FOrasmuch as (by Gods Lawes and mans lawes) there hath beene and ought to be in all places, true, iust, and certaine Waightes and Measures, and the same also (by the lawes of this Realme) to be established, published, and made knowen to all people, that euery one may take the benefit and vse there­of: Our Soueraigne Lady the Queene being informed, that the greatest part of her louing Subiectes of this Realme of England, and Wales, be igno­rant of contentes, differences, and true knowledge and vses of the Waightes of the same Realme, and that the Waightes commonly vsed within the Realme be vncertaine, and varying one from an other, to the great slaunder of the same, and the deceiuing of many doth Buyers and Sellers: doth by the aduise aswell of her priuy Councell, as of her Counsell learned in the L [...]wes, & other men of perfect skill and vnderstanding in Waights, giue all her louing Subiects hereby to vnderstand, that by the Statutes and Ordinances of the Realme, there hath bene, is, and ought to be lawfully in vse with­in the same, one Waight, commonly called the Troy Waight, according to the auncient Lawes, Treatize, and Ordinance, for composing of Waights, and Measures, and is & ought to be vsed onely for the weying of Golde, siluer, Bread and Electuaries, and ought to be in all parts of the Realme of one and the same content. And that there is and ought to be one other Waight likewise in vse, commonly called the Auoir depoiz Waight, and is to be vsed for the weying of Spices, and all other things vendible by Waights, and ought also to be of one and the same content in all parts of the Realme: which Waights aswell of Troy, as of Auoir depoiz, alwayes ought to be according to certaine Standerds of Waights thereof made and remaining in the Exchequer at Westminster, heretofore commonly called the Kings standerd of Waights of his Esche­quer. And further, that vpon information giuen diuers yeres past to the Lord Treasourer, vnder Treasourer, and Barons of her Maiesties sayd Exchequer, of the said vncertainty and variance of Waights, and by intermission of long time, no iust and perfect standerds being then extant and remaining in the sayd Exchequer, to size & reforme all other Waights of the Realme, but such as were there sound extant did vary one from an other: They caused two seuerall Iuries of Aldermen, and other substantiall Merchants and Goldsmiths of the City of London, to come before them in the sayd Court of Exchequer, and charged them vpon their othes, amongst other things, to examine and try the sayd standerdes, and certayne other Waights deliuered vnto them from sundry Cities and other places of the Realme, and by those Waights, and by other meanes, to cause one certaine, iust, and true standerd of all sortes of Waights within the Realme to be made and sized, and to present the same to the sayd Lord Treasourer, vnder Treasourer, and Barons in the sayd Court, there to remayne & be kept, as the Queenes iust and true standerd of the sayd Exchequer of Waights, to examine, try, & size all other Waights of the Realme by from time to time as occasion should require, which Iuries presented to the sayd Lord Treasourer, vnder Treasourer, and Barons, seuerall Brasse Piles of the Troy Waight, and certayne Bell Waights, and round flat Waights of the Auoir depoiz Waights to be standerds of the sayd seuerall Waightes, and also seuerall Bores conteining in them small Poizes and Waights of the sayd Troye Waight: and that there­vpon her Maiestie after long deliberation, hath by the aduise of her priuie Counsell, ordeined and established such of the said Piles & Waightes as be hereunder mentioned, to be her iust and true standerdes of Waightes of her Exchequer, for the sizing, examining and trying of all other Waights by, for that the same be found to be agreeing with the iust & true Waightes that haue had long continuance and vse in this Realme, and with the standerds vsed both for moneys of Plate, of Siluer and Golde, and other things sold by Waight.

And further, her Maiestie hath giuen order and commaundement by her warrant signed with her hand and vnder her priuy Seale, to the Lord Treasourer, vnder Treasorer & Ba­rons of the Exchequer, forthwith to cause to be made, sized, and approoued by the sayd standerds now brought into the Exchequer, & there established for the true standerds of weights, so many other like standerds of brasse as shall sustice for her Maiesties Mint, & for her Clerke of the Market, and for euery Citie and Shire towne within the Dominion of Wales, and also for euery City, Borough▪ Towne and place limitted by the Statute made in the xi. yere of the raigne of the late King of famous memory King Henry the vii. to haue and keepe stan­derds of Waigtes, according to the meaning of that Statute, and for such other as shall make suite for the hauing of any of the sayd Waightes, and also to cause euery of the sayd Stan­derds of Troy Waightes of one halle quarter of a pounde or more, to be printed and marked with [...] crowned, and a Homaine I with R [...]us R [...]con [...]o [...]ned, and euery of the sayde [...] of [...] quarter of a pointed and man, to be printed and martied with [...]crowned and a [...]omane A for a difference to diserne and know both [Page]kindes of Waightes, and all of them with letters and Stampes denoting the true contents. Her Maiesties will and pleasure is therefore, that the Maiors, Bailiffes, and other head Of­ficers of euery of the said Cities, Boroughes, Townes and places, before the feast of S. Iohn Baptist next comming, at the common charge of the same place, shal send some sufficient per­son to the saide Exchequer, authorised to receiue such Standerds as shalbe deliuered vnto him by the order of the said Court, for the said Citie, Borough, Towne, or place, and to pay such reasonable price for the same, as vpon true valuation of the same by the said Court shalbe rated: which Standerds euery of the said Maiors, Bailiffes, or other head Officers to whome it shall appertaine, shall safely keepe or cause to be kept in the same, in some sure and conuenient place of the same Citie, Borough, or Towne, and by them shall make or size, and cause to be made and sized other common Waights for the vse of all maner of people in the same Citie, Towne or place, that shall haue cause to vse those Waightes. And shall also signe and print with like let­ters like waightes of Brasse, Copper, Leade, Tinne, or other competent stuffe, vnto euery of the Queenes Subiectes duely requiring the same, taking such fees for the doing thereof, as by the Statute made in the vii. yeere of the saide late King Henry the vii. is allowed, and no more, viz. of euery hundred waight one penie, of euery halfe hundred waight, one halfe penie, and of euery waight vnder, one farthing, and not aboue. And euery of the said Maiors, Bailiffes, and other head Officers shall further doe and cause to be done all such other Act and acts, thing and things for the prouiding, hauing, and vsing of the saide Standerds and waightes agreeing with the same, and also true Balances and Scales both common and other, as bee li­mitted and appointed to their or any of their authoritie, by the said Statute made in the xi. yeere of the late King Henry the vii. or any other Statute or ordinance whatsoeuer, so as all the waights throughout the Realme may be reformed and made according to the saide Standerd of the Exchequer, as by the Statute in such case prouided is required.

