¶ An act against the excessive taking of the king and the queens majesties purueyours.  
FOr the avoiding of the great annoyance and hyndraunce commonly done to the Subiectes of this realm, by purueyours & takers of Beues, Wethers, lambs, calves, al kinds of grain Butter, Chease, Bacon, all kinds of pullayne and to eschew hereafter not only the great deceit ministered and done daily by the said purueyours and takers, but also hereby to advance the king and queens majesties better service in the premises, with the contentation of all their highness faithful and most obedient Subiectes.  
Be it therefore enacted by our said sovereign lord and lady, with the assent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that after the feast of the birth of our Lord next ensewynge, every such commission as shal be made, granted, and directed, to any person or persons, what soever whereby the same person or persons, or their deputies shal haue authority to take any Beues, Wethers, lambs, calves, or any kind of salt fish, or any kind or kinds of grain, or any butter in barrels or other vessels, Chease, bacon, Connies, pigs, geese, Capons, or hens, that the same commission or commissions shall not extend or continue above the space of syxe months at the farthest next ensewynge the date of any of the said commissions. And after the end of the said syxe months every of the said commissions to be void and of no force nor effect, what soever words, matter, or sentences shal be contained or expressed in any of the same commissions.  
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that in al and every such commission or commissions to be granted after the said feast of the birth of our lord, shal be plainly aswell contained & expressed, such county or counties, as any of the said Beues, Wethers, lambs, calves, hogs or swine, or any kind of salt fish, or any kind or kinds of grain, butter, chease, bacon, connies, lieges, geese, capons or hens, or any of them, is to be levied, purveyed or taken in, by any of the person or persons or their deputy or deputies, so authorized, by the virtue of the said commission or commissions, as also the just, true and full proportion and number, of all and every such beues, wethers, lambs, calves, swine, any kind of salt fish, or any kind or kinds of grain, butter in barrels or other vessels, chease, bacon, connies, pigs, geese, capons, and hens, or any of them, as the said person or persons, their deputy or deputies, or any of them shalbe by force and virtue of the said commission or commissions aucthorised to levy, take, or puruaye, within any of the said county or counties.  
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that to every such commission or commissions after the said birth of our Lord to be made, granted, and directed, as is aforesaid, shalbe annexed so many blanks in parchment, as there shal be several counties expressed, name, and contained within the said commission or commission or any of them in the which blanks shal be fair and legeably written, all and every such beues, wethers lambs, calves, swine, any kind of salt fish, or any kind or kinds of grain, butter, chease, bacon, connies, pigs, geese, capons, and hens, with the true and several prices of the same, and every of them as shal be levied, gathered, and purveyed, by any person or persons, their deputy or deputies, or any of them as shal be thereunto aucthorised, by any such commission or commissions aforesaid, within any particular town, parish, or hamlet, set, lying, and being, within any those county or counties, as shal be name, contained, and expressed, within the said commission or commissions, or any of them, whereunto shal be subscribed the name or sign manuel of all and every such high constable or constables, petty constable or constables, headborowe, or headboroughs, as shal be by any precept to him or them directed, by any person or persons, their deputy or deputies, or any of them, aucthorised thereunto by such commission or commissions to be granted, as is aforesaid, privy or knowledgynge to the deliuerye of the said beues, wethers, lambs, calves, any kind of salt fish, or any kind or kinds of grain, butter, chease, bacon, connies, pigs, geese, capons, and hens, or any of them.  
