accustomed in any other our armies and forces being in our service, such punishments as you shall thinck meete, according to the qualitie of their offences, using therein the advice of such other colonell as we shall appoint, and some convenient nomber of the captaines in the regiment of whome the offender may be a member. And, for that purpose, giving you power for the better guiding and rule of our people committed to you to execute marshall lawe, and, upon triall by an orderly court, (where necessary cause shall require) to inflict punishment of life or member upon any haynous offender. And further, we do hereby give you full power and aucthority to imploy all our subjectes, nowe by us committed to your charge, to invade, burne, spoyle, and destroy, and to doe all maner of hostile actes upon the adversaryes of our good brother the French Kinge, in whose ayde we have sent the said two thousand men; and to leade them to such services as you shalbe required by the said King, being in the feilde in his owne person or by his Lieutenant Generall of his army, not being repugnant to such instructions as you shall have from us or our counsaile for your direction in the use of this our Commission. And forasmuch as these our troupes may be decided upon occasion of imployment as the Kinge our brother shall direct them, and that we have and doe repose great trust and confidence in our servant, John Aldrige, Knight, we doe also by this ordaine and constitute him our second colonell of all our troupes, and in your absence, either by death, sicknes, or imployment elswhere, doe give him full aucthority and power to commaund and execute all thinges for our service, as you may doe by vertue hereof. And do also hereby commaunde all persons in our service to obaye him and all his directions, in as ample maner as they did before to Sir Thomas Baskervile, and are appointed nowe to you. In witnes wherof, &c. Given under our privy seale at our mannour of Greenewich, the nynth day of June, in the nyne and thirtith yeere of our reigne. THO. CLERke. SUMPTUARY LAWS. [The earliest " Act of Apparel," as it is called, was passed in 3 and 4 Edw. IV. and it was followed by 24 Hen. VIII. and 2 Ph. and Mar. On 20th October, 1559, the Privy Council of Elizabeth issued what it termed "a Decree" upon the subject; and next day, according to Lord Burghley's Memoria Mortuorum (Murdin's "State Papers," 749), a Proclamation was published, which was printed by Jugge and Cawood, and is preserved in the Library of the Society of Antiquaries. Similar enforcements of the statutes were promulgated in 1574, 1577 and 1580, and the subsequent instrument passed the Great Seal in 1597: it was, doubtless, printed, though it is not now known to exist in that state. The Proclamation of February 1579-80 may be seen in "Illustrations of the Manners and Expenses of Ancient Times in England," 4to. 1797.] ELIZABETH R. WHERAS the Queenes Matie, for avoyding of the great inconvenience that hath growen and daily doth increase within this her relm by the inordinate excesse in apparell, hath, in her princely wisdom and care for the reformation therof, by sondry former proclamations straitly charged and comaunded those in autoritie under her to see her lawes provided in that behalfe duely executed. Wherof notwithstanding, partly through their negligence, and partly by the manifest contempt and disobedience of the parties offending, no reformation at all hath followed. Her Majestie finding by experience that by clemency, wherunto she is most inclinable so long as there is any hope of redresse, this increasing evill hath not been cured, hath thought fitt to seeke to remedy the same by correction and severitie to be used against both these kindes of offendors, in regard of the present difficulties of this tyme, wherin the decay and lack of hospitalitie appeeres in the better sorte in all countries, principally occasioned by the immesurable charges and expences which they are putt to in superfluous apparelling their wyves, children and families; the confusion allso of degrees in all places being great where the meanest are as richly apparelled as their betters, and the pride that such inferior parsons take in their garments driving many, for their mayntenance, to robbing and stealing by the high waye. And yet in her graci ous disposition being willing to have that corse of punishment to be the last meane of reformation, did in the end of this last Term of the Holy Trinitie in her Highnes Court of Starre Chamber, at an assembly of divers Lords of her Privie Counsell, and most of the Judges being justices of assize, in the open hearing of many justices of the peace of all the partes of the relm, and of a multitude of her Maties subjectes there present, by way of admonition, signifie her princely determination to have (specially at this tyme) for many urgent considerations this intollerable abuse and unmeasurable disorder refourmed. And albeit her Highnes knowes how she might justly make greate proffitt, as well by the executions of her lawes standing in force for the penalties allready due, as allso against both the sayd kinde of offendors for their manifest contempts against her Maties sayd proclamations, yet her Majestie, not respecting her advantages in these cases, but seriously intending the reformation of the abuses and the common good and benefitt of all her loving subjectes by these most royall and gracious proceedinges, hath not only added by these presents such favourable tollerance and qualifications to such poyntes of the former lawes that be most agreable to this tyme, and easy and necessary to be observid, without charging eyther kinde of the said offendors for any offence already paste, unlesse it be against such as shall heerafter offend or not observe the speciall partes and braunches of the lawes now standing in force and articles hereafter followenge, accordinge to such toleration and moderation thereof as ys hereafter expressed and set downe. That is to say, For Men's Apparell, Her Matie doth streightly charge and commaund that none shall weare in his apparell, Cloth of gold or sylver tissued Silke of coulour purple > Under the de Sgree of an Erle. Except Knightes of the Garter in their purple mantels onely. Knightes of the Garter. Except Privy Counsellors to the Queenes Majestie. Of gold or sylver, or and sylver, with gold and silk, with Gilt or damasked Under the degree of a Baron's sonne. Gentlemen in ordinary office attending upon her Matie in her howse or chamber. Such as have been employed in ambassage to foreyne princes. Such as may dispend ve markes by the yere for terme of lyfe in possession above all charges. And Knightes for wearinge onely of And likewise Captaines beinge in her 2 K Gentlemen in ordenary office attendinge uppon her Matie in her howse or chamber. Such as have been employed in am- Except The sonne and heir apparent of a Captaines in her Maties paye. And such as may dispend celi by the yere for terme of lyfe in possession above all charges. |