royal blazon or coat of arms  
¶ By the King.  
¶ A Proclamation for the well ordering of the silk Trade, throughout England, &c.  
WHereas vpon discovery of some notable abuses in the false dying of silk, which had crept in vpon the Trade, by the fraud and couetize of some ill disposed persons; whereby besides the injust increase of the weights, the silk was weakened and corrupted, and the colour made worse, to the great abuse of us and our subiects, and to the apparent overthrow of the whole Trade, if the same should not haue been prevented: Wee taking into Our Princely consideration the many benefits that do redound to Our loving subiects, by the importation of raw silk from foreign parts, and working the same into Manufactures here at home, whereby multitudes of Our poor people are daily set on work and maintained, though to Our own loss; did heretofore by Our public Proclamation given at Our Court at Farnham, the ninth day of August in the sixth year of Our reign, utterly forbid the use of all such deceit, and falsity in the dying of silks, and for the present did thereby prescribe some rules to be observed, for the preventing of the like abuses thereafter, until vpon serious and mature deliberation by the advice of Our council, Wee should bee able to make a more absolute reformation.  
And whereas, Wee finding by experience vpon other Trades, that this so great and good a work was not thoroughly and perfectly to bee done and performed by any other way, then by a Corporation to consist of those persons and members thereof, who having knowledge in the several Trades or Mysteries of working, and dying of silk, could best take timely notice of and discover the several deceits and abuses, which otherwise would from time to time be attempted, and used therein vpon mature consideration, did thereunto incline as unto the way tending to the increase of the said Trade, and maintaning the estimation thereof( which We much desire,) And thereupon by Our Letters Patents, bearing date at Westminster, the twentieth day of May last did constitute, ordain and declare, that the persons therein name, being persons using the Trade of buying, selling and working of silk, Gold, and silver thread, and the several Manufactures thereof, and their successors should for ever hereafter be one body politic, and corporate by the name of the governor and Company of Silkmen of London, for the well ordering of the silk Trade, throughout the kingdom of England, thereby giuing them full power and authority, to make, ordain, and establish all, or any such laws, Statutes, Acts, Orders, Constitutions and ordinances, for the good government, order and rule of the said governor and Company, and every or any of them; As also all and singular other subiects of us, Our Heires and Successors, residing within Our kingdoms of England, Ireland, and Dominion of Wales, and intermeddling with, or in any wise using or exercising the Art, Trade, or mystery of a Silke-man selling, or working of silk, gold, or silver thread, or Manufactures made of them, every, or any of them, as to them should seem meet and convenient, for the taking away, punishing and preventing all present and future abuses, that then had or at any time then after, should or might arise or grow vpon the said Trade, in the throwing, twisting, dying, mixing, weaving, working or selling of silk, or silk wears, or Gold, or silver thread, or in the several Manufactures made of them, every or any of them; and also all other abuses whatsoever, from time to time growing or arising vpon the said silk Trade. And the same Statutes, laws, Acts, Orders, Constitutions and Ordinances so had and made, to put in ure and execution accordingly, and at their pleasure to revoke, repeal and dissolve the same, or any of them: which Letters patents We were the rather inclined to grant, for that We reposed special trust and confidence in those of the said Company, for the well ordering of the said Trade, and taking away the abuses used therein.  
And whereas at the time of the publishing of the foresaid Proclamation, because it was then conceived these nine colours, Viz liver colour, Deroy, tawny, Purple, French green, Gingerline, Deere colour, orange colour or light Russet, could not bee dyed without some increase of weight more then other colours, and thereupon more allowances of weight and remedy, were thereby prescribed to those colours, then to all others.  
And forasmuch, as it hath lately appeared unto us, by the humble Petition of the governor, and Company of Silke-men aforesaid, that vpon several solemn debates and trials, by them made, four of those colours, viz. French green, Gingerline, Deere colour, and Orrenge colour may be dyed, without any increase of weight other then all other colours haue, And the rest, viz. Light Russet, liver colour, Deroy, tawny, and Purple, without so much increase as was thereby allowed, and that a certain weight as was then set, cannot safely bee continued vpon any of those colours, in regard some silks will be boiled down to twelve Ounces, and others but to twelve Ounces and a half, or near thirteen Ounces, and yet by colour thereof, not onely those colours, but a multitude of others under their names, may be dyed up to thirteen Ounces and a half, and thereby near an Ounce in every pound unjustly gained; and that thereupon the said governor, and Company according to the power given unto them, by Our said Charter, Haue the second day of August last made an Ordinance, That whatsoever silk should bee found, to bee thereafter heavy dyed, either by not being fully discharged of the gum or increased in the weight, by the ingredients in the dying, above the true nature of the silk itself, and what the best and lightest die must necessary add to make the colour good, firm, and beautiful, that all such silk so dyed above the true nature thereof, wheresoever the same should bee found, should, and must be burned and destroyed; which they first published their general Court, and after sent for the silk Dyers and their journey men, and haue caused the same to bee openly red unto them; yet in regard of the certain weights, set by the said former Proclamation vpon dying of the said Colours, many of them fear not to disobey the said ordinance though the same were made by men expert in that trade vpon sundry trials first had, and for preventing of the said abuses and wrong done to our people thereby, without a due observance of which, and all other the good ordinances and orders from time to time to bee made, the reformation which hath been desired and intended cannot bee effected: And therefore humbly prayed that out of Our tender care of the good prosperity of our said people in the Trade,& that the said governor and company may bee more readily obeied in all places and in all the ways of the reformation as occasion should from time to time require, We by our royal Proclamation would be pleased to declare that we haue reposed special confidence in the care and industry of the said governor and Company, and to command obedience and assistance therein and thereunto from all persons whom it may any way concern, according to the tenor and true meaning of our said Charter.  
Now to the end that none of our loving Subiects may pretend ignorance of Our royal Pleasure in that behalf, but that what Wee haue prohibited and commanded by our said Charter or by Our former Proclamation may be fully known and published and accordingly observed and obeied, Wee do therefore hereby straightly charge and command that no Silke-dyer do at any time hereafter use any corrupt or deceitful drugs or ingredients in dying of silks either into black or colours, whereby the weight of the silk shall or may be increased in the dying above the true nature of the silk itself, and what the best and lightest Die must necessary add to make the colour good, firm and beautiful, And that this may be so done and observed, We do hereby will and command the said governor and Company of Silkemen of London and their successors for the time being, that they from time to time diligently search for,& seize, or cause to be seized, all such silks as shall be suspected to be hereafter falsely dyed contrary to the said ordinance and this Our royal Command, and forthwith to make trial thereof, and if vpon trial thereof made, the same shall be found to exceed the weights and allowances in the said former Proclamation specified, or to be falsely died, though they be under that weight, then to cause the same to be burned, and that not onely the silk may bee burned and destroyed, but the true owner the better found out and punished.  
We do likewise strictly charge& command all our people whatsoever, in any wise using any part of the said trade, that they with constant marks, and as near as they can, differing from other mens, do mark and distinguish whatsoever goods or wears they shall sell or work, and that no man do use an others mark, whereby his own fraudes may be hidden, and the innocent brought into trouble or suspicion: And for that Wee haue been likewise by them informed that abuse and wrong may grow to our people by the making gold& silver thread and oes of false and deceitful metals, stuff and materials, Wee hereby utterly forbid the same, and do command the said governor and Company, that they likewise from time to time make diligent search to discover the same, and cause trials to be made of all such as they shall suspect, whereby the same may be found out and punished. And to the end that this Our royal Command herein be not hindered by such who being faulty may oppose themselves against the searches& trials from time to time, to bee made by the said governor and Company, and against other the Powers and Authorities granted to them, the said governor and Company, by Our said Charter.  
And to the end their Ordinances may bee the better performed, observed and kept, We do hereby straightly charge and command all and every Maiors, Sheriffes, Iustices of the Peace, bailiffs, Constables, Customers, and all other Officers and Ministers whatsoever, to be from time to time in all things, helping, aiding and assisting, to the said governor and Company, their Officers, and Ministers, and as much as in them, or any of them, whom it shall or may concern lieth, to see Our pleasure herein to bee kept, observed, and performed, as they tender Our pleasure, and will answer the contrary at their perils, and vpon such punishments as can or may bee inflicted vpon the offenders, for contempt of Our royal pleasure in this behalf.  
And We do hereby straightly charge& command, the said governor and Company, that they according to the trust reposed in them, by Our said Charter, apply themselves with all diligence, to the finding out of the deceits and abuses used in the said Trade, and of the ways and means of reformation of the same, and that they do go on to make all such further wholesome Ordinances, for the preventing and punishing of the said abuses as shall be meet.  
And lastly, because there may be at this present, diuers quantities of silk in the hands of many persons, which was dyed according to the former Proclamation, and before the said Ordinance made and published as aforesaid, which cannot be known vpon their searches, from that which hath been dyed since, whereby( if all should be taken and burned) the just may suffer with the unjust. We do therefore hereby straightly charge and command, that all silk, short skeynes, or other wise heretofore dyed into any of the same nine colours, be vented or transported out of Our kingdom, or otherwise boiled off; and discharged of the said die, before Midsomer-day next; And if after that day any such false, or deceitful dyed silk, either already so dyed, or hereafter to be dyed, contrary to the said Ordinance, and this Our royal command, shall be found in the hand of any person whatsoever, besides the punishments aforesaid, the silk itself wheresoever the same shall be found shall be burned and utterly destroyed.  
given at our Court at New-market, the sixteenth day of March, in the seventh year of our reign of Great britain, France, and Ireland.  
God save the King.   

¶ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent majesty: and by the assigns of John Bill. M.DC.XXXII.