Orders conceiued by the Lords of her Maiesties priuie Councell, and by her Highnesse speciall direction, commanded to be put in execution for the restraint of killing and eating of fl [...]sh this next Lent, and to be execu [...]ed aswell by the Lord Maior within the Citie and Suburbe of London, and by the Officers of the liberties and exempt places in and about the same, as by order to be prescribed by the Lordes Lieutenants of all the Counties of the Realme to the Iustices of peace, Lordes of liberties, and officers of corpotate Townes.
In the xxx [...]iii. of the Q [...]enes M [...]
FIrst her Maiesties pleasure is, vpon her vnderstanding of the great disorders heretofore and especially the last Lent committed in killing and eating flesh in the time of Lent, especially in the Citie of London, and the liberties thereto adioyning, that the statute made in the fist yeere of ther Maiesties reigne for the restraint there of, be put in due execution by the way of inquistion, and charge of Iuries, and by any other good meanes, both within the Citie and other places requisite within the Realme.
And for the better knowledge of the trueth of these disorders, and redresse of the inconueniences, the saide Iuries shall call before them, and send for any of the seruants of any Inholders, Victuallers, Tauerners, and kee [...]ers of ordinarie tables, and such other that vtter victuals, to examine them vpon their corporall othes, what flesh shall be, or is any [...] during the Lent season dressed, killed, vttered, or eaten in their houses: which if they shall refuse to doe, then they shall commit to prison the said seruants, so refusing vpon their others to declare the trueth.
And because a great part of this disorder groweth by the Butchers of the Citie of London, and also of the Countrey, that secretly [...]ll and bring flesh to the Citie: there shall be onely sixe Butchers licenced by the Lord Maior to kil flesh within the said Citie and [...]iberties thereof, yeelding for the reliefe of maymed Souldiors and Mariners such summes as shall be limitted for that purpose by [...]der of the pritue Counsell.
And euery of these Butchers to be licenced, shall be first bound in the summe of two hundreth poundes to her Maiesties vse, (and the bonds to be certified to the Queenes Remembrancer in the Exchequer) to sell no flesh in the time of Lent, but to such per [...]ons as shall shew them speciall warrant from the Lord Maior, vnder his hand, and that the Butchers doe truely keepe particular lookes of their dayly sales, and of the names of those to whome they shall so sell, with the quantities and the times thereof.
That the Lord Maior giue order to these Butchers, not to sell any flesh but at reasonable prices, & for that purpose the prices shal be set downe by the saide L. Maior, such as may be reasonable both for the buyer and seller: and if the Butcher shall breake that or [...]er, then to be foorth with discharged, and committed to prison, and another put into his place, and his bond to be certified into the [...] Exchequer to the Queenes benefite.
That the Lord Maior himselfe shall graunt no warrant for buying of flesh in Lent, but to such as shall haue and shewe to him li [...]ence in good writing according to the lawes of the Realme to eate flesh, and the said licence to be viewed and registred, first by some [...]wo meete persons to be appointed for this purpose by the Lord Maior, and Bookes to be kept thereof, to be shewed further when [...]e same shall be required, vnlesse it be to Ambassadors and Agents of forreine Princes, to whome notwithstanding no further quantitie shall be allowed, then ratably for their owne houshold, and that such, Ambassadors and Agents shal giue to the Lord Maior a certificate weekely, what they shall require to be for their owne tables.
That the L. Maior shall nowe presently before Lent cause all Inholders, Table keepers, Victualers, Alehouse keepers, and Ta [...]erners within the Citie, and liberties thereof, to appeare before him, or such persons as he shall appoint meete for that purpose: and shall take bonds of euery of them in good summes of money not vnder one hundred pound a piece to her Maiesties vse, not to [...]resse any flesh in their houses this Lent time for any respect, except it be for some such person that lieth in their house, and that also hath licence through sickenesse, or other necessarie cause, to eate flesh. Bondes shall be taken also of the Poulters, not to vtter any [...]oultrie ware, but to such as shall be likewise licenced to eate flesh, and that such as will not giue such bonds, that they be secluded [...]rom all vtterance of victuall during the Lent season.
