WHereas the manifold abuses of late yeers practiced in the Dying of Raw Silks into Blacks and Colours , aswell by corrupt mixtures to increase them in their weight , as otherwise , have appeared to His Majestie upon severall Informations heretofore exhibited in His High Court of Star-chamber , and sithence upon divers Hearings and Examinations taken by His Majesty and His Privy Councell , of those abuses complained of : And howsoever his Majesty by former Proclamations did prohibit those wayes of deceipt , and directed Rules to be observed for preventing thereof , yet finding by sundry complaints of the Silk dyers , and Silk-weavers of London , that those abuses did still continue and increase to the common deceipt and dammage of His people ;

His Majesty therefore out of his Princely care to provide a timely remedy for such growing evils as concern the publique , Hath thought fit , by His Letters Patents , under His great Seal of England , dated the eight day of October last , upon due and mature consideration , to erect an Office in London for the Surveying , trying , and weighing of all dyed Silks , and to appoint severall Officers of Trust , who are to make triall of the same , whereby these common falsities in the dying thereof might be discovered , and the delinquents therein condignly punished .

And to the end that all His Majesties Subjects may take knowledge of the good provisions made for reformation in the premisses , His Majestie is pleased to make publique declaration of His said Grant , whereby His pleasure therein may be more fully known , and all due conformity and obedience accordingly yeelded to the same ; And therefore His Majesty in pursuance of the said Letters patents , doth hereby straitly charge & command , That all person and persons whatsoever , which shall hereafter put forth to dying , or cause or procure to bee dyed , or put forth to dying any manner of Silks whatsoever , within the Realm of England , or Dominion of Wales , shall first bring all and every parcell and parcels of the same Silks , together with the Bill and Bills of parcels thereof to the said Office ; And the same Silks ready marked , and ley-banded with a speciall marking thred to be provided at the said Office for that purpose , and thence bought at reasonable prices , not exceeding the rates now usually paid for the same , which said Officers are so to order the said Silks in the weighing and registring the same to and from the hands of the Dyers , as shall be by those his Majesties Officers thought meet for effecting the Reformation intended ; And that no person or persons buying Raw Silks shall hereafter Dye , or cause the same to be Dyed otherwise then at a common Dy-house ; Nor shall send nor deliver to any Dyerany Silks whatsoever to be dyed , before the same Silks have been first brought to the said Officers or their Deputies , with the Bill of parcels , and the same be there registred , and in all things so ordered as aforesaid .

And that no Dyer whatsoever do take or receive any Silks to be Dyed , but in and at the said Office onely , and at and from the hands of the said Officers or their deputies ; And that the said Dyer after the dying thereof do return the said Silks so died to the said Office , to be tried and examined by the said Officers or their deputies , and do not deliver any parcels of Silks by them dyed to any person , untill the same after the dying thereof have been so brought and returned to the said Officers or their Deputies with the Bils of parcels as aforesaid .

And to the end that Dyers may be better regulated in the true Dying of Silks , His Majestie doth straightly charge and command , that the Rules and directions by His severall Proclamations formerly given , and published against the false Dying of Silks , shall be from henceforth duly observed by all Dyers whatsoever in all the particulers thereof ( except as to hard Silk , which for some speciall Manufactures His Majestie hath lately dispensed with ; ) And that no Silk-dyer shall vent , sell , or otherwise barter , or utter any Silks died : And if any of the said Dyed silks , shall by the said Officers , or their Deputies upon the return thereof by the said Dyers to the said Office be found faultie and not truly Dyed ; then His Majestie doth will , ordaine , and appoint , that the whol parcell , or parcels of the same Silks , so falsly Dyed , shall be by the said Officers there retained and kept , and not suffered to be vented , but shall be burnt , upon triall first made thereof , in the presence of the Owner , and Dyer that dyed the same , if upon convenient notice given they will be present at the tryall thereof . And to the end that the said Office may be furnished with able , and indifferent persons of judgement to make tryalls of the said dyed Silks according to Art , His Majestie hath appointed that the Master , Wardens , and Assistants of the Company of Dyers of London , or some of them , shall be assistant to the said Officers , in the well setling of the said Office ; And that they , or the greater part of them , from time to time do make choice of so many fit and meet persons of their Company , being of perfect skill and judgement in Dying of Silks , as shall be needfull ; who together with the said Officers shall make due trialls of all Dyed silks ; And that the Bayliffes , and Wardens of the Company of Silk-weavers of London , or some of them shall be also assistant to the said Officers , and that they , or the greater part of them , do make choice of so many able and sufficient men in their Company , as shall be needfull to be assistant to the said Officers , in making searches and discovery of all Dyed silks corrupted and falsified , And to the end , that the said Silk-dyers may have competent , and meet prizes , and allowances for the Dying of Silks , whereby they may the better be encouraged in the due exercise of their trade , without falsitie , or deceit , upon pretence of insufficient prizes heretofore allowed them ; His Majestie doth therefore will , ordain , and appoint , that all , and every Owner , and Owners of Silks , which shall put forth the same to be Dyed , shall pay , and allow to the Dyer , or Dyers , for the Dying thereof , the full price of sixteen pence the Raw pound for dying of all Silks , in any ordinary colours , ( Graine colours excepted ) and eighteen pence the Raw pound for all Spanish-black ; and no other Black to be Dyed ; which prizes upon due consideration thereof taken by divers Aldermen of London , to whom His Majesties Privie Councell referred the same , were certified to be moderate , and sufficient prizes in that behalf ; and whereunto divers of the Silk-men , and Silk-dyers of London being called , gave their assent : And therfore His Majestie doth charge , and command , that no Silk-dyer , or Silk-man , or other Owners of Silk whatsoever , shall hereafter directly , or indirectly , receive , or take , give , offer , or contract , or agree to give any greater , or lesser rates or prizes for the Dying of the said Silks , then is herein before limited , and appointed ; and that the aforesaid rates , and prizes for Dying of Silks , which upon return from the Dyers thereof to the said Office , shall be found truly Dyed , shall be payed at the said Office , by the Owners of the said Silks , to the said Dyers monethly at the least , or to such persons as the said Dyers shall nominate , and appoint for that purpose .

