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<DATE>5-12-11</DATE>
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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<BIBNO T="umi">99851954</BIBNO>
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<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<PB REF="3" MS="y">
<HEAD>A true declaration of the &s;tate of the Manufacture of gold and &s;iluer Threed, from the beginning of the making thereof here in <HI>England,</HI> vntill this pre&s;ent.</HEAD>
<P>AFter many trials for the making of gold and &s;iluer Threed, time at la&s;t made di&s;couery thereof according to the maner of <HI>Millain</HI> in <HI>Ita|ly,</HI> where it is thought to be one of the mo&s;t beneficiall my&s;teries in that Nation, con&s;i&s;ting of &s;o many parts, imploying by computation 40000 per&s;ons, wherewith they haue heretofore &s;erued Chri&s;tendome, and thereby enriched them&s;elues.</P>
<P><HI>Henry</HI> the 4. of <HI>France,</HI> a Prince as well prouident in peace as warre, had &s;uch a &s;ence thereof, that be&s;ides his princely patronage, hee gaue 60000. French Crownes to helpe their proceedings, which by his vntimely death came not to perfection.</P>
<P>The laudable practi&s;e hereof, together with apparant hopes of benefit, both to the vndertakers and the State, (the commoditie not being worth in the Materialls the one moitie it was v&s;ually &s;old for, leauing the re&s;t behind where it was made) was a iu&s;t motiue to vndertake the &s;ame, whereby the profit might rather accrew to our &s;elues, then to forreigne Nations, viz. that which v&s;ually co&s;t 5 <HI>s~.</HI> 6. <HI>d.</HI> is not worth aboue 2 <HI>s~.</HI> 8 <HI>d.</HI> or thereabouts the re&s;t being gained by the Manufacture, and therfore was &s;et on foote the 8. yeare of the King.</P>
<P>The labour was difficult, dangerous, and &s;o chargeable to be effected, that the aduenture required a time of priuiledge, to recompence the Indu&s;try of tho&s;e that vndertooke the &s;ame; wherefore it plea&s;ed his Maie&s;tie at the &s;uite of the late Lord <HI>Io. Harrington</HI> the elder, and the Counte&s;&s;e of <HI>Bedford,</HI> to grant a Pattent for the &s;ole exerci&s;e thereof for a time.</P>
<P>In the pa&s;&s;ing of which Pattent, 3. e&s;peciall things pre&s;ented them&s;elues to the con&s;ideration of the State, which were referred to the exami|nation of the Lord Trea&s;urer <HI>Salisbury</HI> and others. Fir&s;t, whether it had been a former Trade here or no. Secondly, the con&s;umption of Bullion. And la&s;tly, his Maie&s;ties Cu&s;tomes.</P>
<P>For the Fir&s;t, by report of Gold&s;miths, Imbrotherers and Silkemen, it was not found to be any former Trade.</P>
<P>For the con&s;umption of Bullion, it was &s;uppo&s;ed that the benefit of the Trade far oueruallued that con&s;umption.</P>
<P>For the maintaining of his Maie&s;ties Cu&s;tomes, the Pattentees gaue &s;ecurety, and paid accordingly.</P>
<P>This Pattent continuing vnder the&s;e examinations and tryalls almo&s;t one whole yeare pa&s;t the 9. yeare of the King, with approbation, and &s;o continued vntill the 13. without oppo&s;ition, by which time per&s;ons employed, who were many, and of &s;euerall quallities, comming to &s;ome rea&s;onable perfection, by chargeable experience to the Pattentees, were for a greater recompence enticed, and imployed by &s;trangers and others in corners, hauing by this time found out cauells again&s;t the Kings Grant, for want of words which being heard at a Councell Table, was ouer ruled, and a new Pattent granted with more ample words, the better to expre&s;&s;e his Maie&s;ties plea&s;ure, and a Proclamation publi&s;hed to this effect, which gaue a pre&s;ent &s;hew of remedy, but fell out otherwi&s;e: for that this Trade comming to a further veiw of perfection, cer|taine Gold-wierdrawers for purls, plates, oes, &s;pangles, &amp;c. being free of the Gold&s;miths Company, layd a title or claime thereto as a part of their Trade, and although before the Lord Chancellour <HI>Elle&s;mere,</HI> and others of his Maie&s;ties Priuy Councell and Commi&s;&s;ioners they were heard, and determined not to intermedle, they cea&s;ed not to continue either to make the commoditie, or to prepare the Materialls in drawne wyer, to &s;ell to poore people of a de&s;perate condition, who venting the &s;ame dayly to Silke-men and Lace-makers for pre&s;ent ready money, were forced to &s;ell their labours &s;o cheape, as vrged their nece&s;&s;ities to &s;eeke for new &s;euerall fraudulent deui&s;es for benefit, which hath &s;ince dayly increa&s;ed. So this mi&s;chiefe increa&s;ing, and the error in beleeuing in the valliditie of the Kings Grant, and not con&s;idering the great benefit of the meane&s;t &s;ubiects liberty, inforced vs to &s;eeke new wayes of remedy, by executing of warrants and Commi&s;&s;ions, wherein they either ex|ceeding, or not proceeding with that di&s;cretion and