¶ A proclamation set forth by the kings majesty, with the aduise of his highnes most honourable privy counsel, in the .v. year of his highnes most prosperous reign, for the prices of victuals.  
whereby an act of Parliament holden at Westminster vpon prorogation the .xxv. day of january, in the .xxv. year of the reign of the most noble Prince of worthy memory king Henry the, viii. it was enacted amongst other things, that vpon complaints made of enhaunsing of prices of victuals necessary for mens sustenance, in any parte of this realm, or in any other of the kings dominions. The lord chancellor of england, the lord treasurer, the lord President of the kings counsel, the lord privy seal, the lord Stuarde, the lord Chaumberleine, & al other lords of the kings counsel, the treasurer and controller of the kings house, The chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, the kings Iustices of either bench, the chancellor Chamberleines, under treasurer and the Barons of the kings Exchequer, or .vii. of them, whereof the lord chancellor, the lord treasurer, the lord President of the kings counsel, or the lord privy seal, to be one, should haue power & authority, from time to time, as the case should require, to set & tax reasonable prices of al kind of victuals necessary for mans sustenance, how they should be sold in gross or by retail. And that after such prices set and taxed in form aforesaid, Proclamation should be made in the kings name under the great seal, of the said prices, & that al farmers, Owners, Broggers, & other victuallers having or keeping any kind of victual to thintent to sel, shal sel the same to such the kings subiectes as will buy them, at such prices as shal be set and taxed by the said proclamation, vpon the pains to be expressed and limited in the said Proclamation, to be lossed, forfeited and levied to the kings use, in such wise, as in the said proclamation should be declared, as in the said act more at large amongst other things appeareth. wherefore, vpon diverse good and pitiful complaints, made of the great and excessive prices of victuals necessary for mans sustenance, the lord chancellor of England, the lord treasurer, the lord privy seal, and other of the kings most honourable counsel, to the number expressed in the said act, by virtue and authority of the said act, assembled at Windesore together the .xxx. day of August last past, after deliberate consultation therof, haue set and taxed prices of certain victuals in form following.  
First, that the greatest lean ox, shal not be sold above the some of .xl. s. Item the lean ox, of the second sort, not to be sold above the sum of .xxxiii. s. iiii. d. The lean ox of the third sort, not to be sold above the sum of .xxvi. s. viii. d. The best, greatest, and fattest ox, shall not be sold above the sum of .liii. s. iiii. d. The fat ox of the second sort, shal not be sold above the sum of .xliii. s. iiii. d. The fat ox of the third sort shal not be sold above the sum of .xxxiii. s. iiii. d. The lean sheep of the greatest sort, not to be sold above the sum of .iii. s. iiii. d. The lean sheep of the second sort, not to be sold above the sum of .ii. s. viii. d. The lean sheep of the third sort, not to bee sold above the sum of .ii. s. The fat sheep of the greatest sort, shal not be sold above the sum of .v. s. The fat sheep of the second sort, shal not be sold above the sum of .iiii. s. The fat sheep of the .iii. sort shal not be sold above the sum of .iii. s. And that no beef, nor pork, be sold raw, by retail above the sum of penny half farthing the pound. Nor veal or Mutton raw by retail above penny halfpenny the pound. And that no maner of person, shal sel by retail any great thick Essex cheese above the rate of halfpenny half farthing the pound, nor any other cheese by retail, above halfpenny farthing the pound.  
