YOV shall bring,Orders to bee obserued by such as shal be appointed to serue the mar­kets with Corne, for the reliefe of the poore people first. or cause to bee brought weekely so many quarters or bushels of corne, as Wheate, Rye, Barley, Mault, Peazon, Beanes, or other Graine, or so much thereof as shall not be directly sold to the poore Artificers or day Labourers of the Parish within which you dwell, by order of the Iustices of the Peace of the Diuision within which you dwel, or two of them to the Market of [...] there to be by you, or at your assignement sold vnto the Queenes subiects in open Market by halfe Quarters, two Bu­shels, one Bushell or lesse, as the buyer shall require of you, and not in greater quantitie, except it be to a Bad­ger or Carrier of Corne admitted according to the sta­tute, or to a common knowen Brewer or Baker,To whom Corne shall be sold after that the poore are serued. ha­uing testimonie vnder the hand and seale of such two Iustices of the Peace at the least of the diuision, or of a Maior or other head Officer of the City, Town, or Bo­rough corporate where hee dwelleth, that hee is com­mon Brewer or Baker within the same: or to such o­ther person as shall make prouision for any Lord Spi­rituall or Temporal, Knight, or any other Gentleman that hath no sufficient prouision of Corne, so as the same person haue and shewe vnto such person as shall haue the ouersight of the Market in that behalfe, testi­monie vnder the hand and seale of the partie for whom hee commeth to the Market to make that prouision, declaring that it is for the prouision of his house, and contayning the quantities and kinde of Graine to bee prouided: And you shal not willingly leaue any part of your Corne so brought to that Market vnsolde, if mo­ney [Page 6] bee offered to you for the same, by any that are per­mitted to buy the same, after the vsual price of the mar­ket there that day, as long as the Market shal last.

No Corne brought to the Market vn­folde to be ca­ried out of the towne.Neither shall you from the beginning of the Mar­ket, to the full ende thereof, keepe or cause to be kept a­ny of your said Corne out of the open sight of the Mar­ket: neither shall you carry away from the Market Towne any kind of Graine that was brought thither which you haue not there sold, but shall leaue the same there in the Market Towne in some place knowen, so as it may be brought into the open Market the next Market day at the first opening of the Market, there to be sold as afore was limitted. And yet neuerthelesse, you shall bring to the Market such other quantitie of Graine as shall bee limitted, and so continue at euery Market day the bringing into the open Market, the quantitie of Corne that shall be limitted.

None to buy such kinde of Corne as they shall bring to sell, but by warrant vpon reasonable cause.Also you shall not buy any maner of such Graine as the said Iustices shall appoint you to sell, from this day forwards, but vpon very especiall and necessarie cause to be allowed by them, vntill such time as all and eue­ry such maner Graines as the sayde Iustices at this time shall appoint you to sell, be according to that ap­pointment and order by you sold. And if you shall not sowe so much this yeere as hath bene presented that ye intend to sowe, or if you now haue, or shal haue know­ledge, or shal gesse hereafter at any time, either by thre­shing of the Mow or Shocks or otherwise, that yee haue more store of any manner of Graine, then hath bene presented: that then ye shal forth with vpon such knowledge thereof had, make true relation thereof vnto the said Iustices, or vnto two of them, both what portion of your seed Corne shalbe left vnsowen, or what further quantity you shal perceiue you haue, then was at the first presented.

That so soone as you perceiue you spend not after [Page 7] the rate of so much Corne as is limitted vnto you for the finding of your house, ye shall make true report vn­to the Iustices or two of thē, how much lesse ye spend.

Yee shall buy no Corne to sell it againe,No corne to be bought for to sell againe. neither shall you by any colour directly or indirectly, appoint any your seruants, or any other person to bee a Badger of your Corne, other then to cary your Corne to the Mar­ket there to be sold as your owne, without changing of any propertie.

Ye shal neither buy nor sel any maner of Corne,No corne to be bought but in open Market. but in the open Market, vnlesse the same be to some poore handicraftes men, or day labourers within the Parish wherein you do dwel, that cannot conueniently come to the market Townes, by reason of distance of place, according to such direction as shalbe giuen vnto you in that behalfe by the Iustices of the Peace of that Diui­sion, within which you doe dwell, or two of them, and to none of these aboue one bushel at a time, and thereof you shall keepe or cause to bee kept a particular note in writing, to whom you shall so sell weekly, and at what prices, so as the same may appeare to the Iustices to be done without fraud or abuse.