iudgment as was requi&s;ite, drew on many &s;euerall complaints to the la&s;t Parliament, who conceiuing them iu&s;t agrieuances both in matter and maner, the Pattent by his Maie&s;tie <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 span"> was condemned, but the Manifacture it &s;elfe by rea&s;on of the Parliaments &s;udden di&s;&s;olution left vnregulated, by which meanes the abu&s;es no wayes dimini&s;hing, but rather in|crea&s;ing, and the inconueniences of the great wa&s;t of Bullion more plainely appearing: his Maie&s;tie with the Lords and others of his Priuy Councell taking it into their con&s;ideration, vpon mature deliberation, thought the mo&s;t pre&s;ent remedy was vtterly to &s;uppre&s;&s;e the &s;aid Trades, and all vnlawfull melting and fining of gold and &s;iluer, according to a Statute in the raigne of <HI>Henry</HI> the 7, and other Statutes both formerly and &s;ince to that effect. But this prohibition by his Maie&s;tie and the Lords was &s;o farre from taking any effect either in the Finers obedience, who are the maine offendors, or in the inferior workers, by rea&s;on of continuall buyers and receiuers of the commodity, as it grew vp to a far higher inconuenience then euer, and was impo&s;&s;ible to reforme by &s;uppre&s;&s;ion, the multitude being &s;o great of inferior nece&s;&s;itated people: the con&s;ideration hereof moued his Maie&s;tie and the Lords to compa&s;&s;ionate the cau&s;e, and vpon the humble petition of diuer&s;e conformable per&s;ons then in exerci&s;e of the &s;aid Manufacture, a Charter of Incorporation was granted vpon the&s;e en&s;uing propo&s;itions.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>For the regulating of the gold and &s;iluer thread bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, and to giue a remedy to the inconueniences, (a&s;well by con&s;umption of Bullion thereby, as by other v&s;es of the like nature ari&s;ing) be&s;ides the lo&s;&s;e that may be of his Maie&s;ties Cu&s;tomes by that to be made here, your Lord&s;hips humble petitioners vndertaking the &s;aid Manufacture, humbly de&s;ire con&s;ideration and allowance of the propo&s;itions following. viz.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. To haue a Corporation, and allowance of power conuenient to examine, find out, and puni&s;h the abu&s;es a&s;well in others, as tho&s;e of the &s;ame Companie, practi&s;ing the vnlawfull melting and fining of gold or &s;iluer, for the making of gold or &s;iluer thread, and drawing of wier for that or any other v&s;e what&s;oeuer, as for purles, plates, oes, &s;pangles, for damasking and inlaying wyer, for wyer for cloth of gold and &s;iluer, and &s;uch like: and to haue power to make lawes and orders among&s;t them&s;elues as in that ca&s;e is v&s;uall, and to &s;uppre&s;&s;e all others that are not allowed to be of the &s;ame Company.</P>
<P N="2">2. That one place onely be appointed and authorized, and that within the Tower of London, or in the Hall of the &s;aid Company, whe|ther all &s;uch &s;iluer ought to be brought, to be prepared or made fit to be &s;old for the making of gold or &s;iluer wyer for all the afore&s;aid v&s;es, that the quantety may appeare what is yearely expended.</P>
<P N="3">3. That a Standard be appointed of the fine&s;&s;e of Sterling money, with the remedy of two penny waight.</P>
<P N="4">4. That his Maie&s;ties &s;worne Officer or Officers keepe a true accompt of all &s;uch &s;iluer or gold brought in, and deliuered out for any of the&s;e v&s;es, and to make and keepe an A&s;&s;ay of the true fine&s;&s;e and goodne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="5">5. That in ca&s;e of di&s;couering any per&s;on making ba&s;e or counterfet &s;iluer for thread, or any of the other v&s;es, to the abu&s;e of his Maie&s;ties &s;ubiects, and in contempt of his Maie&s;ties Proclamation: they humbly de&s;ire puni&s;hment of the offendors in the Starchamber for example to others.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>And the better to effect this.</HEAD>
<P N="6">6. That his Maie&s;tie may be plea&s;ed to grant Proclamation again&s;t all other Finers then in the Tower or Hall of the &s;aid Company, and to prohibite all the making, venting, buying or &s;elling of gold and &s;iluer thread made here vn&s;ealed, and all &s;uch wyer made here, for any of the afore&s;aid v&s;es: and to prohibit the preparing of all or any maner of materialls, and things for the making of gold and &s;iluer thread, other then &s;uch as is to &s;erue to the end of this Corporation.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Which propo&s;itions on his Maie&s;ties behalfe being performed, they &s;hall be enabled, and doe on their behalfes promi&s;e the performance of the&s;e en&s;u|ing Articles.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. To giue &s;ecurity to his Maie&s;tie, to be taken by the Lord Trea&s;urer and Chancellor, for the time being to make appeare by &s;ub&s;tantiall proofe, the good effect in the performance, that after one &s;ixe moneths fir&s;t allowed them for proui&s;ion and &s;tore, they will yearely bring in before hand &s;o much Bullion from forreigne parts to the Tower of London, and conuert the &s;ame into the Currant coyne of the kingdome, as &s;hall be expended on tho&s;e v&s;es, for which a true and exact accompt is to be kept.</P>
