note in writing vnto Our said Officer or his Deputy, attending at Our Cu­stome-house for that purpose, of euery parcell of Madder so entred, and imported by him in his Ship accordingly.

That if the Owners of the said Madder or their Assignes shall not within conuenient time after the Shipper of Master hath made his Entry with Our Customers take vp by Bill at sight, and present the same their Madder, and giue notice thereof vnto Our said Officer, or his Deputy, to the end hee may take the same into his custodie for the tryall thereof; Our will and pleasure is, That then Our Collector, Comptroller & Surueyor of Our Customes and Duties, doe by their generall Warrant cause the Wayters of that Ship to take vp and see the said Mad­der to be weighed and laid into Our said Office, and deliuered into the safe custodie of Our said Officer, by whom the said Madder being searched, tried and Sealed, shall neuerthelesse be de­temed and kept, vntill he receiue Warrant from Our aforesaid Officers of Our Customes and Duties, or their Assignes or Deputies, that all the Custome and Duties for the same due to Vs in Our Custome-house be duely payed or agreed for, and vntill the Fees due to Our said Officer, and all other charge thereto happening through the Owners default bee fully satisfied and paid.

That no Porter, Carman, or other person shall presume by direction from the Merchant, or otherwise, to lade, take, helpe or consent to the carrying of any Madder from the Port, or place of landing, without Warrant from the said George Bedford Our Officer or other Officer to be appointed by Vs or of his Deputy or Deputies for the time being. And We doe hereby abso­lutely prohibite and forbid all persons of what estate, degree or condition soeuer, directly, or indirectly, to Buy, Sell or put to Sale, or to hide, keepe, conceale, or occupy any of the said Madder, that hath not beene viewed, searched, tryed, distinguished, and Sealed by Our said Officer his Deputies or Assignes, and which hath not the Seale of Our said Office and Offi­cer thereon, vpon paine of Our high displeasure if notice be not giuen vnto Our said Officer, before the same be discouered. And it shall be at Our Officers choice, whether hee will search try, and Seale the said Madder at the Custome-house, or for the ease & conueniencie of the Mer­chants to doe it at their owne houses, and all Madder there and elsewhere found by him or his Deputies to be vnsealed, shall immediately thereupon bee tryed, sealed, and distinguished.

That Our Grauer of Our Mynt and Seales, or any other whom Our said Officer shall imploy, shall from time to time frame and make such seuerall Stamps and Seales, to bee en­grauen with Our Armes or otherwise, as hee shall thinke fit, alwayes obseruing that the Stamps for the best sort of Madder, shall bee engrauen with this word, Crop: for the second, sort, with this word Ghemeene, and for the third and worst sort, with this word Mull. And if vpon tryall any of the said Madder bee found to bee mixt or burthened with aboue two pounds of Earth, or Sand in the hundred weight; Then shal the said Officer enter in a Booke to be kept for that purpose the weight of the Sand or Earth so mixt therewith, & vpon the Seale shal be added this word, Mixt, with a figure, shewing that the same Madder is mixt and imperfect, and shewing also in what proportion in the hundred pound weight that mixture is made, vpon which side of the Seale also shall be exprest the name of the Port or place whereinto the said Madder was first brought, with certaine Figures and Letters of Direction vnto Our said Officers Books of Register, whereof Wee will all Our louing Subiects to take speciall notice, to the end that after they haue bargained for any parcell of the said Madder, they may by carrying or sending a Copie of that side of the Seale vnto Our Officer in that Custome-house (at Custome house time) haue Certificate vnder his hand of the proportion of the mixture thereof, if the Seale [Page]should be altered. According whereunto Wee doe straitly charge and command all persons sel­ling Madder to make allowance and abatement, vnto the Dyers or other Buyers of such Mad­der, containing such vndue mixture.

That all Clothiers, Dyers, and all other persons occupying Madder within this Kingdome, shall according to the proportion of the mixture of the said Madder with Earth or Sand, adde a like quantitie or proportion of good Madder in the Dye Fat, to the end the colours therewithall dyed may be made full, good, and without blemish or imperfection.

That the said George Bedford Our present Officer hauing already taken his corporal oath for the faithfull performance of Our trust, and his duety in this behalfe; Our will and pleasure is, that such Oath shall be likewise administred vnto his seuerall Deputies, and so many of them as shall be sufficient for the performing of this seruice in the seuerall Ports of this Kingdome; And Wee doe hereby straitly charge and command all and singular Maiors, Sheriffes, Iustices of the Peace, Bailiffes, Constables, Headboroughs, Tithingmen, Customers, Collectors, Comptrol­lers, Searchers, Waiters, Messengers, Farmors, Deputies, and all other Our Officers, Mini­sters and louing Subiects whatsoeuer, That they and euery of them from time to time, and at all times when Our said Officer, or his Deputies in Our name shall require them thereunto bee aiding and assisting vnto the said George Bedford Our Officer, his Deputies and Assignes for the time being, in all things in or about the accomplishment of Our Royall will and pleasure in Our said recited Letters Patents or in the Warrants of Our high Treasurer of England, as is hereby expressed. And that they or any of them doe not any way hinder, molest, interrupt, let, deteine, or keepe Our said Officer his Deputies or Assignes, or any, or either of them from or in the execu­tion of this Our Seruice, or any thing touching the Premisses, as they tender Our displeasure, and will auoid the same at their perill.

Lastly, that if any person of what estate, degree or condition soeuer, shall hereafter offend in any part of the Premisses; or shall falsifie, deface, alter or take off any of the said Seales from the Bale, Fat or other thing in which the said Madder was first brought into this Kingdome, before the same be all vsed and spent: Our will and pleasure is, That immediate notice bee giuen thereof vnto Our Attourney Generall for the time being, whom Wee will and require in Our behalfe to prosecute and proceede against the Offendors in Our Court of Starchamber or Exchequer-Chamber, or any other Our Courts as the cause shall require, to the end they may receiue such seuere Censure and coudigne Punishment, as by the Lawes and Customes of this Kingdome, or Our Prerogatiue Royal, may be inflicted on them for such their Contempt, Disobedience, and wilfull breach of Our Royall will and Commandement, and for their frauds and abuses.

Giuen at Our Court at East-Greenwich, The fifteenth day of Iune, in the seuenth yeere of Our Reigne.

God saue the King.