That the Iustices of the Peace within their seueral Diuisions haue speciall regard y^t Ingrossers of Corne be carefully seene vnto,Inquirie to be made against Engrossers. and inquisitions to be made for knowledge of them, & that thereupon they may be se­uerely proceeded with & punished according to the law: and to see that none be permitted to buy any Corne to sell againe, but by speciall licence.

That they take order with the common Bakers for the baking of Rie, Barley, Pease,Regard to the Bakers for keeping of the sise of bread. and Beanes accor­ding to the maner of the countrey for the vse of the poore and that they appoint speciall and fit persons di­ligently to see the people well dealt withall by the com­mon Bakers and Brewers in all Townes and pla­ces in their Weights and Assizes, hauing also regard, [Page 8] that the Deputies of the Clerke of the Market do not abuse themselues in vnlawfull exactions for Weight and Measure, and effectually to inquire for and search out the default therein, and therupon to giue order for punishment of the offendor seuerely, according to the Law:Bread faultie in any excesse to be solde to­wards the re­liefe of the poore. and where any notable excessiue offence shall be in the Bakers, to cause the bread to bee sold by them to the poorer sort vnder the ordinary prices, as in part of punishment of the Baker.

No Badger to buy Corne but in open Market, and with sufficient licence in wri­ting.That no Badgers of corne, Bakers or Brewers buy any Graine, or commune or bargaine for the same, but in the time of open Markets, and that but by Li­cence vnder the handes of the Iustices of the Diuision where they doe dwell, or three of them, and that they weekely bring their Licence with them to the Market where they do either buy or sell, or els not to be suffered to buy any: And that the Licence containe how much Graine, of what kind, & for what place they are licen­ced to buy and cary, that there bee set downe vpon the Licence in writing, the day, place, quantitie, and price at which the Corne is bought, that they take but mea­surably for the cariage, baking, and brewing thereof, that they shew their bookes weekely to such as the Iu­stices of the Diuision wherein they dwel,The Bad­gers to shew weekely their bookes of buying. shall appoint for that purpose being no Bakers or Badgers of Corn, and that those within euery xiiii. dayes make report to the Iustices of the Diuision wherein they dwell, how the people are dealt withall by the Badgers, Bakers, and Brewers, and that such as haue sufficient to liue on, or that are knowen to be of any common euil beha­uiour, be not permitted to bee Badgers of Corne, of which sort commonly the report is that there are too many,No Iustices seruant to be a Badger, nor none other, but such as shalbe licensed in open Sessi­ons. and therefore the same would bee remedied and foreseene: Also that no Badgers be permitted but such as the Statute doeth limite, and that no seruant of a­ny bee licenced to be a Badger, except sixe of the Iusti­ces [Page 9] at the least shall in open Sessions for some necessa­ry cause allow any such, and that none at all be allow­ed a Badger, except he be allowed in open sessions, and not to bee, as it is in many places, abused for gaine of the Clerke of the Peace, or a Iustices Clerke graunted without allowance of the rest of the Iustices in their open Sessions. And furthermore,No Badger, Baker, Brew­er, or Puruey­our to buy Graine, vntill two houres af­ter the full Market begin. that none bee per­mitted to buy or prouide Corne in y^e Market in grosse, as a Badger or Baker, Brewer, or Purueyour & such like, vpon paine of imprisonment, vntill two houres after the full Market be begunne, that the poore may be first serued.

That the said Iustices, or two,Some Iusti­ces to be pre­sent in the Market, to see the poore re­lieued vpon reasonable prices. or one of them at the least in euery Diuision, shall bee personally present at euery market within their seueral Diuisions, during the whole time of the Market, to see the orders to bee taken by the authoritie hereof to be well obserued, and the poore people prouided of necessary Corne, and that with as much fauour in the prices, as by the earnest perswasion of the Iustices can be obtained. By this it is not meant to charge any Lorde of Parliament be­ing a Iustice of Peace, to attende vpon any such ser­uice in any Market, otherwise then it shall bee with his owne good will: but in all other causes tending to the execution of these orders, it is hoped that euery person of any estate, will readily giue aduise and as­sistance.

If there shall be any Hundred, Rape,Where Iusti­ces are wan­ting in any Hundred, for to appoint some rich per­sons to supply the want. or Wapentake within the sayd Countie, within the which or neere thereunto no sufficient number of the sayd Iustices of the Peace doe dwell or inhabit, the sayde Shirife and foure Iustices of the Peace of that Countie, shall in that case appoynt some other honest Gentleman, or the high Constables vnder Constables, or such other, graue, honest, and substantiall persons, not being Corne masters, dwelling within the saide Hundred, [Page 10] Rape or Wapentake, as they shall by their discretions thinke conuenient, to haue the charge, in the executi­on of these orders there: whome they shal also instruct how to execute the same diligently and vprightly.

