WHereas the Trade of Silke within this Realme, by the importation thereof raw from foreigne parts, and Throw­ing, Dying, and working the same into Manufactures here at home, is much increased within a few yeeres now past, and the same is likely to be much more enlarged, to the enriching of this Kingdome, and the setting of many thousand poore people on worke, vnlesse the deceitfull handling thereof, doe bring the same into discredit, and destroy the reputation thereof, and thereby de­priue the Land of so hopefull a Trade, when it hath neere attained to the perfection thereof.

And whereas it hath beene lately discouered in Our Court of Starre-Chamber, that a notable abuse hath crept in by the Fraud and Couetize of some ill disposed persons, (some of which haue already been deseruedly punished by the iust Sentence of that Court, and the rest of the offenders shall surely be prosecuted for an example to all others) by adding to the weight of Silke in their Dye beyond a iust proportion, by false and deceitfull mixture of the ingredi­ents vsed in the Dying, whereby, besides the vniust encrease of the weights, the Silke is weakened and corrupted, and the colour made worse, to the great abuse of Vs and Our Subiects, and to the apparant ouerthrow of the whole Trade, if the same bee not speedi­ly preuented.

Wee taking this into Our Princely consideration, and esteeming it a worke worthy of Our Royall care, haue thought it fit by this Our publique Proclamation, vtterly to forbid the [Page] [Page] vse of all such deceit and falsitie in Dying of Silkes, and for the present to prescribe some probable Rules to bee obserued, for the preuenting of the like abuses hereafter, vntill vpon serious and mature deliberation, Wee, by the aduice of Our Counsell, shall bee able to make a more absolute reformation.

In the first place therefore Wee doe straitly charge and command, That no Silke-Dyer doe at any time hereafter vse any Slipp, Alder-barke, filings of Iron, or other corrupt or de­ceitfull matter in dying of Silkes, either blacke, or into Colours, whereby the weight of the Silke shall or may be increased, vpon paine of Our high displeasure, & of such further paines and punishments, as by Our Lawes, or by the Sentence of Our Court of Starre-chamber, or by Our Prerogatiue Royall, can or may be inflicted vpon the offendors; And if any Silke-man, Silke-weauer, or other person vsing the Trade of buying or selling of Silke, either in grosse, or by retaile, either by the skaine, or other weight, or which shall conuert the same into Lace, Ribben, Buttons, Points, or other Manufactures, or shall vse the Trade of buying or selling the same so conuerted, shall bee priuie and consenting to such deceipt in Dy­ing, or knowing the same to bee so falsely Dyed, shall buy, receiue, or put the same to sale, or vtter the same to any other, Euery such offendor shall incurre the like punishment as the Silke-Dyer himselfe should vndergoe by the intention of this Our Proclamation.

And to the end that all good meanes may bee vsed, which may further this reformation intended, Wee further straitly charge and command, That no Silke shall be dyed of any other Blacke, but of that colour and dye called or knowne by the name of Spanish blacke, and not of that Dye which is called or knowne by the name of London blacke, or light weight.

That no Silke-Dyer doe dye any Silke before the Gumme bee fayre boyled off from the Silke being raw, so that the pound of Raw silke, which before the Gumme boyled off was sixteene ounces, be reduced to twelue ounces, or thereabouts, when the Gumme is boyled off.

That no silke weighing a pound before it be put to dying, & after dyed into Spanish blacke, doe exceede sixteene ounces after it is dyed; And that the pound weight of Silke of Italy dyed into blacke, doe not exceed fifteene ounces when it is dyed, with halfe an ounce at the most for remedie.

That no pound weight of Silke which shall be dyed into these sadd Colours following, (viz.) Liuer-colour, Deroy, Tawny, Purple, French greene, Gingerline, Deere colour, Orange colour, or light Russet, shall exceede thirteene ounces when it is dyed, and halfe an ounce at the most for remedie.

That no pound weight of Silke which shall bee dyed into other colours, which are called Light colours, exceed twelue ounces when it is dyed, and halfe an ounce at the most for reme­die; And that no Galles be vsed in the dying of those light colours.

That no pound weight of Silke which shall be dyed into Graine colours, doe exceed thir­teene ounces when it is dyed, and halfe an ounce at the most for remedy.

That no pound weight of Silke which shall be vsed, as white, or light Yellow, for Siluer and Gold threed, shall exceede twelue ounces, without any addition for remedy.

That the Throwster doe not adde any Gumme, Sirrops, or other deceitfull stuffe to en­crease the weight before it goe to the Dyer.

That no Broker sell any dyed Silkes, vnlesse the owner himselfe appeare in person, and owne the same, that he may bee answerable for the abuse in dying, if there fall out to be any.

[Page] That all Stuffes made of Silke, be marked with the proper Marke of the Weauer there­of; And that no person buying Silke, doe Dye his owne Silke.

And Wee straitly charge and command, That the Lord Maior of London, within the Ci­tie and Liberties thereof, The Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Company of Dyers of London, (as farre as by their Charters they are enabled) and all other Maiors, Sheriffes, Iustices of Peace, Bailiffes, and other head Officers within their seuerall Iurisdictions in all parts of this Kingdome of England, and Realme of Ireland, doe vse all diligence to search, finde out, and preuent all the abuses in false or deceitfull Dying of Silke, according to the power they already haue to that purpose, and according to the direction of these Presents; And such abuses beeing found, that they discouer the same to the Lords of Our Priuie Coun­sell, or to Our Attourney generall for the time being, to the end that the offendors may be punished for the same.

And because it were in vaine to command the true and honest Dying of Silke within this Realme, and suffer silke falsly Dyed beyond the Seas to be imported, Wee doe straitly charge and command, That no man bee so hardy as to bring into these Our Realmes of England or Ireland, or any Port, Hauen, Creeke, or place thereof, any Silke deceitfully Dyed with increase of weight, vpon paine of forfeiture thereof, and of such further punishment as may by Law be inflicted vpon them.

And lastly, because there is at this present much Silke in the hands of many persons, which hath been falsly Dyed as aforesaid, Wee doe straitly charge and command, that all such Silke bee transported out of these Kingdomes before the first day of December now next comming▪ And if after that day any such false or deceitfull Dyed Silke, either already so Dyed, or hereaf­ter to be so died, shall be found in the hands of any person whatsoeuer, besides the punishments aforesaid, the Silke it selfe shall bee burnt, and vtterly destroyed wheresoeuer the same shal [...] be found.

Giuen at Our Court at Farnham, the ninth day of August, in the sixth yeere o [...] Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland.

❧ God saue the King. ❧