And for the Butchers and others that come with victuals of flesh out of the Countrey to the Citie, the L. Maior shall cause cer [...]aine persons, whereof some to be named to the L. Maior by the Wardens of the Fishmongers, to watch at the gates and other like places in the Suburbes, where flesh may be brought in, to view and search, and to intercept the same. And in case the same shall be [...]ound to be brought to any person not warranted nor licenced to eate it, as is aforesaid, then the same to be forfeited and solde at the discretion of the L. Maior, for the vse of the poore in the Hospitals and prisons in the Citie, and the bringers to be imprisoned. And otherwise the Carriers of the saide victuals of flesh to be guided to the persons houses that haue licence, with regard therein not to be abused. And this watch to be continued daily during the whole time of Lent: and if any of these watchmen be found negligent [...]nd corrupt in his charge, then he to be committed to prison, there to continue during the whole Lent.
And to the end the said Orders may be duly executed, it is thought conuenient, that the L. Maior should send for the chiefe Heads of the company of the Fishmongers, and shall cause them to make choise of foure or more wise and discreete persons of the said company, and men of good wealth and habilitie, to whome they shall commit the charge to make enquirie after such as shall be found transgressors of the said Orders: who in respect of their trauel bestowed in that behalfe, shal haue ye one moitie of such bonds as shal bee forfeited by transgressing of the saide Orders, and the other moitie to bee conuerted vnto godly vses, by the discretion of the Queenes Maiesties High Almner, specially vpon poore and lame souldiers, with the priuitie of some of the Priuie councell.
And that there may be due execution of the said Orders, aswell without as within the Liberties of the Citie, it is thought con [...]enient, that they that haue the chiefe charge ouer the places priuileged and exempt, where any Leets or Law dayes are kept, shal [...]uthorize vnder their hand and seale foure persons as are aboue mentioned, to make search within the said priuileged and exempt places for such as shall transgresse the said Orders, and shall for their trauell therein employed, receiue the moitie of the Bonds forfeited, as is aboue mentioned. And for the auoyding of corruption and partiality in the said persons, it shall be necessarie to take their othes, and giue bond in some good and large summes, to see (as much as in them lieth,) a due obseruation of the said Orders.
And for that it is to be doubted, that the said Fishmongers, vpon the obseruation of the said Orders, will take occasion thereby to inhaunce the prises, aswell of Fresh as of Sea fish: It is thought meet, that the Lord Maior shall take order with the said Fishmon [...]ers, that aswell the Salt as Fresh fish shall be vttered at reasonable prises.
And it is ordered, that no Butcher shall kill any Beeues, but such as shall be specially licened thereunto, without any fraud, for the furnishing of such shippes as shall be lawfully employed by Sea, either in the way of traffique, or otherwise. And that such Butchers, as shall be licenced within the Liberties to kill any flesh, shall euery foureteene dayes at the least, giue a true certificate unto the Lord Maior and head officers of the places exempt, of such numbers of Veales, Lambes, and Muttons, as shall be by them weekly killed: to the end, there may be a true certificate made euery fifteene dayes vnto the Lords & others of her Maiesties Priue councell, what numbers of the seuerall kindes aboue mentioned shall be killed, either within the City, or places exempt.
Lastly, where any Butchers shalbe licenced in any exempt place without the Citie of London & the Liberties thereof, before the said Butchers shall be suffered to kill or sell any Flesh, they shall make payment to the hands of the officers that shall giue them li [...]nce, for the reliefe of maimed Souldiers, Mariners, and other lame and impotent persons as shall be limited by letters, either of the Priuie councell, or of the Lieutenants of the Shires.
And as these Orders are expresly deuised to be executed in the Citie of London, and places neere to the same, so her Maiesties [...]leasure and commandement is, that the execution of these or like Orders be performed by the commandement of her Maiesties Lieutenants to be sent to the Iustices of the peace, in all Shires within their rule, and to all other officers in Townes corporate, [...]r in any Liberties, with like order for bonds to be taken to her Maiesties vse: the benefit of the forfeiture of which bonds, her [...]aiestie may at the intercession of the said Lieutenants cause to be distributed amongst lame and poore souldiers.