WHere in the Parliament holden at Westminster the xii. day of Ianuarie, in the fift yeere of the reigne of our Soueraigne Lady the Queenes Maiesty, it was enac­ted by the Queene our soueraigne Lady, the Lords spirituall and temporall, and the commons in that Parliament assembled, that the Iustices of the Peace of euery Shire, Riding, & libertie, within the limits of their seuerall commissions, or the more part of them, being reūant within the same, and the Sherife of the Countie, if he conueniently might, and euery Maior, Bailife, or other head offi­cer within any Citie or Towne corporate, wherein is any Iustices of the Peace within the limits of the said Citie or Towne, should by force of the saide Act, yeerely after Easter at times conuenient, appointed by the same, assemble themselues together, and calling before them such discreete and graue persons of the said County, Citie and Towne, as they should thinke meete, and con­ferring together, respecting the plentie or scarcity of the time and other circumstances necessarily to be considered, should by vertue of the said Act, within the limits and precincts of their seuerall commissions, limite, rate, and ap­poynt the wages, as well of such and so many of the said Antificers, handicrafts men, husbandmen, or any other laborer, seruant, or workeman, whose wages in times past hath bene by any law of Statute rated & appointed, as also the wages of all other laborers, artificers, workmen, or apprentices of husbandry, which haue not bene rated, as the same Iustices, Maiors, or head officers within their seuerall cōmissions or liberties, should thinke meete by their discretions to be rated, limited, or appointed, and the same rates & taxations should certifie vnto the Queenes highnes Court of Chancery before a certaine day limited in y^e said Act. Wherupon it should be lawful for the Lord Chancellor, or Lord keeper of the great seale of England, for the time being, vpon declaration thereof to her High­nesse, her heires or successors, or to the Lords & others of her Maiesties priuie Counsel, to cause Proclamations to be printed & sent down into euery of the said shires and places, conteining the seuerall rates appointed by the said Iustices & other head officers, commanding thereby in her Highnes name, all persons straitly to obserue & keepe the same, vpon the danger of the punishment and forfaitures limited & appoynted by the said Act and Statute.

And where also it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all maner of person and persons, after such Proclamation made, should obserue and keepe the said rates for wages, vpon paine of the forfaitures & penalties conteined in the said Estatute, vntill by further order by Proclamation, according to the purport of the same Esta­tute, it should be otherwise ordered and proclaimed: Wherefore the Queenes Maiestie, hauing receiued into her said Court of Chancery, amongst diuers other Certificates, from sundry her Highnes Shires, Cities & Townes, one Certificate from the Towne of Higham Ferrers, conteining the Rates for wages hereafter fol­lowing, made and appointed by the Iustices of the Towne of Higham Ferrers, according to the te­nour of the same Act: And minding to haue the same rates put in execution in all points, as by the processe of the same Act is prescribed, like as her Maiestie hath and intendeth to doe in all other her Highnesse Counties and Shires, and other places of Libertie within this her Realme: Therefore her Highnesse straightly chargeth and commaundeth all maner person and persons within the Towne of Higham Ferrers, to keepe and ob­serue in all poynts the said rates, taxations, orders and appointments for wages hereafter following and set forth vpon the paines and forfeitures appointed by the said estatute, and vpon paine of her Highnesse displeasure.

And further her Highnesse pleasure & expresse commaundement is, that all Iustices of Peace, Sherifes, & other Officers of the said Towne of Higham Ferrers, shall see and cause the same rates duely and seuerely to be obserued and kept in all points: And this Proclamation to be vsed in euery behalfe, according to the tenor and effect of the same Act. And her Maiesties further pleasure and commandement is, that if any question, scruple or deubt, shall arise vpon any of the taxations or rates for the sayd Towne of Higham Ferrers here­under mentioned: That then the same shalbe resolued and determined by her Highnesse Iustices of Peace, that did make and ordeine the same taxations and rates: And that all persons shall performe and keepe the same reso­lutions, orders, and determinations, so by them to be made and determined touching the same.