THe Kings most Excellent MAJESTIE having taken into consi­deration the manifold abuses, in the mixtures, and falsifying of Wines, by Coopers and others, who of late yeers have assumed the Trade of buying and selling of Wines in grosse, and by retail, being the proper Trades of Merchants, & Vintners of the Realm, to the deceipt and dammage of His Subjects; and being minded to provide for reformati­on therein, by reducing the Trade and dealing for Wines to the Mer­chants and Vintners of the Kingdome according to ancient custome and right, who the eleventh day of Iune last have thereupon assented and agreed to answer His Majestie forty shillings upon every Tunne of Wines, which they shall import or sell in grosse, or by retail:

His Majestie therefore intending the regulation of the said Trade of Wines, and the preven­tion of such mixtures and other frauds and abuses therein; Is pleased (with the advice of His Privy Counsell) to declare His Royall pleasure therein, and doth therefore hereby straitly charge and command, that no person whatsoever, now using, or which hereafter shall use the Trade of a Cooper, shall by himself, servants, or any other for him, or to his use, from henceforth use the Trade of buying or selling of any sort of Wines whatsoever within the Realm of England, Dominion of Wales, and Port and Town of Barwick, upon pain of His Majesties high dis­pleasure, and such penalties and punishments as shall be thought meet to be inflicted upon the Offenders, for their contempt of His Majesties Royall Commandment herein.

And to the end that hereafter none but good and wholsome Wines may be uttered and sold [Page]within the Realm, His Majesties pleasure is, that any two or more of the sworn Searchers of the Company of Vintners of London, or any other persons by them authorised under their common Seal, may enter into the Houses, Vaults, Cellers, or other places of or belonging to any Merchants, Vintners, or other Retailers of Wines within the said Realm, and there taste and try any Wines, which they shall suspect to be falsified or unwholsome, and may carry a­way such small quantities of the said suspected Wines, as may serve for the triall thereof.

And whereas aswell the Merchants of London trading to Spain, as the Governour and Company of Merchants of London trading to France, and the Company of Vintners of London have severally assented and agreed to answer his Majesty fourty shillings per Tunne, for all such Wines of what sort soever, as they shall import and sell in grosse or by retail; His Maje­stie therefore willeth and commandeth all His Customers and other Officers in the Port of London, and the Members thereof, that no Entries be made, or Wines landed, before a Bill of Entrie be signed by such as His Majesty hath or shall appoint to receive the said duety; And that no Merchants, Mariners, or other persons His Majesties naturall born Subjects, Denizens or Strangers, that shall hereafter sell any Wines in grosse to Vintners or others, shall deli­ver any such Wines so sold, before notice thereof be given to His Majesties Officer in the said Port appointed to receive the said dutie, and his Certificate of satisfaction for the same. And for such Wines as any Merchants or other Importers shall fail to give such notice of, His Maje­sties will and pleasure is, That in such case the Merchants or Importers themselves shall an­swer and pay the said fourty shillings per Tunne, and so proportionably for every lesser quan­tity, at such time as His Majesties Receiver, who is or shall be appointed in that behalf, shall require the same, whom His Majesty doth authorize to demand and receive the said duety, and to take an accompt of the said Merchants or Importers of Wines, to whom they dispo­sed of the same.

And his Majesties further will and pleasure is, that all Vintners and Retailers of Wines within the City of London, and within three miles thereof, for all such Wines as they, since the eleventh day of June last, have sold, or shall sell in Grosse, or by Retail, shall answer for his Ma­jesties use, to such as are or shall be appointed therunto, the said forty shillings per Tun, & so pro­portionably for every lesser quantity: And for the due payment thereof, his Majesty doth autho­rize such persons as he hath or shall under his great Seal of England, assign to receive the said duty, and their Deputies to make search in all Houses, Vaults, Cellers, and other places where any Wines imported, bought or sold, shall be, or shall be suspected to be, which ought to pay the said duty. And whereas divers Vintners of London, and Westminster, and other Retailers of Wines in the Realme of England and Dominion of Wales, have used of late to utter their Wines in Bottles, and other unsized and unlawfull measures, and at excessive rates; His Majesties will and Pleasure is, that from henceforth no sort of Wines shall be sold in any house or other place whatsoever, in Bottles, or other unsized or unlawfull measures, but only by the due and lawfull measure appointed for Wines, and at no greater rates then are or shall be hereafter allowed and set for the prizes of Wines yeerly, according to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm. And for the more equall ballancing and regulating the said Trade of Wines thorowout the whole Kingdome, and the prevention of all frauds and abuses therein, either in quality or quantity, his Majesty doth expect that all Merchants, and other Retailers of Wines in all other his [Page]Majesties Ports, Cities, Boroughs, Towns, and places whatsoever within the Realm of England, Dominion of Wales, Port and Town of Barwick, do and shall conform themselves in all things to the order, rule and government of the Merchants and Vintners of London. And his Majestie doth further declare his pleasure to be, That no wines which shall be sold in grosse in London, or within three miles thereof, shall hereafter be drawn or taken out of any Cellers, Vaults, Warehouses, or other places, by any Porters, Carmen, Coopers, or any others, then by the Porters & persons therunto authorized by the said Company of the Vintners of London, upon pain of his Majesties high displeasure, and of such penalties as may be inflicted upon them. And whereas his Majesty is informed, that for want of due regulation of Trade amongst Merchants and others, trading to Spain, and the Dominions thereof, the prizes of the Wines and fruits there are much enhaunced, and his Majesties Subjects, and their Ships, and Goods are oftentimes taken by Pyrats, and exposed to many dangers, through want of Consortship at Sea, his Majesty intending reformation therein, hath invested the Merchants of London trading to Spain, & the Dominions therof, with power to select yeerly nine Merchants amongst them, for the well ordering and government of their Trade both at home & in forrain parts, and for the appointing of Ships from time to time. Wherefore his Majestie doth hereby declare His Royall will and pleasure to be, and doth straitly charge and command, that all his Subjects, Merchants of London trading to Spain, and the Dominions thereof, do from hence­forth conform themselves to all such reasonable and lawfull orders, as by the said nine selected Merchants, or the greater part of them, shall from time to time be made, for the advancing of Trade into those parts, with better regulation and safety: And this, as well under the penal­ties thereby to be provided, as of his Majesties displeasure, and such punishments as shall be meet for their contempts. And whereas his Majestie hath lately granted to the Company of Vintners of London, the disposing and contracting for all Wine Licences, within the Kingdome of England, and Dominion of Wales, and Town of Barwick; and being informed that divers Vintners and Retaylers of Wines are in Arrear, both in the payment of their fines and rents due to his Majestie, whereby their Licences are become void; His Majesties will and pleasure is, That if such as be in Arrear shall not pay their severall Arrearages before the first day of November next, then it shall be lawfull for the said Company of Vintners to dispose of their Li­cences to whom they shall think fit. And his Majestie doth further require, authorize and com­mand, as well all Iustices of Peace, Mayors, Sheriffs, Bayliffs, Constables, Headboroughs, and other his Officers and Ministers, as all his Customers, Controllers, Farmers of his Cu­stomes, Surveyors, Searchers, Waiters, and other the Officers of all and every his Ports, and the members thereof, that they, and every of them, in their severall Offices and Places respectively, take care that his Majesties royall will and pleasure herein declared be from time to time duly observed, upon pain of his Majesties high displeasure, and the penalties to ensue therupon.

Given at the Court at Greenwich, the 15 day of July, in the fourteenth year of his Majesties Reign.

¶ God save the King.