❧ By the King.  Royal blazon or coat of arms.  
A Proclamation for the well storing, and furnishing the realm with corn.  
THe Kings most Excellent majesty, observing that in the times of dearth, His loving Subiects,( especially the poorer sort,) are pinched with the great want and deere prices of corn, and that the Treasure of the kingdom, in those times is much exhausted, in providing of corn from foreign parts; and again, that in the times of plenty, the farmer and Husbandman, by the low prices, and want of vent of their corn, are hardly able to support their necessary charge, nor the Landlord to uphold his rent: And foreseing, as well by reason, as by the example of foreign Nations, that these things may not onely in some good measure bee remedied, but also diuers benefits procured unto the Common wealth,( as the increase of Tillage, better venting of Our native commodities, strength to Our Shipping, and breeding of many Mariners) by erecting magazines of corn, which in times of scarcity, may serve to keep down the price of foreign corn, and in times of plenty, may keep up the price of Our home corn, at such reasonable rates, as will well maintain the Husbandmans labour, and hold up the Gentlemans rents: Hath commanded the Lords of his majesties privy counsel, not onely to take the same into their own serious consideration, but to understand the opinion of diuers Gentlemen of quality and knowledge, and of the ablest,& best experienced Merchants: All which having been carefully, and effectually performed, His majesty, vpon deliberate advice with his privy counsel, hath resolved, and doth hereby signify his royal pleasure, that magazines of corn shall, and may bee erected, by such Merchants and others, as shall be willing to adventure therein, in the Ports, and places hereafter mentioned: That is to say, London, dover, Portsmouth, tribulation, bristol, Excester, Plymouth, Ipswich, lin, Yarmouth, Hull, york, Newcastle, Chester, Lerpoole, and Hauerford west, and in all the Shire towns of the realm. And to the intent the said magazines, may be stored with convenient provision of corn; His majesty is pleased, that it shall, and may bee lawful, to and for any the Merchants, or other the Subiects of this his realm, to import from foreign parts such quantities of corn, as to them shall seem good, to be stored, and laid up in the said magazines, paying to his majesty onely the customs and Subsidies due for the same, according to the present book of rates, as hath been heretofore accustomend to be paid, and no otherwise.  
And further, that all and every person, and persons shall, and may, buy and provide within this realm, for the storing, and furnishing of the said magazines, such quantities of English corn, as to them shall seem good, at such times onely, as the most usual prices of English wheat shall bee, under thirty two shillings the quarter, English rye under eighteen shillings the quarter, and English Barley under sixteen shillings the quarter, respectively, in the Counties where the same shall vee bought and provided. And for the better encouragement of such, as shall adventure in the said magazines, His majesty is well pleased, that all such foreign corn, as shall be thither brought, may be freely sold and transported into any the parts beyond the Seas, being in League, or amity with his majesty, so as, at the time of such transportation, the rate and most usual price of English corn in the three next adjacent Counties unto the said magazines, whence such transportation shalbe, do not exceed forty shillings the quarter of wheat; twenty six shillings eight pence the quarter of rye, and twenty shillings the quarter of Barley, respectively. But whensoever the said several prices of corn shall exceed the rates last above mentioned, then all foreign corn shall bee stored and kept within the said magazines, and shall bee sold and vented onely within this realm, for the provision of the same, and not else where.  
And when as the most usual rate of English corn shall be under thirty two shillings the quarter of wheat, eighteen shillings the quarter of Rye, and sixteen shillings the quarter of Barley; Then no foreign corn shall bee sold within this realm, for any other purpose and intent, but onely to bee stored, and laid up in the said magazines, or to bee transported into the parts beyond the seas, as aforesaid,( paying the due customs and subsidies for the English corn) to the intent, the price of English corn may bee held up, at some fitting proportion, for the benefit of the Farmor, and Husbandman, and that such corn, so to bee transported, may produce, and return a proportion of coin, for the replenishing of the Treasure of this kingdom. And his majesties pleasure is, that no person, or persons, doing any thing according to the tenor of this his royal Proclamation, shall bee therefore troubled, molested, or disquieted, by any action, suite, or information, vpon any Law, or Statute touching the engrossing, or transporting of corn, or other penal Law to that purpose made; His majesty in his grace and favour to his Subiects, and for the public good, being contented to dispense with the penalties, and forfeitures thereof, in all the particulars above mentioned; but against all other offenders, not hereby dispensed with, the said laws, and Statutes shall be put in exact execution. And his further pleasure is, that all such foreign corn, for which the dueties first above mentioned, shall be paid vpon importation thereof, shall bee freed from the payment of any custom, subsidy, or Impost, whensoever the same shall bee again exported by the first importer thereof, or by any other person, whether the property thereof bee altered, or not altered before the exportation thereof. And for avoiding all deceit, and abuse, contrary to the true meaning hereof, His majesties will and pleasure is, That no corn hereafter be transported as foreign corn, but vpon oath made in the customhouse of the port, out of which the same shall bee transported, that the same corn did not grow within this realm: And that exact Registers, and books bee kept in every several Port, of all corn, as well imported, as exported, and of the several quantities thereof, and how much thereof is foreign, and how much English corn, and by whom the same shall be either imported, or exported, and this to bee done freely without any fee or charge for doing thereof. And that it shall clearly appear, that His majesties intention herein, is onely the good of His Subiects, His majesties express pleasure, and command is, that all Iustices of Peace, in every of the several Shires of the kingdom, shall haue special care, that in case any abuse, or inconvenience shall grow by any of these magazines, then presently to advertise the Lords of His majesties privy council thereof, that present redress may be of any inconvenience that shall happen.  
given at the Court at Whitehall, the seven and twentieth day of December, in the one and twentieth year of Our reign of Great britain, France and Ireland.  
God save the King.   

¶ Imprinted at London by Bonham Norton, and John Bill, Printers to the Kings most Excellent majesty. M.DC.XXIII.