By the right Honourable the Lords, Commissioners for the Office of Earl Martial of ENGLAND.  
THe King's most Excellent Majesty being informed of many great abuses, offered to the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom, aswell by the sinister practice of certain mechanical Tradesmen, as Painters, glaziers, Stone-cutters, Carvers, and many other Artificers, trading in Armoury, who presuming, without authority, to intermeddle with the marshalling of Arms, the erecting of Monuments, whereon Arms are to be fixed, Coats quartered, due differences to be observed, being mysteries of Honour and out of their element, by reason whereof many great errors are daily committed, to the great offence and prejudice of our ancient Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom, and to the breeding of many ambiguous doubts and questions, which may happen in their Descents and Issues in future times, as also by a general neglect of the Nobility and Gentry themselves, in the omission of Funerals, and other ceremonial Rites heretofore used, which are now almost or altogether laid aside. For remedy of which abuses and neglects, his Majesty out of his Gracious and Royal disposition, so much tendering the preservation of the good estate of his said Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom, esteeming them the principal Pillars of this Land, who in all former Ages have been thought fit to be distinguished from the vulgar and meaner sort and rank of people, and thereby have been respected and renowned throughout all Christendom: Hath commanded us his Commissioners for the Office of the Earl Martial of ENGLAND, to look into the aforesaid abuses and neglects: whereupon, we the said Lords, Commissioners, (viz. EDWARD, Earl of Worcester, Lord Keeper of his majesties Privy Seal; LODOVICK, Duke of Lenox, Lord Steward of his majesties Household; GEORGE, Marques of Buckingham, Master of his majesties Horse; CHARLES, Earl of Nottingham, Lord high Admiral of England; WILLIAM, Earl of Pembroke, Lord Chamberlain of his majesties Household; and THOMAS, Earl of Arundel) having taken due and considerate deliberation of the Premises, and finding that by reason of the daily abuses and neglects aforesaid, that not only his majesties Office, but also his Officers of Arms, the King's Heralds and Pursuivants, being Officers of Honour, whose chiefest support and maintenance hath ever depended upon the performance of the said Funeral Rites and Obsequies of the Nobility and Gentry of this Land, taking at all such times Certificates of the Matches, Issues, and times of Decease of the Estates aforesaid, with their Arms, which of right they ought to bear, without wrong doing to any, and from whom his Majesty henceforward will expect a more strict account then of late time hath been had. By Virtue therefore of his majesties Commission to us directed under the great Seal of England, bearing date the seventh day of February, in the fifteenth year of his majesties Reign of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the one and fiftieth, Do order, decree, and ordain, that aswell for the good of the said Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom, as otherwise, That from henceforth all Noble men, Baronet's, Knights, Esquires, and Gentlemen of eminent Place, Office, Birth, and Quality, that shall be either silently buried in the Night time by Torchlight, or otherwise, by Day or Night time without the attendance of an Officer of Arms, shall nevertheless immediately after the death and burial of every such Defunct, return a true Certificate of the Matches, Issues, and times of Decease, with their Arms, which of right they bore, for the which they shall pay into the said Office of Arms, such Fees as we have and do hereby set down and appoint, viz. Every GENTLEMAN, using Funeral Scutcheons at his burial, three pounds six shillings and eight pence, and using none, forty shillings. Every ESQUIRE of Coat Armour, six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence. Every KNIGHT, ten pounds. Every BARONET and BANNERET, thirteen pounds, six shillings and eight pence. Every BARON and BARONESS, that aught to have a great Banner and Bannerols, five and twenty pounds. Every BISHOP, five and twenty pounds. Every VISCOUNT and VICOUNTESSE, thirty pounds. Every EARL and COUNTESS, five and thirty pounds. Every MARQVES and marchioness, forty pounds. Every DUKE and DUCHESS, five and forty pounds: and, Every ARCHBISHOP, five and forty pounds. All which said several sums of Money, are to be paid to the said Officers of Arms, or their Assigns, being orderly demanded after the burial of every such Defunct, by the Heirs, Executors, or Administrators, of all and every Persons of the degrees aforesaid. The which Certificates and Fees, if they shall refuse to return and pay, We shall, upon complaint made by the Officers of Arms, to us, or to the Earl Martial of England for the time being, take such further order therein, as shall be thought meet and expedient for the accomplishment of his