royal blazon or coat of arms ❧ By the King. ¶ A Proclamation for the well ordering and settling the Manufacture of Soap, under a Rule and Government.  
WHereas We have heretofore declared by sundry Proclamations, Our Princely care for the advancement of the native Commodities of Our Kingdoms, the employment of many of Our poor people, and for the reformation of diverse former Abuses, in making and uttering of Soap, to which end We have reduced the manufacture thereof under the rule and government of the Society of Soapemakers of Westminster formerly established by our letters Patents: And have notwithstanding found by daily experience that many factious and refractory persons, forgetting the natural duty and obedience which they own to our Royal Commandments, have not only frequently disobeyed the same, but have also studied and practised diverse new ways to hinder the due and orderly managing of so necessary a Work, and thereby to frustrate Our good and gracious intentions towards Our loving Subjects, for remedy whereof, and for the better preventing, and suppressing the practices of such malicious persons in their lewd attempts: We have resolved, with the advice of Our Privy Council, to settle and establish the manufacture of Soap under a rule and government.  
We do therefore hereby straightly charge and command, that no person or persons, of what quality or condition soever, other than such who are, or shallbe free of the Company of Governor, Assistants, and Fellows of the Society of Soap makers of Westminster, or such who shall make Soap, by, and under the rule and government of the said Company, do at any time hereafter presume to make or suffer to be made, any kind of Soap, or do make, prepare, or draw, or suffer to be made, prepared, or drawn, any Lees for the making of any kind of Soap whatsoever, in their private houses, or do make, prepare, or draw, or cause to be made, prepared, or drawn, any Soap, or Lees, in any other place, or places whatsoever, either for their own use, or otherwise, upon pain of forfeiture of all such Soap and Lees, respectively, and such further punishments as may be inflicted upon the contemners, and breakers of Our Royal Command and Authority.  
And We do hereby Authorise, Require and Command the said Governor, Assistants, and Fellows of the said Society of Soapemakers of Westminster, their Agents, Officers, and Servants, that from time to time they cause diligent search and inquiry to be made in any place or places whatsoever; as well within Liberties as without, for all, or any Soap, of what kind soever, that is, hath, or shall be made, sold or vented, as also for all or any Lees made, prepared or drawn, or which shall be made, prepared or drawn by any person or persons whatsoever, and not by and under the rule and government of the said Society, and all such Soap and Lees respectively to take, seize and carry away, And afterwards to destroy the same, or otherwise to reboil or amend, to make them useful and serviceable.  
And because the said Governor Assistants and Fellowship of Soapemakers are forced to be at excessive Charges by employment of several men in searching, seizing and other discovery of Soap made or put to Sale contrary to the Tenor of this and other Our former Proclamations; We are therefore well pleased that the said Company shall reward their Informers, Agents and Seizers of such Soap and Lees with or out of the same or part thereof, or the benefit that shall be made thereof.  
And We do hereby also straightly charge and command that no person or persons whatsoever, either Our own natural borne Subjects, Denizens, or Strangers, Merchants, Artificers or any other, do hereafter import or bring in, or attempt to import or bring into this Our Kingdom of England or Dominion of Wales from Our Kingdoms of Scotland or Ireland, or from any foreign parts any manner or kind of Soap hard or soft whatsoever, upon pain of forfeiture of all such Soap to be so imported, and such further penalties and punishments as in cases of like nature are usually inflicted upon the contemners of Our Royal command and authority.  
And for the better performance and execution hereof; We do further charge and command all and singular the Officers of Our Customs within all and every the Ports and Havens of Our said Kingdom and Dominions, and the Creeks and members thereof, as also within Our Cinque Ports and the members thereof, that they and every of them do not only forbear to take any Entry or Entryes or give any Bill or Warrant for unlading or landing of any Soap prohibited as aforesaid; but do also cause Seizure and stay to be made thereof to Our use upon pain of forfeiture of his or their Offices respectively, & undergoing Our heavy displeasure and such other punishments as their neglects and contempts herein shall be found to deserve.  
And we do hereby further straightly charge and command all Grocers, Salters, Chandler's, retailers of Soap and all others that deal in Soap, that they presume not to receive, keep, buy, utter, use or spend any Soap of what kind soever but that which is or shall be made by the said Governor, Assistants and Fellows of the said Corporation, or by and under their rule and government, and that no person or persons other then by and under the rule and government aforesaid, do presume to make, prepare, draw or sell any Lees for the use of making any Soap, upon pain of forfeiture of the said Soap and Lees respectively, and also upon pain of incurring Our heavy displeasure, and such punishment as their contempt in that behalf shall demerit.  
And whereas the Governor, Assistants, and Fellows of the Society aforesaid, by their Searchers and Subordinate Officers do usually meet with and find persons of mean and needy condition, who are employed by other men of better ability and estates, thereby disguising themselves in making of Soap, and drawing of Lees, not under the Rule and Government of the said Corporation;  
We do therefore hereby further declare that the Owners, Lessees, and Inhabitants of all and every such house and houses, where any such Soap shall be made, or Lees made, prepared, or drawn by any person or persons whatsoever, not by, and under the Rule and Government of the said Corporation, as well as the owners of such Soap and Lees, shall be proceeded against in Our Court of Star-chamber, as contemners of Our Royal pleasure and Command.  
And for the better discovery of all and every the said Offenders, We do hereby Authorise, Will, and Command the said Governor, Assistants, and Fellows of the said Society, their Officers, Ministers, and Servants, to enter into any Houses, Cellars, Shops, Warehouses, or other places whatsoever, and there to search, seize, take and carry away any Soap unmarked by the said Company, or not made under the Rule and Government of the said Company, or any Lees for the making of Soap, not made and drawn under the said Rule and Government.  
And whereas We have by some of Our said former Proclamations commanded that all the Fats, Pannes, and Vessels set up, or that should be set up, or employed for the making, or boiling of Soap, contrary to the said Letters Patents, and Proclamations should be pulled up by the Owners of them, before the Feast of the Virgin Mary then next coming, and sithence past;  
Now for the better preventing avoiding and hindering the making of any manner of Soap and the making, preparing, or drawing of any Lees contrary to the Tenor and Intention of this Our Proclamation; Our Will and Pleasure is, and We do hereby straightly charge and command the said Governor, Assistants, and Fellows of the said Society of Soapemakers of Westminster, their Agents, Officers and Servants, to break, deface, or destroy all Pans, Pots, Lee-Tubs, Fats, Cisterns, and other Vessels, employed and set up, or that shall be employed or set up, for making of Soap, or for making, preparing, or drawing of Lees to make Soap in any house or houses, or other place or places whatsoever, as well within Liberties as without, by any person or persons whatsoever, not free of the said Society of Soapemakers of Westminster, or such persons who shall make Soap, or draw Lees, by and under the Rule and Government of the said Company.  
And We do hereby straightly charge and command all Majors, Sheriffs, justices of the Peace, Bailiffs, Constables, Headboroughes, and all other Our Officers, Ministers and loving Subjects whatsoever that from time to time without excuse or delay they readily and diligently attend and give their aid and assistance in the due and full execution of all and every the premises, when they shall be thereunto required.  
And We do withal hereby require Our Attorney general, that from time to time he carefully proceed in our court of Star-chamber against all or any such person and persons that shall presume to offend or not yield obedience to Our Command in the premises.  
Given at Our Court at Whitehall, the five and twentieth day of january in the tenth year of Our Reign.  
God save the King.   

❧ Imprinted at London by ROBERT BARKER, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty: And by the Assigns of john Bill. 1634.