CR  
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  
DIEV ET MON DROIT.   royal blazon or coat of arms  
❧ By the King.  
❧ A Proclamation to declare and publish His Majesty's resolution, to ascertain His Revenue, by granting His Lands holden aswell by Copy, as otherwise in Fee-farm.  
WHereas at Our access unto the Imperial Crown of this Realm, We found the Treasures thereof exhausted, the Revenue of Our Lands much diminished, and yet a great mass of Debts lying upon Us, & a daily charge, which in an ordinary course must be borne for the support of Our Honour, and a more than extraordinary charge for the necessary defence of Our Kingdoms, We being embarked in a War at Our first coming to the Crown: And when We entered into a serious consideration of the several parts of Our Revenue, We found them much too short to maintain Our ordinary Expenses, much less the extraordinary, which are nevertheless unavoidable. To the end therefore, that We might be fully and truly informed of the present state of Our Revenue in every part thereof, and of the burden which lieth upon it, and so be better enabled, for the future, to dispose and settle the same in such an order, as that We might with more comfort manage Our Estate, We thought it fit to make choice of some Persons of quality and experience, to be Our Commissioners for Our Revenue, and they to take into their especial care and considerations, by what just and honourable means, We might retrench all undue or unnecessary Charges, issuing out of Our Revenue, or Coffers, and how to advance and improve such parts thereof, as might admit of an improovement; which Our Commissioners having returned to Us an Account of their pains from time to time in this Our Service, We find by them that the casual profits of Our Lands, either by Fines for Leases, or Copyhold Estates, Herriots, Reliefs, or therwise, have, Communibus annis, yielded to Us, or Our Crown, in diverse years passed, but a small Sum, nor is like to do in many years yet to come; And yet out of the same there are issuing diverse Annual Fees and Payments, amounting in the whole to a great yearly value.  
We therefore, by the advice of Our said Commissioners, intending to reduce Our Revenue to a more certainty, and to improve our yearly Rents in those places where it may conveniently admit of such improovement, to abate Our unnecessary charge issuing thereout, and yet to raise a present Sum of Money towards the defraying of those great expenses, which for the public defence of Our people and Kingdoms We cannot avoid, and for the supply whereof, We are resolved to spare nothing which lieth in Our power, and for the satisfying of those just debts, which daily cry in Our ears, have resolved, and by these Presents do declare and publish Our Resolution to all Our loving Subjects whom it may concern, That We will grant in Fee-farm, all, or any of Our Honours, Manors, Lands, Tenements, Woods, & other Hereditaments, both in the Survey of Our Exchequer, and of Our Duchy of Lancaster, aswell such as are held by Copy, as by Lease, Custody, or otherwise, & aswell such as are yet in the hands of Our Commissioners when We were Prince, as other our Lands in Mortgage, (which We purpose forthwith to redeem) those Manors & Lands only excepted, which are parcel of Our Duchy of Cornwall. And to this end We purpose forthwith to nominate certain persons under Our Great Seal of England, to be Our Commissioners, to whom We will give full power and authority, for Us, and in Our Name, to treat and conclude with any persons, for any parts thereof, aswell Quillets and Parcels, as entire Manors, at, and for such increase of Rents, or Fine, or both, as they in their good discretions shall think fit, and agree upon: And We have thought good thus to publish Our Pleasure and Resolution herein, that the present Tenants of Our Lands, and all other Our loving Subjects may take notice thereof, and may know whither, and to whom to make their repair for this purpose; To which end We will appoint Our said Commissioners to attend this Our Service on the twentieth day of September next, and so from time to time thence forward, at the Chamber, commonly called the Painted Chamber, in Our Palace at Westminster, whither Our pleasure is, that all such of Our Subjects, as shall be desirous to purchase any of Our said Lands in Fee-farm, as aforesaid, shall resort to make their agreements accordingly. And because this Our Resolution may take that effect which We desire and expect, Our Will and Command is, that from henceforth, until Our further Pleasure be known herein, no Estate or Lease by Copy or otherwise, be renewed, granted, or altered by any, but by Oursayd Commissioners only.  
Given at Our Court at Nonesuch, the thirteenth day of August, in the second year of Our Reign of Great Britain, France, and Ireland. God save the King.   

¶ Imprinted at London by Bonham Norton and john Bill, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. M.DC.XXVI.