BY THE Lord Lieutenant and Council. A PROCLAMATION For publishing an Act of Parliament, entitled, An Act for the advancement of the Trade of Linen Manufacture, and for remitting the penalties already thereby incurred, and for enlarging several periods of time in in the said Act contained.  
ORMONDE,  
WHereas in and by one Act of Parliament lately passed in this His Majest. Kingdom of Ireland, entitled, An Act for the advancement of the Trade of Linen Manufacture, it is declared and enacted in these words following, [Whereas the Advancement of the Trade of Linen Manufacture in this Kingdom, would very much conduce to the public good thereof, May it therefore please Your Excellent Majesty, That in Order thereunto, it may be Enacted, and be it Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority thereof, That no person or persons whatsoever, having any estate or interest in any Lands in this Kingdom, shall at any time after the first day of May, in the year of our Lord, One thousand six hundred sixty and six, set or let to any person or persons, any Cottage or , upon any Lands not being within any City or Suburbs thereof, or any walled Town; in this Kingdom, unless the person or persons to whom such Cottage or  upon any Lands not being within any City, or Suburbs thereof, or any walled Town in this Kingdom, unless the person or persons to whom such Cottage or  shall be so set or let, shall therewith hold one Acre of Land at least, of Plantation Measure, containing One and twenty foot to the Perch, and shall after the first day of February, One thousand six hundred sixty and six, yearly sow one Eighth part of such Acre of land with Hemp or Flax, upon pain that every Landlord setting or letting any such Cottage or , without covenanting with his Tenant to sow one eighth part of such Acre of Land yearly with Hemp or Flax, shall lose and forfeit the sum of Forty shillings sterling for every such default; And also every such Tenant who shall not sow one eighth part of such Acre of land with Hemp or Flax yearly, shall lose and forfeit the sum of Ten shillings sterling for every such default: And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all and every person and persons, who after the First day of February, in the year, One thousand six hundred sixty and six, shall blow or till any quantity of lands in this Kingdom, shall for every Thirty Acres of the measure aforesaid, which he or they shall so till or blow, sow, or cause to be sowed, half an Acre of land of like measure, with Flax or Hemp, and so proportionably for a greater or lesser quantity of land, upon pain that every person, who after the said first day of February, shall blow or till Thirty Acres of land, and shall not sow half an Acre thereof, of the measure aforesaid, with Hemp or Flax (as is above mentioned) shall lose and forfeit the sum of Five pounds sterling, and upon pain that every person who shall after the time aforesaid, plough or till any lesser quantity of land of the measure aforesaid, and shall not sow Hemp or Flax, according to the aforesaid proportion, shall lose and forfeit the sum of Three pounds sterling for every such default. And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That after the Four and twentieth day of June, in the year, One thousand six hundred sixty and six, no Linen Cloth shall be woven in this Kingdom, which shall not be at the least Three quarters of a yard broad out of the Loom, And that from and after the first day of February, in the year, One thousand six hundred sixty and six, no Linen Cloth under the aforesaid breadth of Three quarters of a yard shall be bought, sold, or exposed to sale in any place within this Kingdom, and that every person in this Kingdom, who after the respective times aforesaid shall wove, buy or sell, or expose to sale, any Linen Cloth under the aforesaid breadth, shall lose and forfeit for every such piece of Cloth so woven, bought, sold, or exposed to sale, the sum of Twenty shillings. And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That at every Lent Assizes to be yearly held in every County within this Kingdom, for the space of Twenty years from the time of the passing of this Act, the sum of Twenty pounds sterling shall be by the Grand jury of every County, applotted upon the several Baronies of every such County, and upon the several Parishes in every County of a City in this Kingdom, except only the County of Dublin, and County of the City of Dublin, and County of Kerry, wherein the said Applotment is to be made at the next Sessions of the Peace that shall be yearly held after Easter in the said Counties, and a copy of such Applotment made within four days after the end of such Assizes or Sessions, shall be by the respective Clerks of the Peace of each County delivered to the respective Sheriffs of every such County wherein such Applotment shall be made, under the hand of such Clerk of the Peace, or his Deputy, under the penalty of the sum of One hundred pounds to be forfeited to His Majesty by every Clerk of the Peace neglecting the same, And that every Sheriff of every County of a City in this Kingdom, shall according to such Applotment so delivered unto him, or in default of such Applotment yearly made, according to the last Applotment that was thereof made by the Grand jury of the said County wherein he shall be Sheriff, equally and indifferently raise and levy the said sum of Twenty pounds, out of the several Baronies, Parishes, Lands and Tenements in his County, so as to have the same ready at the next Summer Assizes yearly in the several Counties of this Kingdom, except the County, and