<P N="2">2. That each per&s;on of the Corporation will giue bond to his Maie&s;ties v&s;e, and at his admittance into the Company &s;hall take oath not to v&s;e or buy any &s;iluer at all for any of the v&s;es afore&s;aid, but that which he &s;hall buy in the Tower of London.</P>
<P N="3">3. They doe further offer to pay his Maie&s;tie, in con&s;ideration of the lo&s;&s;e of cu&s;tome that may ari&s;e by the &s;aid Manufactures and other|wi&s;e, &s;ixe pence vpon euery ounce of gold and &s;iluer wyer they &s;hall haue occ&s;ion to v&s;e for any of the afore&s;aid v&s;es, and to pay foure pence for the Seale vpon euery Marke or pound of thread.</P>
<P N="4">4. They doe not de&s;ire to prohibit any forreigne commoditie of that nature, being brought in by way of trade, except it &s;hall proue ba&s;e or counterfit, then the &s;ame to be forfeited.</P>
<P N="5">5. And they farther humbly de&s;ire, that vpon performance of the premi&s;es at the expiration of the time limited, and giuing new bonds, their old bonds may be deliuered vnto them againe.</P>
<P>The&s;e Letters Pattents of Incorporation had beginning in Iune la&s;t, with power to make orders according to the v&s;uall cour&s;e of that kind, wherein were incorporated neere to the number of 100. per&s;ons, as principalls to imploy others, who were thereby pre&s;cribed to enter bond of 100 <HI>l.</HI> a peece to his Maie&s;tie, and be&s;ides to take oath.</P>
<P>All which whole number, (except one deceitfull old woman, and one that was her Seruant) tooke the &s;ame oath accordingly, and three other by their example refu&s;ed to enter into bond, rather ie&s;ting with an oath, then aduenturing to be bound to that they had already &s;worne to: the&s;e being ob&s;tinate in their owne wayes, entending fraud from the beginning, and neither expecting dutie to his Maie&s;tie or the Lawes, or conueniences of the weale publique, practi&s;ing by &s;ini&s;ter wayes and &s;ecret vndi&s;cernable cour&s;es by all po&s;&s;ible meanes to bring all backe into confu&s;ion, that they might againe returne to the cour&s;e of vnlawfull melting and fining of gold and &s;iluer, to be conuerted to any of the forbidden v&s;es, by who&s;e former and latter example all other irreguler per&s;ons are incouraged pre&s;umptuou&s;ly and confidently to follow their wayes, incon&s;iderately pre&s;uming of that liberty that neither the lawes of the Kingdome, nor conueniencie of State can any wayes tollerate.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The effect of this, pre&s;ents to con&s;ideration <HI>4.</HI> principall points.</HEAD>
<P>Fir&s;t, the vnorderly con&s;umption and wa&s;te of Bullion without account, to the hinderance and preuention of the encrea&s;e of the coine of this Kingdome: and this comes fir&s;t from vnlawfull finers, who melting downe great quantities of coine and bullion, to enrich them&s;elues thereby, di&s;per&s;e and di&s;po&s;e it to all per&s;ons, which may be a&s;well tran&s;ported as v&s;ed here on the&s;e prohibited v&s;es, and the&s;e examples enuite and incourage all the&s;e di&s;orderly per&s;ons.</P>
<P>And the&s;e &s;ecret finers, are ordinary receiuers of &s;tolne plate from any per&s;on what&s;oeuer.</P>
<P N="2">2. The fal&s;ification of the commodity by the&s;e di&s;ordered per&s;ons, either by imba&s;ing the quallity thereof in &s;euerall kindes, or in not gi|uing the due proportion of quantity thereunto, in the ouerflight working of the commodity.</P>
<P N="3">3. Preiudice to his Maie&s;tie in tho&s;e duties that are to him acknowledged by way of recompence, for the lo&s;&s;e of cu&s;tomes of that was v&s;ually brought from forreigne parts.</P>
<P N="4">4. The inequallity of iu&s;tice to &s;uch as haue duly &s;erued in a lawfull way of trade, when a&s;well forraigners and &s;trangers expelled their own Countrey, appropriate to them&s;elues both the benefit of naturall borne &s;ubiects, and of free men, to the nur&s;ery of lewde idle and di&s;hone&s;t &s;eruants, who vntimely make them&s;elues free men from their Ma&s;ters &s;eruice without con&s;ent. Whereas on the contrary, true account being kept of the Bullion, it will be a great meanes for the dayly imployment of his Maie&s;ties Mint, preuent all fal&s;ities: gaue <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> his due, and di&s;|tribute equall Iu&s;tice to &s;uch as either &s;erue or purcha&s;e their trades by redemption: and the Commodities better, and better cheape then euer.</P>
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