WHereas diuers good Lawes and Statutes, haue heretofore, with great care and prouidence been made and enacted for the due obseruati­on of Lent, and other dayes appointed for Fish-dayes, aswell for the sparing & increase of Flesh victuall, as for the maintenance of the Na­uie and shipping of this Realme, by the encouragement of Fishermen to goe to the Seas for the taking of Fish, which Lawes and politique Constitutions, haue from time to time been seconded and quickned by sundry Proclamations, and other Actes and Ordinances of State in the time of Our Royall Predecessors; And wheras, notwithstanding so many good prouisions heretofore had and made in that kinde, Wee haue obserued, that the inordinate liberty vsually taken by all sorts of people, to kill, dresse and eat Flesh in the Lent season, and on other dayes and times prohibited, is become so inueterate an euil, that it will require more then ordinary care to suppresse the same.

We therefore, much affecting the reformation of so great and growing an euil, which is so great an enemy to the plenty of this Our Kingdom, and so great a discouragement to Fishermen, who would be the best Seminary of Mariners, Haue thought fit to expresse Our Selfe, & Our Royall Commandement in this behalfe, in such a plaine and cleare way, that there may from henceforth be no pretence of excuse to any, wherof, without future declaration of Our pleasure in this kinde, Wee shall expect, and doe require from all Our Subiects, that due notice bee taken, and that a strict and continued obedience and conformity bee yeelded thereunto, both for the present, and in all succeding times.

And therefore We doe straitly charge and command all and euery person and persons whatso­euer, to whom it may appertaine, carefully to prouide and see, that these Orders following may be duely obserued and put in execution, vpon paine of Our high displeasure, and such penalties as by the Lawes of this Our Realme may be inflicted vpon the Offenders, for their contempt or neg­lect of Vs and Our Lawes, whereof We shall shew Our Selfe most sensible.

And first, whereas We find, that the chiefest cause of these disorders hath growen from the Li­cences that haue been granted to Butchers to kill and vtter Flesh contrary to Law, and that by Our Lawes, no Maior, Iustice of Peace, or other person of what degree or quality soeuer, can grant any Licence in this kinde; And that the Lords, and others of Our Priuy Councell, doe by Our direction forbeare to grant the same, or giue way therevnto; Our will and pleasure is, vpon the penalties prouided by Law, and such further punishment to be inflicted vpon the offenders, as shall be thought meete, that no such Licence shall bee granted for the killing or vttering of Flesh; And, that no Butcher, or other person whatsoeuer, doe by colour thereof, kill, vtter, or put to sale any Flesh contrary to the Lawes established and prouided in that behalfe.

And for the auoiding of such inconueniences hereafter, Our will and pleasure is, that the Lord Maior of Our Citie of London, and euery other Officer and Iustice of Peace, shal call before them, and send for any of the seruants of any Inholders, Victuallers, Cooks, Alehousekeepers, Tauer­ners, and keepers of Ordinary tables, & such others that vtter Victuals, & to examine them vpon their corporall Oathes, what Flesh is, or hath been during the Lent season, or other dayes prohi­bited by the Law, dressed, killed, vttered, or eaten in their houses, which if they shall refuse to doe, then to commit to prison the said seruants so refusing vpon their Oathes to declare the trueth.

That the Lord Mayor of London shall also yeerely before Lent, or at the beginning thereof, cause all Iuholders, keepers of Ordinary tables, Cookes, Butchers, Victuallers, Alehouse kee­pers, and Tauerners within the sayd Citie and Liberties thereof, to appeare before him, or such persons as he shall appoynt meete for that purpose; And shall take Recognizances with suffici­ent Sureties of euery of them in good summes of money, (Viz.) One hundred pounds of the Prin­cipall, and their sureties thirty pounds apiece, to Our vse, that the Butchers shall kill no flesh, and that the other persons before mentioned, doe not dresse any Flesh in their houses in the Lent time, or other times prohibited, for any respect, nor suffer it to bee eaten contrary to Law. The like Recognizance with Sureties, shall be taken of like parties vpon like penalties, by such of the Iustices of Peace of Our Citie of Westminster, and the Liberties thereof, as Wee shall thereunto specially appoint, and euery of the sayd Recognizances to be certified into Our Exchequer.