That all good meanes and perswasions be vsed by the Iustices in their seuerall diuisions,That mini­sters and prea­chers exhort the richer sort to be liberall to helpe the poore with money or victuall need­full. and by admo­nitions & exhortations in Sermons in the Churches, by the Preachers and Ministers of the Worde, that the poore may bee serued of Corne at conuenient and charitable prices. And to the furtherance thereof, that the richer sort be earnestly mooued by Christian cha­ritie, to cause their Graine to bee solde vnder the com­mon prices of the Market to the poorer sort: A deed of mercy, that will doubtlesse bee rewarded of Almigh­tie God.

That there bee no buying or bargeining of any kinde of Corne but in open Market, but onely to poore Artificers and day Labourers as aforesaide, and that the Iustices in their seueral Diuisions, do in con­uenient sort restraine common Maulsters of making Barlie Mault,To make Mault of otes in countreys where there hath bene vse thereof. in those countreyes and places where there be Oates sufficient to make Mault of for the vse of the people, and to restraine as well the brewing of Barley Mault, by or for Alehouses or common Tip­lers in those Countreis and places, as also the excesse vse of any kinde of Mault, by all common Brewers, Maulsters, and common Tiplers, according to the true meaning of this Article: And that the ouera­boundant conuerting of Barlie into Mault, more then may serue for necessary vse be restreined.

And where it is informed that sundry Maulsters and others haue already engrossed & taken into their hands great quantities of Barlie, either to be conuer­ted into Mault or otherwise to make their profite of it by auauncing the prises thereof: It is therefore orde­red that the Iustices of Peace in their seuerall Diuisi­ons, [Page 11] shall vse all the care and diligence they may to finde out such Ingrossers, and to examine them exact­ly how much of such kinde of Corne they haue already in their handes or haue compounded for, and at what price, and where it is. And thereupon the said Iusti­ces of the Peace to take order that so much thereof in Barley as shall bee thought fit in the discretion of the same Iustices, be brought to such of the next Markets thereunto, as the same Iustices shall assigne there to be sold to the poore people of the Towne and the Coun­trey adioyning, by the sacke or Coombe or lesser quan­titie, and by no greater quantitie to any one person at such reasonable price, and with such reasonable gaine as the same Iustices shall thinke fit. And such as shal­be found obstinate to obey this order, to be bound with good suerties to answere the matter before the Lords of her Maiesties Priuie Counsel at some day to be pre­fixed by the same Iustices. And the great number of Maulsters to be reduced to fewer persons, and such as haue other trades to liue by, not to be permitted to vse Maulting.

That the Iustices vse all other good meanes possi­ble that are not mentioned in these orders,No waste of bread Corne superfluously, nor any ex­pense thereof but for feeding of people. that the Markets may bee well serued, and the poore relieued in their prouisions during this time of dearth. And that no expense of any Graine meete for bread to feede men, be wasted vpon feeding of dogges or other beasts, neither that any bee spent in making stuffe called Starche,None suffe­red to make Starch of any Graine. as of late there hath bene discouered great quantity expended in that vaine matter, being in no sort to be suffered to continue, the rather also for that there are other things not hurtfull to the food of man, that may serue for such purposes, if such purposes at least were requisite.

That the Iustices be straightly commaunded to see by all good means,Able poore people to be set to worke. that the able people be set on worke [Page 12] in houses of Correction prouided and furnished, and there idle vagabounds to be punished.

Stocks of mo­ney for prouisi­on of workes for poore peo­ple.That the Iustices doe their best to haue conuenient stockes of money or wares, to be prouided in euery Di­uision, or other places according to the Statute, for setting the poore on worke, and the Iustices to vse all other good and politique meanes within their seueral Diuisions, to continue and maintaine the poore peo­ple in worke within the parish, or at the furthest with­in the Hundred, or Diuision, and namely in clothing Countreyes to charge the Clothiers,Clothiers to continue their worke-folkes. that haue in for­mer times gayned by that trade, not now in this time of dearth to leaue off his trade, whereby the poore may be set on worke.

