A. D. 1630. 2^^ 



' dier fhall they die any lilk before the gum be fair boiled off from the 

 ' filk, being raw.' — With many other regulations relating to filk-dyeing, 

 and the proportional weight before and after dying, too tedious to be 

 now particularized. [Focdera, V. xix, p. 187.] 



King Charles gave an exclufive patent to four perfons for a pretended 

 new invention for melting, forging, or fining iron, lead, tin, and fait ; 

 and for burning bricks, tiles, lime, &c. with the fuel of peat or turf re- 

 duced into a coal, without the ufe either of fea-coal, pit-coal, or wood. 

 [Foedtra, V. xix, /». 189.] 



One would naturally imagine that the condition of England, in re- 

 fpedl of flefh-meat and other provifions, mull in thofe times have been 

 very different from what it is in our days, otherwife we fhould not fure- 

 ly have 'i&tn fo many laws and proclamations in this and the two pre- 

 ceding reigns againft the ufe of flefh in lent, and other fi(h-days ; but in 

 this year there was a flill more extraordinary proclamation on this fubjeft, 

 wherein the king takes notice of the abufes committed by ingroffers, bad- 

 gers, broggers, and buyers of corn, it being then a year of fcarcity. And 

 the more to fave the provifions of the nation, he enjoins the general prac- 

 tice of the antient laudable cuftom, that no fuppers were wont to be kept 

 on Fridays, nor on the eves of feafls commanded to be fifl:ed, nor on 

 Wednefdays and Saturdays in the ember weeks, and in lent ; the fame 

 courfe being ftill obferved in the king's houfehold, and in the families 

 of moft of the nobility, and of many gentlemen, as alfo in the inns of 

 court and chancery, and the colleges of univerfities. He alio ordains, 

 that the feafis at halls of the city companies be forborn, and that half 

 the expenfe thereof be given to the neceflitous poor. And whereas fo- 

 reign fiiips frequently come empty into the ports of England, to vidual 

 for long voyages, which, in a time of fcarcity, is by no means to be iuf- 

 fered ; fuch fliips, therefor, fliall hereafter only take in fuch a quantity 

 of provifions as the magiftrates of the refpedtive ports fliall judge conve- 

 nient, being only for their neceffary fubfifi;ance till their return into 

 their own country. [^Foedera, V. xix, p. 195.] 



There was this year a monopoly project, for the practice of a new in- 

 vention for extrading gold and filver from copper, tin, and lead, granted 

 for fourteen years, on paying one third of the net profits thereof to the king.. 



In the fame year King Charles mofl: laudably commiflioned a number 

 of his great officers of ftate to inquire into the fifliery on the Britilli 

 coafts, how the fame may be rendered more beneficial to the nation,, 

 by framing a general fifliery company, compofed of fome of each of 

 his three kingdoms. For which end he promiied to iffue like commif- 

 fions to Scotland and Ireland *. [Foedera, V. xix, p. 21 1.] 



King Charles iffued a commiflion, wherein he takes notice, that 

 the merchant-adventurers company have frequently many confiderable: 



* See more of this under the year 1633. 



