NOtwithstanding the many good and wholesome Lawes , and Statutes , made and prouided for the true making of Cloth , of late times many and great abuses haue crept into that Manufacture : for remedie whereof , His Maiestie did by his Commission vnder the great Seale of England , bearing date the fourteenth day of December , in the sixth yeere of His Reigne , directed vnto Commissioners therein named , appoint them to call vpon the Iustices of Peace , and other head Officers within the Counties of Wilts ' , Gloucester , Somerset , and Oxon ' , and to assist them in the performance of the seuerall trusts in them by the Statutes concerning Draperie reposed , which Commission hath beene in executing by the space of two yeeres past . And it appeareth by the account thereof giuen to His Highnesse , and His Priuy Councell , that by reason of some doubts made concerning some points , & clauses of the said Statutes , ( as they are by some interpreted ) the same seeme to be deficient for the effectuall reformation of Clothing . His Maiestie intending , that the Cloth of this kingdome may regaine its ancient reputation beyond the Seas , whereby it may be the more readily receiued and vented in those parts , which cannot bee so well done , as by the true working and making thereof ; Hath by the aduice of His Priuie Councell , resolued to renew His said Commission , with supply of such defects as are found therein , and by iust and equall ordinances and constitutions , to supply some defects and omissions in the said Statutes , to preuent frauds and deceits vsed in Drapery ; which in time , if preuention be not made , may bring disesteeme vpon the Clothes of this Realme , and decay of Draperie , by which a great number of His Maiesties people haue their liuelihood , which by His Regall power He commandeth to be duly obserued vntill the end of the first Session of the next Parliament : And then vpon triall of their effects to be made into a Statute law , as hath heretofore in the like case beene vsed and done , or otherwise altered , as shall be then found conuenient .

First therefore His Highnesse will and pleasure is , that no Woolls be boyled with Galles , vnlesse they be first made blue with woad or Indico , according as the sadnesse of the colour intended to be made will beare in blue . And that such as after the first day of August next shall spinne any yearne to sel in the market , or for the Cloth-maker in any of the Counties of Oxon ' Wilts ' Gloucest ' & the county of the Citie of Gloucest ' or the Easterne limits of the County of Somerset shall make the same in skeynes vpon reeles that shall be all of assize , so as euery reele shall be of two yardes , or one yard , and of no other assize , and shall be of equall widenes in all the parts thereof where the yearne shall bee reeled . And that euery Weauer shall to euery Cloth that hee shall weaue , set the first two letters of his name of Baptisme and Surname , or at the least the first letter of his Surname , and no other marke , And that the Weauer shal redeliuer vnto the Clothier , the thrummes , knots and ends , & all yearne not wouen into the Cloth , and the Clothier shall take in the same thrummes ends and knots , at such price as others will giue for the same , because vnder colour of buying thrummes and such like of the Weauer , the Clothier is robbed of much yearne . And whereas Tuckers and Clothiers doe now vse stone weights for weighing of their Cloth , which being of no certaine contents , because they cannot bee sealed , cause much deceit , His Highnesse pleasure is , and Hee doth hereby command all Tuckers and Clothiers whatsoeuer , where any Cloth is to bee sealed , That they and euery of them before the foure and twentieth day of Iune next , prouide leaden weights , or brasse weights of Auers du poys lawfully sealed , and that the Clothiers , Searchers and Ouerseers vse those and no other in weighing any Cloth .

And Whereas in diuers places where coloured clothes are milled and dressed , there bee sundry Rackes or Tenters vsed with the lower Barre , which is lawfull to bee vsed for coloured and dressed Clothes , vnder colour whereof the white Clothes are also often strained with the lower barre , contrary to the Statute made in this behalfe in the three and fourtieth yeere of the raigne of the late Queene Elizabeth , For the auoyding of this abuse , His Highnesse Commandeth that there shall bee no White Cloth hanged vpon any Racke or Tenter that hath two Barres , although it hang but by one List onely , but that all White Clothes shall bee hanged vpon such Tenters as haue but one Barre , to wit , aboue , and no lower Barre .