The kings most excellent majesty, most graciously tendering the common wealth of this his realm, besides diverse remedies already provided, aswell in parliaments as in other consultacions, hath for remedic therof, of late, to his own great loss, abated, and decayed the valuation of his coin by his several proclamations, thinking thereby, the excessive prices of al things, of good congruence should consequently fall and abate, as by natural reason and equity necessarily it ought and should. nevertheless, contrary to his graces expectation, diverse unsatiable and greedy personnes, in whose hands a great parte of the victual of this realm by regratinge resteth, being void of all charitable regard and respect to the common wealth of their natural country, for their own wealth and filthy lucre, do not onely by their undue, subtle and sinister practices continue their excessive prices of all maner of victuals, but also asmuch as in them lieth, daily do invent and study for the increase of the same, to the great detriment and utter undoing of the greater parte of his loving subiectes being forced to fetch their necessary victual at their hands, which his majesty will nor can in no wise suffer. And therfore graciously assenting and agreeing to the said rates and prices, and intending to proclaim and publish the same, most straightly chargeth and commandeth, that no person or persons, from henceforth do sell or cause to be sold, the greatest lean ox, above the sum of .xl. s. vpon pain of forfeiture of .xx. marks of current money of this realm, for every lean ox so by him sold. Nor any lean ox of the second sort, above the sum of xxxiii. s. iiii. d. vpon pain of forfeiture of .x. l. of like money, for every ox by him so sold. Nor any lean ox of the third sort, above the sum of .xxvi. s viii. d. vpon pain of forfeiture of vi. l. xiii. s. iiii, d. for every ox so sold by him. Nor the greatest, fattest and best ox, to be sold above the sum of liii. s. iiii d. vpon pain of forfeiture of, xx. marks, for every ox so by him sold. Nor any fat ox of the second sort, to be sold above the sum of .xliii. s iiii. d, vpon pain of forfeiture of x pounds, for every ox so sold. Nor any fat ox of the third sort, to be sold above the sum of .xxxiii. s. iiii. d. vpon pain of forfeiture, for every such ox so sold .vi. l. xiii. s. iiii. d. Nor shall sel any lean sheep of the greatest sort, above the sum of .iii. s. iiii. d. vpon pain of forfeiture of .iii. l. vi. s. viii d. for every such sheep so sold. Nor any lean sheep of the second sort, above the some of .ii, s. viii. d. vpon pain of forfeiture of .liii. s. iiii. d, for every sheep so sold. Nor any lean sheep of the third sort, above the some of .ii. s. vpon pain of forfeiture of .xl. s. for every sheep so sold. Nor shall sell any fat sheep of the greatest sort, above the sum of five shillings, vpon pain of forfeiture of .iii. l. vi. s. viii. d. for every sheep so sold. Nor any fat sheep of the second or mean sort, above the price of .iiii. s, vpon pain of forfeiture for every fat sheep so sold .liii. s. iiii. d. nor any fat sheep of the third sort, above the sum of .iii. s. vpon pain of forfeiture of .xl. s. for every sheep so to be sold.  
And that no Butcher nor other person shal sel any raw beef or pork by retail, above the Rate and sum of penny half fardyng the pound, vpon pain of forfeiture of vi. s. viii. d. for every pound so sold, nor shall sel veal or Mutton raw by retail, above .i. d. ob. the pound, vpon pain of forfeiture of .vi. s. viii. d. for every pound so sold.  
And that no maner of person, shall sell by retail any great thick Essex cheese above the rate of. ob. di. {quam}. the pound, vpon pain of forfeiture of ii. s. for every pound so sold, nor any other cheese, by retail above. ob. q. the pound, vpon pain of forfeiture of .ii. s. for every pound, so to be sold: The same sums and forfeitures, to be levied to the kings use, in form following. That is to say, by bill, plaint, information, or action of debt, to be taken before his Iustices of peace, in their Session, in any county, city, or town corporate, where any such offence shal be done, or in any other his courts of record, wherein no protection, essoing or wager of law, shalbe allowed for the defendant: the one moite of al such forfeit or forfeitures to be to the use of his majesty & the other moiety therof to that use of him or them that shal first sue and pursue the same with effect. And that every person and persons, that haue reared, or shall rear or keep, or haue fatted or shal fat or keep any such cattle, or sheep, to thintent to sel the same, shal vpon request made, sel the same at the price aforsaide, vpon pain of forfeiture for every such refusal twenty pounds, the same to be recovered and levied in form aforesaid, and to suffer imprisonment at the kings will and pleasure.  
His highnes also straightly chargeth and commandeth, al and every his Iustices of peace immediately after this proclamation published and proclaimed, to assemble themselves, and to take order, by division, or otherwise, for the good and perfect execution of this proclamation. And doth further signify to his said Iustices, that as he will well consider and advance their diligence, and well doing in the premises: So will he severely and sharply punish their negligence in contrary doings.  
And for the better effect, sequel, and success of this proclamation, his highnes by thaduise of his most honourable counsel, hath determined to address, his special commissioners for the hearing and examination of the defaults & negligent doings of his said Iustices in the premises, yf any hap to be so, as his highnes may procede to the correction and punishment of such Iustices offenders, as the importance of the case shal require  
His majesty also straightly chargeth and commandeth al and every his loving subiectes, that they ne any of them from henceforth attempt to take from any owner, any cattail or victual afore mentioned against the will of such owner, otherwise thē is aforesaid, or by the delivery of the Iustices of the peace or some of them, vpon pain of loss of al their goods and cattals, and to suffer imprisonment during the kings pleasor.  
God save the King.   

richardus GRAFTON typographus Regius excudebat.  
M.D.LI.   

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