Seasonable orders offered from former precedents whereby the price of corn, with all sorts of other grain may be much abated, to the great benefit of all, especially the poor of this nation. Published for the general good.

Orders to be observed by such as shall be appointed to serve the Markets with Corn for the Relief of the Poor People first.

YOu shall bring, or cause to be brought weekly so many Quar∣ters or Bushels of Corn, as Wheat, Rye, Barley, Mault, Pease, Beans, or other Grain, or so much thereof as shall not be di∣rectly sold to the poor Artificers or day Labourers of the Parish within which you dwell, by order of the Justices of the Peace of the Division within which you dwell, or two of them, to the Market of _____ _____ there to be by you, or at your assignment sold unto the Queens Subjects in open Market by half quarters, two Bushels, one Bushel or less, as the buyer shall require of you, and not in greater quantity, except it be to a Badger, or Carrier of Corn admitted ac∣cording to the Statute, or to a common known Brewer or Baker, ha∣ving testimony under the Hand and Seal of such two Justices of the Peace at the least of the Division, or of a Major or other head Of∣ficer of the City, Town, or Borough Corporate where he dwelleth, that he is a common Brewer or Baker within the same: or to such other person as shall make provision for any Lord Spiritual or Tem∣poral, Knight, or any other Gentleman that hath no provision of Corn, so as the same person have and shew unto such person as shall have the oversight of the Market in that behalf, testimony under the Hand and Seal of the party for whom he cometh to the Market to make that provision, declaring that it is for the provision of his house, and containing the quantities and kinde of Grain to be pro∣vided: And you shall not willingly leave any part of your Corn so brought to that Market unsold, if money be offered to you for the same, by any that are permitted to buy the same, after the usual price of the Market there that day, as long as the Market shall last.

No Corn brought to the Market unsold, to be carried out of the Town.

Neither shall you from the beginning of the Market, to the full end thereof, keep or cause to be kept any of your said Corn out of the open sight of the Market: neither shall you carry away from the Market Town any kinde of Grain that was brought thither which you have not there sold, but shall leave the same there in the Mar∣ket

Town in some place known, so as it may be brought into the open Market the next Market day at the first opening of the Market, there to be sold as afore was limited. And yet nevertheless, you shall bring to the Market such other quantity of Grain as shall be limi∣ted, and so continue at every Market day the bringing into the open Market, the quantity of Corn that shall be limited.

None to buy such kinde of Corn as they shall bring to sell, but by warrant upon reasonable cause.

Also you shall not buy any manner of such Grain as we shall ap∣point you to sell, from this day forwards, but upon very special and necessary cause to be allowed by us, until such time as all and every such manner of Grains as we at this time shall appoint you to sell, be according to our appointment and order by you sold. And if you shall not sowe so much this year as the Jury hath presented that ye intend to sowe, or if you now have, or shall have knowledge, or shall guess hereafter at any time, either by thrashing of the Mowe or Shocks or otherwise, that ye have more store of any manner of Grain, then the Jury hath presented unto us: that then ye shall forthwith upon such knowledge thereof had, make true relation thereof unto us, or unto two of us, both what portion of your seed Corn shall be left unsown, or what further quantity you shall per∣ceive you have, then was at the first presented.

That so soon as you perceive you spend not after the rate of so much Corn as we have limited unto you for the finding of your house, ye shall make true report unto us or two of us, how much less ye spend.

No Corn to be bought for to sell again.

Ye shall buy no Corn to sell it again, neither shall you by any co∣lour directly or indirectly, appoint any your servants, or any other person to be a Badger of your Corn, other then to carry your Corn to the Market there to be sold as your own, without changing of any property.

No Corn to be bought but in open Market.

Ye shall neither buy or sell any manner of Corn, but in the open Market, unless the same be to some poor Handicraftsmen, or day-labourers within the Parish wherein you do dwell, that cannot con∣veniently come to the Market Towns, by reason of distance of place, according to such direction as shall be given unto you in that behalf by us the Justices of the Peace of that Division within which you do dwell, or two of us, and to none of these above one Bushel at a time, and thereof you shall keep or cause to be kept a particular note in writing to whom you shall so sell weekly, and at what pri∣ces, so as the same may appear to the Justices to be done without fraud or abuse.

