❧ By the King.  
¶ A Proclamation for the prices of Victuals within the Verge of the Court.  
WHereas heretofore divers Bakers, Brewers, Inholders, Butchers, and other Victuallers, through their greedy desire of unlawful gain, not contented with reasonable profit in uttering and selling of Victual unto Our Subjects in the Common wealth, And specially within the Verge of Our Court, where Our Nobility, Servants and Train (daily attending upon Our person) are lodged and placed by Our Harbingers, are unlawfully exacted upon with unreasonable and extreme prices, by the said Victuallers, enhaunsing the same Victuals, horse-meat, Lodgings, and all other necessaries at a more dear price, than it was sold for (to Our common Subjects) before Our coming, And for that of late it appeareth unto Us by the Records of Our Counting house, that all the Kings of this Realm, (Our progenitors) have always had a special care to restrain the excess gaining by the aforesaid Victuallers and others within the Verge of their Courts, And also for that it further appeareth unto Us, that of late more extreme exaction is used by the foresaid Victuallers, and others towards Our servants, Train and Suitors, attending Our Courts wheresoever We make Our abode, then heretofore hath been, Nothing respecting Our Prerogative, nor the Laws of Our Realm, Therefore Our will and pleasure is, and We do hereby straightly charge and command, that all persons do obey and keep all such prices, as is and shallbe priced, asseassed, and rated by the Clerk of the Market of Our Household within the Verge of Our Court, aswell within Liberties as without; And the jury before him, or his lawful Deputy, by virtue of his Office sworn and charged from time to time, The same Rates and prices not only to be certified by Our said Clerk of the Market, or his Deputy into Our Counting house, But also fixed and set upon the Gates of Our Court, and other places within the Verge, aswell within Liberties as without; And that no manner of the person or persons aforesaid, of what estate or degree soever he or they be, do in any wise pay more for Corn, Victuals, horse-meat, Lodging or any other thing, then after the rate and form aforesaid, upon pain of imprisonment, & to be Fined with further punishment that shall thereof follow, The same pains and punishments, and every part thereof to be executed upon all those persons, and every of them which do, or shall presume to ask or demand, utter and sell any manner of thing, or things, contrary to the true meaning of this Our Proclamation. And moreover We do straightly charge and command, that no manner of person or persons, now using, or which hereafter shall use, or of right aught to use to serve any City, Borough, town or other place where Our repose & abode is, or shallbe, or elsewhere within the Verge of Our Courts, aswell within Liberties as without, with any kind of Corn or Victuals, or other necessaries, aswell upon the Market day, as at any other time, shallbe any thing the more remiss or slack for making of provision for the same, than they or any of them heretofore have been, nor use any colour of craft to deceive the buyers thereof, Nor hide or lay aside their Corn, victuals, Horsmeat, Lodgings or any other necessaries to diminish the Market, whereby Our whole Train within any City, borough, town, and other inhabitants of the same, and other Our Subjects thereunto resorting, should not be as well ferned and as plenteously furnished in every behalf as it was before, or of right aught to have been in defraud of this Our ordinance. And furthermore we straightly charge and expressly Command all Our Officers of Greencloth, Our Justices of peace, Our Clerk of the Market, his Deputy or Deputies, Majors, Bailiffs, Sheriffs, Counstables, and all other Our faithful Officers & every of them, of Cities, Burrougheses, Towns, Hundreds, and other places within the Verge of Our Court as well within liberties as without from time to time, when, and as often as need shall require, upon Complaint by any party justly made, diligently every of them within their authorities forthwith to endeavour themselves to see tough punishment, and due reformation of the premises against such person or persons as shall offend herein, according to justice and prices, as aforesaid.  
Given at Our Court of Whitehall the fifth day of November in the eleventh year of our reign of England, France, and Ireland, And of Scotland the seven and fortieth. 
 God save the King.   

❧ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. ANNO DOM. 16●3.