royal coat of arms 
HONI SOIT ●VI MAL Y PENSE   blazon or coat of arms 
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T. M.  
WHere, in all well-governed Kingdoms, commonwealths, Cities, and Countries, care hath ever been duly had and taken, and commands strictly given in public and in private, That Bread, Meats, and Drinks of all sorts, to be sold, uttered, or put to sale, for the sustenance of mankind, should be good, sweet, sound, and wholesome for man's body: And that just Assize, Weight, & Measure, should be delivered to all persons, upon pains, penalties, and punishments, to be inflicted upon the Offenders, according to the qualities of their offences.  
Now therefore, the Right honourable Sir Thomas Middleton, Knight, Lord Mayor of this the King's Highness City of London, & his right Worshipful Brethren the Aldermen of the same, considering the great Assembly of Lords Spiritual and Temporal, & Commons at this time of the high Court of Parliament, and the repair hither of so many others from many parts of this realm, who are to have their provision for their diet in a great part from this City, and purposing as much as in them shall lie, duly to provide that they be well served of Victual, both in respect of the goodness of the same, and of just assize, weight, and measure, do hereby straightly Charge and Command, That no Baker, Wine-cellar, Brewer, Butcher, Poulter, Fishmonger, Inholder, Cook, Alehouse-keeper, or any other Victualler, or other person or persons whatsoever, do at any time hereafter, sell, utter, or put to sale, any Bread, Wine, Ale, Beer, Flesh, Fish, or any other Victual whatsoever within the said City or Liberties of the same, but such only as shall be good, sweet, sound, and wholesome for man's body, upon pain of imprisonment, and such further punishment as the qualities of their several offences shall deserve, which shall with all severity be executed against them, and every of them.  
And do further hereby straightly Charge and Command, That no Baker, or any other person whatsoever, shall at any time hereafter, sell, utter, or put to sale, any Bread usually called & sold for Wheaten bread, but that the penny loaf contain the Assize of xi. Ounces Troy weight at the least, which is th'assize now appointed for the same, & other loaves of that kind of Bread after that Rate, Nor any bread usually called & sold for White bread, but that the penny loaf contain th'Assize of seven ounces, & one quarter of an ounce troy weight at the least, which is th'assize now appointed for the same, and other loaves of that kind of bread after that rate. And that no Inholder, Cook, Tipler, Ale-house-keeper, or other person whatsoever, shall at any time hereafter, sell, utter, or put to sale, any Beer or Ale otherwise then by measures, sealed by the Officer thereunto duly appointed. And that none of them sell any of the best sort of Ale or beer at any higher rate or price, than a penny for a full Ale quart, nor any of the smaller sort of Ale or beer at any higher rate or price, than a half penny for a full Ale quart.  
And forasmuch as there hath been very great spoil and waste of Wheat and Barley, by reason of the great abuse in brewing strong and heady Beer and Ale: and besides the abuse in drunkenness and drinking unmeasurably, and in so great excess, and in exceedingly wasting of God's blessings, without care or conscience, many poor families, men, women, and children, have been and daily are utterly overthrown, and forced either to live by begging, or starve for want, by reason that the insatiable desire of many of the poorer sort of householders, to those strong Drinks is such, and their custom in committing that sin so grounded, as that all they can get by their labour, is hardly sufficient to satisfy their own appetite therein, which they will (sometimes beyond their ability) satisfy, though their Wines and Children want at home.  
And where the utterance of those Drinks have been so great, as Inholders, Cooks, and other Victuallers, have had in their sellers and other places of Store, some one man a hundred, some two hundred, and some three hundred barrels at one time, The said Lord Maior and Aldermen therefore, do hereby straightly Charge and Command, That no Inholder, Cook, Ale-house-keeper, or other Victualler whatsoever, shall at any time after publication of this Proclamation, receive any beer or Ale into his or her house, Seller, or other place, until all the barrels of beer and Ale which he or she hath, shall be drawn out, spent, and reduced to the number of twenty: and that after that time, he or she, shall not have, retain, or keep in his or her house, seller, or other place, at any one time, above the number of twenty barrels: and that neither they nor any of them, shall at any time afterward, receive, retain, or keep any beer or Ale in any greater Vessels than barrels only.  
And where within the said City and Liberties, many Freemen of the company of Cooks, under pretence of selling beer and ale with their meats, by colour of their Charters and Ordinances, do keep common Alehouses, and sell Ale and beer both within their houses, and deliver the same out also, without selling any meat therewith, and are not thereunto licenced in due form of Law, The said Lord Maior and Aldermen, do hereby straightly Charge and Command, all Freemen of the said Company of Cooks, That they do not at any time hereafter, directly or indirectly, sell, utter, or put to sale, any beer or Ale out of their houses, nor in their houses, otherwise then with their meat.  
