WHereas the manifold abuses of late yeers practiced in the Dying of Raw Silks into Blacks and Colours, aswell by corrupt mix­tures to increase them in their weight, as otherwise, have appear­ed to His Majestie upon severall Informations heretofore exhibi­ted in His High Court of Star-chamber, and sithence upon di­vers Hearings and Examinations taken by His Majesty and His Privy Councell, of those abuses complained of: And howsoever his Majesty by former Proclamations did prohibit those wayes of deceipt, and directed Rules to be observed for preventing thereof, yet finding by sundry complaints of the Silk dyers, and Silk-weavers of London, that those abuses did still conti­nue and increase to the common deceipt and dammage of His people;

His Majesty therefore out of his Princely care to provide a timely remedy for such grow­ing evils as concern the publique, Hath thought fit, by His Letters Patents, under His great Seal of England, dated the eight day of October last, upon due and mature considera­tion, to erect an Office in London for the Surveying, trying, and weighing of all dyed Silks, and to appoint severall Officers of Trust, who are to make triall of the same, where­by these common falsities in the dying thereof might be discovered, and the delinquents therein condignly punished.

And to the end that all His Majesties Subjects may take knowledge of the good pro­visions made for reformation in the premisses, His Majestie is pleased to make publique de­claration of His said Grant, whereby His pleasure therein may be more fully known, and [Page]all due conformity and obedience accordingly yeelded to the same; And therefore His Majesty in pursuance of the said Letters patents, doth hereby straitly charge & command, That all person and persons whatsoever, which shall hereafter put forth to dying, or cause or procure to bee dyed, or put forth to dying any manner of Silks whatsoever, within the Realm of England, or Dominion of Wales, shall first bring all and every parcell and parcels of the same Silks, together with the Bill and Bills of parcels thereof to the said Office; And the same Silks ready marked, and ley-banded with a speciall marking thred to be provi­ded at the said Office for that purpose, and thence bought at reasonable prices, not ex­ceeding the rates now usually paid for the same, which said Officers are so to order the said Silks in the weighing and registring the same to and from the hands of the Dyers, as shall be by those his Majesties Officers thought meet for effecting the Reformation in­tended; And that no person or persons buying Raw Silks shall hereafter Dye, or cause the same to be Dyed otherwise then at a common Dy-house; Nor shall send nor deliver to any Dyerany Silks whatsoever to be dyed, before the same Silks have been first brought to the said Officers or their Deputies, with the Bill of parcels, and the same be there registred, and in all things so ordered as aforesaid.

And that no Dyer whatsoever do take or receive any Silks to be Dyed, but in and at the said Office onely, and at and from the hands of the said Officers or their deputies; And that the said Dyer after the dying thereof do return the said Silks so died to the said Office, to be tried and examined by the said Officers or their deputies, and do not deliver any parcels of Silks by them dyed to any person, untill the same after the dying thereof have been so brought and returned to the said Officers or their Deputies with the Bils of parcels as a­foresaid.

And to the end that Dyers may be better regulated in the true Dying of Silks, His Majestie doth straightly charge and command, that the Rules and directions by His se­verall Proclamations formerly given, and published against the false Dying of Silks, shall be from henceforth duly observed by all Dyers whatsoever in all the particulers thereof (except as to hard Silk, which for some speciall Manufactures His Majestie hath lately di­spensed with;) And that no Silk-dyer shall vent, sell, or otherwise barter, or utter any Silks died: And if any of the said Dyed silks, shall by the said Officers, or their Depu­ties upon the return thereof by the said Dyers to the said Office be found faultie and not truly Dyed; then His Majestie doth will, ordaine, and appoint, that the whol parcell, or parcels of the same Silks, so falsly Dyed, shall be by the said Officers there retained and kept, and not suffered to be vented, but shall be burnt, upon triall first made thereof, in the presence of the Owner, and Dyer that dyed the same, if upon convenient notice given they will be present at the tryall thereof. And to the end that the said Office may be furnished with able, and indifferent persons of judgement to make tryalls of the said dyed Silks according to Art, His Majestie hath appointed that the Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Com­pany of Dyers of London, or some of them, shall be assistant to the said Officers, in the well setling of the said Office; And that they, or the greater part of them, from time to time do make choice of so many fit and meet persons of their Company, being of perfect skill and judgement in Dying of Silks, as shall be needfull; who together with the said Officers shall make due trialls of all Dyed silks; And that the Bayliffes, and Wardens of the Com­pany of Silk-weavers of London, or some of them shall be also assistant to the said Officers, [Page]and that they, or the greater part of them, do make choice of so many able and sufficient men in their Company, as shall be needfull to be assistant to the said Officers, in making searches and discovery of all Dyed silks corrupted and falsified, And to the end, that the said Silk-dyers may have competent, and meet prizes, and allowances for the Dying of Silks, whereby they may the better be encouraged in the due exercise of their trade, without falsitie, or deceit, upon pretence of insufficient prizes heretofore allowed them; His Majestie doth therefore will, or­dain, and appoint, that all, and every Owner, and Owners of Silks, which shall put forth the same to be Dyed, shall pay, and allow to the Dyer, or Dyers, for the Dying thereof, the full price of sixteen pence the Raw pound for dying of all Silks, in any ordinary colours, (Graine colours excepted) and eighteen pence the Raw pound for all Spanish-black; and no other Black to be Dyed; which prizes upon due consideration thereof taken by divers Alder­men of London, to whom His Majesties Privie Councell referred the same, were certified to be moderate, and sufficient prizes in that behalf; and whereunto divers of the Silk-men, and Silk-dyers of London being called, gave their assent: And therfore His Majestie doth charge, and command, that no Silk-dyer, or Silk-man, or other Owners of Silk whatsoever, shall hereafter directly, or indirectly, receive, or take, give, offer, or contract, or agree to give any greater, or lesser rates or prizes for the Dying of the said Silks, then is herein before limited, and appointed; and that the aforesaid rates, and prizes for Dying of Silks, which upon re­turn from the Dyers thereof to the said Office, shall be found truly Dyed, shall be payed at the said Office, by the Owners of the said Silks, to the said Dyers monethly at the least, or to such persons as the said Dyers shall nominate, and appoint for that purpose.

