WHereas We haue taken into Our Princely consideration the mani­fold benefits that redound to this Kingdome, by the Manufacture of Woollen Clothes, and the Transportation, and Venting thereof in Forraine parts: And finding, how much good gouernment, and managing the said Trade in an orderly way, will conduce to the increase and aduancement of the same: Wee, for the better setling of order therein for the time to come, haue thought fit, with the aduice of Our Priuie Councell, to declare Our Royall pleasure herein: And doe therefore hereby strictly will and command, that no person or persons, Subiect or Subiects, of this Our Realme of England, shall at any time from, and after the Feast of the Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary now next comming, Shipp, Transport, Carry, or Conuey, or cause to bee Shipped, Transported, Carried, or Conueied, either from Our City and Port of London, or from any other City, Towne, Port, Hauen, or Creeke of this Our Realme of England, by way of Merchandise, any white Clothes, coloured Clothes, Clothes dressed, and died out of the Whites, Clothes called Spanish Clothes, Bayes, Kerseys, Perpetuanoes, Stockings, or any other English Woollen commodities, vnto any the Cities, Townes, or places in Germany, or the seuenteene Prouinces of the Netherlands, saue onely, and except to the Mart, and Staple-Townes of the Fellowship of Merchant-aduentures in those parts for the time being, or to one of them.

And further, to the end that the said Trade may be hereafter reduced and continued in an orderly and well gouerned course; We doe hereby declare Our Royall pleasure to be; That the Fellowship of Merchant-aduenturers, shall admit into the freedome of their said Trade, [Page] all such Our Subiects dwelling in Our City of London, and exercised in the profession of Mer­chandise, and not Shop-keepers, except they giue ouer their Shops, as shall desire the same, for the Fines of fifty pounds apeece, if they shall take their Freedome before the Feast of Saint Iohn the Baptist now next comming: And that the said Fellowship shall likewise receiue, and admit into their Freedome, such Our Subiects of the Out-ports of this Our Kingdome, as being exercised in the Trade of Merchandise, shall desire the same, paying them fiue and twenty pounds apeece for their Fine or In-come; if they shall take their said Freedome before Michaelmas next: And that the sonnes, and seruants of such as shall be so admitted, as afore­said, shall pay to the said Fellowship at their seuerall admissions thereinto, the summe of twenty nobles apeece: And that all such persons, as shall not accept, and come into the said Freedome before the dayes herein prefixed, shall pay the double of the Fines before limited respectiuely, in case they shall afterwards desire to be admitted into the said Fellowship.

And Our further will and pleasure is, and We do hereby command and inhibit all, and eue­ry Our Subiects, not being free of the said Fellowship of Merchant-aduenturers, that they, or any of them, shall not presume to Trade in any of the forenamed Commodities into any of the parts, or places of Germany, or the Low-countreys, from, or after the said Feast of the Purifi­cation of the blessed Virgin Mary next ensuing, vpon paine of Our high displeasure, and of such punishments, as Our Court of Star-chamber, whom We especially charge with the execution of Our Royall pleasure herein, shall thinke fit to inflict for such contempts.

Giuen at Our Court at Whitehall, the seuenth day of December, in the tenth yeere of Our Reigne of England Scotland, France, and Ireland.

God saue the King.