County of the City of Dublin yearly, and so as the respective Sheriffs of the said County, and County of the City of Dublin yearly, have the same ready at the next Sessions of the Peace to be held in the said Counties after Trinity Term yearly; And for the better encouragement of all persons employed in the Manufacture of Linen Cloth, to excel each other in the Improvement thereof, Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That at the said Summer Assizes and Sessions aforesaid, it shall and may be lawful for all and every person and persons in this Kingdom, to bring unto the said Assizes and Sessions any such pieces of Linen Cloth, as have been made in the County wherein such Assizes or Sessions shall be holden, of the growth, spinning, weaving and bleaching of the said County, which said pieces of Cloth shall contain Thirty els at the least in the length, and one yard at the least in the breadth out of the loom, And that the said Grand jury shall consider of the fineness and goodness of the several pieces of such linen cloth which shall be so brought unto them, and shall be made appear before them to have been made in the County for which the said Grand jury shall serve, and shall adjudge which are the three finest and best pieces of such linen cloth, And also which of the said Three pieces is the best and finest, and which the next thereunto, and which is the worst of the said Three pieces, and shall set down their judgements concerning the same in writing, and present the same unto the Court, to be there approved on. And after such judgement and approbation so had and given, the Sheriff of the said County shall out of the said Twenty pounds (so by him raised in manner abovementioned) forthwith in open Court (sitting the Court) pay, or cause to be paid to the person who brought the best and finest of the said pieces of linen cloth, the sum of Ten pounds sterling, and to him who brought the piece which shall be next thereunto in goodness and fineness, the sum of Six pounds sterling, and to him who brought the worst of the said three pieces, the sum of Four pounds sterling, upon pain that every Sheriff making default in any of the said payments, shall lose and forfeit the sum of One hundred pounds sterling, And after such judgement and approbation had and given concerning the said pieces of linen cloth, the said three pieces which shall be so adjudged and approved of to be the finest pieces, shall in open Court (sitting the Court) be cut in two equal moieties, so that the same may not be made use of again upon any such occasion in any succeeding year, and immediately redelivered to the person that brought the said cloth into Court. And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the sum of Six thousand pounds be raised out of, and levied in and throughout the several Cities, Towns and Counties in this Kingdom, to be rated, taxed, assessed and levied in and throughout the said several Cities, Towns and Counties in this Kingdom, in such manner, and after such proportions, and to be paid by such persons, ways and means, and at such times as both Houses of Parliament, now assembled in this Kingdom, shall agree upon, and set down and appoint; And in case the said Parliament shall be dissolved before such apportionment shall be by them made, that then it shall and may be lawful for the Lord Lieutenant, Lord Deputy, or other chief Governor or Governors of this Kingdom for the time being, and Council, to cause the said Six thousand pounds to be raised and levied in and throughout this Kingdom, in such manner, and after such proportions, and to be paid by such persons, ways and means, and at such times, as the said Lord Lieutenant, Lord Deputy, or other chief Governor or Governors of this Kingdom and Council, shall think fit, the same to be levied by way of Distress. And to the end and purpose, that with the said moneys so raised a Bleaching yard be purchased, containing about four acres of Land, of One and twenty foot to the perch, in some commodious place in each of the four Provinces of this Kingdom, and a Stone or Brick wall of convenient height, may be erected about the same, and some River in several streams may be made to have its course through each Bleaching yard, And that Tenements may therein be erected to receive and contain such poor people, or idle vagrant persons and beggars, as shall come or be sent thither to work, by the justices of Peace of the said several Provinces, who are hereby authorized to send thither any idle vagrant persons and beggars, although the said Bleaching yard be not erected within the County wherein they are justices of Peace, and that a convenient number of Calendars may there have house room and employment; And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful for the said Lord Lieutenant, Lord Deputy, or other chief Governor or Governors, and Council of this Kingdom for the time being, to employ a person or persons skilful in bleaching and calendering, who shall bleach all linen cloth that shall be brought, at such rates, not exceeding one penny for each Ell, as shall be by them appointed and set down, and secure and stand to the hazard of all linen that shall be there brought to him or them, and shall there give entertainment to a competent number of Weavers, that they may bring up poor children there in weaving, and other Employments relating to the said Linen Trade, and compel the sturdy Vagrants that shall by the justices of Peace be sent thither to work, as to them the said Weavers shall seem meet, And for the better effecting and compassing of the aforesaid ends, it shall