majesties commandment. And further, We the Lords, Commissioners aforesaid, do straightly charge and command all the said Officers of Arms, which now are or hereafter shall be, to take a true Certificate of the Matches, Issues, and times of Decease of all the Estates aforesaid, with the Arms, which of right they ought to bear, without wrong doing to any (they paying such Fees as are before set down by these Presents) and likewise, the like Certificates of all Gentlemen, whose estates exceed not on● thousand Marks, to enter them as exactly as the rest, paying no Fees at all, which Certificates shall be truly and carefully Registered, and safely kept in a fair Book in the Office of Arms, as an authentic Record, which in future time may determine and end many questions that hereafter may arise, as by many examples of late times have been seen. Provided always, that if any of the inferior degrees abovesaid, viz. Knights, Esquires, or Gentlemen, shall pretend poverty or disability, and shall make the same appear by Petition unto the Earl Martial of England, or the Lords, Commissioners for the said Office for the time being, such order shall be taken therein, as that the Gentlemen shall be relieved, and the Office of Arms satisfied. Nevertheless, if any of the degrees aforesaid shall require to have their Funerals honourably solemnized with heralds attendance, and such other ceremonies as have in former times been used, that then they shall pay all such Fees as heretofore have been accustomed. And for remedy of the former gross abuses, which are daily committed by Painters, that keep open shops of Armoury, and do devise and give forth Arms at their pleasures, assuming the names of heralds Painters for their more countenance therein: We do order and will, and in his majesties name straightly charge them, and every of them, aswell within the City of London, as in all other Cities and Countries within this Realm, that from henceforth they presume not to paint any Arms upon Coaches, or elsewhere, or Funeral work, or to make or paint any Descents or Pedigrees, or give any trick of Coats of Arms out of their Books and Shops for any of the Estates aforesaid, without the allowance and approbation of the Kings of Arms, to whom it doth chief appertain. And for remedy of such abuses as are committed by Masons, which commonly make Tombs and Monuments, and do engrave divers Arms and Matches, and set forth in their Inscriptions false Genealogies with vain and frivolous Titles, setting up Coronets upon some unfitting and impertinent to the qualities of the person whom they demonstrate: We charge them also and every of them, by the immediate authority which we hold from his Majesty, and do thereby order, that they shall not from henceforth engrave, or cause to be engraven, painted or set forth any Arms, Genealogies, Epitaphs, or Inscriptions, or make any Monument, without it be first seen and allowed by the Kings and Officers of Arms whom it doth concern, the Copy whereof with the form of the Monument, to be drawn and entered into a Book, which Book shall be called, The Book of Monuments, and be kept in the Office of Arms for ever, to the end if ever afterward any thing should happen to be added or diminished, or the Monument translated or defaced, as many are and have been, yet the truth may appear by the said Register Book. And whereas we are further advertised, that divers glaziers, Goldsmiths, Cutters, gravers, and Carvers, and other Artific●rs, do usually paint in Glass, grave in Metal, and cut Seals of Arms, carve in Timber, and such like divers Arms, Coats, and Crosts, without any warrant or knowledge of the same to be true and justifiable, to the great wrong and prejudice of many Noble and ancient Families of this Kingdom. We do hereby order likewise, and in his majesties name straightly charge and command them and every of them, and all other Artificers whatsoever, to forbear to paint in Glass, cut Seals, or otherwise grave in Metal, or carve in Timber or otherwise, any matter of Armoury, before the draft thereof be first seen and allowed by the Kings and Officers of Arms, whom it shall concern, unless it be of the Nobility whose Coats and Quartering are eminent and well known, or such of the ancient Gentry as have been formerly viewed, approved, and allowed by the Provincial Kings of Arms, in their several Visitations, within their Provinces.  
Given under our Hands and Seals, the tenth day of November, in the sixteenth year of his majesties Reign of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the fifty two, At WHITEHALL. Anno Domini 1618. 

E. Worcester.  seal HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  
Lenox.  seal HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  
G. Buckingham.  seal HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  
Nottingham.  seal HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  
Pembroke.  seal HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  
T. Arundel.  seal HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE