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 ye 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 ye 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.