Souldiers hurt, and im­potent people, to be relieued in their dwel­ling places.That the maimed and hurt Souldiour, and all o­ther impotent persons, be carefully seene vnto to be re­lieued within their seuerall Parishes, Hundreds or Diuisions, according to the Lawe therein prouided: and that where the prouisions formerly made, & asses­sed vpon the housholders in euery Parish be not suffi­cient, it may be now for this time of dearth charitably encreased. And where any Parish is not able to giue sufficient reliefe to such their poore, that parish to haue the supply of such other parishes neere adioyning, as haue fewer poore, and are better able to giue reliefe. And no vagabonde or sturdie begger, or any that may otherwise get their liuing by their labours, bee suffered to wander abroad vnder colour of begging in any Towne, fielde or high way, and that the Iustices doe presently giue order that there be able persons ap­pointed, and sufficiently weaponed, to assist the Con­stables of euery Towne to attache such vagabondes, both in their Townes, Fieldes and high wayes, and to commit them to prison without bayle of any such, but as two of the Iustices of the Peace within that Diuision shall order. And if any Towneship shall not [Page 13] obserue this order, for the attaching & punishing of the said vagabondes, then the Iustices shall set due pu­nishment by fine vpon the whole Towneship, or vpon such parties in the Towne, as shall bee founde in fault.

Where in some partes of the Realme,That no Mil­lers be suffered to be common buyers of Corne, nor to sell meale, but to attend to the true grin­ding of the corne brought, and to vse measurable tolle these deare seasons. diuers Mil­lers, who ought onely to serue for grinding of Corne that shall be brought to their milles, haue begun late­ly a very corrupt trade, to be common byers of Corne, both in markets, and out of markets, and the same do grinde into meale, and doe vse as Badgers, or other­wise to sell the same at markets and in other places, seeking thereby an inordinate gaine, besides the misu­sing of other mens Corne brought thither to be groūd, by delay of grinding, or that worse is, by changing and altering of their good Corne to y^e worse: It is thought very necessary, that the Iustices of the Peace who are not owners by any title of any Milles, nor masters or landlords to any Millers, shal first inhibite al Millers vpon paine both of imprisonment and fine, to vse any such trade of buying of any graine to be solde either in Corne or meale, but to charge them to continue the or­derly vse of grinding of all maner of Corne that shalbe brought to them, in reasonable good sort, and vpon reasonable Tolle. And for better performance hereof some of the Iustices not affectionated to the Millers, shall sometime personally themselues resort to the mills to ouersee the doings of the said Millers, & com­pell them to doe their dueties. And where none of the Iustices can as need shalbe, weekely looke thereto per­sonally, they shall appoint certaine honest persons weekely to attend thereto, and to enforme themselues of the poorer sort, howe they are vsed in this time of dearth, for their grinding and their Toll, and present the defaults to the Iustices, to bee speedily reformed with all due seueritie.

Conferences to be had be­twixt the Iu­stices of peace in the Shires, and the princi­pall officers of Cities and townes cor­porate for pro­uisions of Graine, for the inhabitants in Cities and corporate Townes.Item, where there are within the circuite of any Shire, or thereto adioyning any Cities that are incor­porated as Townes within them selues, or any other Townes incorporat, that haue by good authoritie Iu­stices of Peace of their owne inhabitants, for that com­monly such Cities and Townes haue their greatest number of housholders that are no owners of graine, but haue common Bakers, and Brewers, that must of necessitie buy and prouide their Corne or Meale at the Markets neere thereto, to serue all other the inhabi­tants and resiants within the said Cities & Townes: For the prouision of all such Cities and Townes, it shall be necessary that the Iustices of the Peace of the Shires next to the same Cities and Townes shal haue a meeting and conference with the head Officers of the sayd Cities and Townes, howe and in what good manner the Bakers and Brewers, and other house­holders that shall also haue neede to prouide Corne or Meale for the necessarie vse of the priuate housholdes, may bee prouided at the Markets neere to the same. And after due conference had hereof, there shall bee by the Iustices of Peace, and the foresaid head Officers some good orders set downe, such as both may serue for the needefull vse of the same Townes and Cities, and also may not by abuse giue cause of raising of prices in the Markets and Countries adioyning. And where there shall be adioyning to the same Cities & Townes, or not farre distant, diuers Shires (as in many places such is the situation of them) there some of the Iusti­ces of euery Shire so adioyning, or not farre distant, shall vse such conference and take such orders with the saide Officers, as afore is mentioned. And in such ca­ses the Iustices of euery such Shire shall be enformed mutually from the one Shire vnto the other, of the needefull prouisions to be made from time to time for the said Cities and Townes, so as euery Shire may [Page 15] proportionably yeelde reasonable succour and reliefe out of their Markets to the Purueyors, or to the Ba­kers, and Brewers as shall be requisite without bur­thening of the one, more then the other may reasona­bly beare. And if neede shall require, the aforesaid prin­cipall Officers shall not refuse to acquaint the Iusti­ces, from whence the prouision shall bee bought and prouided, howe such prouisions so had and bought in Markets are spent, that by colour of such prouisions no abuse be committed to encrease the prices, and so to leaue the poore vnable to be relieued.

