WHereas vpon discouery of some notable abuses in the false dying of Silke , which had crept in vpon the Trade , by the fraud and couetize of some ill disposed persons ; whereby besides the iniust increase of the weights , the Silke was 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 should not haue beene preuented : Wee taking into Our Princely consideration the many benefits that doe redound to Our louing subiects , by the importation of raw Silke from forraigne parts , and working the same into Manufactures heere at home , whereby multitudes of Our poore people are dayly set on worke and maintained , though to Our owne losse ; did heretofore by Our publique Proclamation giuen at Our Court at Farnham , the ninth day of August in the sixth yeere of Our reigne , vtterly forbid the vse of all such deceit , and falsitie in the dying of Silkes , and for the present did thereby prescribe some rules to be obserued , for the preuenting of the like abuses thereafter , vntill vpon serious and mature deliberation by the aduice of Our Councell , Wee should bee able to make a more absolute reformation .

And whereas , Wee finding by experience vpon other Trades , that this so great and good a worke was not throughly and perfectly to bee done and performed by any other way , then by a Corporation to consist of those persons and members thereof , who hauing knowledge in the seuerall Trades or Mysteries of working , and dying of Silke , could best take timely notice of and discouer the seuerall deceipts and abuses , which otherwise would from time to time be attempted , and vsed therein vpon mature consideration , did thereunto encline as vnto the way tending to the increase of the said Trade , and maintaning the estimation thereof ( which We much desire , ) And thereupon by Our Letters Patents , bearing date at Westminster , the twentieth day of May last did constitute , ordaine and declare , that the persons therein named , being persons vsing the Trade of buying , selling and working of Silke , Gold , and Siluer threed , and the seuerall Manufactures thereof , and their successors should for euer hereafter be one bodie politique , and corporate by the name of the Gouernour and Company of Silkmen of London , for the well ordering of the Silke Trade , throughout the Kingdome of England , thereby giuing them full power and authoritie , to make , ordeine , and establish all , or any such Lawes , Statutes , Acts , Orders , Constitutions and ordinances , for the good gouernment , order and rule of the said Gouernour and Company , and euery or any of them ; As also all and singular other subiects of vs , Our Heires and Successors , residing within Our Kingdomes of England , Ireland , and Dominion of Wales , and intermedling with , or in any wise vsing or exercising the Art , Trade , or Mysterie of a Silke-man selling , or working of Silke , gold , or siluer threed , or Manufactures made of them , euery , or any of them , as to them should seeme meet and conuenient , for the taking away , punishing and preuenting all present and future abuses , that then had or at any time then after , should or might arise or grow vpon the said Trade , in the throwing , twisting , dying , mixing , weauing , working or selling of Silke , or Silke wares , or Gold , or Siluer threed , or in the seuerall Manufactures made of them , euery or any of them ; and also all other abuses whatsoeuer , from time to time growing or arising vpon the said Silke Trade . And the same Statutes , Lawes , Acts , Orders , Constitutions and Ordinances so had and made , to put in vre and execution accordingly , and at their pleasure to reuoke , repeale and dissolue the same , or any of them : which Letters Pattents We were the rather enclined to grant , for that We reposed speciall trust and confidence in those of the said Company , for the well ordering of the said Trade , and taking away the abuses vsed therein .

And whereas at the time of the publishing of the foresaid Proclamation , because it was then conceiued these nine collours , Viz Liuer colour , Deroy , Tawnie , Purple , French greene , Gingerline , Deere colour , Orenge colour or light Russet , could not bee dyed without some increase of weight more then other colours , and thereupon more allowances of weight and remedie , were thereby prescribed to those colours , then to all others .

And forasmuch , as it hath lately appeared vnto vs , by the humble Petition of the Gouernour , and Company of Silke-men aforesaid , that vpon seuerall sollemne debates and tryals , by them made , foure of those colours , viz. French greene , Gingerline , Deere colour , and Orrenge colour may be dyed , without any encrease of weight other then all other colours haue , And the rest , viz. Light Russet , Liuer colour , Deroy , Tawnie , and Purple , without so much encrease as was thereby allowed , and that a certaine weight as was then set , cannot safely bee continued vpon any of those colours , in regard some Silkes will be boyled downe to twelue Ounces , and others but to twelue Ounces and a halfe , or neere thirteene Ounces , and yet by colour thereof , not onely those colours , but a multitude of others vnder their names , may be dyed vp to thirteene Ounces and a halfe , and thereby neere an Ounce in euery pound vniustly gained ; and that thereupon the said Gouernour , and Company according to the power giuen vnto them , by Our said Charter , Haue the second day of August last made an Ordinance , That whatsoeuer Silke should bee found , to bee thereafter heauy dyed , either by not being fully discharged of the Gumme or increased in the weight , by the ingredients in the dying , aboue the true nature of the Silke it selfe , and what the best and lightest Dye must necessarily adde to make the colour good , firme , and beautifull , that all such Silke so dyed aboue the true nature thereof , wheresoeuer the same should bee found , should , and must be burned and destroyed ; which they first published their generall Court , and after sent for the Silke Dyers and their Iourney men , and haue caused the same to bee openly read vnto them ; yet in regard of the certaine weights , set by the said former Proclamation vpon dying of the said Colours , many of them feare not to disobey the said ordinance though the same were made by men expert in that trade vpon sundrie trialls first had , and for preuenting of the said abuses and wrong done to our people thereby , without a due obseruance of which , and all other the good ordinances and orders from time to time to bee made , the reformation which hath beene desired and intended cannot bee effected : And therefore humbly prayed that out of Our tender care of the good prosperitie of our said people in the Trade , & that the said Gouernour and Companie may bee more readily obeyed in all places and in all the waies of the reformation as occasion should from time to time require , We by our Royall Proclamation would be pleased to declare that we haue reposed speciall confidence in the care and industrie of the said Gouernour and Company , and to command obedience and assistance therein and thereunto from all persons whom it may any way concerne , according to the tenor and true meaning of our said Charter .

