WHereas Our late Royall Father King IAMES, of blessed memory, in the third yeere of His Reigne, did by His Letters Patents Incorpo­rate the Gardners of London, and such of that Art, Trade, or Mysterie, as inhabited within London and sixe miles compasse thereof, into a Body Politique, with diuers Liberties and Priuiledges in the same Charter contained; and in further enlargement thereof in the foure­teenth yeere of His Reigne, did by a second Grant straightly prohibite any person to vse the same Art or Science, vnlesse he had serued as an Apprentice thereunto by the space of seuen yeeres, and beene admitted into the said Company; thereby commanding the said Company to make due Searches for preuenting the sale of dead, vnwholesome, and corrupt Plants, Stocks, Trees, Setts, Slipps, Flowers, Rootes, Herbes, and Seedes, and all other things belonging to the said Trade, and to make away, burne, cut, and destroy the same, as they should finde any such offered to sale, in Market or otherwise.

And further commanding all Mayors, Sheriffes, Iustices of Peace, and other Officers with­in the said compasse, to be aiding and assisting vnto them, by vertue whereof, for their more order­ly gouernment, sundry Lawes and Ordinances haue beene conceiued amongst them, fit and neces­sary to be executed and obserued: And the same were approoued of by the then Lord Chancellor of England, Lord Treasurer, and Lord Chiefe Iustice, which Trade is found to bee very bene­ficiall to the Common-wealth, both for the goodnesse of the Commodities which industrious Artists in that Mysterie daily raise, for the imployment of very many of the poorer sort, and for the trayning vp of diuers young men therein. Howbeit of late diuers persons, whereof many [...]uer serued as Apprentises in the said Trade, nor haue beene admitted into the said Societie, doe [...]se the same, to the vndoing of such of Our louing Subiects as haue duely serued therein as Ap­ [...]entises, and to the great discouragement and ruine of many Freemen of the said Societie.

And moreouer some of the said Company are become contemptuous, refusing to obserue those things that conduce to their publike welfare. And others, as Wee are informed, haue Commen­ [...], and threatned to Commence diuers Suites, against the said Company, and the Gouernours [...] Officers thereof, for executing their said Ordinances, and searching for, taking away, cutting, [...]cuing, and destroying, of dead, corrupt, vnwholesome, and bad Plants, Stocks, Trees, Setts, [...]lipps, Flowers, Rootes, Herbes, and Seedes, offered to be sold as aforesaid, and punishment of the Offenders, Sellers, and Venders thereof, to the great expences, and discouragement of the [...]d Company, in the execution of the seuerall Powers and Authorities in the said Charter ex­ [...]ssed; by meanes whereof, many vnwholesome and corrupt Plants, Stocks, Trees, Setts, [...]lipps, Flowers, Rootes, Herbes, and Seedes, are daily put to sale and vented, to the great de­ [...]it and abuse of Our people. And likewise the ingrossing of the Commodities belonging to the Art of Gardning, and buying of whole Croppes vpon the ground is growne frequent, whereby the Prizes of the said Commodities are greatly enhansed, and the labour of the Artist is thereby [...]derualued, to the great preiudice of Our louing Subiects in generall.

We therefore, at the humble petition of the Master, Wardens, and company of that Societie, taking the same grieuances into Our Royall consideration; doe hereby straitly charge and com­mand, that no person or persons whatsoeuer, whether Denizon or Stranger, not hauing serued as Apprentise or Apprentises, to a Freeman of the said Company, by the space of seuen yeares, and not hauing beene by them admitted into their Societie, do henceforth presume to take vpon him or them, the Art or Science of Gardening, or doe vse or exercise, directly or indirectly, any thing to the same belonging or appertaining, within the limits and compasse aforesaid, before he haue so serued, and beene by them admitted, further then for the necessary occasion of his or their owne families: And that no person or persons henceforth presume to offer any discouragement, or op­position to the said Company, for search by them duely made, or for taking away, cutting, bur­ning, or destroying of any dead, corrupt, vnwholesome and bad Plants, Stocks, Trees, Setts, Slipps, Flowers, Roots, Herbs, and Seeds of what sort soeuer they be; according to the tenour of the said Letters Patents: nor that any person or persons whatsoeuer, hereafter ingrosse the said Commodities, by buying Cropps vpon the ground, or otherwise presume to sell or put to sale any such bad and vnwholesome Plants, Trees, Stocks, or other things aforesaid, deceitfully to any of Our louing Subiects, vpon paine of Our indignation, and of such further punishments as by the Lawes of Our Realme, or Prerogatiue Royall, can or may be inflicted vpon the offenders.

And We doe hereby further enioyne all and euery Freeman of the said Societie, respectiuely and diligently to performe and obserue, all and euery the Grants, and provisions in the said seue­rall Letters Patents conteined: And all other such lawfull Constitutions and Ordinances, as haue or shall be made by the Master, Wardens, and others of the said Company, for the better go­uernment and regulating thereof.

And likewise We do hereby require and command the Master and Wardens of the same Com­pany for the time being, that such of their Apprentises as haue duely serued out their seuen yeares Apprentiship, and will be gouerned by their Lawes and Ordinances, that they, for their better encouragement, be made free of the same.

And to the end that the said Societie may the better vend the Commodities appertaining to their profession, whilst they are liuing, fresh, good, and wholesome, and in their prime, to their best aduantage, and Our Subiects good: Our will and pleasure is, that they shall, and may from time to time, sell the same in any of Our Markets, without the disturbance or molestation of any of Our Subiects whomsoeuer, as the seasons for the said Commodities shall require.

And lastly, We doe hereby straitly require and command, the Lord Maior of Our Citie of London for the time being, Our Iustices of peace, and chiefe Officers of the same Citie, and like­wise Our Iustices of Our peace of Our Counties of Middlesex, Surrey, Kent and Essex, and all other Our louing Subiects within the compasse aforesaid, to be aiding, helping, and assisting to the said Master, Wardens, and Company in all things, according to the tenour of the said Letters Pa­tents, and of Our will and pleasure herein declared, as they tender Our displeasure, and will auoid the penalty of their contempts.

Giuen at Our Court at Whitehall, this third day of December, in the tenth yeere of Our Reigne.

God saue the King.