WHereas for the well ordering of that ancient and Royall Com­moditie of the Tinne of this Our Realme of England, diuers and sundrie good Lawes and Ordinances haue beene heretofore made & established, by the wisedome of former times; amongst which there hath been euer speciall care and prouision, that all the sayd Tinne should be duely brought to Our Coynage beames, and there tried and assayed, and by Our Stampe or Marke sealed and allowed, be­fore the same should bee put to Sale within the Land, or offered to be shipped for forreigne Vent: And to that end also our noble Progenitors haue been at charge to crect and maintaine certaine Coynage houses in seuerall set Townes within Our Counties of Deuon and Cornewall, lying most commodious for the sayd Coynage: At which places at certaine set dayes of Coynage and post Coynage appointed, Our speciall Officers of the Stan­neries, doe, and haue been wont duely to attend to Receiue, Trie, Assay, Coyne, Seale, and allow the sayd Tinne, by setting Our Marke, Seale or Stampe vpon the same: By which meanes both Wee Our selfe were secured of the preemption and Coynage dueties of the sayd Tinne (being auncient and vndoubted Prerogatiues annexed to Our Crowne, with our Du­thie of Cornwall) and also the Tinne had his iust and true Assay, according to the goodnesse and richnesse of it, that neither Our owne Subiects nor others might be defrauded in the buy­ing of the same, nor yet the Subiect hindered by any vnnecessary delay in the lawfull Tra­ding and Merchandizing thereof. And whereas out of Our princely care to cherish and main­taine the Trade and working of such a worthy and Staple Commodity, of so much honor and profit to this Commonwealth, Wee haue not long since taken order to allow a greater price for the working and making thereof, then euer was giuen before; and haue also by the extra­ordinary care and industry of Our right trustie and right welbeloued Cosin and Counsellour, Thomas Earle of Suffolke, Our high Treasurer of England, and of Our trustie and Right welbeloued Counseller, Sir Foulke Greuill, Knight, Chauncellour of our Exchequer, lately set­led [Page] the sayd Tinne workes and Tinne businesse, in a more orderly and better course then euer before it was, aswell for the benefit of Our most deare Sonne CHARLES the Prince, to whom Wee haue lately made Liuerie of Our sayd Duchie of Cornewall, as for the contentment and satisfaction of Our louing Subiects the Merchants and Pewterers of London, and other places, from whose Petitions and Complaints, We could neuer be free before.

Bet neuerthelesse, We are informed that by the secret practise and combination of sundry ill minded and couetous Owners and workemen of the sayd Tinne workes, a great part of the said Tinne hath been heretofore, and daily is Bought & Sold, Receiued, Deliuered, and ca­ried away vncoyned, aswell in Shippes and other vessels, which vnder colour of comming to buy Cornish Slate and Stone vpon the Coast of Cornewall, betweene Foway and Meuagase, doe imbesell much vncoyned Tinne in Blockes, as also by Marriners and Seafaring men, who buy vp the Tinne in Barres, commonly called Pocket Tinne, of Pewterers and o­thers, contrary to the auncient Ordinances of Our Stanneries aforesayd, to Our preindice and wrong in Our sayd Prerogatiue, the disgracing of Our sayd Commoditie, and abuse of Our Subiects buying the same vntried, and not Assayed. In respect whereof, as Wee might most iustly take aduantage of sundry offenders notoriously faultie in this behalfe, which in Our naturall inclination to Mercie and Pardon, Wee are graciously contented to passe by, so Wee cannot in Our Princely care of the Common wealth, and Our owne Right, but pro­uide for redresse and reformation of these great disorders for the time to come. And therefore doe by these presents straightly charge and commaund aswell all and singular Our louing Subiects, as all other person and persons whatsoeuer, that none of them presume vpon any colour, shift or pretence whatsoeuer, at any time or times hereafter, to Vtter, Sell, Deliuer, or put to Sale, or to Receiue, Ship, carie, land or contract for any blacke Tinne vnblowen, but to such as cause the same to be Cast and blowen before it be sold for vse, or any white Tinne, or Cast Tinne before it be first Coyned and Stamped with our Seale or Marke, appointed for that purpose as aforesayd, vpon paine of forfeiture, aswell of the sayd Tinne and other condigne punishment in case of land cariage, as also of confiscation of the Shippes, Hoyes, Barques, Lighters, and other Vessels wherein any such prohibited Tinne shall be shipped, or laden for Transportation, contrary to the intendment of this Our Proclamation; and also vpon paine of Our high displeasure, and of such further penalties, forfeitures, and punishments in both cases, as by the Statutes and Ordinances of Our sayd Stanneries, or any other Lawe or Statute whatsoeuer, or by the censure of Our high Court of Starre chamber, for disobeying this Our Royall commandement and Iniunction, or otherwise may bee inflicted vpon the of­fenders in this behalfe: Giuing all Our louing Subiects to know, that any toleration or for­bearance for the time past, shall be so farre from iustifying or warranting the like abuses to be continued in time to come, as contrariwise it shal aggrauate the fault thereof in respect of Our former clemencie.

And whereas Wee are giuen to vnderstand, That there are certaine wandring petie Chap­men, or Tinkers, and others, haunting much about the Tinne workes aforesaid, who doe make it an vsuall Trade to buy blacke Tinne by the Bowle, and white Tinne vncoyned by the pound weight, or other small quantitie; and so doe carie the same from the worke houses to [Page] certaine priuate places of Receipt, till hauing gotten by this vnlawfull meanes some store to­gether, they vent or spend the said blacke Tinne before it bee blowen, and sell the said white Tinne before it be Coyned, by Sea or by Land, where they find best Chapmen, to the prein­dice of Vs and Our louing Subiects, as aforesaid: Our will and pleasure is, and Wee strait­ly charge and command all and singular Our Iustices of Peace, before whom any such Tin­ker, petic Chapman, or other person offending shall bee brought, diligently to examine and finde out, where, and of whom he had the sayd prohibited Tinne, white or blacke, found with him, and where, and to whom hee meant, or intended to sell the same, or hath heretofore sold any other of like sort; and aswell the said Tinkers and petie Chapmen, as all other persons who shall be found priuie to the Buying, or Selling, Receiuing, or Deliuering of the sayd Tinne, blacke or white, as aforesayd, to commit to Our Gaole of the Countie where they shal be taken, and otherwise to punish according to the Lawes, Customes, and Ordinances of Our Stannerics, and as the quality and nature of the offence shall by the Lawes and Sta­tutes of this Realme deserue, for contempt of Our Royall Commandement and Proclama­tion in this behalfe: Willing, and requiring all and singular Our Shiriffes, Mayors, Bay­liffes, Constables, and other Our Officers and louing Subiects, to Attach, Stay, and Ar­rest all such Purloyners and secret Cariers of Tinne, blacke or white, and to bring them be­fore the next Iustice of Peace, for order to bee taken with them, as aforesayd, as they and eue­ry of them will answere for the contrary hereof at their vttermost perils.

Giuen at Royston the 26. day of October, in the thirteenth yeere of Our Raigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, and of Scotland the nine and fourtieth.

God saue the King.