and may be lawful for the said Lord Lieutenant, Lord Deputy, and other chief Governor or Governors and Council of this Kingdom for the time being to proceed in all matters aforesaid, in such manner, and by such ways and means, and to employ therein such persons, and grant to them such Commissions and Instructions, as to them shall seem most expedient, for receiving of the said Six thousand pounds, and for the purchasing, building and preparing, and ordering of the said Bleaching yards, and such other things, as may most con●u●e to the better carrying on of the said work. And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all Weavers in this Kingdom, who shall use no other Trade besides the said Trade of weaving, shall for the space of seven years from the passing of this Act, be freed from serving in any juries, or bearing any other Offices in this Kingdom, which they themselves shall not be willing to undergo. And be it Enacted, That all the fines and penalties aforesaid, excepting the fines and penalties charged on Sheriffs, shall be divided in manner following (viz.) the one moiety to the use of His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, and the other moiety to the use of any that will inform for the same, and as to the said fines or penalties charged on Sheriffs, one third part thereof to be to the use of His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, one other third part to be to the use of the poor of the County wherein such Sheriff shall be Sheriff, and to be distributed to the poor in such way and manner, as the justices of Peeace of the respective Counties shall appoint, and the other third part to be to the use of the person or persons that shall inform for the same, In which several Informations, no Protection, Essoyn or Wager of Law is to be admitted; And that the judges of Assize, justices of the Peace at their Sessions, and all and every Officer and Officers within Cities and Corporate Towns, having Authority to be justices of Peace, or of Gaol Delivery within the said Cities and Corporate Towns, shall and may lawfully inquire, hear and determine all and singular the premises fineable as aforesaid.]  
And whereas We the Lord Lieutenant have received His Majesty's Letters dated at His Court at Whitehal the Twelfth day of December, in the Eighteenth year of His Majesty's Reign 1666. wherein His Majesty hath signified, That whereas in one Act of Parliament lately passed in His Majesty's Kingdom of Ireland, entitled, An Act for the advancement of the Trade of Linen Manufacture, there are several Penalties, Fines and Forfeitures mentioned and expressed, many of which are already incurred, and more are hereafter likely to incur, before His Majesty's Subjects can have notice of what is required from them by the said Act, or sufficient warning can be given unto them to conform themselves thereunto, whereby great trouble and prejudice is likely to happen to many of His Majesty's good Subjects in this Kingdom, if the 〈◊〉 Penalties, Fines and Forfeitures should be levied, His Majesty therefore for the ease of His 〈◊〉 herein hath thought fit, and in and by His said Letters hath given unto Us His Lieutenant, full power and authority, by and with the advice of His Majesty's privy Council in this Kingdom, from time to time as We His Majesty's said Lieutenant shall find occasion, to dispense with, mitigate or discharge all or any of the said Penalties, Fines and Forfeitures in the ●●●d Act mentioned or expressed, as well for the time past as to come, in such manner, and for ●●ch time as We shall think fit.  
Now to the end His Majesty's Subjects may partake of His Majesty's grace and favour intended towards them in and by His said Letters, We think fit hereby to declare, That all such Penalties, Fines and Forfeitures mentioned in the said Act, as have incurred before the date hereof, shall be, and hereby are absolutely remitted and discharged; And We do further declare, That as to the several times appointed by the said Act for the several matters ensuing (viz.) for the setting of Cottages, etc. the ploughing, and tilling, and sowing of Land with flax, the making of all linen  (which shall be woven or sold) of the due breadth and length appointed by the said Act, as also the applotting and raising of moneys in the several Counties of this Kingdom, and in the respective Counties of the Cities of this Kingdom, and touching the payment & issuing of the same by the respective Sheriffs, the said several & respective times shall be, and hereby are enlarged severally, for the space of one whole year, to commence from the several and respective times which are particularly set down for doing of the same, in and by the said Act. And We do hereby require all persons concerned, to take notice of the respective Periods and Inlargements of time hereby limited, and to do, perform and execute all such matters and things touching the premises, within the respective times hereby limited for doing of the same, according to the several rules, orders and directions prescribed in the said Act, as they will answer the contrary at their perils, and avoid the Fines, Penalties and Forfeitures which may befall them for not observing the same.  
Given at the Council Chamber in Dublin, the 22 day of February, 1666. 

Ja. Armachanus.  
Meath.  
Fra. Aungier.  
Mich. Dublin. Canc.  
Arran.  
Kingston.  
Ossory.  
Dungannon.  
Robert Forth.  
Roscomon.  
Hen. Midensis.  
Theo. Jones.   
 GOD Save the KING.   

Dublin, Printed by John Crook, Printer to the Kings Most Excellent Majesty, and are to be sold by Samuel Dancer in Castlestreet. 1666.