IAMES by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all to whome these presents shall come, Greeting. Where­as wee haue alwayes helde it one of the most iust and necessarie cares and considerations incident to the State and Office of Kings and Soueraigne Princes, so to dispose of their people and Gouern­ment, as the knowledge and vse of good and profitable arts and in­uentions may become common and frequent amongst their people, the same being one of the greatest meanes to increase and preserue the wealth and strength of State and people, Con­sidering how contrary effects labour and idlenesse doe produce, the one making Kingdomes great and flourishing, the other alwayes bearing the markes of beggerie and contempt: Forsomuch as some of our good and louing Subiects of our Realme of England, haue of late to their great charge, & no lesse commendation, found out and made proofe of sundry Mines in our Countie of Yorke, for the making of Allome, a Merchandize of great necessitie and vse sundry wayes for all our Dominions, and haue so well and commendably proceeded therein, that they are at this time able to make sufficient store of Allome, not onely to serue for the vse and expense of all our said Kingdomes, but also within short space to afford and spare great quantities thereof, to bee euery yeere transported for the vse and seruice of other our neigh­bour Kingdomes and Nations: And whereas the said persons, who by their skill and in­dustrie haue effected so good and great a worke, (so often failing vpon other attempts) haue willingly and freely offered and yeelded vp the sayd Allome Mines into our handes, vpon such Conditions as haue giuen them full contentment and satisfaction, all men being able to iudge that a matter of that consequence, and wherein so many of our people should bee interessed, was more fit for vs to take into our owne hands, then to leaue the same in the power of priuate men: Wee haue now thought fit for the said considerations, and many other, to giue order to our Treasourer of England, and our Chancellour of our Exchequer, to take the whole worke into our possession, and for that purpose haue made choise of two of the same persons, that managed the same workes before (being both of trust, skill and experience) to deale for vs, as our generall and speciall Factors and Agents, for the whole ordering of the said workes in time to come. And albeit that by meanes of the Allome made and to bee made within our said Realme, we shal receiue great hinderance by being depriued of such Customes and other Duties, as formerly haue bene vsually payd vnto Vs and our Predecessours Kings and Princes of this our Realme, for and vpon that Commoditie imported: Yet to the intent our Subiects shall not bee any way wronged, but in all poynts carefully respected and duely prouided for in that Commoditie, Wee haue (out of our royall and tender care of our Subiects good) giuen expresse order and commandement, that our said Agents shall prouide and cause to be prouided, and at all times, and from time to time hereafter haue in their custodie, in some [Page]fit and conuenient Store-houses, both within the Citie of London, and within euery other Citie and port Towne of the same our Realme of England, as shalbe thought fit and appoin­ted, sufficient quantities of Allome, and that from the sayd Store-houses, all and euery our peo­ple and Subiects shall and may from time to time, buy and haue thereof by lesser or greater quantities at their pleasures, so much good and seruiceable Allome, as they or any of them shall at any time require, and at such rate and price to be indifferently appoynted to be payd for and vpon euery hundred weight of Allome so to be sold and deliuered as aforesaid, as shall not giue any iust cause of discontent to any of our louing Subiects.

These are therefore to require and command, all and singuler person and persons whatso­euer, aswell our naturall borne Subiects, as Denizens or Strangers, That none of them, nor any other person or persons whatsoeuer, Doe at any time or times hereafter attempt or pre­sume to bring or cause to bee brought into these our Realmes of England, Scotland or Ire­land, or any other our Dominions, or any the Ports, Hauens, Creeks, or places of any of them, any Allome in greater or lesser quantities, made or to be made in any forreigne part or place whatsoeuer, vpon paine of forfeiture of all and euery quantitie and quantities of Allome so brought or caused to be brought into our said Dominions, cōtrary to this our present comman­dement: The one moytie therof to be to Vs, our Heires & Successors, and the other moytie to such person or persons as shall make seizure of the same: and also vpon paine of our high indig­nation and displeasure, and of such further paines, penalties and punishments, as for the con­tempt of our commandement Royall in this behalfe may any way be inflicted vpon them, or any of them so offending. And we do also further require and command all & singuler the Of­ficers of our Customes within all and euery the Ports of the same our Dominions, and the creeks and members of the same Ports, that they and euery of them doe from and after the date hereof at all times, forbeare to take any entrie or entries, and to take and make any com­position for any Custome, Subsidie, or other Duety, for or vpon any Allome brought or to bee brought into any our Dominions from any forraine parts, and also that they and euery of them (whom it doth or shal coucerne) do stay and seize as forfeited & confiscatted to the vse and vses aforesaid, all and singuler such forraine Allome, as from and after the date hereof shalbe by any person or persons whatsoeuer, brought into any Port or Creeke of the same our Domini­ons, vpon paine of forfeiture of their Offices, and of vndergoing our high indignation and dis­pleasure, with such further paines and punishments, as for the same their contempts or de­faults may any way be inflicted vpon them and euery of them in this behalfe offending.

Giuen at our Mannour of Greenwich the nineteenth day of June, in the seuenth yeere of our Raigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, and of Scotland the two and fortieth.

God saue the King.