And whereas by the Statute made in the fift and sixt yeeres of the Reigne of the late King Edward the sixth , the vse of Gigmills is forbidden vnder a great penaltie , and yet of late time the same Milles are vsed vnder the name of Mosingmills , wherein the Cloth being stretched , is wrought with the Teazell in the Mill , vpon colour and pretence that they being well vsed may be commodious for Clothing : It is His Highnesse Pleasure and expresse Commandement , That forasmuch as the danger of the abuse is farre greater then the benefit of such toleration can bee ; All Mosingmills and Mills by which Clothes may be wrought with the Teazell , of what name soeuer , shall bee taken downe before Midsommer next , and none other erected or vsed after that time . And whereas there is great abuse found to bee practised in the Markes of the Clothiers , some that make worse Cloth vsing the Markes of others that make best , or making of so slight a difference from it , as the buyer cannot easily discerne it : His Highnesse willeth and commandeth , that euery Clothier shall haue one seuerall marke for his Cloth , and shall vse that one marke onelie for all the time of his Clothing , without altering or changing the same , and no man shall giue the same marke which another vseth , though with addition or difference or change of the colour : And where at present seuerall men vse the same marke , such of them as haue longest vsed the same shall continue the vse thereof , and the others shall betake themselues to the vse of new markes not vsed by others : And whereas diuers Statutes made before the fourth yeere of the Reigne of the late King Iames His Maiesties father of blessed memory , touching the length breadth and weight of Clothes , are repealed by a Statute made in the said fourth yeere , and therein is declared what length , breadth and weight the Clothes of seuerall Counties shall conteine , His Maiestie commandeth that euery Searcher to each Cloth that he shal search shall affixe at either end of the Cloth a seale of lead , wherein shall bee truely and plainely expressed the length and breadth of the same Cloth measured wett out of the water after the full milling thereof , together with the iust weight thereof being fully and home dried , and the name of Baptisme and Sirname of the Searcher at large and legibly stamped , and after such seale so affixed , the same Cloth shall not bee eftsoones put into the mill , or thickned , and that before such time as the Searcher puts on his seale the Clothier that makes the Cloth shall set on his seale , expressing aswell the breadth , as the length and weight in manner aforesaid , and put on the word Faultie , if there be cause : And that the Searcher shall put on but two seales vpon a Cloth , whereof one to be at each end of the Cloth , as aforesaid .

And His Highnesse will and pleasure is , and he doth hereby command , that the searching and sealing of Clothes for their length , breadth and weight and sealing the word Faultie , where there is cause , shall bee now wholly done by the Clothier , Searcher and ouerseer of the Cloth , which was by the Statutes anciently done by the Clothier and Aulnager : And whereas the Lawes then made , did require vpon great penalties , that no Cloth should be folded or tacked by the workeman , nor bee offered to Sale , nor be Transported by the Merchant , before the Aulnage seale was thereunto affixed .

His Maiesties expresse will and pleasure is , that from henceforth no workeman shall presume to fold or tacke together any Cloth , That no Cloth be by any offered to Sale , nor be Transported by any Merchant or other person whatsoeuer , before the seale of the Ouerseers or Searchers be thereunto affixed , And that all White Clothes which shall not bee so sealed , wheresoeuer the same shall bee found , His Highnesse willeth that His Commissioners appointed in that behalfe , shall Arrest , and Seize , and bring the same to Triall , but no Fee shall bee taken for doing therof : And for that the Searcher and Ouerseer are at great labour and charge , And by the ancient Statutes there was two pence vpon a Cloth allowed by the Clothier to the Searcher , for Clothes searched , in any Citie , Borough or Towne Corporate , which allowance yet continueth in the Citie of Worcester , It is now thought fit by His Maiestie , that in regard of the farre greater labour and charge imposed on the Searcher and Ouerseer , then anciently hath beene ,