And her Maiestie further commaundeth and ordeineth, that no person or persons shall from the feast of Michaelmas next comming, vse in selling, buying, or weighing of any thing, any o­ther waight or waights, but such as shalbe made or sized, and respectiuely agreeing to and with the said Standerds, and printed and marked with such markes and letters, as is before limi­ted, neither shal vse any Troy waight so made, sized, marked and printed, but onely for waighing of Bread, Gold, Siluer, and Electuaries, and for no other thing: nor the said Auoir depoiz Waight for the waighing of any Gold, Siluer, Bread, or Electuaries, but of Spices, Woolles, Leade, and all other things vendible by Waightes, vpon paine to be apprehended and com­mitted to prison, fined and punished, as contriuers and vsers of false Waights, according to the Statute made in the ix. pere of Hen. v. and other Statutes in that case made and prouided.

And that this Proclamation, for the better instructing of her Maiesties Subiects, shal before the twelfth day of Ianuary nowe next comming, be proclaimed in euery Market Towne through the Realme, and bee hanged vp and fastened in a Table in the Market place by an Officer, where it may hang drie, to continue, and be seene and read by any that will. And fur­ther, that it shalbe read in euery Church, before the feast of the Purification of our Lady next, in a time and space betweene the beginning and end of Common prayer, vpon some Sunday or Holy day, by the Minister or Clarke of the Church, and so from thenceforth, once at euery feast of the Annunciation of our Lady, and once at euery feast of S. Michael Tharchangel, by the space of foure yeeres next comming, and be also hanged vp and fastened, and preserued in euery Church in a Table, to be seene and read at all times by any that will. And that the de­faults of Officers, and Ministers, Clerks, & Church wardens in this behalfe, shalbe enquired of and punished by the Iustices of Assise, and Iustices of peace in their Sessions, according to their discretions, as comtempts of her Maiesties commandement. And that al the Standerds and Waights whatsoeuer, not sized, marked & printed, and made respectiuely agreeing to and with the sayd new Standerds, and the meaning of this Proclamation, shal from the said feast of Michaelmas next comming, be reputed and taken for vntrue Waights, and shall within foure weekes after the sayd feast, be broken, defaced, and destroyed by the owners of the same, or by the Officers hauing authoritie to enquire of false Waights. And for the execution there­of, all Maiors, Baylifes, and other head Officers of euery Citie, Shire Towne, Borough, or Market Towne, shall immediatly after the said feast of Michaelmas, and so from time to time according to the Statute of xi. Hen. vii. cause to be brought before them all the Waights within the same Citie, Borough, or Towne, to be duely viewed and examined, and such as they shall finde defectiue, to cause to be broken, and further punishment to be done, according to that Statute. And that the Iustices of peace, or two of them, whereof one to be of the Quorum, shal with al diligence, and from time to time, by examination or enquirie, heart and determine the defaults of all Maiors, Bailifes, and other head Officers within their limits or authorities in that behalfe, and also of all buyers and sellers doing contrarie to the same Act and to set Fines and amerciaments vpon the offenders, by their discretions, and those to estreate into the sayd Court of E [...]chequer, [...] that vpon paine of the punishment due for such a contempt. Lastly, her Maiestie straightly [...]geth and commaundeth all Iustices of Assise, Iustices of [...] [...]s, Bailifes, Stewards of Liberties, Clarke of the Market, and all other Officers & Ministers whatsoeuer, to cause this present Proclamation, and all Lawes, Statutes and [...] the [...] and [...] of true [...] and [...] the [...] of fa [...] [...], to be put in but execution, according to [...], as they tender [...] [...]

God saue the Queene.