And be it further enacted by authority aforesaid, that every person or persons, their deputy or deputies, or any of them which shal be by commission, or commissions, hereafter to be granted as is aforesaid, aucthorised to levy, take, or puruaye any beues, wethers, lambs, calves, swine, salt fish, or any kind or kinds of grain, butter in barrels or other vessels, chease, bacon, connies, pigs, geese, capons, and hens, or any of them, as is beforesaid, shall make a doket or brief in writing subscribed with his or their name or names, containing all and every such beues, wethers, lambs, calves, swine, kind of salt fish, kind or kinds of grain, butter in barrels or other vessels, chease, bacon, connyes, lieges, geese, capons, and hens, or any of them, as he or they shall by virtue of the said commission or commissions, leuye, take, or purvey, within any particular town, parish, or hamlet, set, lying, and being within any such county or counties, as shal be name, contained, and expressed, within the said commission or commissions, or any of them, and the same doket or dokettes, brief or brefes, faire and legeablye written and subscribed as is aforesaid, shall well and truly deliver to the said high constable, petty constable, or headboro we, or one of them, at such present time, as the said beues, wethers, lambs, calves, swine, salt fish, kind or kindes of grain, butter, chease, bacon, connies, pigs, geese, capons, and hens, or any of them, shal be delivered to them or any of them, vpon pain of forfeiture of. C. marks, of lawful money, and one yeres imprisonment as often as he shall so offend. The one moiety of which forfeiture to be to the king & queens majesties, and the other moiety to him that will sue therfore in any of the king and queens court of record, by bill, plaint, writ, information or otherwise, wherein no wager of law protection or essoign to be allowed. All which dokettes, or brefes, the said high constable, or constables, petty constable, or constables, headborowe or headboroughs, shall deliver over to the Justices of peace, at the next general sessions to be holden within any of the said counties. And that the same iustices or two of them, may and shall from time to time certify the whole number and content of all and every the said dokettes and brefes, to the lord steward of the king, and queens most honourable household for the time being, or to the Treasurrer & controller of the same, of any of thē, or to the Treasurer & controller of the king & queens ships, yf provision of any the things aforemencioned be provided or taken, for the vyctaylyng of the navy, or any of the king or queens majesties ships, whereby the serving of any of the foresaid Commission or Commissions, and true aunswerynge of the same shall fully appear.  
provided always and be it enacted by thaucthoritie aforesaid, that it shal not be leaful to any person or persons, their deputy or deputies, or any of them, which shalbe aucthorised by such commission or commissions, hereafter to be granted as is aforesaid, to levy, take, or purvey, any beues, wethers, lambs, calves, any kind of salt fish, kind or kinds of grain, butter in barrels or other vessels, chease, bacon, connies, pigs, geese, capons, and hens, or any of them, otherwise, or in any other fort and maner, then is in several statutes heretofore for purueyours made, ordained, provided, appoynted, limited, and expressed, vpon such pain and pains, as in the said several statutes is contained and expressed.  
And for as much as the good and necessary laws heretofore made and provided against the abuses and evil doings of purueyours, are not taken to extend to the undertakers, deputies, & servants of any such purueyours, by whom therfore the people of this realm be oft entymes very uncharitably and unlawfully used and oppressed.  
Be it therfore enacted by the authority of this present parliament, that all and every such laws, statutes, and provisions, as heretofore haue been made and ordained against purueyours, and all and every the pains, penalties, forfeiture, and loss, contained, mentioned, or appointed, in any of the same laws or statutes against purueyours and takers, or any of them, shal also be extended & executed vpon every of their undertakers, deputies, and servants. And all other which by colour shall after the first day of January, next coming, take any victual or any other thing, by virtue or force of any such commission, from any the king and queens majesties Subiectes, contrary to the tenor and effect of any of the said laws, or statutes, in like maner and form to all intents and purposes, as the same laws and statutes, or any of them, and the pains and forfeitures therein contained, should, might, or ought to be executed & extended against purueyours & takers themselves or any of them. And as strongly & amply, as yf the said undertakers deputies, & servants were specially and perticulerlye recited and name in every of the same statutes.  
provided always and be it enacted by thaucthoritie aforesaid, for the better execution of this act and all other acts concerning purueyours, that all and every commission and commissions that from henceforth shabe made and granted unto any purueyour or purueyours, shalbe written and set forth from time to time in the Englishe tongue, and not otherwise.  
God save the king and the queen.   

excusum LONDINI IN aedibus johannis CAWODI TYPOGRAPHI REGIAE MAIESTATIS. Anno. M.D.L.V.   

Cum pruilegio ad imprimendum solum.