And for the Butchers, and others that come with Victuall or Flesh out of the Countrey into the Citie, Our pleasure is, That the Lord Maior shall cause certaine persons to watch at the Gates and other like places in the Suburbs, where Flesh may be brought, to view & search, and to intercept the same: And if any of those Watchmen shall be found negligent and corrupt in his Charge, then he to be committed to prison during the whole Lent.

And to the end that Fishermen may imploy themselues to Sea with better encouragement then heretofore, and that the Fishmongers may furnish themselues with such store from time to time hereafter, as shall be expedient, aswell for the prouision of the Citie, as for selling the same at reasonable rates, We will that they take notice of this Our commandement & constant reso­lution for obseruance of Lent, & Fish dayes, both now and hereafter, as by Law is required.

And furthermore, as We thinke it fit, that euery man should be a rule of order and abstinence in his owne house, aswel in respect of the publique, as of his priuate ease and benefit: So We straitly charge & command all Inholders, keepers of Ordinary tables, Victuallers, Cookes, Alehouse­keepers, and Tauerners, not to make any Supper for any person or persons whatsoeuer, vpon Friday nights, either in Lent or out of Lent, nor to suffer any meate to be then dressed, vttered, sold, or eaten in their houses, vpon paine of such punishment, as is due to those that shall con­temne Our Royall pleasure and Commandement.

And forasmuch as vpon further consideration had of this generall inconuenience, which too much liberty hath occasioned, Wee conceiue, that the restraint of killing and dressing of Flesh is no sufficient remedie alone for these mischiefes, vnlesse there be better care also taken to suppresse the vnlawfull & inordinate eating of Flesh in the time of Lent, and on other dayes and times prohibited, wherewith our Subiects haue accustomed themselues, rather for delicacie then for necessity. It is therefore our Royall with and pleasure, and accordingly, We doe hereby strait­ly prohibit and forbid all Our Subiects, of what degree or quality soeuer within this Realme, to eate any manner of Flesh in the time of Lent, or on other dayes now vsually obserued as Fish dayes, without a special Licence first obtained from the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, in such manner and forme, as by the Act of Parliament made in the Fiue and twentieth yeere of King Henry the eight is ordained, or from the Bishop of the Diocesse, or such other, as by the Law made in the Fift yeere of the reigne of Queene Elizabeth is set downe and declared, and for such causes as are there expressed, haue power to giue Licences in that behalfe, and according to Our Lawes in that case prouided, (which We will and command shall be sparingly granted, and in cases of necessity onely. And that such Licences and Dispensations bee not suffered to passe the Seale of the Archbishop or Bishop, vntill the Rate or Taxe by the sayd Statute payable to Vs be duely answered to our Clerke of the Faculties, or to such person or persons as We vnder Our Priuie Seale shall appoynt) vpon paine of Our high displeasure, and to be proceeded against, ei­ther according to Our Ecclesiasticall or Temporall Lawes, or by Our Atturney Generall in Our Court of Starre-chamber, as contemners of Our Royall Commandement, and wilfull neglectors of the common vtility of the Kingdome; And vpon such further penalties, as by the Lawes and Statutes of Our Realme may bee inflicted on those that shall wilfully offend in this kinde.

And as these Orders are to be executed in Our Citie of London, and places neere to the same, so it is Our expresse pleasure & Commandement, That Our Iustices of Peace in all Shires with­in their Rule, and all Maiors, Bailifes and chiefe Officers in Townes Corporate, or in any Li­berties within their precincts, shall cause the same to be obserued & performed in like maner; and that no maner of Toleration, Fauour, or Conniuencie be vsed by any Iustice of Peace, or other Officer, contrary to the true meaning of this our Proclamation, as both they that shall presume wittingly so to tolerate the offence, as also the party himselfe offending, will answere the same at their vttermost perils; Our Commandement being, That Our Lawes in this case shall bee hereafter seuerely executed vpon all Offenders whatsoeuer:

Further charging and Commaunding the Lord Maior of Our City of London, the Iustices of Affise in their seuerall Circuits, the Maiors and chiefe Officers of all other Cities & Townes [Page]Corporate, Iustices of Peace, Lords of Liberties, and all other Officers and Ministers within the seuerall Circuits and places of this Our Realme, that they and euery of them in their owne persons, for example to others, fully obey this Our pleasure, and cause and compell the same to be obeyed and executed by others, as they will answere the contrary at their vttermost perils.