And His Majestie doth further ordain and appoint , that the said Officers and their Deputies shall and may have one Seal engraven with His Majesties Arms , or Ensigne of his Principallity of Wales , to be used for and about the marking and sealing of the said Bills of parcels , and for other affairs or businesses of the said Office ; Which Seal of Office , or the said marking thred , His Majestie declareth it shall not be lawfull to any other person or persons to make or counterfeit , upon pain of His Majesties high displeasure , and such penalties , as by the Lawes and Statutes of this Realm , or otherwise may be inflicted upon such offenders .

And for the better discovery and finding out of all frauds and abuses , which may be closely and covertly practized in the corrupt dying of Silks , His Majestie doth hereby authorize the said Officers and their Deputies for the time being , That they taking with them the Wardens of the said Company of Dyers of London , or some of them , with the assistance of a Constable or other lawfull Officer , and such others as they shall think meet , shal and may from time to time make Search in all such houses , Ware-houses , Cellars , Dye-houses , Shops , Fairs , Markets , Stalls , Boothes , and other places for all Silks falsly and corruptly Dyed within the Realm of England , and Dominion of Wales , or otherwise imported into the same from Forreign parts , and to seize such as they shall finde falsly dyed , and giving notice thereof to the Owner upon triall made , and so found , to burn and destroy the same : And that discovery may from time to time be made of all such false dyed Silks , as hereafter shall be imported into the said Realm of England and Dominion of Wales from any Forreign or other parts or places whatsoever .

His Majestie doth hereby authorize , charge , and command all , and singular Customers , Comptrolers , Farmours of His Majesties Customes , Surveyours , Searchers , and other Officers , and Ministers of His Customs , in any Port , or Ports whatsoever , within the said Realm and Dominion , that they , or any of them shall from time to time , give notice to the said Officers , or their Deputies requesting the same , of all Entries of such dyed Silks so imported .

And to the end that meet provision , and recompence might be had , and made , to the said Officers , and their Deputies , for their continuall great charge , and attendance upon the said Office , and the execution thereof , tending so much to the Common good of His Majesties Subjects ; His Majestie according to a Petition , and Certificate of a considerable number of Silk-Weavers exhibited to His Majestie , hath appointed a moderate , and meet Fee unto the said Officers . And doth therefore hereby will , and ordain , that from henceforth there shall be answered , and paid to the said Officers , or their Deputies for the Surveying , Trying , and Weighing of the said Silks the Fee of six pence appointed by His Majesties said Letters Patents , to be paid for every pound weight of the said Silks , after the rate of sixteen ounces to the Raw pound of all Silks so dyed , and tryed as aforesaid ; The said Fee to be paid by the Owner , or possessor of the same Silks , to the said Officers , or their deputies , at the time of the receipt of the same , from the said Office , after the same shall be so Dyed and tryed as aforesaid . Neverthelesse , His Majesties will and pleasure is , that the Silk-Weavers of the Citie of Canterbury , and the places neer adjacent , who shall put forth Silks to Dying there , shall from time to time , bring their said Silks with the Bils of each parcel , to his Majesties said Officers or their Deputies to some convenient place , to be by them appointed within the same Citie , To the intent that the said Silks may be there Registred , marked , weighed , and tryed , and the Fee mentioned in His Majesties said Letters Patents , duly answered as aforesaid .

And lastly , His Majesty doth will & command , that all his loving Subjects of the Realm of England and Dominion of Wales , do take notice of his Majesties Royall pleasure in the premisses , And do from henceforth conform themselves in all due and meet obedience thereunto , as they and every of them will avoid the Censure of Contemners of His Majesties Royall Commands , and such punishments , as by the Lawes and Statutes of this Realm or otherwise may be inflicted upon them in that behalf .