If there bee any speciall part within any Shire,Order for pla­ces exempt [...]d from the Iu­risdiction of the Iustices of peace in the bodies of the Shires. that hath as a libertie by speciall Commissions any Iustices of the Peace within the same, the Shirife of the Shire shall send vnto the principall owner or Offi­cer of such Libertie, notice of these orders, and shall charge them that the Iustices of the Peace within such Libertie doe their dueties for execution of al these orders, as farre foorth as shall be requisite, and therein also to vse by conference the aduise of some other Iu­stices next adioyning.

That no transportation of Corne or Victual be,Regard to stay all transporta­tion of Graine out of the Realme. but from porte to porte within this Realme, and that but in cases needfull, as for the prouisions of London, ship­ping, or such like. And that be done by the view and o­uerseeing of her Maiesties officers of y^e Custome house of the porte where the same shalbe laden, or of the most part of them, & of the chiefe magistrates of the town in which that port is, & also of some of the Commissioners of the county in which that port is, & for that purpose assigned. And y^t in such case good bonds with sufficient sureties be taken to her Maiesties vse for the deliuerie therof at the port to which y^e same shalbe assigned. And for bringing backe in conuenient time not only a true Certificate of the vnlading thereof at the same porte so assigned from her Maiesties officers of the Custome [Page 16] house of that porte to the Customer of the porte where the same was laden: But also one other Certificate from the chiefe magistrate of the Towne of that porte where the same shalbe assigned to be vnladen: And frō some of the Commissioners of the Countie in which that Towne is, for the purpose assigned vnto the Com­missioners and chiefe magistrate of that porte where the same was laden, of the due and iust vnlading thereof at the porte assigned. And transcripts of those Certificates to bee made & certified into the Eschequer in the beginning of euery Terme.

And if the Commissioners for that purpose assigned, shall not doe their best endeuours to make stay of the transporting of Corne, as by authoritie of their com­mission they ought to doe, then any other Iustice by authority of these orders shal make stay of al such trans­portation, and in his so doing, shall be allowed & main­tained. And this is thought meete to be in this sort di­rected, for that it may be doubted, that amongest so many as are appointed in the foresaid Commission a­gainst transportation, some may be mistaken, being themselues either transporters, or friendes or fauou­rers to transporters, or negligent in the execution of the charge committed to them.

Certificate to be made of the Execution of these Orders monethly to the Sheriffe, and he to certi­fie the same to the priuie Councel with­in euery fourty dayes.That the Iustices of the Peace doe once euery mo­neth certifie their doings and proceedings by force of these instructions vnto the Sheriffe of the sayd Coun­tie, in which certificate they shall also make certificate of such Iustices as shal be absent from any of these ser­uices, and the true cause of their absence, and shall also certifie the vsuall prices of all kindes of Graine in their markets for that moneth past: Of all which the same Sherife shall certifie to the Priuie counsell with­out any delay, so as he doe certifie once in euery fourtie dayes at the furthest, and so as also the default in any Iustice that shall be absent without necessary cause, [Page 17] may be duely considered, and reformed by authoritie of her Maiesties Counsell, as reason shall require: whereby such persons as are placed as Iustices, may not continue in those roomes wherein they shall be founde not disposed to attende such necessary and godly seruices as this is, but that others of better disposition may supply those roomes, if there shall be neede of any such number.

Speciall Inquirie bee made of those that are great hoorders vp of Corne, and bring litle quantitie to the Market, to the ende from such persons prouision may bee made for her Maiesties shipping, & other publique seruices, as need shall require.

And if any shall offend against the true meaning of these instructions, or of any part thereof, or shall vse a­ny sinister meane to the defrauding thereof, that such be seuerely punished according to the Lawes: and for such obstinate persons as shall not conforme them­selues, the Iustices shall at their discretion bind them to appeare before the Queenes Maiesties priuy Coun­sell by a day certaine, there to be further dealt with by seuere punishment, for the better ensample of all others.