Inquiry to be made against Ingrossers.

That the Justices of the Peace within their several Divisions have regard that Ingrossers of Corn be carefully looked unto, and inquisi∣tions to be made for knowledge of them, so as they may be severely punished according to the Law: And where such are found, to make Certificates, their names and dwellings, and of the proofs to the Queens Majesties Atturney general for the time being, who is di∣rected speedily to enform against them for the same▪ and to see that none be permitted to buy any Corn to sell again, but by special Li∣cence, and that of all manner of Licences by Justices of the Peace or by any other Authority, the parties that shall have such Licenses, shall cause an entry to be made in the books of the Peace remaining with the Custos Rotulorum, or the Clerk of the Peace; for entry whereof the party shall not pay above two pence, and thereof the Custos Rotulorum, or the Clerk shall keep a good Register to be shewed to the Justices, whensoever they shall require the sight thereof.

Regard to the Bakers for keeping of the size of Bread.

That they take order with the common Bakers for the baking of Rye, Barley, Pease, and Beans for the use of the poor, and that they appoint special and fit persons diligently to see the people well dealt withal by the common Bakers and Brewers in all Towns and places in their Weights and Assizes, having also regard that the Deputies of the Clerk of the Market do not abuse themselves in unlawful exacti∣ons for Weight and Measure, and effectually to enquire for and search

out the default therein, and thereupon to give order for punishment of the offender severely, according to the Law: and where any no∣table excessive offence shall be in the Bakers, to cause the bread to be sold to the poorer sort under the ordinary prices, as in part of pu∣nishment of the Baker.

No Badger to buy Corn but in open Market, and with a sufficient License in Writing.

That no Badgers of Corn, Bakers, or Brewers, buy any Grain, or commune or bargain for the same, but in the time of open Markets, and that but by Licence under the hands of the Justices of the Divi∣sion where they do dwell, or three of them, and that they weekly bring their License with them to the Market where they do either buy or sell, or else not to be suffered to buy any: And that the Licence contain how much Grain, of what kinde, and for what place they are licensed to buy and carry, that there be set down upon the Licence in writing, the day, place, quantity, and price at which the Corn is bought, that they take but measurably for the carriage, baking, and brewing thereof, that they shew their books weekly to such as the Justices of the Division wherein they dwell, shall appoint for that purpose being no Bakers or Badgers of Corn, and that those within every eight dayes make report to the Justices of the Division where∣in they dwell, how the people are dealt withal by the Badgers, Ba∣kers, and Brewers, and that such as have sufficient to live on, or that are known to be of any common evil behaviour, be not permitted to be Badgers of Corn, of which sort commonly the report is that there are too many, and therefore the same would be remedied and foreseen: Also that no Badgers be permitted but such as the Statute doth limit, and that no servant of any be licensed to be a Badger, except six of the Justices at the least shall in open Sessions for some necessary cause allow any such, and that none at all be allowed a Badger, except he be allowed in open Sessions, and not to be, as it is in many places, abused for gain of the Clerk of the Peace, or a Ju∣stices Clerk, granted without allowance of the rest of the Justices in their open Sessions. And furthermore, that none be permitted to buy or provide Corn in the Market in Gross, as a Badger, or Baker, Brewer, or Purviour and such like, upon pain of imprisonment, until one hour or more after the full Market be begun, that the poor may be first served.

Some Justices to be present in the Market, to see the Poor re∣lieved upon reasonable Prices.

That the said Justices, or two or one of them at the least in every Division, shall be personally present at every market within their several Divisions, during the whole time of the Market, to see the orders to be taken by the authority hereof to be well observed, and the poor people provided of necessary Corn, and that with as mueh favour in the prices, as by their earnest perswasion of the Justices can be obtained. By this it is not meant to charge any Lord of Par∣liament, being a Justice of Peace, to attend upon any such service in any Market, otherwise then it shall be with his own good will: but in all other causes tending to the execution of these orders, it is hoped that every person of any estate, will readily give advice and assistance.