Whereas we by Our Letters Patents bearing Date at Our Pallace of Westminster the XXVI. day of February, in the VII yeare of Our raigne of England, France, and Ireland, for the considerations therein mentioned, haue giuen and granted for Vs, Our Heires and Successors, free Licence, Power, and Authority, vnto Our welbeloued Seruants, Arthur Bassano, Andrew Bassano, Ieronimo Bassano, Edward Bassano, Scipio Bassano, Antony Bassano, and vnto Daniell Bassano, and William Bassano, and euery of them. That they the said Arthur Bassano, Andrew Bassano, Ieronimo Bassano, Edward Bassano, Scipio Bassano, Antony Bassano, Daniell Bassano, and William Bassano, and euery of them their, and euery of their Assignes by themselues, or by their Deputies, Seruants, or Factors, or any of them being English-men, Denizens, or Strangers, shall or may at their pleasure liberty and free will for and during the terme of 7 yeares, to begin immediatly from and after the XXVII, day of August, which then should be in the yeare of Our Lord God 1614. at all times, and from time to time lawfully bargaine for, buy and prouide or cause to be bargained for, bought or prouided of any person or persons, and within any Citty, Towne, Burrough, place or places within this Our Realme and Dominions of England and Walles, so many Dickers of Leather of Calue-skinnes as shall amount in the whole to the number of 6000. Dickers, accompting ten dozen of such Calue-skinnes to euery Dicker. And the same so prouided and bought at all and euery time and times during the said terme of 7. yeares, before by these Presents granted, in any Ship or Shippes, Vessell or Vessells, Bottome or Bottomes, being of Our said Realme and Dominions, Hoyes, and other Vessells prohibited to crosse the Seas onely excepted, to ship, lade, transport, and carry ouer, or cause to be shipped, laden, transported, or carryed ouer from any of the Portes, Hauens, Creekes, or Passages of this Our Realme and Dominions of England and Wales, into any the parts beyond the Seas being, or which at the time of such shipping or transporting shall be in amity with Vs, Our Heires or Successors. And in such proportions, quantity, and number, as to them or any of them shall be thought meete and conuenient, and there from time to time at their free will and liberty to vtter, sell, distribute, and dispose to their and euery of their, best profit commoditie and aduantage, without any danger, forfaicture, losse, penalty, or molestation, against them or any of them, by Vs, Our Heires or Successors, or to Our or their vse, or behoofe to be had leuied, lost, forfaicted, or recouered, and without any manner of let, int [...]rruption, or disturbance of any other person or persons whatsoeuer. Any Statute, Proclamation, or restrainct thereof▪ heer [...]tofore made to the contrary thereof, not­with [...]tanding. Paying vnto Vs, Our Heires and Successors, for euery Dicker of Calue-skinnes, which shall happen to be transported by vertue of that Our Licence, fiue shillings of Lawfull English money, the payment thereof to be from time to time made to the hands of Our Collectors of Our Customs in euery of the said Parts, Hauens, Creekes, or places where any of the said Calue-skins shall be shipped or laden to be transported as aforesaid, as by Our said Letters Patents amo [...]gst diuers other Graunts, Licenses, Prohibitions, and other things therein contained more plainely may appeare.

The Grant.Know yee that we, aswell in consideration of the good & faithfull seruice to Vs heretofore done by Our trusty and welbeloued Iames Maxwell Esquire, one of our Gentlemen Vshers dayly Wayters, as for the dueties and summes of mony herein reserued to be payable to Vs, Our Heires and Succ [...]ssors. Of Our speciall grace, certaine knowledge, and meere motion, haue giuen and granted, and by these Presents for Vs, Our Heires and Successors, doe giue and graunt free License, power, and authority vnto the said Iames Maxwell, his Executors, Administrators, and Assignes. That he the said Iames Maxwell, his Exe­cutors, Administrators, and Assignes, by him or themselues, or by his and their Deputies, Seruants, or Factors, or any of them, being Englishmen, Denizens, or Strangers, shall and may at his and their pleasure libertie and free will, for and during the terme of XXI. yeares, to begin immediatly from and after the end,The Terme of yeares. expiration, surrender or other determination, of the said terme of 7 yeares before mentioned to be graunted, at all times, and from time to time law­fully bargaine for, buy, and prouide, or cause to be bargained for, bought, or prouided of any person or persons, and within any Citty, Towne, Burrough, place or places, within this Our Realme and Dominions of England and Wales, so many Dickers of Leather of Calue-skinnes, as shall or may amount in the whole to the number of Eighteene thousand Dickers, accounting ten dozen of such Calue-skinnes to euery Dicker. And the same so prouided and bought,The number of Dickers. at al & euery time & times during the said termes of XXI. yeares, before by these presents granted, in any Ship or Shippes, Vessell or Vessell, Botom or Bottomes, being of Our said Realme and Dominions, Hoyes, or other Vessells prohibited, to crosse the Seas onely excepted; to Ship, layde, transport, and carry ouer, or cause to be Shipped, layden, transported, and carried ouer from or out of any the Portes, Hauens, Creekes, or passages of this Our said Realme and Dominions of England and Walles, into any the parts beyond the Seaes being, or which at the time of such Shipping, or transporting shall be in amity with Vs, Our Heires or Successors. And in such proportion quantity and number, as to him them or any of them shall be thought meete and conuenient. And there from time to time at his and their free will and liberty, to vtter sell destribute and dispose to his and their best profit, comodity and aduantage, without any danger, forfaicture, losse, penalty, or molestation against him or them, or any of them, by Vs, Our Heires or Successors, or to Our or their vse or behoofe, to be had, leuied, lost, forfaicted or receiued: And without any manner of let, interruption or disturbance of any other person or persons whatsoeuer. Any Statute, Proclamation, or restrainct thereof, heretofore made to the contrary thereof notwithstanding: Paying vnto Vs,The Payment Our Heires and Successors, for euery Dicker of Calue-skinnes which shall be transported by vertue of this Our License, fiue shillings of lawfull English mony, the payment thereof to be from time to time made to the hands of Our Collectors of Our Costomes in euery of the said Ports, Hauens, Creekes, or places, where any of the said Calue-skinnes shall be Shipped, or layden to be transported as aforesaid.