Now to the end that none of our louing Subiects may pretend ignorance of Our Royall Pleasure in that behalfe , but that what Wee haue prohibited and commanded by our said Charter or by Our former Proclamation may be fully knowne and published and accordingly obserued and obeyed , Wee doe therefore hereby streightly charge and command that no Silke-dyer doe at any time hereafter vse any corrupt or deceitfull drugs or ingredients in dying of Silkes either into black or colours , wherby the weight of the Silke shall or may be increased in the dying aboue the true nature of the Silke it selfe , and what the best and lightest Die must necessarily adde to make the colour good , firme and beautifull , And that this may be so done and obserued , We doe hereby will and command the said Gouernour and Company of Silkemen of London and their successors for the time being , that they from time to time diligently search for , & seize , or cause to be seized , all such Silkes as shall be suspected to be hereafter falsly dyed contrary to the said ordinance and this Our Royall Command , and foorthwith to make triall thereof , and if vpon triall thereof made , the same shall be found to exceed the weights and allowances in the said former Proclamation specified , or to be falsly died , though they be vnder that weight , then to cause the same to be burned , and that not onely the Silke may bee burned and destroyed , but the true owner the better found out and punished .

We do likewise strictly charge & command all our people whatsoeuer , in any wise vsing any part of the said trade , that they with constant markes , and as neere as they can , differing from other mens , doe marke and distinguish whatsoeuer goods or wares they shall sell or worke , and that no man doe vse an others marke , wherby his owne fraudes may be hidden , and the innocent brought into trouble or suspicion : And for that Wee haue beene likewise by them informed that abuse and wrong may growe to our people by the making gold & siluer thred and oes of false and deceitfull mettalls , stuffe and materialls , Wee hereby vtterly forbid the same , and doe command the said Gouernour and Company , that they likewise from time to time make diligent search to discouer the same , and cause trialls to be made of all such as they shall suspect , whereby the same may be found out and punished . And to the end that this Our Royall Command herein be not hindered by such who being faulty may oppose themselues against the searches & trialls from time to time , to bee made by the said Gouernour and Company , and against other the Powers and Authorities granted to them , the said Gouernour and Company , by Our said Charter .

And to the end their Ordinances may bee the better performed , obserued and kept , We doe hereby streightly charge and command all and euery Maiors , Sheriffes , Iustices of the Peace , Bailiffes , Constables , Customers , and all other Officers and Ministers whatsoeuer , to be from time to time in all things , helping , ayding and assisting , to the said Gouernour and Company , their Officers , and Ministers , and as much as in them , or any of them , whom it shall or may concerne lieth , to see Our pleasure heerein to bee kept , obserued , and performed , as they tender Our pleasure , and will answere the contrary at their perils , and vpon such punishments as can or may bee inflicted vpon the offendours , for contempt of Our Royall pleasure in this behalfe .

And We doe hereby streightly charge & command , the said Gouernour and Company , that they according to the trust reposed in them , by Our said Charter , apply themselues with all dilligence , to the finding out of the deceipts and abuses vsed in the said Trade , and of the wayes and meanes of reformation of the same , and that they doe goe on to make all such further wholesome Ordinances , for the preuenting and punishing of the said abuses as shall be meet .

And lastly , because there may be at this present , diuers quantities of Silke in the hands of many persons , which was dyed according to the former Proclamation , and before the said Ordinance made and published as aforesaid , which cannot be knowne vpon their searches , from that which hath been dyed since , whereby ( if all should be taken and burned ) the iust may suffer with the vniust . We doe therefore hereby streightly charge and command , that all Silke , short skeynes , or other wise heretofore dyed into any of the same nine colours , be vented or transported out of Our Kingdome , or otherwise boyled off ; and discharged of the said die , before Midsomer-day next ; And if after that day any such false , or deceitfull dyed Silke , either already so dyed , or hereafter to be dyed , contrary to the said Ordinance , and this Our Royall command , shall be found in the hand of any person whatsoeuer , besides the punishments aforesaid , the Silke it selfe wheresoeuer the same shall be found shall be burned and vtterly destroyed .