And His Majestie doth further ordain and appoint, that the said Officers and their De­puties shall and may have one Seal engraven with His Majesties Arms, or Ensigne of his Principallity of Wales, to be used for and about the marking and sealing of the said Bills of parcels, and for other affairs or businesses of the said Office; Which Seal of Office, or the said marking thred, His Majestie declareth it shall not be lawfull to any other person or persons to make or counterfeit, upon pain of His Majesties high displeasure, and such penalties, as by the Lawes and Statutes of this Realm, or otherwise may be inflicted up­on such offenders.

And for the better discovery and finding out of all frauds and abuses, which may be close­ly and covertly practized in the corrupt dying of Silks, His Majestie doth hereby autho­rize the said Officers and their Deputies for the time being, That they taking with them the Wardens of the said Company of Dyers of London, or some of them, with the assist­ance of a Constable or other lawfull Officer, and such others as they shall think meet, shal and may from time to time make Search in all such houses, Ware-houses, Cellars, Dye-houses, Shops, Fairs, Markets, Stalls, Boothes, and other places for all Silks falsly and corrupt­ly Dyed within the Realm of England, and Dominion of Wales, or otherwise imported into the same from Forreign parts, and to seize such as they shall finde falsly dyed, and gi­ving notice thereof to the Owner upon triall made, and so found, to burn and destroy the same: And that discovery may from time to time be made of all such false dyed Silks, as hereafter shall be imported into the said Realm of England and Dominion of Wales from any Forreign or other parts or places whatsoever.

His Majestie doth hereby authorize, charge, and command all, and singular Customers, Comptrolers, Farmours of His Majesties Customes, Surveyours, Searchers, and other [Page]Officers, and Ministers of His Customs, in any Port, or Ports whatsoever, within the said Realm and Dominion, that they, or any of them shall from time to time, give notice to the said Officers, or their Deputies requesting the same, of all Entries of such dyed Silks so im­ported.

And to the end that meet provision, and recompence might be had, and made, to the said Officers, and their Deputies, for their continuall great charge, and attendance upon the said Office, and the execution thereof, tending so much to the Common good of His Majesties Subjects; His Majestie according to a Petition, and Certificate of a considerable number of Silk-Weavers exhibited to His Majestie, hath appointed a moderate, and meet Fee unto the said Officers. And doth therefore hereby will, and ordain, that from henceforth there shall be answered, and paid to the said Officers, or their Deputies for the Surveying, Trying, and Weighing of the said Silks the Fee of six pence appointed by His Majesties said Letters Patents, to be paid for every pound weight of the said Silks, after the rate of sixteen ounces to the Raw pound of all Silks so dyed, and tryed as aforesaid; The said Fee to be paid by the Owner, or possessor of the same Silks, to the said Officers, or their deputies, at the time of the receipt of the same, from the said Office, after the same shall be so Dyed and tryed as aforesaid. Neverthelesse, His Majesties will and pleasure is, that the Silk-Weavers of the Citie of Canterbury, and the places neer adjacent, who shall put forth Silks to Dying there, shall from time to time, bring their said Silks with the Bils of each parcel, to his Majesties said Officers or their Deputies to some convenient place, to be by them appointed within the same Citie, To the intent that the said Silks may be there Registred, marked, weighed, and tryed, and the Fee mentioned in His Majesties said Letters Patents, duly answered as aforesaid.

And lastly, His Majesty doth will & command, that all his loving Subjects of the Realm of England and Dominion of Wales, do take notice of his Majesties Royall pleasure in the pre­misses, And do from henceforth conform themselves in all due and meet obedience thereunto, as they and every of them will avoid the Censure of Contemners of His Majesties Royall Commands, and such punishments, as by the Lawes and Statutes of this Realm or other­wise may be inflicted upon them in that behalf.

Given at Our Palace of Westminster the seventh day of February in the fourteenth yeer of Our Reign.

God save the King.