And wee will, and grant by these Presents for Vs, Our Heires and Successors: That the said Iames Maxwell, his Executors, Administrators, and Assignes, his and their Deputies, Factors, and Seruants, and none other shall during the said Terme of XXI. yeares by these Presents granted, haue exercise and enioy, the whole full and sole liberty, License, and power of and for transportation of Calue-skinnes out of Our said Realme & Dominions of England and Wales. And therefore we doe for Vs, Our Heires and Successors, straightly charge and commaund all and euery person and persons whatsoeuer, of whatsoeuer estate, degree, or condition they be: That none of them other then the said Iames Maxwell, his Executors, Administrators, and Assignes, and his or their Deputies, Factors, and Seruants, during the said Terme of XXI. yeares, before by these Presents granted, shall bring or send, or cause to be brought or sent, or by any manner of meanes or coullor, transport, conuey, or ship out of this our Realme and Dominions of England and Wales, any Calue-skins during the continuance of this Our Graunt and License.

[Page]And we doe expressely prohibit and forbid all transportation whatsoeuer of any Calue-skinnes, by any person or persons whatsoeuer, out of this Realme and Dominions of England and Wales during the said Terme of XXI.The prohibi­tion yeares, before by these Presents Granted, other then by the said Iames Maxwell, his Executors, Administrators, and Assignes, his and their Deputies, Factors, or Seruants, vpon paine of such imprisonment, penalty, or forfaicture, as may be lawfully inflicted on them and euery of them for their contempt and disobedience in that behalfe. And for the better finding out of any such conueying, transportation, or coulorable, passing of Calue-skinnes contrary to the effect, and true meaning of this our present License or Graunt, we doe by these Presents strictly charge and commaund all Our Customers, Comptrollers, and Searchers, and all other Our Officers in all Our Ports, Hauens, and Creekes, within Our said Realme and Dominions of England and Wales: That at all times during the said Terme of XXI. yeares, when and as often as they or any of them shall be thereunto willed or required by the said Iames Maxwell, his Executors, Administrators, or Assignes, his or their Deputies, Factors, or Seruants: That they and euery of them shall with all dilligence, and by all lawfull wayes and meanes they can try out and search for all such Calue-skinnes as shall be shiped, imbarked or laden, to the intent to be carryed or transported out of Our said Realme and Dominions of England and Wales, contrary to the meaning or intent of these our Letters Patents, and to arrest, seise, and carry away, and detaine the same as forfaicted: The one moity of all which forfaictures to be to the vse of Vs, Our Heires and Successors, and the other moity thereof, we do by these Presents giue and Grant to the said Iames Max­well, his Executors,The Charge. Administrators, and Assignes. And further, we will and commaund all Our Customers, Comptrollers of Our Customs, and other the Officers of Vs, Our Heires and Successors, that they doe not onely permit and suffer the said Iames Maxwell, his Executors, Administrators, and Assignes, his and their Deputies, Factors, and Seruants, quietly and peaceably to prouide, bring, Ship, lade, and transport the said number of 18000. Dickers of Calue-skinnes according to the tenor and true meaning of this Our Licence and Grant, at all times during the said Terme of XXI. yeares by these Presents Granted, and by all the said time to haue and enioy the full and whole effect and benefit of this Our License. But also to forbeare by any manner of meanes to trouble or molest him, them, or any of them, for the buying, prouiding, lading, shipping, transporting, or vttering of the Premisses or any part thereof as aforesaid.

