Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 9.djvu/578

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UR Sovereigne Lord the King, Edward the fourth, at his Parliament holden at Westminster, the xx. day of January, in the xxij. yeere of his Reigne, to the honour of God, and for the wealth of his people of this his Realme, by the aduice and assent of his Lords Spirituall and Temporall, and at the request of his Commons in his said Parliament assembled, hath ordeined, and established, certaine Statutes and Ordinances in maner and forme following.



IRST, because that our Sovereigne Lord the King hath conceived by a petition made to him by his Commons, that divers Statutes and Ordinances touching the restraint of excessive apparell of the people of his Realme, were ordeined and made, and that for the non due execution of the same Statutes, his said Realme was fallen into great miserie and povertie, and like to fall into more greater, unlese the better remedie bee provided": Whereupon our said Sovereigne Lord the King, by the advice, assent and authoritie aforesaid, hath ordeined and established, that no maner person, of what estate, degree or condition that he be, shall weare any clothes of gold or silke of purple colour, but onely the King, the Queene, the Kings mother, the Kings children, his brother and sisters, upon peine of forfeiture for every default, xx.li. And that none under the estate of a Duke, shall weare any cloth of gold of tissue, upon peine of forfeiture for every default xx. markes. And that none under the estate of a Lord, shall weare plaine cloth of gold, upon peine to forfeite for every default x. markes. And that none under the degree of a Knight, shall weare any velvet in their doublets nor gownes. Nor none under the same degree weare any damaske or satten in their gownes, but onely Esquires for the Kings body, upon peine to forfeit for every default xl. s. And that no Yeoman of the Crowne, nor none other shall under the degree of an Esquire or Gentleman, weare in their doublets damaske or satten, nor gownes of chamlet, upon peine to forfeit for every default fourtie shillings. And that none under the estate of a Lord, weare any manner of woollen cloth made out of this Realme of England, Ireland, Wales and Caleis, nor weare any furres of Sables, upon peine to forfeit for every default ten pound. And also it is ordeined and stablished by the said authoritie, that no servant of Husbandrie nor common labourer, nor servant to any Artificer out of citie or Borough, shall weare in their clothing any cloth, whereof the broad yard shall passe the price of two shillings, Nor that any of the said servants or labourers, shall suffer their wives to weare any clothing of higher price then is before limited to their husbands. Nor they shall not suffer their wives to weare any reile called a kercheffe, whose price exceedeth twentie pence. Nor none of the said servants or labourers, shall weare any hosen, whereof the payre shall passe eighteene pence, upon peine to forfeit for every default three shillings foure pence. Moreouer, it is ordeined, that the Justices of peace in every Countie, Maiors, Shiriffes, Bailiffes, masters, and other chiefe officers of cities, boroughs, townes of the hue ports, and other, corporate townes within this Realme, shall have power and authoritie to enquire, heare and determine all the s aid defaults and forfeitures and every of them, to be made and had within their severall Jurisdictions, aswell by enquirie as by due examination, and the matters and causes concerning the said offences and forfeitures to determine by like proces and Judgement, and in like maner and forme before attainder in this behalfe, as is before the Justices of peace commonly vsed of trespasse done with force and Armes against the Kings peace, and after the attainder like execution. And if any matter touching any of the offences bee remooved of any of the said Justices of peace, Maior, or any other officers before named, to bee had before the King in his Bench, that then the Justices to the Pleas before them to bee holden, assigned, shall have power to award like proces and like execution, in this behalfe, as before is limited. And it is ordeined by the said authoritie, that all the said peines and forfeitures, (except such peines and forfeitures, in and for the premisses, which shail happen to be and grow within the Countie Palatine of Chester, Examshire, and the Bishopricke of Durham) shall be to the King, to be employed to the expences of his honourable house. And that such peines and forfeitures in and for the premisses within the said Countie Palatine of Chester, shall bee to' my Lord the Prince. And such peines and forfeitures in and for the premisses within Examshire, shall be to the Archbishop of Yorke and to his successours. And such peines and forfeitures in and for the premisses within the laid Bishopricke of Durham, shall bee to the Bishop of Durham and his successours. Prouided alwayes, that this Act extend, nor bee prejudiciall to or for any woman, excepted the wives and seruants of labourers. Also it is ordeined by the authoritie aforesaid, that all Ordinances and Statutes before this time made of aray and apparell, shall bee by authoritie of this present. Parliament voyd and of none effect nor force. And that this Act begin and take effect after the Feast of the Epiphanie next comming, and not before. And it is ordeined and enacted by the authoritie aforesaid, that no maner person, under the estate of a Lord, shall weare from the said Feast any gowne or mantell, unlesse it bee of such length, that bee being upright, it shall cover his privie members and buttocks, upon peine to forfeit to our Sovereigne Lord the King at every default, twenty shillings. And like examination, processe and judgement shall be therein had, as in the premisses is ordened. Provided alwayes, that this present Acte for apparell, shall not bee prejudiciall to the libertie in wearing of Cloth  and