royal blazon or coat of arms HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT  
¶ By the King. ❧ A Proclamation for the well ordering the Trade and Vent of Wines throughout the Kingdom.  
THe King's most Excellent MAJESTY having taken into consideration the manifold abuses, in the mixtures, and falsifying of Wines, by Cooper's and others, who of late years have assumed the Trade of buying and selling of Wines in gross, and by retail, being the proper Trades of Merchants, & Vintners of the Realm, to the deceit and damage of His Subjects; and being minded to provide for reformation therein, by reducing the Trade and dealing for Wines to the Merchants and Vintners of the Kingdom according to ancient custom and right, who the eleventh day of june last have thereupon assented and agreed to answer His Majesty forty shillings upon every Tun of Wines, which they shall import or sell in gross, or by retail:  
His Majesty therefore intending the regulation of the said Trade of Wines, and the prevention of such mixtures and other frauds and abuses therein; Is pleased (with the advice of His Privy Counsel) to declare His Royal pleasure therein, and doth therefore hereby straight charge and command, that no person whatsoever, now using, or which hereafter shall use the Trade of a Cooper, shall by himself, servants, or any other for him, or to his use, from henceforth use the Trade of buying or selling of any sort of Wines whatsoever within the Realm of England, Dominion of Wales, and Port and Town of Barwick, upon pain of His Majesty's high displeasure, and such penalties and punishments as shall be thought meet to be inflicted upon the Offenders, for their contempt of His Majesty's Royal Commandment herein.  
And to the end that hereafter none but good and wholesome Wines may be uttered and sold within the Realm, His Majesty's pleasure is, that any two or more of the sworn Searchers of the Company of Vintners of London, or any other persons by them authorised under their common Seal, may enter into the Houses, Vaults, Cellars, or other places of or belonging to any Merchants, Vintners, or other Retailers of Wines within the said Realm, and there taste and try any Wines, which they shall suspect to be falsified or unwholesome, and may carry away such small quantities of the said suspected Wines, as may serve for the trial thereof.  
And whereas aswell the Merchants of London trading to Spain, as the Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading to France, and the Company of Vintners of London have severally assented and agreed to answer his Majesty forty shillings per Tun, for all such Wines of what sort soever, as they shall import and sell in gross or by retail; His Majesty therefore willeth and commandeth all His Customers and other Officers in the Port of London, and the Members thereof, that no Entries be made, or Wines landed, before a Bill of Entry be signed by such as His Majesty hath or shall appoint to receive the said duty; And that no Merchants, Mariners, or other persons His Majesty's natural born Subjects, Denizens or Strangers, that shall hereafter sell any Wines in gross to Vintners or others, shall deliver any such Wines so sold, before notice thereof be given to His Majesty's Officer in the said Port appointed to receive the said duty, and his Certificate of satisfaction for the same. And for such Wines as any Merchants or other Importers shall fail to give such notice of, His Majesty's will and pleasure is, That in such case the Merchants or Importers themselves shall answer and pay the said forty shillings per Tun, and so proportionably for every lesser quantity, at such time as His Majesty's Receiver, who is or shall be appointed in that behalf, shall require the same, whom His Majesty doth authorise to demand and receive the said duty, and to take an account of the said Merchants or Importers of Wines, to whom they disposed of the same.  
And his Majesties further will and pleasure is, that all Vintners and Retailers of Wines within the City of London, and within three miles thereof, for all such Wines as they, since the eleventh day of June last, have sold, or shall sell in Gross, or by Retail, shall answer for his Majesty's use, to such as are or shall be appointed thereunto, the said forty shillings per Tun, & so proportionably for every lesser quantity: And for the due payment thereof, his Majesty doth authorise such persons as he hath or shall under his great Seal of England, assign to receive the said duty, and their Deputies to make search in all Houses, Vaults, Cellars, and other places where any Wines imported, bought or sold, shall be, or shall be suspected to be, which ought to pay the said duty. And whereas diverse Vintners of London, and Westminster, and other Retailers of Wines in the Realm of England and Dominion of Wales, have used of late to utter their Wines in Bottles, and other unsized and unlawful measures, and at excessive rates; His Majesty's will and Pleasure is, that from henceforth no sort of Wines shall be sold in any house or other place whatsoever, in Bottles, or other unsized or unlawful measures, but only by the due and lawful measure appointed for Wines, and at no greater rates than are or shall be hereafter allowed and set for the prizes of Wines yearly, according to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm. And for the more equal balancing and regulating the said Trade of Wines throughout the whole Kingdom, and the prevention of all frauds and abuses therein, either in quality or quantity, his Majesty doth expect that all Merchants, and other Retailers of Wines in all other his Majesty's Ports, Cities, Boroughs, Towns, and places whatsoever within the Realm of England, Dominion of Wales, Port and Town of Barwick, do and shall conform themselves in all things to the order, rule and government of the Merchants and Vintners of London. And his Majesty doth further declare his pleasure to be, That no wines which shall be sold in gross in London, or within three miles thereof, shall hereafter be drawn or taken out of any Cellars, Vaults, Warehouses, or other places, by any Porters, Carmen, Cooper's, or any others, then by the Porters & persons thereunto authorized by the said Company of the Vintners of London, upon pain of his Majesty's high displeasure, and of such penalties as may be inflicted upon them. And whereas his Majesty is informed, that for want of due regulation of Trade amongst Merchants and others, trading to Spain, and the Dominions thereof, the prizes of the Wines and fruits there are much enhanced, and his Majesty's Subjects, and their Ships, and Goods are oftentimes taken by Pirates, and exposed to many dangers, through want of Consortship at Sea, his Majesty intending reformation therein, hath invested the Merchants of London trading to Spain, & the Dominions thereof, with power to select yearly nine Merchants amongst them, for the well ordering and government of their Trade both at home & in foreign parts, and for the appointing of Ships from time to time. Wherefore his Majesty doth hereby declare His Royal will and pleasure to be, and doth straight charge and command, that all his Subjects, Merchants of London trading to Spain, and the Dominions thereof, do from henceforth conform themselves to all such reasonable and lawful orders, as by the said nine selected Merchants, or the greater part of them, shall from time to time be made, for the advancing of Trade into those parts, with better regulation and safety: And this, as well under the penalties thereby to be provided, as of his Majesty's displeasure, and such punishments as shall be meet for their contempts. And whereas his Majesty hath lately granted to the Company of Vintners of London, the disposing and contracting for all Wine Licences, within the Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, and Town of Barwick; and being informed that diverse Vintners and retailers of Wines are in Arrear, both in the payment of their fines and rents due to his Majesty, whereby their Licences are become void; His Majesty's will and pleasure is, That if such as be in Arrear shall not pay their several Arrearages before the first day of November next, than it shall be lawful for the said Company of Vintners to dispose of their Licences to whom they shall think fit. And his Majesty doth further require, authorise and command, as well all justices of Peace, Mayor, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, Headboroughs, and other his Officers and Ministers, as all his Customers, Controllers, Farmers of his Customs, Surveyors, Searchers, Waiters, and other the Officers of all and every his Ports, and the members thereof, that they, and every of them, in their several Offices and Places respectively, take care that his Majesty's royal will and pleasure herein declared be from time to time duly observed, upon pain of his Majesty's high displeasure, and the penalties to ensue thereupon.  
Given at the Court at Greenwich, the 15 day of July, in the fourteenth year of his Majesty's 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. 1638.