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, & the liberties thereto adioining, that the statute made in the fift yere of her Maissties 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 requisite within the Realme.

And for the better knowledge of the trueth of these disorders, and redresse of the inconueniences, the sayd Iuries shall call before them, and send for any of the seruants of any Inholders, Victuallers, Ta­uerners, and keepers of ordinarie Tables, and such other that vtter victuals, to examine them vpon their corporall othes, what flesh shall bee, 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 City of London, and also of the Countrey, that secret­s kill and bring flesh to the Citie: there shall be onely viii. Butchers licenced by the Lord Maior to kill flesh within the sayde Citie and liberties thereof, without paying any thing for their licence, because they shall be bound in reasonable summes of money to abscrue such order as shall be prescribed to them.

And euery of these Butchers, to be so licenced, shall be first bound in the summe of two hundred pounds to her Maiesties vse, and the bonds to bee certified to the Queenes Remembrancer in the Eschequer) 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 the names of those to whom 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, and for that purpose the pri­ces shall be set downe by the sayd Lord Maior, such as may be reasonable both for the buyer and seller: and it the Butcher shall [...]eake that order, then to be foorth with discharged, and committed to prison, and another put into his place, and his bond to be certified into the Eschequer to the Queenes benefit.

That the Lord Maior himselfe shall grant no warrant for buying of fleshe in Lent, but to such as shall haue and shew to him li­cence in good writing according to the lawes of the Realme to eate flesh, and the sayd licence to be viewed & registred, first by some two meete persons to be appointed for this purpose by the Lord Maior, and bookes to be kept thereof, to be shewed further when the same shall be required, vnlesse it be to Ambassadours and Agents of forreine Princes, to whom notwithstanding no further [...]a [...]tie shall be allowed, then ratably for their owne houshold, and that such Ambassadors and Agents shal giue to the L. Maior [...] Certificate weekely, what they shall require to be for their owne tables.

That the L. Maior shal now presently before Lent, cause all Inholders, Tablekeepers, Victuallers, Alehousekeepers, & Ta­uerners within the Citie and liberties thereof, to appeare before him, or such persons as hee shall appoint meete for that purpose: and shal take bonds of euery of them in good summes of money, not vnder one hundred pound a piece to her Maiesties vse, not to [...]esse 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 sicknesse or other necessary cause, to eate flesh. Bonds shall be taken also of the Poulters, not to vtter any Poultry ware, but to such as shall be likewise licenced to eate flesh, and that such as wil not giue such bonds, that they be secluded from all vtterance of victuall during the Lent season: excepting those Poulters that do ordinarily serue her Maiesties houshold, of whom like bonds shall be taken by her Maiesties Officers of the Greene cloth.

And for the Butchers and others that come with victuals of flesh out of the Countrey to the Citie, the L.Maior shal cause cer­taine persons, whereof some to be named to the L. Maior by the Wardens of the Fishmongers, to watch at the gates & 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 shalbe bound to be brought to any person not warranted nor licenced to eate it, as it aforesaid, then the same to be forfeited and sold 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 said 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 and 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 y^e chiefe Heads of the company of the Fishmongers, and shal cause them to make choise of foure or moe wise and discreete persons of the said Com­panie, and men of good wealth and abilitie, to whom 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 the one moitie of such bonds as shall be forfeited by transgressing of the said Orders, and the other moity to be 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 Councill.

And that there may be due execution of the said Orders, aswel without as within the Liberties of the Citie, it is thought con­venient, that they that haue the chiefe charge ouer the places priuiledged & exempt. where any Leets or Law daies are kept, shall authorize vnder their hand and seale foure persons as are aboue mentioned, to make search within the said priuiledged & exempt places for such as shal transgresse the said Orders, and shall for their trauell therein emploied, receiue the moitie of the Bonds for­feited, as is aboue mentioned. And for the auoiding of corruption and partialitie in the saide persons, it shall be necessary of take their others, and giue bond in some good & 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 enhance the prises aswel of Fresh as of Sea fish: It is thought meete, that the L. Maior shall take order with the said Fishmon­gers, that aswell the Salt as Fresh fish shalbe vttered at reasonable prises.

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

And as these Orders are expressy 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 or like Orders be performed by the commandement of her Maiesties Lieutenauts to be sent to the Justices of the Peace, in all Shires within their rule, and to all other Officers in Townes corpo­rate, or in any Liberties, with like order for bonds to be taken to her Maiesties vse.