Orders conceiued and set downe by the Lords of her Maiesties Priuie Councell, by her Highnesse speciall direction, to be put in execution for the restraint of killing and eating of flesh, aswell by the Lord Maior within the Citie of London, and the Officers of the liberties and exempt places in and about the same, as by the Lords lieutenants in the seuerall Counties of the Realme.
In the xxxij yeere of the Queenes Maiesties reigne.
FIrst, her Maiesties pleasure is, vpon her vnderstanding of the great disorder heeretofore & commonly committed in killing and eating flesh in the time of Lent, especially in the Citie of London, and the liberties thereto adioyning, that the statute made in the fift yeere of her Maiesties reigne for restraint thereof be put its due execution by way of inquisition, and charge of Iuries, and by any other good meanes.
And for the better information of the truth in this behalfe, and redresse of this inconuenience, the said Iurie shall call before them, and send for any of the seruants of any Inholders, Victuallers, Tauerners, and Keepers of ordinary tables, and such other that vtter victualles, to examine them vpon their corporall othes, what flesh hath beene dressed, hilled, vttered, or eaten in their houses during the said time of Lent: which if they shall refuse to doe, then they shall commit to prison the said seruants, so refusing vpon their othes to declare the truth.
And because a great part of this disorder groweth by the Butchers of the Citie and of the Countrey, that hill and bring flesh to the Citie: Her Maiesties pleasure likewise is, that there shall be onely sixe Butchers licended by the Lord Maior to kill flesh within the Citie and liberties thereof, without exacting any thing of them for their licences.
Also euery of these Butchers to be so licenced, shall bee first bound in the summe of one hundred pounds to her Maiesties vse, to sell no flesh in the time of Lent, but to such persons as shall shew them speciall warrant from the Lord Maior, vnder his hand, and that the Butchers doe truely keepe particular bookes of their dayly sales, and of the names of those to whom they shall so sell, with the quantities, and the times thereof.
That the Lord Maior giue order to these Butchers, not to sell any flesh but at reasonable prices, and for that purpose the prices shalbe set downe by the said L. Maior, such as may be reasonable both for the buyer & seller: and if the Butcher shall breake that order, then to be forthwith discharged, and committed to prison, and another put into his place.
That the Lord Maior himselfe shall grant no warrant for buying of flesh in Lent, but to such as shall haue and shew to him licence according to the lawes of the Realme to eate flesh, and the saide licence to bee viewed and registred, first by some two meete persons to be appointed for this purpose by the Lord Maior, and Bookes to be kept thereof, to be shewed further when the same shall bee required, vnlesse it be to Ambassadors and Agents of forrene Princes, to whom notwithstanding no further quantitie shall be allowed, then ratably for their owne traine.
That the L. Maior shall presently now before Lent cause all Inholders, Tablekeepers, Victuallers, Alehousekeepers, & Tauerners within the Citie, and liberties thereof, to appeare before him, or such persons as he shall appoint meete for that purpose: and shal take bondes of euery of them in good summes of money to her Maiesties vse, not to dresse any flesh in their houses this Lent time for any respect, except it be for some such person that lieth in their house, and that also hath licence through sickenesse, or other necessary cause to eate flesh. Bonds shalbe taken also of the Poulters, not to vtter any Poultry ware, but such as shalbe also licensed to eate flesh.
And for the Butchers & others that come with victuals out of the countrey to the city, the L. Maior shal cause certain persons whereof some to be named to the L. Maior by the Wardens of the Fishmongers, to watch at the gates & other like places in the suburbes, where flesh may be brought in, for the intercepting thereof. And in case the same shall be found to bee brought to any person not warranted nor licensed to eate as is aforesaid, then the same to bee forfeited and solde at the discretion of the L. Maior, for the vse of the poore in the Hospitals and prisons in the Citie, and the bringers to bee imprisoned. And this watch to be continued daily during the whole time of Lent: and if any of these watchmen bee found negligent and corrupt in his charge, then hee to be committed to prison, there to continue during the whole Lent.
And to the end the said Orders may be duely executed, it is thought conuenient that the L. Maior should send for the chief Heads of the Company of the Fishmongers, and shall cause them to make choise of foure wise and discreete persons of the saide Company, and men of good wealth and habilitie, to whom they shall commit the charge to make enquiry after such as shall be found transgressors of the said Orders: who in respect of their trauell bestowed in that behalfe, shal haue the mortie of such bonds as shall be forfeited by transgressing of the saide Orders, and the other moytie to be conuerted vnto godly uses, by the discretion of the Queenes Maiesties high Almner.
And that there may be due execution of the said Orders, as well without, as within the Liberties, it is thought conuenient, that they that haue the chiefe charge ouer the places priuiledged & exempt, where any Leets or Law dayes are kept, shall authorize vnder their hand and seale the said foure persons aboue mentioned, to make search within the saide priuiledged and exempt places for such as shall transgresse the said Orders, and shall for their trauell therein imployed, receiue the moytie of the Bonds forfeited, as is aboue mentioned. And for the auoyding of corruption and partialitie in the said persons, it shall be necessary that they take their oth, and giue bond in some good and large summes, to see, as much as in them lyeth, a due obseruation of the said Orders.
And for that it is to be doubted, that the said Fishmongers, vpon the obseruation of the sayd Orders, will take occasion thereby to enhaunse the prices, as wel of Fresh as of Sea fish: It is thought meete, that the L. Maior shal take order with the sayd Fishmongers, that as well the salt as fresh fish shall be vttered at reasonable prices.
Lastly, it is ordered that no Butcher shall kill any Beeues, but such as shall be specially licensed thereunto, for the furnishing of such ships as shalbe employed by sea, either in the way of traffique, or otherwise. And that such Butchers, as shall be licensed either within or without the liberties to kill any flesh, shall euery foureteene dayes at the least, giue a true certificate vnto the Lord Maior and head officers of the places exempt, of such numbers of Veales, Lambes, and Muttons, as shall be by them weekly killed: to the end, there may be a true certificate made euery fifteene dayes vnto the Lords and others of her Maiesties priuie Councell, what numbers of the seuerall kindes aboue mentioned shall be killed, either within the Citie, or the places exempt.