And for the due execution of the premisses in all other the Counties, Cities and Towns corpo­rate of this Our Realme, aswell as in Our Cities of London and Westminster, We do hereby strait­ly charge and command, and declare Our will and pleasure to be, that all Our Iustices of Peace within the same Counties, Cities and Townes corporate, aswell within Liberties as without, or such, or so many of them as Wee shall thereunto specially appoint, if for Our better seruice, now or hereafter Wee shall see cause to appoint any, doe yeerely, and euery yeere before Lent, cause to come and appeare before them all Inholders, Cookes, Tauerners, Alehouse-keepers, But­chers, and other Victuallers whatsoeuer, and to require and take of them to Our vse, seuerall Recognizances, with Sureties for obseruation of the premisses, (viz.) The Principals in tenne pounds, and their two Sureties in fiue pounds a piece: And if they shall refuse or neglect to enter into such Recognizances, then the Iustices of Peace of that Countie, Citie, Towne corporate, or Liberty, shall suppresse such persons so refusing, from victualling any more, and shall also cause them foorthwith to become bound by Recognizances with Sureties to Our vse, (viz.) The Prin­cipals in twenty pounds, and their two Sureties in tenne pounds a piece, not to victuall, or sell Beere or Ale from thenceforth; which if they shall refuse to doe, then the said Iustices to commit to prison all such persons so refusing to enter into such Recognizances, vntil they shal submit them­selues and become bound as aforesaid. And further, that all such Inholders, Cookes, Tauer­ners, Alehouse keepers, Butchers, and other Victuallers, as shall not appeare before the said Iu­stices, as aforesaid, That they may immediatly send foorth their Warrants, to grant Processe a­gainst them, and euery of them so making default, to appeare and answere their contempt, at the next generall Sessions of the Peace.

And further, for the more due punishment of Inholders, keepers of Ordinary tables, Cookes, Butchers, Victuallers, Alehouse-keepers, Tauerners, and such like, who shall forfeit their Re­cognizances by killing or dressing of Flesh, or suffering it to bee eaten in their houses in the Lent time, and other Fish-dayes; And to the end that the same may be as well taken in due forme of Law, as duely certified into Our Exchequer, We do will and require the Lord Maior of London, and all Iustices of Peace, aswell within Liberties as without, respectiuely, or such of them as We shall thereunto specially appoint, as aforesaid, That at such times as they shall meete within their seuerall Precincts or Diuisions, for the taking of such Recognizances, they giue notice to the Clerkes of the Peace, or their Deputies, or such other Clerkes or their deputies, as Wee shall thereunto specially appoint, if Wee shall appoint any, to attend them for that purpose; Of whom Wee will require a strict accompt for the legall taking and returning of the same Recognizances into Our said Exchequer; The said Clerkes of the Peace and their Deputies, or other Clerkes and their Deputies, so to be imployed by Our appointment, as aforesayd, taking for the making and certifying of the same Recognizances of all Inkeepers, Tauerners Cookes, and Butchers, the Fee of two shillings sixe pence; and of all Alehouse-keepers the Fee of twelue pence, as hath been heretofore limited to be taken by the Clerkes of the Peace of the seuerall Counties, in like ca­ses for euery such Recognizance, and no more.

And lastly, for that the Fishmougers (vpon the obseruation of the aforesaid Orders) may per­haps take occasion thereby to inhance the prices, aswell of Fresh, as of Sea Fish, We doe therefore hereby further charge and command all Fishmongers whatsoeuer, That they sell and vtter their Fish at moderate and vsuall rates and prices; And that all Iustices of Peace, Maiors, Bailiffes, and other Our Officers, aswell within Liberties as without, to whom it shall appertaine, shall from time to time take such order with the said Fishmongers, that Our Subiects bee not grieued by any such inhancement or increase of prices vpon paine of Our high displeasure, and such further punishment as may be inflicted vpon them by Our Lawes.

Giuen at Our Court at Whitehall, the fourth day of February, in the third yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland.

God saue the King.