❧ By the King.  
¶ A Prohibition for alum.  
james by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting. Whereas wee haue always held it one of the most just and necessary cares and considerations incident to the State and Office of Kings and sovereign Princes, so to dispose of their people and government, as the knowledge and use of good and profitable arts and inventions may become common and frequent amongst their people, the same being one of the greatest means to increase and preserve the wealth and strength of State and people, Considering how contrary effects labour and idleness do produce, the one making kingdoms great and flourishing, the other always bearing the marks of beggary and contempt: Forsomuch as some of our good and loving Subiects of our realm of England, haue of late to their great charge,& no less commendation, found out and made proof of sundry Mines in our county of york, for the making of alum, a merchandise of great necessity and use sundry ways for all our Dominions, and haue so well and commmendably proceeded therein, that they are at this time able to make sufficient store of alum, not onely to serve for the use and expense of all our said kingdoms, but also within short space to afford and spare great quantities thereof, to bee every year transported for the use and service of other our neighbour kingdoms and Nations: And whereas the said persons, who by their skill and industry haue effected so good and great a work,( so often failing vpon other attempts) haue willingly and freely offered and yielded up the said alum Mines into our hands, vpon such Conditions as haue given them full contentment and satisfaction, all men being able to judge that a matter of that consequence, and wherein so many of our people should bee interested, was more fit for us to take into our own hands, then to leave the same in the power of private men: Wee haue now thought fit for the said considerations, and many other, to give order to our treasurer of England, and our chancellor of our Exchequer, to take the whole work into our possession, and for that purpose haue made choice of two of the same persons, that managed the same works before( being both of trust, skill and experience) to deal for us, as our general and special Factors and Agents, for the whole ordering of the said works in time to come. And albeit that by means of the alum made and to bee made within our said realm, we shal receive great hindrance by being deprived of such customs and other Duties, as formerly haue been usually paid unto us and our predecessors Kings and Princes of this our realm, for and vpon that commodity imported: Yet to the intent our Subiects shall not bee any way wronged, but in all points carefully respected and duly provided for in that commodity, Wee haue( out of our royal and tender care of our Subiects good) given express order and commandement, that our said Agents shall provide and cause to be provided, and at all times, and from time to time hereafter haue in their custody, in some fit and convenient Store-houses, both within the city of London, and within every other city and port town of the same our realm of England, as shal be thought fit and appointed, sufficient quantities of alum, and that from the said Store-houses, all and every our people and Subiects shall and may from time to time, buy and haue thereof by lesser or greater quantities at their pleasures, so much good and serviceable alum, as they or any of them shall at any time require, and at such rate and price to be indifferently appoynted to be paid for and vpon every hundred weight of alum so to be sold and delivered as aforesaid, as shall not give any just cause of discontent to any of our loving Subiects.  
These are therefore to require and command, all and singular person and persons whatsoever, as well our natural born Subiects, as Denizens or Strangers, That none of them, nor any other person or persons whatsoever, do at any time or times hereafter attempt or presume to bring or cause to bee brought into these our realms of England, Scotland or Ireland, or any other our Dominions, or any the Ports, havens, Creeks, or places of any of them, any alum in greater or lesser quantities, made or to be made in any foreign part or place whatsoever, vpon pain of forfeiture of all and every quantity and quantities of alum so brought or caused to be brought into our said Dominions, contrary to this our present commandement: The one moiety therof to be to us, our Heires& Successors, and the other moiety to such person or persons as shall make seizure of the same: and also vpon pain of our high indignation and displeasure, and of such further pains, penalties and punishments, as for the contempt of our commandement royal in this behalf may any way be inflicted vpon them, or any of them so offending. And we do also further require and command all& singular the Officers of our customs within all and every the Ports of the same our Dominions, and the creeks and members of the same Ports, that they and every of them do from and after the date hereof at all times, forbear to take any entry or entries, and to take and make any composition for any custom, subsidy, or other duty, for or vpon any alum brought or to bee brought into any our Dominions from any foreign parts, and also that they and every of them( whom it doth or shal coucerne) do stay and seize as forfeited& confiscatted to the use and uses aforesaid, all and singular such foreign alum, as from and after the date hereof shalbe by any person or persons whatsoever, brought into any Port or Creeke of the same our Dominions, vpon pain of forfeiture of their Offices, and of undergoing our high indignation and displeasure, with such further pains and punishments, as for the same their contempts or defaults may any way be inflicted vpon them and every of them in this behalf offending.  
given at our Mannour of Greenwich the nineteenth day of June, in the seventh year of our reign of Great britain, France and Ireland, and of Scotland the two and fortieth.  
God save the King.   

❧ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent majesty. ANNO DOM. 1609.