Willing and commaunding, all Maiors, Sheriffes, Bayliffs, Constables, Customers, Comptrollers, Searchers, and all other Officers of Our said Realme and Dominions of England and Wales, not onely to permit and suffer the said Iames Maxwell, his Executors, Administrators, and Assignes, his and their Deputies, Factors, and Seruants, to haue take and enioy the full and whole benefit, commoditie and profit of this Our present License and Grant, but also that they be ayding, helping, & asisting to him and them in the execution thereof, when they shall be thereunto required, during the said Terme by these Presents Granted. To which or to a duplicate thereof we do for Vs, Our Heires and Successors, charge and commaund all Our Officers, Ministers, and Sub­iects, to giue as much credit, as behooueth to be giuen to a Grant and License vnder Our Great Seale of England: And also to permit and suffer the said Iames Maxwell, his Executors, Administrators, and Assignes, his and their Deputies, Factors, and Seruants, to enioy and quietly to vse the whole effect and benefit of this Our Grant and License, without any manner of let, impediment, hinderance, impeachment, vexation, denyall, or contradiction, as you and euery of you will answere the contrary at your vttermost perrills. And to the intent we may be certainly informed during the said Terme of XXI. yeares, what number of Calue-skinnes shall be yearely transported and carryed out of this our Realme and Dominions of England and Wales, by vertue of this Our License: And at what Portes, Hauens, Creekes, and places, and may be truely answered and sati [...]fied of such Customes and duties as shall be due and ought to be payed vnto Vs, Our Heires and Successors, of and for the same according to the effect and true meaning of these Presents.

Our will and pleasure is, and we doe charge and commaund that Our Colectors, Customers, Comptroulers, and such Our Officers of euery the said Portes, Creekes, Hauens, and places aforesaid, where any of the said Calue-skinnes shall be laden and shipped by vertue of these Presents to whom it shall appertaine from time to time, not onely make perfect and certaine enteries thereof into their Custome-Bookes. But also shall indorse the seuerall number and quantity of the said Calue-skinnes shall be laden and shipped, either vpon this our License or duplicate thereof, which for that purpose shall be left, with the said Collectors, Customes, Comptrollers, and Officers of the said Portes, Creekes, and Hauens, where such entries of the said Calue-skinnes shall happen to be made, and shall also yearely in the Terme of Saint Michaell the Archangell, during the said Terme of XXI. yeares, certifie a true note in writing vnto Our Court of Exchequor at Westminster, of all such number of Calue-skinnes, as by vertue or coulor of these Presents shall be there shipped, or laden, to be transported as aforesaid, to the end that the certaine quantity and number of the said Dickers of Calue-skinnes so to be transported, and the time and place of the shipping and transporting thereof may from time to time plainely appeare, as is aforesaid.

Prouiso.Prouided alwaies, and our will and pleasure is, that the said Iames Maxwell, his Executors, Administrators, and Assignes, nor any of them, their or any of their Assignes, Deputies, Factors, or Seruants, shall not Ship, lade, transport, or carry any Calue-skinnes by vertue or coulor of this Our License, out of the Ports, Hauens, or Creekes of Chester & Leuerpoole, or any of them, or out of any Port, Hauen, or Creeke being member of the said Port of Chester, during such time as any other Grant for transportation of Calue-skinnes out of any the said Port, Hauen, and Creeke of Chester, shall happen to continue and be in force. And this Our License and Grant, nor any thing therein contained, shall not extend to auoid, preiudice, or impeach any former Grant or License whatsoeuer heretofore by Vs, or by Our late deare Sister Queene Elizabeth, made to any person or persons, bodies politique and corporate, for the transporting or carrying of Calue-skinnes out of this Realme and Dominions of England and Wales, but that they and euery of them may from time to time freely enioy the benefit of all such former Grants and Licenses so by Vs, or by the said late Queene Elizabeth formerly made, & Granted in as ample maner as if these present Letters Patents had neuer beene had or made, any thing before in these Presents mentioned to the contrary notwithstanding.

Although expresse mention of the true yearely value or certainty of the premisses or any of them: Or of any other guift or Grant by Vs or any of Our Progenitors or Predecessors to the said Iames Maxwell, before these times made, in these Presents is not made: Or any Statue, Act, ordinance, prouision, Pro­clamation, or restraint before this time, had, made, set forth, ordained or prouided, or any other thing, matter, or cause whatsoeuer, to the contrary not­withstanding: In witnes whereof We haue caused these Our Letters to be made Patents.

Witnes Our Selfe at Westminster the Twelfth day of Iune, in the Thirteenth yeare of Our Raigne of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the Eight and Fortieth.