FIrst Maisties 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 her Maiesties reigne for the restraint thereof, be put in due execution by the way of inquisition, and charge of Iuries, and by any other good meanes, both with­in the Citie and all other places requsite within the Realme.

And for the better knowledge of the trueth of these disorders, and redresse of the inconueniencess, the sayd Iu­ries shall call before them, and send for any of the seruants of any Inholders, Victuallers, Tauernrrs, and kee­pers of ordinarie tables, and such other that utter victuals, to examine them vpon their corporall othes, what flesh shall be, or is any day 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 sayd seruants, so refusing vpon their othes 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 kill and bring flesh to the Citie: there shall be onely sixe Butchers licenced by the Lord Maior to kill flesh within the sayd Citie and liberties thereof, yeelding for the reliefe of maymed Souldiers and Mariners such summes as shall he limitted for that purpose by order of the privie Counsell.

And euery of these Butchers to be so licenced, shall be first bound in the summe of two hundreth poundes to her Maiesties vse, (and the bonds to the certified to the Queenes Remembrancer in the Exchequer) to sell no flesh in the time of Lent, but to such per­sons as shall shew them speciall warrant from the Lord Maior, vnder his hand, and that the Butchers doe truely keepe particular bookes 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 shall be set downe by the sayd L. Maior, such as may be reasonable both for the buyer and seller: and if the Butcher shall breake that or­der, then to be foorthwith discharged, and committed to prison, and an other put into his place, and his bond to be certified into the exchequer to the Queenes benefice.

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 li­cence 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 two meete persons to be appointed for this purpose by the Lorde Maior, and Bookes to be kept thereof, to be shewed further when the 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 housbold, and that such Ambassadors and Agents shall 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, Alehousekeepers, and Ta­uerners within the Citie, and liberties thereof, to appeare before him, or such persons as hee 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 dresse 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. Bonds shall be taken also of the Poulters, not to vtter any Poultrie ware, but to such as shall be like wise licenced to eate flesh, and that such as will not giue such bonds, that they be secluded from all vtterance of victuall during the Lent season.

And for the Butchers and others that come with victuals of flesh out of the Countrey the Citie, the L. Maior shall cause cer­taine 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 found 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 imprisonned. 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 dayly during the whole time of Lent: and if any of these watch men be founde negligent and corupt 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 saide com­pany, and men of good wealth and habilitie, to whome they shall commit the charge to make enquirie after such as shall be founde transgressors of the saide Orders: who in respect of their trauel bestowed in that behalfe, shall haue y^• one moitie of such bonds as shall be forfeited by transgressing of the said 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, as well without as within the Liberties of the Citie, it is thought con­uenient, that they that haue the chiefe charge ouer the places priuileged and exempt, where any Leets or Law dayes are kept, shal authorize vnder their hand and seale foure persons as are aboue mentioned, to make search within the saide 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 partialitie 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, as well of Fresh as of Sea fish: It is thought meete, that the Lord Maior shall take order with the said Fishmon­gers, that as well the Salt as Fresh fish shall vttered at reasonable prises.

And it is ordered that no Butcher shall kill any Beeues, but such as shall be specially licenced thereunto, without any fraude, for the furnishing of such shippes as shall bee lawfully employed by Sea, either in the way of traffique, or otherwise. And that such Butchers, as shall be licenced within the Liberties by the head officers of the Liberties of kill any flesh, shall euery foureteene dayes at the least, giue a true certificate vnto the Lord Maior and head officers of the places exempt, of such numbers of Veales, Lambes, and Muttons, as shal be by them weekely killed: to the end, there may be a true certificate made euery fifteene dayes vnto the Lords and others of her Maiesties Priuie councell, what numbers of the seuerall kindes aboue mentioned shall be killed, either within the Citie, or places exempt.

Lastly, where any Butchers shal be 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 li­cence, for the reliefe of maimed Souldiers, Mariners, and other lame and impotent persons such summes of money as shall be li­mitted by letters, either of the Priuie councell, or of the Lieutenant 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 pleasure and commandement is, that the execution of these like Orders be performed by the commandement of her Maiesties Lieutenants to be sent to the Justices of the peace, in all Shires within their rule, and to all other in Townes corporate, or in any Liberties, with like order for bonds to be taken to her Maiesties vse: the benefit of the forfeiture of which bondes, her Maiestie may at the intercession of the said Lieutenants cause to be distributed amongst lame and poore souldiers.