Commun● Consilium tentum in Camera Guildhall Civitatis London, undecimo die Julii, Anno Dom. 1612. Annoque Regni Domini nostri Jacobi, Dei gratia Angliae, Scotiae, Franciae, & Hibernia Regis, Fidei Defensoris, etc. viz. Angliae, Franciae, & Hiberniae decimo; & Scotiaequadragesimo quinto: Coram J●co●o Pemberton Milite, Majore Civitatis London, Henrico MountagueMilite, Recordatore ejusdem Civitatis, Thoma LeweMilite, Thoma Cambell Milite, Gulielmo Craven Milite, Clemens Scudemore Milite, Johanne J●lles Milite, Galfrido Ehres, Georgio Bolles, Gulielmo Cockain, Ri●hardo Pyot, Edward● R●theram, Alexandro Pre●●●t, dict●e Civitatis Aldermanis, ac Edwardo Barkham, Aldermano, & uno Vicecomite Civitatis pr●●dictae; necnon majore part Comm. dictae Civitatis de Comm. Concilio ejusdem Civitatis existentis ass●mblat, etc.  
WHereas the Company of Painter-Stainers have been an ancient Brotherhood in this City, and for the better Exercise of the●r Ar● and Government of those that use the same Art of Painting of latter times have been Incorporated, the better to enable them for the Exercising and Ordering of that Trade, and performance thereof by Men of Skill and Cunning. But of late years, by reason that diverse Freemen of this City do daily practise, use, and exercise Painting in and about the same; neither have been brought up as Apprentices to the said Art, nor being free of the Company of Painter-Stainers, but of sundry other Companies of this City: which Freemen of other Companies using Painting as aforesaid, have taken upon them, and daily do, to have and keep more number of Apprentices, than the Freemen of the said Company of Painter-Stainers, using the said Art of Painting, by the Ordinances of their said Tompany lawfully may or can do, to the pestering and filling of this City with Men of that Faculty and Profession, and to the great prejudice and hindrance of the Freemen of the Company of Painter-Stainers: by reason whereof much bad and deceitful Workmanship is daily practised and used within this City, which ariseth principally by reason those Freemen of other Companies are not subject to the Search and Ordinances of the said Company of Painter-Stainers, so that their Defaults and Abuses cannot be discovered, espied, or amended; nor the Offenders punished according to their Demerits, as they should be, in case they were subject to the said Company of Painter-Stainers. For Remedy and Reformation whereof, and to the intent that all Freemen of this City, practising and using the Art of Painting within this City, may be in time reduced, and brought to be free of the Company of painter-stainer; and that the Master and Wardens of the said Company for the time being, may hereafter have a more free and absolute Survey and Search, and Correction and Punishment of all Freemen of this City, using their Art within the same City and Liberties thereof, (of what Company soever they be) than heretofore they have had, whereby Frauds and Offence may come to be discovered, and Offenders punished, according to the ancient Customs of this City in like Cases used: Be it Enacted, Ordained, and Established by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the aldermans his Brethren, and the Commons in this Common Council assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That all Persons free of this City, (of what Company soever they be) using the said Art of Painter-Stainers within this City and Liberties thereof, and making gain thereby, shall from henceforth be under the Survey and Search of the Master and Wardens of the said Company of Painter-Stainers for the time being; and shall from time to time be subject to the Ordinances of the said Company, touching the Exercise of the said Art of Painting only. And be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That no Person or Persons whatsoever, being Free of any Company of this City whatsoever, (other than of the said Company of Painter-Stainers,) which doth or shall use or practise the said Art of Painters, within this City and Liberties thereof, and shall make gain thereby, shall from henceforth take and bind any Apprentice or Apprentices to him, or themselves, but within one month after the taking of such Apprentice, and before the binding of such Appretice or Apprentices, shall first present him or them before the Master and Wardens of the said Company of Painter-Stainers, at the Common-Hall of the said Tompany; and upon su●h Presentation of any Apprentice or Apprentices at the Place aforesaid, the same Apprentice or Apprentices shall become bound by Indenture to the Master or one of the Wardens of the said Company, for the time being, for the Term and number of Years agreed upon between the said Master and Apprentice or Apprentices, and the Party so presenting him or them: And that after the binding of such Apprentice or Apprentices in form before declared, the said Apprentice or Apprentices shall at the Charges of the Master so presenting the same Apprentice, be by the Party to whom he was bound set over before the Chamberlain of the said City of London for the time being, to the Party by whom he shall be so presented, and him shall serve the residue of his Term, to the intent that at the expiration of the said Term, the said Apprentice or Apprentices may be made free of the said Company of Painter-Stainers. And be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Person or Persons using the Art of Painting within this City or Liberties thereof, and not being free of the said Company of Painter-Stainers, shall at any time or times hereafter take any Apprentice or Apprentices bound unto himself, or in any other manner than is before declared, he or they shall forfeit for every Apprentice so bound the Sum of Twenty Pounds of lawful Money of England, to be recovered by Action of Debt, Bill, or Plaint, to be commenced and presented in the Name of the Chamberlain of the said City of London for the time being, in the King's Majesty's Court to be holden in the Chamber of the guildhall of the said City, before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the said City, wherein no Essoign or Wager of Law shall be admitted or allowed for the Defendant: And that the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being, in all Suits to be prosecuted by virtue of this present Act against any Offender, shall recover the Ordinary Costs of Suit to be expended in and about the prosecution of the same. And be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That one Moiety of all Forfeitures to be recovered by virtue of this Act, (the Charges of Suit for recovery of them being deducted and allowed) after the recovery and receipt thereof, shall be paid and delivered to the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being, to the Use of the Mayor, and Commonalty, and the Citizens of the same City: And the other Moiety of the same Forfeitures (the Charges of Suit deducted as aforesaid) to be paid and delivered over to the Master and Wardens of the said Company of Painter-Stainers for the time being, to the Use of their said Company, to the intent that the said Master and Wardens of the said Company for the time being, may be the more careful to prosecute Suit against the Offenders in this behalf, in the Name of the Chamberlain of this City for the time being.