THE Queenes Maiestie hauing had of late time consideration of great dearth growen in sundry parts of her Realme, iudging that the rich Owners of corne would keepe their store from common Markets, thereby to increase the prices thereof, and so the multitude of her poore people hauing no graine growing of their owne, to susteine great lacke, caused speciall orders to be made and publi­shed to all parts of her Realme, in what sort the Iustices of peace in euery quar­ter should stay all Ingrossers, Forestallers, and Regraters of Corne, and to di­rect all Owners and Farmers hauing Corne to furnish the Markets ratably and weekly with such quantities as vsually they had done before time, or rea­sonably might and ought to doe: By which orders, many other things were prescribed to be obserued for the staying of the dearth, and reliefe of the people: Yet neuerthelesse, her Maiestie is informed, that in some parts of her Realme the dearth doth not diminish, but rather increase for lacke of due execution of the sayd orders, and specially by the couetousnes of the Owners, forbearing to furnish the Markets, as reasonably they might do, and by secretly selling out of their houses to a kinde of people that commonly are called Badgers, at prices vnreasonable, who likewise do sell and regrate the same out of the Markets at very high and excessiue prices. For remedy whereof, her Maiestie chargeth all officers to whom the obseruation of the sayd orders hath bene directed, presently as they haue any naturall care of their Christian brethren & Countreymen, being in need, to cause all and euery part of the sayd orders from point to point to be executed, and the offenders against the fame to be seuerely punished, to the terrour of others. And besides this manifest cause giuen of vnnecessarie increase of prices, there is spred amongst her people by the sayd Ingrossers and Regraters a false report, that there should be much quantitie of Corne caried by Sea out of the Realme, and thereby occasion giuen of want of Corne to serue for the necessary vse of the people of the Realme: By which false report, not onely her Maie­sties poore people are discomforted with the feare of lacke for their sustenance, but also the couetous owners of Corne do pretend to preserue their store, and thereby doe refraine to serue the Markets: which slanderous re­port, her Maiestie doth affirme, for any thing to her knowledge, or for any licence, or sufferance for carying any Corne out of the Realme, to be vntrue. And yet neuerthelesse, for that contrary to her Maiesties will, there may be some fraud vsed in some parts of the Realme, either by her owne officers or by others, where Corne is prouided in some one part of her Realme, to be caried by Sea to some other place that is knowen to haue need thereof, notwithstanding by the very speciall orders of all the Ports, there ought none to be caried from Port to Port, but vpon speciall bonds in great summes of money to be taken of the owners of the Ships and of the Corne, where such transportation shall be made, for the true cariage of the same to the Ports therein named, and not by any colour or pretence to carie the same out of the Realme: And therefore for further prouision to be made for auoiding of such fraud, besides such bondes to be taken, her Maiestie commandeth and giueth li­cence to any person that shall haue cause to suspect that any such Corne is or should be shipped, or prouided to be shipped, by lawfull authoritie to be caried to any other Port, that the same may be by fraud caried out of the Realme, such person hauing such cause to suspect, shall giue information thereof to any Iustice of peace or pub­like officer dwelling nere to y^e Port, which Iustice or officer shal with the said Informer repaire to the Custome house of any such Port or Creeke where Corne is shipped, or prouided to be shipped, and there shall duly examine both the officers of the Custome house, & the sellers, buyers, & shippers of the Corne, vpon their seuerall othes, whether they know of any intention directly or indirectly to haue the said corne to be caried out of the Realme. [Page] And further also when by their othes they shall cleare themselues of any such intention (thereby the suspi­cion conceiued being cleared) yet the officers of the Ports, that haue authoritie to take bonds, shal shew the par­ties, who vpon suspicion shall require the same, and giue them in writing the contents of the bond with the names of the parties bound, being sufficient to answere the same, the true quantitie of the graine, and the Ports, to which it is intended to haue the same caried; and, if notwithstanding such prouision of good assu­rance taken, there shall afterwards any doubt followe, that notwithstanding the saide bonds, the saide Corne shalbe caried out of the Realme: the partie that shall haue cause so to suspect the same, shall repaire to some Iu­stice of Peace, whom her Maiestie doth hereby commaund to examine the trueth at the Port, whereunto the said Corne was appointed. And for that purpose the officers of that Port shall make plaine declaration, whe­ther any such Corne, and what quantitie thereof came to that Port within the time limitted. And if by good proofe it shall any wayes appeare, that there hath bene any fraud in any officer of the Port, or falsehood in the transporter by carying it out of the Realme, the officer of the Port shalbe depriued of his office, and suffer impri­sonment, and make fine to her Maiestie at her pleasure. And the transporter for carying it out of the Realme, and the seller and buyer, or either of them being priuy thereto, shall be committed to prison for the space of one yeere, and the Ship forfeited. And the Informer for his labour and reward shall haue both the halfe of the value of the Corne transported, and the halfe of the fines imposed vpon the offenders. And for the trial of these offences, and execution of the punishments and fines, the same shalbe tried in her Maiesties Exchequer, as all informations are vpon penall Statutes, where all expedition shall bee vsed, or before the Iustices of Assise in their circuites, or before any Iustices of Peace in the Sessions, where the offence shall be committed, hauing any authoritie to heare and determine any penall Lawe.

Finally her Maiestie is particularly informed of some intentions of sundry persons of abilitie to keepe hospi­talitie in their Countreys, to leaue their said hospitalities, and to come to the Citie of London, and other Ci­ties and townes corporate, thereby leauing the reliefe of their poore neighbours, as well for foode, as for good rule, and with couetous minds to liue in London, and about the Citie priuately, and so also in other Townes corporate, without charge of company; for withstanding whereof her Maiestie chargeth all maner of per­sons, that shall haue any such intention during the time of this dearth, not to breake vp their housholds, nor to come to the said Citie, or other townes corporate: and all others that haue of late time broken vp their hous­holds, to returne to their houses againe without delay. And whilest her Maiestie had thus determined for reliefe of her people to stay all good householders in their Countreys, there in charitable sort to keepe hospita­litie, her Maiestie hath had an instant occasion giuen her to extend her commandement euen for the necessary defence of her Realme: willing and straitly commaunding all maner of persons that be deputies to any Lieu­tenants in any Counties of the Realme, to repaire to their Countreys; And that all persons hauing charge of any Castles or Forts vpon the Sea coastes, do presently repaire to their charge, and there to reside personally during all this Winter season, and to haue care how the same Fortes are furnished, and to make petition for their defects. And likewise her Maiestie chargeth all persons dwelling in any Port towne to continue their habitation there, and to furnish their households with able persons for defence of the said Ports. These her Maiesties present cōmandements her highnesse mindeth and willeth to be enquired of by the Lieutenants of euery Shire, and specially by them of the Maritime Counties, whom her Maiestie chargeth to enquire dili­gently hereof, and by their commandements to see the defaults reformed, or otherwise to aduertise her Ma­iestie or her priuie Counsell of the offenders. The obseruation of all which, her Maiesties commaundement is to be performed vpon paine of her Maiesties heauie indignation.

Giuen at her Maiesties Mannour of Richmond the second day of Nouember 1596. in the eight and thirtieth yeere of her Maiesties reigne.

God saue the Queene.