And where there have been, and daily are used great deceits in sale of horse-meat, as well Hay and Oates, as horsebreade within the said City and Liberties thereof. For redress and reformation therein, the said Lord Maior and Aldermen, do hereby straightly Charge and Command, all Inholders, keepers of Stables and Hoasteries, and all and every other person and persons whatsoever, That neither they, nor any of them, do at any time after the publication hereof, sell, utter, or put to sale, any Horsebread, at any other Rates and Prizes, than three Loaves Weighing one and twenty Ounces Troy weight for a penme, nor any other than such as shall be well baked, and made of good Beans, Bran, and working Meal well blended. Nor any Oats at any higher Rate or price then four pence halfpenny for a peck: & after that Rate for greater and lesser measures. Nor any Hay at any higher rate or price then a bottle of Hay weighing two pounds & a half for a halfpenny, and after that Rate for greater and lesser quantity or weight. Nor shall not take any more or greater price than six pence day and night for Horses, Mares, or Geldings, set at Livery within this City, or the Liberties thereof, and so after the same Rate.  
And do also hereby Charge and Command, all Inholders, Ale-house-keepers, and others, usually receiving lodgers, who shall receive any person or persons to lodge in any of their houses, that they and every of them, do once every day from time to time, deliver to the Alderman of the Ward, or his Deputy, or to the Constable of the Precinct, where such Inholder, Ale-housekeeper, or other person shall dwell, in writing, the Names, Surnames, & additions of dwelling place and profession of such persons, as they or any of them, shall receive to lodge, & likewise of the time of their departure, to the end, the said Lord Maior, and his brethren the Aldermen, may from time to time be truly informed thereof, and persons dangerous to the King & State, may the more easily be discovered.  
And do hereby further Charge and command, That all Constables within the said City and the Liberties thereof, hold their Watches from nine of the Clock in the Evening, until five of the Clock in the Morning: and that they suffer no person to pass through any of the Streets or lanes of this City, betwixt the hours aforesaid, unless he or she can give good account of lawful and honest occasion so to do. And such as cannot, they shall commit to Prison, in one of the Compters of this City, or to some other prison (if need require) and certify the Lord Maior, (or some other justice of peace within this City) thereof, the next morning. And that if the said Constables, or any of them, upon any sudden occasion shall find cause, they shall make search in any Inn, Victualling house, or other place, suspected to harbour lewd, lose, idle, or suspected people: and if they shall find any such, they shall commit them to prison, there to remain, and certify the said Lord Maior, or some other of the said justices thereof, the next ●●rning, to the end, such order may be taken for their punishment, or delivery as shall be meet.  
And, where the said Lord Maior, with the advise of his said Brethren, shortly after his entrance into the Office of Mayoralty of the said City, did for the Advancement of the honour of GOD, and for the Weal of the King's majesties Subjects, Inhabitants within the said City, and the Liberties of the same, and of others repairing to the same from foreign parts, give public notice and warning by Proclamation of his lordships purpose, to endeavour and speed the due execution of sundry Acts and Ordinances, and did thereby also, give strait Charge and Command for due Observation thereof: as also, touching Forestallers and Regrators, Ale-house-keepers, Victuallers, and others. Now, forasmuch as there hath not been that due regard had of the observation of the said Ordinances and Statutes, concerning the offences aforesaid, nor of the said public warning, Charge and Command given as aforesaid, which ought to have been, The said Lord Maior and Aldermen, do now therefore hereby, give special Charge and Commandment to all the Inquests of Wardmote of this City, and the liberties thereof, and to all Constables, Beadle's, and other Officers, and to all Informers and other persons whatsoever, to whom it shall, or may in any wise appertain, that they and every of them, do make special, diligent, ●●●●irefull inquiries and presentments of all such Forestallers, Regrators, and others: as also of a● and 〈◊〉 the other offences wh●●h 〈◊〉 been, or shall be committed against the true meaning of the said Statutes, Acts, and Ordinances, or any of them, or against the true meaning of any Charge or Command hereby given, to the end, the several Offenders may be duly punished, and that the pains, penalties, and forfeitures may be duly levied: wherein such as shall be careful and painful to further and speed due execution in this behalf, shall out of the penalties and forfeitures, be (for their care and pains therein to be taken) sufficiently recompensed and rewarded.   

Printed by William jaggard, Printer to the Honourable City of London.  
❧ God save the King. ❧